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Why Is Learning a Foreign Language Important?

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Unless you’re fluent in a foreign language or studied one in college, teaching a foreign language may be a bit of a daunting task. You might be wondering if it’s really worth it. Here are some preliminary questions to consider as you think about teaching your child a foreign language.

  • Why should my child learn a foreign language?

Many states require at least one year of foreign language study for high school graduates, and many colleges require foreign language credits for admission. State requirements aside, mastering a foreign language can open whole worlds of opportunity for your children—in ministry, in business, and in academics. Taking a year or two now to learn a language could potentially save your child some time in language school if your child is called to the mission field in a foreign country. In the more immediate future, studying a foreign language gives your child the opportunity to communicate—and potentially share the Gospel—with people they otherwise would not be able to talk to, not to mention that companies are always looking for people who can speak another language and that learning a new language often teaches you a lot about your own.

  • When should my child learn a foreign language?

God has designed us to be capable of learning entire languages in just a few years when we’re young. Children can become fluent in a language without bothering with grammar or memorization. I’ll always remember the story of how one of my roommates learned Spanish. Her parents didn’t speak to her in Spanish. She learned it when she visited her grandmother in Mexico.

The younger the child, the easier it is for him to learn a new language. But older children benefit from learning a second language since they must spend more time focusing on grammar, vocabulary, and thinking in new ways, which are skills we don’t pick up if we learn languages as children. These skills are also highly valuable for grammar-based skills such as reading and writing.

  • What language should my child learn?

If you live in a community with a large immigrant population, teaching your child that language might give him an opportunity to practice with native speakers and to reach neighbors who are not yet familiar with English. Not only that, but language studies are also almost always accompanied by culture studies, which may spark an interest in going on a summer missions trip to a country that speaks the language your child has studied. Even studying a dead language such as Latin has benefits. A large portion of the English language has roots in Latin-based languages (e.g., French, Spanish, and Portuguese). Studying Latin can answer a lot of the questions we have about English.

  • How could I teach a foreign language?

You can enlist the help of a native speaker to model pronunciation, and you can find books and digital resources from the library or on educational apps. There are also many online learning platforms that teach your child a foreign language. Many colleges also offer summer programs for cultural immersion. BJU Press Distance Learning offers courses in Spanish and French for high school students. Each course provides a comprehensive study of the language by introducing vocabulary words, grammar instruction, pronunciation, listening, and writing projects.

View the elementary and secondary BJU Press foreign language subject kits!

Image Sources Maasi Mara by Svein-Magne Tunli/Wikimedia Commons/CC 4.0, Schloss Neuschwanstein, o’ahu & moloka’i by Christopher Michel/Wikimedia Commons/CC 2.0, Eiffel Tower by Wladyslaw/Wikimedia Commons/CC 3.0

Passport to Learning Another Language

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One of the keys to helping your children succeed in learning a foreign language is giving them lots of linguistic input that is both understandable and authentic. (If you want to know how important this kind of foundation is, you can read about it here.) BJU Press has developed its elementary Spanish curriculum based on that principle.

Called Pasaporte al español, it’s an introductory Spanish curriculum for grades 1 to 6. The material comes in two sets—Kit A for first through third grade and Kit B for fourth through sixth. Each kit is chock full of tools you can use to whet your child’s appetite for foreign language learning, including a hand puppet, various kinds of visuals, songs and stories on CD, read-aloud books, and much more.

Comprehensible communication

Pasaporte uses a total physical response method to teach grammar and vocabulary. Rather than translating and analyzing sentences, children watch your motions and observe the context to figure out what they are to do. At the beginning stage, the emphasis is on action and movement (standing, sitting, walking, pointing, etc.) rather than on responding verbally.

◊ Fostering openness to another culture

Communication is a cultural act, and language is only one aspect. So this curriculum introduces children to the richness of Hispanic culture through fascinating visuals about various countries, recipes, holiday celebrations, and cultural notes.

