Hello
there! If you are new here, we invite you to subscribe by RSS
feed or by
email. On Facebook? We would
love for you to join
us.
Foreign language is difficult. Trouble. Hard. From my perspective as a math/science gal, I can also say it’s yucky. Not my cup of tea. It’s also possible. Doable. Not insurmountable, even for homeschool parents who
don’t know a second language.
In Europe, many countries teach a variety of languages to school children. I have heard that in Germany, kids learn one language in early elementary, another in middle school, and another in high school. I guess that means German kids know four languages by the time they graduate from high school. I’m pretty sure that demonstrates foreign language is possible for everyone.
There are some great reasons to study a foreign language. Like math and science, the study of foreign language has value. Even though it isn’t MY preference, and I would rather work on math, I can still see benefits.
Learning a foreign language can help you learn English, learn vocabulary, learn critical thinking. It can teach kids to be less ethnocentric. It’s critical as a Christian, to help fulfill the great commission. It’s also not easy, so it can teach hard work and study skills.
How important is a foreign language for homeschoolers?
Not every adult knows a foreign language, and not every child admitted to college has a foreign language. In fact, in Washington State if a child earns an AA degree from a community college, and transfers into a state university, they may be able to bypass the entire foreign language requirement. Some colleges don’t have a foreign language requirement at all, while others will insist on foreign language study before they will grant a degree. Essentially, if you don’t have it going IN to the college, some want you to have it before you leave.
Foreign language study can serve a few purposes. First, it’s a wonderful way to learn about English. When you study a foreign language and learn about verb tenses and grammar, it can increase knowledge of the English language. It can also help you understand the differences between languages – for example, some have articles (the) and other’s don’t.
Second, a foreign language is great critical thinking. It’s often a way for colleges to see how well your child studies and learns, and if they have the study skills necessary for a foreign language. It does take effort and thought. Much like math, a language is easier to learn when you do it daily, even if small amounts if necessary.
Third, not all countries speak English. In fact, one of the biggest complaints about American’s is that they think everyone DOES speak English. One reason for the “rude American” stereotype is when people insist on speaking English-only in a non-English speaking country. In order to successfully interact with people in other countries, whether as a guest or as a missionary, speaking their language is considered the polite thing to do. Even if it is just an attempt at their language, it can make all the difference.
If you can’t fit foreign language into your normal homeschool week, there are options. You can search for a college that doesn’t require a foreign language. You can strive for an AA degree from a community college, so that a foreign language requirement may be waived. You can incorporate natural language learning, rather than textbook learning. For example, you might learn Spanish during a mission trip to Costa Rica, interacting with native speakers, rather than sit in front of a computer doing Rosetta Stone.
There are a huge variety of foreign languages to choose from; languages that are spoken around the world, languages that form the basis of scripture. American Sign Language is accepted at most universities, and it’s a great language for kinesthetic learners. Latin is accepted almost everywhere as well, and it can be a great fit for a logical or non-linguistic child.
To increase your success in teaching ANY subject, using a curriculum intended for homeschoolers can help. Curriculum written for a school situation will assume that the teacher knows the subject already. But when you use a curriculum meant for homeschoolers, it usually assumes that both student and teacher don’t know the subject when they start. In this letter a mother was asking me about Latin, but the concept holds true for other subjects as well; use curriculum meant for homeschoolers when possible.
I was looking over the e-book on transcripts that I got from you, and I notice you taught Latin. I have tried to teach Latin, but didn’t get very far, because I didn’t understand it. I would like to try again. Which curriculum did you use?
Thanks, Diane
Hi Diane,
My children did three years of high school Latin, and one boy is still taking it in college – but I don’t understand Latin any more than you do, so I know you aren’t at a disadvantage just because you don’t understand it!
If you want to try Latin again, then using a curriculum made for homeschoolers will help. I used Latin Road to English Grammar, and it’s made just for homeschoolers. I worked about a chapter ahead of my boys the first year, and that helped. It’s pretty intensive, so it did take us about 30-40 minutes a day the first year. Here is a link to a blog post.
You don’t need to have Latin, though. In high school, you can use any foreign language. Sometimes homeschool moms give themselves pressure to teach Latin, but the truth is that another language may be easier for you. Don’t feel like Latin is a “must” – it’s just a trend right now in homeschooling, not a necessity. If you want the vocabulary development of Latin, then you can choose Rummy Roots. It teaches the vocabulary aspect without doing it in the context of learning a foreign language.
Another feature of the Gold Care Club is where I answer your biggest questions about homeschooling high school. You will love your free month of Gold Care when you get my e-book!
