October 16, 2024 – Teaching Foreign Language? Muy Bien!

Stephanie Morrison

Learning Languages: Better Together!

My favorite part of teaching my boys foreign languages is that I get to learn too. I haven’t produced a fluent foreign language speaker yet, but I have guided my two teens on a path of discovery of different cultures and vocabulary connections through our exploration of a few different languages over the years. 

Encourage your children to learn a second language while also being aware of the many other benefits to be had from foreign language education. Over the years we’ve covered French (my favorite and especially useful in our bilingual country of Canada), Spanish, Latin, a wee bit of Greek and Hebrew, and sign language. Hopefully you have noticed the wide array of language learning options available to home educators. You have options to dabble or to get in-depth teaching in several different languages through courses created just for homeschooling families and just as many or more options in language learning in the general market. 

Yes, fluency in a language is a great learning goal to have, but don’t downplay the many other benefits of learning new languages. The top on my list is that it’s an ideal subject to cover as a family. Most foreign language curriculum can be adapted for multiple ages, even if younger ones are just around to hear the instruction and random words. 

Here’s the link to the Hey Mama! Homeschool Show episode, where I share some of the great brain development benefits and how connections can be made to better comprehend the structure of our first language by learning a second language.

Toujours apprendre!

About the author

Pursuing her calling to help parents enjoy the responsibility of educating their children, Steph works with select clients in the home education industry and helps entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses from home. She and her family are perfectly placed in the prairies of Saskatchewan, Canada. She loves being a homebody and building up her permaculture property. Learn more about Steph at: www.CreatingWorkandPlay.com.

Bring Languages to Life! by James Innes

Finding foreign language resources suitable for homeschooling is tough. How can we find a program that aligns with Christian values? How can we bring languages to life in an English-speaking environment? If I don’t speak a foreign language, how can I teach one to my children?

The skill of language-learning is key if we’re to reach the four corners of the Earth in obedience with Jesus’ Great Commission. However, careful research is needed to find language resources with a Christian ethos. Your children need a fun program that gives them insight into a foreign culture within a safe learning environment.

Languages need to be lively, fun and relevant if they are to motivate your children. Traditionally, language-learning can be dry, grammar-heavy and unrelatable. But there are now many programs that bring languages to life with an interactive methodology and a focus on oral skills and culture.

Teaching a foreign language might be daunting if it’s been decades since you picked up a Spanish or French dictionary! Fortunately, there are many engaging programs that can support you, especially with pronunciation. Videos, audio clips, games and worksheets can provide you with weekly lessons and take the burden of subject knowledge off your shoulders. These programs usually come with a free trial, so investigate for yourself and see if the material aligns with biblical principles.

French with Mr Innes ticks all these boxes. Your child will master the basics of the French language and culture in safe Christian hands. I provide lessons on a plate with videos filmed on location in Paris, plus flashcard games and worksheets. So you’re released from the burden of time, effort, and subject knowledge! Watch French become your child’s favorite subject with fun, authentic, and interactive weekly lessons. Start your 7-day free trial today!

https://frenchwithmrinnes.com/pages/homeschool

Beth Mora

Learning a Foreign Language: Oh, So Good! 

The Bible’s first book, Genesis, gives us a glimpse of God’s perfect world. It is a world without sin, perfect fellowship with God, no strife, no sickness, and no death. 

God declared, “It’s good.”

One aspect of this perfect world often gets overlooked, and I invite you to ponder the amazingness of God’s design with me. There were no language barriers. 

This indeed is also “Oh, so good!” 

As we turn the pages of the Bible, we see the layers of what we lost in the garden. In Genesis 11:1-9, mankind rises up in pride to challenge God’s supremacy; the consequence is a scattered people with differing languages, resulting in confusion upon the Earth. 

Not good. 

After living for thousands of years in that confusion, Jesus came and taught us a different way of life: a life of love and service to others, all empowered by Jesus’s death and resurrection so we could be free from sin. 

Very, very good news! 

Then, in Mathew 28: 19-20, Jesus calls us to be part of His plan:

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

Oh, so good and exciting! 

But what does all of this have to do with my humble homeschool journey?

Prayerfully consider God’s calling to “teach all nations” as a foundational educational pillar of your homeschool plan. 

This is very good. 

What does preparing your family to “teach all nations” look like? There are so many ways!

Learn about different cultures:

• Eat their food.
• Play their games.
• Read their stories.
• Learn their history.
• Sing their songs.
• Make friends with someone from that land.

But most importantly, learn their language. 

According to a Pew Research study, in America, learning a foreign language seems to be a hard sell, with only 20% of students engaged compared to 92% in Europe.

Not good.

Learning a second language is rooted in loving others and sharing the Gospel’s good news!

And that’s muy bien, my friend!