◊ Engaging all the senses

The lessons use visual and contextual clues to make the foreign language input comprehensible and compelling. The kid-friendly mascots (one for each grade level) as well as the versatile animal hand puppets (named Choco and Nacho) serve to get children involved in uninhibited communication.

◊ Instilling a biblical worldview

Like all the content we develop at BJU Press, this curriculum has an underlying worldview that is based solidly on Scripture. We know that God wants individuals from every linguistic group included in His kingdom (Revelation 5:9), and communicating with people in their native tongue is an effective way to demonstrate Christian love. That perspective comes through in Pasaporte in the explanations of Bible verses, missionary moments, the lyrics of songs, and the stories.

Extracurricular input

Regardless of what program or curriculum you use, here are some other steps you can take to expose your children to Spanish (or another foreign language) to facilitate their learning.

  • Attend a foreign-language church service. Many churches have Spanish-language congregations or Bible studies. This can be a great way to connect with native speakers.
  • Travel to Spanish-speaking areas. Whether it’s a mission trip or just a vacation, going to a place where Spanish is spoken will give learners’ comprehension a boost. Even a field trip to a local Hispanic grocery store is something to consider.
  • Visit your local library. It likely has a collection of picture books, story books, periodicals, and videos in Spanish.
  • Exercise hospitality. Invite Spanish-speakers into your home, especially families with children the same age as yours. Have a cookout; play games; celebrate a holiday together.
  • Explore the internet. You can access a wide variety of audio, video, and print resources in Spanish, but keep in mind that research shows that interaction with a person rather than a screen will result in more progress in learning the language.

Take a closer look at Pasaporte al español Kit A and Kit B.

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An editor at BJU Press until 2020, Dennis and his wife spent seventeen years homeschooling their three sons. Dennis occasionally teaches at their church and in his spare time enjoys running, playing racquetball, and interacting with their five grandchildren.

6 Types of Learning Experiences for Your Homeschool

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Learning experiences are the heart of teaching. A learning experience is any interaction with a student that leads to understanding new information. That may sound broad, but God’s creation is so wonderfully complex that learning can happen anywhere and at any time. Learning experiences aren’t limited to planned lessons; children can learn through spontaneous activities, dinner table conversations, grocery store shopping, or independent playtime.

Children’s minds are basically blank slates—they are constantly gaining new information. Education should gradually build on this foundation with new information and help children develop important learning skills. Successful learning experiences encourage children’s confidence and willingness to learn. Let’s explore some effective forms of learning experiences and tips for continuing successful learning.

Get ideas for creating learning experiences!

Taking Homeschool Flexibility to the Next Level

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homeschool flexibility like a slinky
When I homeschooled my two boys, we were able to take full advantage of the flexibility homeschooling offered. Creative scheduling allowed me to take into account my boys’ different personalities and adjust to the needs of our family. Our schedule didn’t always allow for the length of a typical school day. One of the boys liked to get up early in the morning and tackle his work, while the other wanted to do his work later. And neither of the boys liked having full open days with no work to do. So we adopted a schedule that suited everyone.

Six-Day Homeschool Schedule with a Twist

In the early years, daily lesson times revolved around the needs of my schedule, but as the boys got older, we didn’t have set times for any of their subjects. That way they could arrange their responsibilities within the time they had available. Most days we doubled up on at least one subject so that we could finish five days of work in four. Then our Friday would be a field trip day—whether we were going to a museum or visiting the park. We especially liked this schedule the fall because it meant we had plenty of good field trip opportunities. Any work that we weren’t able to finish through the week, we would do on Saturday. Doing that every week, we had the flexibility to take an extended break for Christmas and still finish our required school days by the end of April .

Keeping the Schedule During the Summer

During the school year, we only did subjects with 180 days of work during the school day, leaving the 90-day subjects for the summer. So, in the lower grades, we would do history and science during the summer. In the upper grades, we’d do literature. I also added in other learning activities such as math games, keyboarding, and foreign language practice as well as recreational reading time. That gave my boys a couple of hours of work each day, which kept them busy, but wasn’t overwhelming to them. With that set up, we were also able to count some of their textbook reading toward the library’s summer reading program.

