Should Elementary School Students Learn Foreign Languages?

Last Updated on January 6, 2023 by Brie

Should elementary school students learn foreign languages? It’s a question that often comes up around this time of year. Parents are always looking to give their children a head start in life. More parents today than ever recognize the tremendous advantages of learning a foreign language early. The good news is that there has never been a better time to help your child become fluent in another language. All kinds of resources are available at your fingertips, including courses, apps, and websites. And if you’re not sure where to get started, keep reading!

Kids Grasp Foreign Languages Faster than Adults

You might think that learning a new language is difficult, but research shows that we are better at learning languages when we are young. This is because our brains are more moldable and therefore able to adapt to new things; also, we have an increased capacity for attention and motivation, which makes it easier for us to learn foreign languages. The younger you start learning a language, the better off you will be in later life!

Pros and Cons of Raising Bilingual Kids

Knowing a second language can make you smarter, foster compassion, and prepare you for the 21st-century job market.

Whether your child is an infant or already in elementary school, it’s never too early to start learning another language. According to research from Michigan State University, learning a second language at an early age helps children develop their intellectual skills. In addition to helping them learn other subjects better, it can also increase their average IQ scores by seven points.

Studies show bilingual children also tend to have higher self-esteem than monolingual kids because they feel more competent in both worlds. Bilingualism also seems to make people more empathetic—especially if they grew up bilingual around non-English speakers who don’t speak English as a first language themselves!

However, a study conducted by prominent linguists in Russia and Norway suggests that bilingual kids are at a disadvantage over monolingual kids when it comes to expressing emotions. Kids who know only one language are better at understanding the underlying causes of their emotions. If your child is bilingual from the time they are a baby, some studies show that it can also delay their speech or language acquisition abilities or they can mix the two languages together.

Studying Foreign Language in Elementary School

Children who study foreign languages demonstrate higher verbal skills, math skills, and reasoning. Children’s critical thinking skills improve when they learn about other cultures and people. The ability to communicate with others is essential for success in today’s workplace—and learning a language is one of the best ways to do this!

Students Who Know at Least One Language Other than English Can Expect to Earn More Money in the Future than Those Who Do Not

In a recent study, researchers found that knowing a second language — whether it’s Spanish, French, or anything else — will help you earn more money in the future than if you didn’t know that language.

Think about how many jobs there are where knowing another language could come in handy: translation, international business, and trade, tourism…the list goes on! Financial Post estimates that bilingual adults in America earn on average 5-20% more per year than monolingual adults.

Knowing another language can also open up new opportunities to travel and experience different cultures.

Forcing Children to Learn a Foreign Language Early May Not Be Right for Every Child

There’s no denying the benefits of bilingualism, but you must consider whether it’s right for your child. Each child learns in their own way and at their own pace. If your child does not seem interested in learning a foreign language, then forcing them to do so will likely result in them giving up altogether. On the other hand, if they are ready and motivated by their interest in learning another language, then by all means, go ahead and, start introducing them to one!

Remember, though, kids who have trouble expressing emotions may not benefit from learning a foreign language young because being bilingual can make it more difficult.

Top 9 Places For Homeschoolers to Learn Foreign Languages

If you want to teach your child a new language, homeschoolers are not limited to just one place for learning foreign languages. There are many different places where you can learn a new language, including:

Apps and games
Online software
Live online classes
Homeschooling curriculum packages
Online lessons through websites like Duolingo and YouTube videos

1.) Outschool

Outschool is a virtual learning platform that offers flexible and live classes for elementary students. It offers a variety of language learning courses, including:

French
ASL (American Sign Language)
Spanish
Portuguese

These classes cost anywhere from $7 to $20 per session, depending on the rates the teacher charges. Many of the Outschool teachers teaching foreign languages are certified, bilingual, and have lived in a country where the language is spoken fluently. So a Spanish teacher might have lived in Spain or Mexico, while a teacher teaching french might be from Canada or France.