Beth Mora is a staff writer for The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC and lesson designer for www.Schoolhouseteachers.com. She is the creator/teacher-on-camera for Here to Help Learning’s Homeschool Writing Program Grades 1-6, and a homeschool conference and women’s events speaker. Meet up with Beth at Home To Home, one of her favorite places to encourage. Everything she does, whether laughable or heart-gripping, is done to honor her Lord and Savior, Jesus. God’s grace is the salve that has healed her own life and is what she offers liberally to others.

Learn to love the ancient language of Latin with JAMwithLatin.com an online classroom with a modern approach to learning a classical language.

Alexandria Letkeman

Bilingual Brains Are Stronger!

Hola, homeschooling parents! Thinking about adding a foreign language to your curriculum? Let me be the first to tell you that’s an idea fantástica! Since English is today’s lingua franca, many people don’t see the benefits of learning or teaching a language other than English. But whether it’s Spanish, French, Mandarin, or any other language your child is interested in, learning a new language can be a real game changer for your child. 

First, it’s no secret that bilingual brains are stronger! Just like working out a muscle makes it stronger, learning is working out our brains. Studies show that learning a second language sharpens cognitive skills, making it easier to solve problems, multitask, and even improve memory and multitasking ability. With all these benefits for the brain, it’s not a leap to conclude that learning a foreign language will boost your child’s learning in every area! 

Besides brain boosting benefits, a foreign language opens a world of culture. It’s like giving your child a passport to new experiences! They’ll gain a deeper understanding of other cultures, which is très importante in our globalized world. There is a whole world out there filled with different worldviews, traditions, cultures, religions, and art. They may even develop a taste for new foods, music, and customs along the way!

Let’s not forget the practical perks. Being bilingual can boost your child’s future career prospects. Employers are always on the lookout for multilingual candidates, and most will pay these candidates a higher salary right off the bat. This is especially true for Spanish in most of the United States. 

And parents, don’t worry if you’re not fluent yourself. There are plenty of resources, from apps to online courses, to help your child become a linguistic maestro. You might even find yourself picking up a few phrases—c’est la vie!

Whether you’re learning “hola,” “bonjour,” or “ni hao,” teaching a foreign language is a decision that will benefit your child’s brain, cultural awareness and appreciation, and their future opportunities. Au revoir for now, and happy teaching!

About the author

Alexandria Letkeman began homeschooling with her family in middle school and has recently graduated with honors in 2020. Together with her husband, she has developed a passion for financial literacy, classical writing, and the freedom that homeschooling provides. In pursuit of those passions, she and her husband aim to continue the legacy of The HomeScholar and continue helping homeschool parents homeschool with confidence. One day, Alex plans to start a homesteading farm in Texas featuring mini cows.

Learn biblical Greek and classical Latin the easy way! Explore God’s Word with great beginning study tools. Visit www.greeknstuff.com

Pillar of Hope

Heidi Mosher

Foreign Language Above and Beyond the Textbook

I love this topic! I’m finally learning a foreign language—my Dad’s language. The words help me hold my heritage. 

There are countless avenues now available for learning foreign language. Below are some ways my family and I work towards our goals. 

Use music like Bilingual Songs in English-Spanish by Sara Jordan, accessible on Spotify. Incorporate it into your routine by listening in the car on the way to weekly homeschool extras. 

Watch a movie, like Where the Red Fern Grows, in a foreign language. Turn on subtitles.

Try Foreign Langauge for Kids by Kids to observe kids speaking Spanish in everyday scenarios.   

Learn from a native speaker: a neighbor, someone at church, an exchange student, or a relative. Ask for study help or converse with them. Exchange texts or email in their native language or follow their Facebook posts and translate. 

Enroll in a dance class to spark an interest in French, the language of ballet.

Listen to podcasts or read articles in another language. 

Purchase a Bible translated into your language of choice. Then find an online recording and listen while following along. Start with familiar Psalms. 

Visit a church that worships in another language.  

Consider a mission trip. There’s nothing like time spent abroad for absorbing foreign language! 

Contrast God’s astounding treatment of language at Babel (Genesis 11:1-9) and at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13). What a reversal!

Try an app to gamify foreign language learning. The one our family uses allows us to cheer each other on and strive for streaks. Using such an app on the computer may also help improve typing skills. 

Be encouraged. Learning a different language can reinforce other areas of learning too, like English spelling and grammar. 

Start young on a new language if you can, but don’t be discouraged if you didn’t. I interviewed an expert in early childhood Spanish immersion for The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. Check out the fascinating research and ideas in Learning Foreign Language for Life. 

Language is an excellent connector. While your kids acquire a new language, maybe you’ll learn one too.

About the author

Heidi Mosher is honored to write for The Homeschool Minute, as it was a lifeline of her early homeschooling years. She is thankful to be the mother of four—two recent homeschool graduates and two who are currently homeschooled.

¿Cómo estás? Go beyond common Spanish phrases and learn more of the Spanish language as well as the correct grammar, pronunciation, and sentence structure with Spanish 1 on SchoolhouseTeachers.com. Students will learn Spanish vocabulary as spoken in Latin American countries and will learn how to use their newfound words in reading and writing. They will also learn about Spanish culture and history. 

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