Speekee comes with optional subtitles, in English or Spanish. On DVD, you can choose between Spanish and English; on Speekee TV both languages are shown (see image below).

Speekee with subtitles

The question is: should you switch them on or not?

We do not recommend subtitles for your children but the choice is yours. For example, one parent commented: “The interface is easy to use and TB likes to watch the videos in full-screen with the closed captions on. This allows him to read what is being said in both Spanish and English.”

So why do we say we do not recommend? Largely because Speekee is an immersion program, exclusively in Spanish. The principal aim is for your child to watch the moving images and listen to the accompanying Spanish – not to be reading the transcript on the screen.

So why are there subtitles at all? Mainly as a guide for you, but they do also serve as a language aid. We suggest you have them switched off when your child is watching Speekee, especially in the early stages. Later, as your child becomes very familiar with the Spanish words and phrases you may want to switch the subtitles on as a way of increasing your child’s linguistic knowledge (-;