Spanish school opens in new, larger location

EDISON - As politicians discuss whether English should be the official language in the United States, some parents still want to help their children become bilingual.

For the past four years, Jacqueline Sanin has been on the forefront of that movement, bringing Spanish instruction to children in central New Jersey through her school, Salta! Jump Into Spanish, which now serves over 100 students.

Sanin, who is co-owner of the Edison based school with her husband, Jorge, said she decided to start a Spanish program for children four years ago when her then 4-year-old daughter made it clear that she wanted to speak only English. Sanin, who is of Cuban heritage, had gone to the library and checked out a Spanish children's music tape to play in the car. While Sanin was enjoying the musical sounds of her heritage, her daughter, who is both Cuban and Columbian, was in tears. Sanin said she could see that her daughter was growing up without an appreciation for her own culture or language.

"There needed to be a program that taught children the beauty of Spanish … all children," Sanin said.

On hiatus at the time from her career in human resources in order to stay home with her children, Sanin spent a year developing the program before she started the first version, a Spanish playgroup called Rice & Beanz, in a small basement rental space in Metuchen.

Eventually Sanin discovered that parents were looking for much more and the market was broader.

She found that many non-Spanishspeaking parents wanted their children to be bilingual so they would have more opportunities in an increasingly global economy. Sanin said she has children of all races and nationalities in her program. Many come from strictly Englishspeaking families.

Sanin abandoned the playgroup concept and revised her curriculum and direction. Enrollment was steadily increasing, and Sanin acquired a larger space, still in Metuchen, and renamed the program Salta! Jump Into Spanish.

Classes are available for children 18 months old to 9 years old, with several different 45-minute to one-hour session times offered Monday through Saturday.

Sanin plans to offer the classes for students up to the fifth grade.

This summer, the program was moved to a larger location at 445 Plainfield Road in Edison, offering the first Salta! Spanish summer camp, which served 110 children.

The official grand opening for the new location was held Sept. 8.

Although Sanin started her program as the sole teacher, she now has an entire staff of teachers in the new location. Sanin herself does not have a formal teaching background, but she said she has a simple and effective method: immersion.

In Salta! classes, children must communicate in Spanish. Sanin said the environment is supportive and the teachers are patient, but the children are expected to try to express themselves in Spanish.

One of the biggest challenges Sanin is facing now is growth, she said. In order to overcome this, she is franchising Salta! and has plans to open numerous locations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New York.

"Parents who attend the program are always asking why we can't open up a program close to where they live," Sanin said.

"I am only one person, so we are going with franchising," she said.

Sanin said she is glad to make the opportunity to learn a second language available to more families, but she is also happy to provide a business opportunity for parents who want to spend time with their children and need flexibility.