If the homeschool curriculum you’ve developed for your family doesn’t include foreign language instruction, you’re not alone. In fact, many homeschool moms choose not to teach foreign languages—for a variety of reasons.
Some moms don’t feel qualified to teach a language they can’t speak themselves. Others believe their children should focus on English first, so they won’t confuse their grammar and vocabulary. Still other moms worry about the effort required to manage children of different ages and ability levels who are learning the same—or different—languages. As a homeschool mom, can you relate to any of these?
The Benefits of Language Learning
Despite such concerns, the benefits of language learning in the early years are difficult to dispute.
- Exposure to foreign languages helps children become global citizens.
Global awareness isn’t just critical in today’s interconnected world. Being curious about the world helps children understand and value their place in it. And studying a foreign language helps children appreciate the values, customs, and traditions of others, which can foster a sense of humanity, friendship, and awareness. Foreign-language proficiency exposes children to greater opportunities, both personally and professionally. So, when you place top priority on helping your homeschooled children learn a new language, you’re also laying the groundwork for their future success. - Learning a foreign language can help develop other academic skills. Learning a new language challenges the brain to stretch and grow. Some people even believe learning a foreign language can make kids smarter, thanks to the enhanced math, science, and English-language abilities that result. Research shows that children who study foreign language in elementary school score higher in reading, language arts, and math than kids who don’t. Some studies even show that children who learn foreign languages show enhanced cognitive development in areas like mental flexibility, creativity, problem solving, and executive function.
- Young brains are hungry to learn.It’s never too early for your homeschooled children to start learning a new language. In fact, research shows that young brains are most receptive to acquiring language before the age of ten, when they’re most flexible and receptive.Despite what you may believe, learning a foreign language won’t cause your children to experience language confusion or delays. In fact, studies conducted at the Cornell Language Acquisition Lab show that children who learn a second language pay attention better and stay more focused than children who know only one language.And because young brains are still developing at the time at which language learning is intuitive and natural, the success your children experience while learning a foreign language will boost their self- confidence and stimulate their desire for new discoveries.
Introduce language learning the easy, engaging, and fun way.
Rosetta Stone Language Learning for Homeschool is the only technology-driven homeschool language-learning program built on more than twenty years of successful results. Our approach eliminates many barriers, including repetitive vocabulary exercises, learning translations, and enduring the sometimes-tedious process of flashcards.
- Interactive learning environment
Designed with your child’s success in mind, our method is the interactive, engaging way to add foreign language curriculum to your homeschool. It’s also designed to make it easier for you to teach any of 25 different languages, even if you don’t speak them yourself, thanks to integrated parent tools and lesson planning.From their very first lesson, the language your homeschoolers are learning is the only one they’ll hear, and the only one they’ll use. Experts call that immersion, and it’s one of the most effective ways to learn a foreign language. Without their native language to help them, homeschoolers learn a foreign language more actively, which helps them absorb new language concepts more quickly.
- Speech recognition
One of the most important parts of learning a new language is speaking correctly. Rosetta Stone Language Learning for Homeschool offers speech-recognition technology so advanced you won’t find it anywhere else.Our speech-recognition technology evaluates every syllable and, with native speech patterns as a model, gives your homeschoolers immediate feedback on their pronunciation and word accuracy.As a homeschool mom, you’ll be happy to know that your children are building confidence in using their new language correctly, and that they’re feeling successful.
- Parent Administrative Tools
Our Parent Administrative Tools help you plan lessons, track student progress, generate reports, and document achievement based on your family’s specific educational goals. Whether you’re a homeschool mom looking for a full year of lesson planning, or you prefer to focus on individual skills like listening and speaking, Rosetta Stone Language Learning puts resources right at your fingertips.
Learn more about Rosetta Stone Language Learning for Homeschool today!