Washington State requires 11 basic subjects during the 12 years of school. The 11 required subjects are reading, writing, spelling, language, math, science, social studies, history, health, occupational education, and art and music appreciation. Do you notice anything that seems to be missing? Linda did!
I notice you didn’t list a foreign language; once again is that only required for college entry but not for high school graduation?
~Linda in Washington
Foreign language is not required from homeschoolers in Washington State. It usually *is* required for college admission – usually, but not always. You can check with individual colleges to see if they require foreign language or will waive the requirement for some reason, but it is a typical requirement for college entry.
Physical education is also not on the list! Other states have different requirements. I often see a technology requirement mentioned, for example. But in Washington State, it is the parent that sets graduation requirements above the 11 required subjects that are listed in state law. For more information about Washington State Law, see the WHO website here.
I have new buttons! Scroll down on this page and you will see them on the right hand column. Grab the code for your website or blog today!
Which foreign language should you teach in your homeschool? So many factors come into play!
I find that a language you have learned in the past is helpful, because you will understand the very beginning of the curriculum, which is always the biggest hurdle. It also will help you with the sound of the accent (even if you can’t say it, you’ll be able to hear it.) For that reason, it makes sense to teach a foreign language you are familiar with.
On the other hand, Spanish is SO widely used and there are SO many supplemental activities, that it’s pretty tempting! All those supplementals can really help the language seem more important, and provide “real wold” learning that improves comprehension. For that reason, it makes sense to teach a foreign language that is common where you live.
Any foreign language at all will help you find a job or get into college. It’s more important to have a few years of ANY foreign language than that it is to have just a little bit of a particular foreign language. For that reason, it makes sense that you allow the child to choose any language they are interested in learning.
Remember the key to foreign language is consistency every day, most of the year. 15 minutes per day is enough to make forward momentum. Any language program, and any language choice can fail if you don’t work on it regularly. To work regularly, you can all do a foreign language with all your children together, even if they are working at completely different levels using completely different curricula. For consistency, it makes sense to choose a foreign language that your whole family can work on together
There is no one “right” foreign language to take, but I hope this points can help you make a decision.
If you are thinking about putting grades and credits on your transcript, you may wonder how to include co-op experiences, especially if the coop wasn’t a perfect fit for your family. I received a question from a mom who wanted to know what to do with a misfit foreign language class.
Hi Lee,
I just want reassurance that it doesn’t matter how much is accomplished as long as you put in the hours, right? My son took a Spanish class this year and despite waaay too many hours working at it, he is basically walking away with very little. I had the opposite problem with my daughter. She took French and was not challenged. She learned 14 words a week. Oh, brother! She could have done so much more. I did learn, however, that academics in a co-op are not for me. I’m definitely a homeschooler. We’ll use it for drama and art in the future.
Thanks!
~Melanie
Dear Melanie,
{{{hugs!}}} I wish that wasn’t how coops work! When kids are working on their level, they should be awarded some success!
Yes, Spanish at his level, working an hour a day for a whole year, should really be a whole credit. Now, at your coop, if they give you an accredited transcript, then his accredited grade will remain on his transcript. I don’t know how your coop is run, though. If it’s just a homeschool coop, with no accreditation, then I would absolutely count his high school credit based on the hours worked, and NOT based on certain test scores. With your daughter the linguist, encouraging her to work at her own speed can allow her to move very, very rapidly!
I think you’ll have much more success and feel like your children are learning more if they are able to go at their level.
When I see successful foreign language programs in coops, it’s often a class that is just a time to get together and “play” with other kids while talking in that language. The seat work is better done at home, in other words. If they miss coop, then only use that for the play aspect of the foreign language, not the book aspect. That way they can learn at their own pace.
I was just consulting with a Gold Care Member, a certified teacher. She said, “When I was a teacher in high school, a credit means they sat in class for a year.” Sat in a class! Our goal for our children is NOT the amount of time sitting in a class – our goal is learning! So if they are sitting in class for a year, YES give them the credit. But make sure they while they are sitting there, they are learning at their level all the time. Because you want them to learn, and not get frustrated because they are either so far behind, or bored because they are so far ahead.
Watch this clip on “I love Lucy” Then have a nice cup of coffee, and move on without beating yourself up about anything. Your children did a year of foreign language. Cool! Lots of families don’t get to that every year. So you are successful too!
See those cute buttons at the bottom of these blog posts? Those are there to help you share helpful posts with others who might need encouragement. Go ahead and give it a try. I promise that nothing will blow up!