2.) Duolingo for Kids

Duolingo for Kids is a fun, interactive way for kids to learn languages. It’s a mobile app that teaches children to read, write and speak in a foreign language using flashcards, games, and other activities. The free app can be used on smartphones and tablets (and the website).

3.) YouTube

There are plenty of options if you’re looking for YouTube videos that teach you a foreign language. You can find videos that will teach you how to speak a language and even just how to say hello in the native tongue. Some videos teach reading and writing, which is helpful if the student has no interest in speaking the language or only needs it for reading subtitles on television shows and movies.

Homeschool Pop offers free Spanish videos with fun animations to keep kids attention. Kids Academy is another great resource with various age-appropriate songs available in multiple languages like Spanish, French, Italian, and German.

4.) The ASL App

The app is called “ASL App” but does not require a subscription to use it. You can download the app for free in the Google Play Store or through the iTunes Store.

It’s also extremely easy to use: your child can quickly select which type of sign they want to learn—foods, animals, body parts, etc.—and then they will see an image of what they need to do their hands while simultaneously hearing audio instructions telling them how exactly how each movement should look like if done correctly out loud too! All these features make learning fun while ensuring kids don’t get bored with dull repetition.

5.) Gus on the Go

Gus on the Go is a free language learning app for your phone or tablet that teaches Spanish, French, German, Italian, and English. It’s available for iOS and Android devices.

The app features games and songs with audio from native speakers to help you learn the language in an engaging way. There are also videos and activities to further reinforce what you’ve learned in practice mode, containing vocabulary lists and flashcards.

6.) Spanish School Bus

Spanish School Bus is an online language learning program for children. It is free on Andriod and IOS devices; you can simply download the app to play along. The Spanish School Bus includes 60 Spanish lessons and over 300 common Spanish words. It is perfect for preschool through sixth graders who are just starting out learning Spanish.

7.) Fun Spanish by Study Cat

There are many ways to learn Spanish, but one thing you should always keep in mind is the importance of having fun while doing it. It’s easy to forget this when you’re learning a new language, especially if you’re young and your only experience with languages has been in school. But if an educational program doesn’t interest you enough to keep your attention, then there’s no way it will be effective.

For young children, who may not have had much exposure to Spanish before being introduced to this language through school (or other means), I highly recommend Fun Spanish by StudyCat: An interactive app with games that focus on vocabulary and grammar! This is a great option if your child is familiar with computers and apps because it makes learning Spanish much more fun than any boring textbook could ever hope for! You can start a free trial to test out the program before you get a subscription.

8.) Babbel for Kids

Babbel is a subscription program, but you can get one lesson for free. It subscribes to the best way to learn a foreign language by speaking it and teaches foreign languages more conversationally on the app. The lessons are 10-15 minutes long. They prepare you for living or vacationing abroad with over 60,000 lessons on the website to choose from.

9.) Lingokids

The benefits of teaching a foreign language to your child are well-established. Learning a new language is an excellent way for students to develop their cognitive skills, and it also helps them with their social skills.

Children who learn a foreign language are able to build relationships with people from other cultures, which can be very rewarding and enriching for them.

If you have an elementary school student at home who would like some help learning a new language, Lingokids is an online program that can teach your child how to speak another language through fun games and videos. It’s available for both children and adults in many different languages! There are over 1,000 games, video lessons, and audiobooks on Lingokids to choose from, and the best part is they have a free plan that lets your child do three lessons a day. This app is designed for kids ages 2-8,

Start Incorporating Foreign Language into your Curriculum Today

Learning a foreign language is a lot of fun. It allows you to explore new cultures in ways that aren’t possible with just English alone. By learning more languages, you’re opening up your world to new experiences and opportunities. And even if it takes a while for you to get good at speaking another language fluently, the process is well worth it when you consider all the benefits of being bilingual or multilingual! Now that you know where to look to mix foreign languages into your homeschool curriculum, be sure you are ready for the school year by checking out our guide on the top nine places to shop for individual curriculum!

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