Homeschooling a Foreign Language

Homeschooling a foreign language has been on my mind. I have a daughter that will start high school soon. Foreign language is usually a requirement for college. So I have been thinking about what language to have her learn. I also have been looking at homeschool foreign language curriculum.

Choosing a Language

Homeschooling a foreign language is easy if your family is bilingual. For the rest of us we need to determine what language we want to learn. There are several factors that you should consider when you are looking for what foreign language you want to teach.

Choosing the foreign language that is right for your family depends on your interests. Some choose a language because of their heritage.

You will need to consider carefully since colleges usually require at least two years of a single foreign language study.

Here are some questions that my daughter and I are exploring:

• How easy is the language to learn? Some languages are more difficult to learn.
• Are we interested in the culture of the country? Studying a foreign language requires learning also about the culture of the people who speak the language.
• Do we know someone who my daughter can practice the language with? To learn proper pronunciation you need to be able to talk to a native speaker.

Besides satisfying the college requirement here are some other considerations for studying a foreign language. The world is becoming very global. Businesses need people that can communicate in other languages. People who speak another language are needed in customer service, hospitals, and education. Another reason to take a foreign language is if your child wants to go on the mission field.

Which Homeschooling Foreign Language to Teach There are a lot of different languages that you can learn. When I went to school Spanish, French, and German were the only languages that were offered at my high school. Today you can find Russian, Chinese, and Italian. Some families like to learn Latin and ancient Greek. American Sign Language is also being accepted by most colleges.

Because of the visual and kinesthetic value of American Sign Language it is sometimes easier for children to learn. ASL is a good choice for children who struggle with language. It is used some with autistic children.

Again what language your family learns depends on what is available to you. If live in a country as a foreigner it would be important to learn the language of the country.

Ways to Teach

There are several curriculums that will help you teach a foreign language. If you do not speak the language, find a curriculum that has a CD so that your child can listen to the words.

Another ways to learn a language is to find a private tutor. Some people would love to help you learn their language especially if you will help them learn English.

If you cannot find a private tutor, you can have your child take a class at the local college.

Besides getting in college homeschooling a foreign language can be helpful. With our global society knowing a foreign language can be helpful in getting a job.

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