We started foreign language study with Latin, because I didn’t want to speak anything with a funny accent. We used “Latin Road to English Grammar.” Alex was in 5th grade when we started, and Kevin was in 7th. I didn’t know Latin, but the kids did VERY well with the program. It’s definitely high school level. The first year it took us 30 minutes per day, with me spending an additional 1-2 hours on the weekend, learning ahead of them. The second year of Latin it took about 45 minutes a day, and I still learned ahead of them. The third year of Latin, I completely gave up learning it with them. It took them an hour a day, but they seemed to enjoy the challenge.
Latin was a great fit for my engineering son. The mathematical quality of the language really helped him enjoy it, because he learned it the same way he did his math. When we finished with Latin, Alex wanted to continue in college. He had been 2 or 3 years without any Latin, but when he took the Latin placement test, he placed into college level 3000 Latin. Because they didn’t offer Latin 3000 that year, he actually started in a Latin 4000 class in college, and he wasn’t lost, and he loved it, and he is still taking Latin even today!
Our May newsletter goes out in about 6 hours! Hopefully you will enjoy the wonderful links and helps. Sign up for our free homeschool newsletter here.
Oh my goodness! I’ve discovered another incredible resource for foreign language! If your child loves Facebook and is able to write a short sentence, have them try Facebook in another language. What a wonderful opportunity to try working their foreign language skills in a fun way! It sounds like it would be a great fit for a highly social child!
When we were homeschooling, I was pretty excited when I figured out that DVD movies have subtitles in French, Spanish, and sometimes other languages as well. In fact, when you go to the library or video store, you can look specifically for DVDs in different languages. We would watch them in English with French subtitles – or vice versa! Our favorite movies were animated, so we didn’t get annoyed by the way the lips moved.
I have also heard that you can set your computer video games into different foreign languages. The joy of homeschooling is that you can think creatively when you’re studying subjects. You don’t have to settle for “just” a textbook. You can teach or supplement your foreign language is the way that your child learns best.
To set Facebook in French, go to Settings, Account Settings, and then Languages.
Matt here. I’m late again. Today is Lee’s birthday so I should have put this out yesterday….Anyway, if you have a moment and are on Facebook, it would be lovely if you could wish her a happy birthday on Facebook! Better yet, become a fan of her new HomeScholar Business page. She’s had it a bit rough today with all her babies away at college….Thanks for understanding!
One of my greatest discoveries was using DVDs to teach my children French. Simply by using the “French” option on Nemo, we were able to review our French vocabulary in an incredibly fun way. Now I hear that there is ANOTHER great way to study French! Read this article in my local paper.
When John Nordlinger, senior research manager for Microsoft Research’s gaming efforts, wanted a refresher on his French, he started playing “Everquest” — the multiplayer online role-playing game — in that language.
What a fabulous idea! That would have been a PERFECT fit for my kids! I’m planning on telling Alex the idea today, because he is still taking French in college. He did watch “Nemo” in French to prepare himself for this quarter. Imagine his delight that he can study with video games!
467 people have signed up so far for my free mini-course on the “5 Biggest Mistakes Parents Make When Homeschooling High School.“ I would be extremely grateful if you would share the link above with your homeschool group, co-op, Yahoo group or homeschool forum. I know you and your friends will be blessed by this free resource!
>>>Angela asks: “We purchased Rosetta Stone Spanish 1 and didn’t do so well last year. We will ‘go at it’ with more gusto this year, but my question is, this course is supposed to be a 2 year course although it is only Spanish 1. Do you have any knowledge of the credit value?”<<<
Angela, I know that a two year course at high school level would be two full high school credits. I also know that the catalog may say “Spanish 1″ and really mean college level Spanish 1. If it is college level, it may be two full high school credits. But I haven’t actually researched the credit value of Rosetta Stone.
If Rosetta Stone isn’t working, it may not match your student’s learning style. Why not look at Tell Me More and Power-Glide, and see if either of those might match your student better? Here is my blog post that links them side by side. Have your kids help you, and click on each sample one at a time. These can also be found from most homeschool resources, including Sonlight Curriculum, RockSolid Discount Homeschool Books, and ChristianBook.com.
Rosetta stone is very methodical, and for computer-lovers, but there are many other ways to learn foreign languages besides looking at a split-screen computer all day. Whatever curriculum you choose, though, the key is to do foreign language for AT LEAST 15 minutes every day. That way you won’t have to keep re-learning day after day, but can build on your knowledge from the previous day. That 15 minute thing is really key!
Subscribe to my blog via reader or e-mail. Get your daily dose of high school wisdom.
Filed under: 
Christianbook.com Curriculum Page