In the end, our homeschool schedule was a little unusual, but it worked for us. I was able to capitalize on homeschool flexibility so that both of my boys’ learning needs were met in the best way possible.

Technology Tools for Learning Spanish

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Spanish ToolFor most kids, it takes a lot more than an hour of lessons five days a week to become proficient in a foreign language. Fluency comes through constant use. If you want your children to be fluent in Spanish, surround them with resources to reach that goal. You can use those resources in addition to their regular Spanish curriculum.

One of the most useful aspects of the current technology boom is its focus on breaking down language barriers. An abundance of free resources is available online and through apps. Try some of these resources to further your child’s foreign language goals.

Language Apps

  • Memrise (app) is a fast-paced vocabulary memorization tool. The app uses a game structure rather than a traditional educational experience. Users set a daily goal of new words and expressions to learn. They will also have the opportunity to start conversations with native speakers of the language they’re learning.
  • Duolingo (app) is less game-like than Memrise. Users memorize new words, match items, translate sentences, and test from level to level.

Both of these apps are excellent ways to solidify vocabulary, especially in the early stages of language learning. In the beginning, most lessons focus on making introductions and identifying common objects. They also have premium or full versions that can greatly expand the user’s language-learning experience. However, these versions aren’t necessary to get the main benefit of the apps: daily interaction with the language.

Other Online Learning Opportunities

  • MyLanguageExchange.com (website) allows members to find language partners from around the world, encouraging them to build fluency through live chat or email. It pairs two people learning each other’s language into groups, and participants spend sessions using both their native language and the language they’re learning. MyLanguageExchange provides lesson plans for chat sessions so that participants may easily get started. Its purpose is introducing language learners to conversational forms of a new language, as well as increasing vocabulary and confidence with the spoken and written word. [Note:  MyLanguageExchange pairs users automatically, so there is no option for choosing who your child is matched with. While interacting with native speakers offers a tremendous benefit for language learning, you and your child should approach all sessions with caution.]
  • Platillos Latinos is a downloadable PDF of a Spanish-English cookbook from the US Department of Health and Human Services. It provides healthy recipes in both languages. Preparing any of these meals with just the Spanish instructions would be an excellent exercise for the more advanced student.
  • busuu (app) presents a more traditional experience, separating learning into lessons in which users match terms and definitions. Users have the opportunity to have their lessons corrected by native speakers who are also learning a new language. They can even correct other users’ lessons. While there are both free and paid versions, the free version does not offer as complete an experience as Duolingo or Memrise.

Printed Learning Opportunities

You may find other (low-tech) resources helpful as well.

  • Spanish-English picture books such as  El Pato Paco: A First Look at Spanish, ¡Buenos Dias, Carlitos!, ¡Buenas Tardes, Carlitos!, and Rosa la Osa from JourneyForth are an excellent way for both early learners and high school students to gain experience in reading Spanish. Since picture books are designed for simple vocabulary introduction, even Spanish-only books would be excellent for a high school student becoming familiar with Spanish. Your local public library likely has a good collection of such children’s books.
  • Basic discipleship and Bible study materials in Spanish can be used with more advanced learners. Fundamentos básicos para el creyente, the updated version of Basics for Believers, is now available in ebook format.
  • A Spanish hymnal is useful for learning Spanish versions of familiar songs, and it can tremendously expand vocabulary and grammatical understanding. Most students will automatically begin to make connections between the familiar English version and the Spanish version of well-known hymns.

Several of these resources involve communicating with native Spanish speakers and interacting with their culture. Using these resources can encourage your child to follow the ultimate goals of the BJU Press Spanish curriculum: to understand the cultures of Spanish-speaking countries and be confident enough in the language to share the gospel in Spanish.