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.
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J W says:
Interest is key. That’s the only thing that got me through 7 years of Russian!!! I started my older child off with Spanish since at the time we lived in back of a park in a neighborhood that was becoming increasingly Hispanic. But then about a year later, we hosted a missionary family from France… That was the end of Spanish, and the end of my comfort zone (I’d taken a semester of Spanish in college). French was the language of choice. I have experimented with different curriculae, because I’m dealing with a now Jr. High school student and have plenty of time! The upshot of all this is, I absolutely had to take a Continuing Education class in French at the local community college because the curriculum we’re using doesn’t take my children as far as they want to go, and because I was TERRIBLE at speaking
I jokingly refered to it as “well, I’m off to Remedial French now.”
August 10th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Lee says:
Joelle,
Shhhhh… I have a secret! I think Mac at church used to be a college French professor….. shhhhhh…. Don’t tell!
Blessings,
Lee
August 10th, 2009 at 7:46 pm