How to Teach a Homeschool Foreign Language

When trying to find a homeschool foreign language program or resource, there are a few things you will want to look for. You'll want to make sure you know your goals and also your budget. There are several approaches you can take when teaching a foreign language which I will cover here.

homeschool foreign language

First, a parent needs to decide whether they want their student to become fluent in a language or if they just want their child to become familiar with the language. To learn a foreign language fluently, your student will need to spend at least 1,000 hours studying the language. Many times parents start a program with their child and think that fluency should happen more quickly than it does and they blame the program they have chosen. Learning a language takes a lot of time. Just think about how long it takes little children to master just speaking our language, let alone learning to read and write our language.

With that being said, you now know that your student will have to spend lots of hours working with a language to become fluent. If you just want your student to become familiar with a language, you can choose resources accordingly. Here are some approaches I have found.

Use a book - Although there are many books about different languages, you will want to find one that has the resources you need for your family. If you want mostly vocabulary, then some flash cards might work well too. Here are some books you can use:

Get a Guide - Sometimes using a guide for foreign languages along with some resources can help your student build fluency faster than anything else. I have written an ebook called How to Learn Any Foreign Language. You can find it at Teacher's Notebook and download it there. I have a weekly plan that will help your student develop fluency if they use the program. Learning a language takes time, but this guide will help you get started and keep going strong.

Use Audio or Video Programs - Some of the programs mentioned above have audio programs included with them. There are some more expensive homeschool foreign language programs available for families to use. If your homeschool budget allows for extra spending in this category, then go for it, but if your budget is limited, make sure you don't overspend. Use your brain to find resources that will fit within your budget.

These are the two most popular audio/video programs that are familiar to me. We have used Rosetta Stone but have not used Power Glide. If your student is planning on going on a missions trip or needs to learn a language fairly quickly, I would recommend spending the extra money for Rosetta Stone, but if you just have an elementary student getting started I would recommend my guide instead.

You can probably find some free resources online or at your library, but be sure you know that any homeschool foreign language program will take a lot of concentrated effort. Your student will need to work consistently to be able to master or even just be able to understand the language. Find a resource you like and stick with it.

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