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How To Develop Your Children By Teaching Them With A Foreign Language

As if the idea of teaching your children English, math, history, and science is not intimidating enough, consider a foreign language. Learning a new language is a great way to become a more analytical thinker, to increase opportunities, and to develop as a well-rounded person. If you never learned another language yourself and the idea of teaching one scares you, fear not. There are many great ways to get your kids into a foreign language and culture, and it is not as difficult as you may think.

Why learn a new language?

The world is a big place, and that can be a tough concept for youngsters to grasp. This is especially true for most kids who see only their own neighborhood, town, and maybe some other parts of the United States. If you have the means to travel with them, that is wonderful. But if not, you can bring the world home. Teaching your child about foreign cultures and languages gives them an important perspective and helps them to understand the world and their place in it. It also helps them learn to value and appreciate what they have.

As the world shrinks with increasing globalization, your child’s chances of encountering foreign cultures and peoples grows. While fifty years ago many Americans lived very isolated lives, today we are exposed to much more. Encourage your kids to be a part of the world, and their opportunities will expand.

From a purely academic perspective, learning a foreign language is immensely beneficial. By studying other languages, your child will be stimulating parts of the brain that improve creativity and critical thinking. Your child’s abilities in other subjects can be improved by becoming a better critical thinker. And if your child is college-bound, consider the fact that many institutions require foreign language study before admittance.

What languages should I consider?

The world is your oyster, and you have the freedom to teach your children any language you or they desire. However, some languages will be more useful than others. Some of the most commonly taught language in public schools today include French, Spanish, German, Mandarin, and Japanese. Schools tend to offer languages based on demand. Parents are generally interested in their kids learning a language that may serve them one day. For instance, for someone going into a banking or finance career, German is a useful language. Spanish is also helpful because so many people in this country and around the world speak it. Mandarin is increasingly popular as China’s dominance in the world economy grows. French is a perennial favorite, as many educated people throughout the world learn English and French.

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Select a language that you think would be beneficial to your children. Or choose one that would be meaningful. For instance, if your ancestors came from Greece, it might be fun to learn Greek language and culture so that your kids understand where their family history. Another consideration will be your ability to find educational resources. You are more likely to find books, CDs, and DVDs for learning Spanish, for example, than Tagalog.

What if I don’t know the language?

If you do know a foreign language, you are in an ideal situation. Kids are great at becoming bilingual from an early language. They are like little sponges that soak up knowledge. Their ability to take in and remember languages is unprecedented. You have a unique opportunity, and if you start them young enough, all you have to do is make sure you speak with them in English and the other language you know.

And if you don’t know another language besides English, not to worry. You can still help your children learn. Just be careful that they don’t learn too much without you or they will have a secret code for talking in front of you! There are plenty of resources out there that you can use and as a bonus, you can learn the language as well.

What are some tips and tricks?

There are so many great ways to incorporate a foreign language and culture into your homeschooling days. Whether you speak the language or not, you can use several techniques, ideas, and resources to help your children learn it.

Where will I find resources?

If you don’t speak the language you are teaching, finding good resources is crucial. Start by finding a resource set that you can purchase. These can get pretty pricey, so look for something used on sites like Amazon. [2] These sets typically come with workbooks, CDs, DVDs, and textbooks. To keep costs down, try buying the books online and checking out discs from your local library.

The Internet is a vast source of free resources on many topics, including foreign languages. A quick search should turn up plenty of free lessons and dictionaries for reference as well as free books and stories in foreign languages. Enchanted Learning [3] offers picture dictionaries in several languages. The BBC website [4] has sets of high-quality lessons and worksheets for French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Greek, and more. They even have a proficiency test that will tell you where you need improvement. Wanna Learn [5] gives you free lessons in over thirty different languages. Wikiversity [6] from Wikipedia offers even more languages.

You might also consider sharing resources with other homeschoolers. If you have a local group formed, find out if any of the adults are more qualified for teaching a language. Maybe another father is a native Spanish speaker. If so, you could trade lessons with him for something you are good at teaching, such as gardening or math.

However you go about teaching your kids a new language, you will not regret embarking on this rewarding experience. As you learn alongside your children, you will be opening up new doors and new worlds of opportunities for them and for you.

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