subject: Weakness In Homeschooling Language Learning [print this page] Foreign languages are increasingly showing up on the homeschool curriculum of many families, for a variety of reasons. Parents believe that language study will be useful for future study or research, whether it be for advanced academic work or religious study.
As homeschooling enters the mainstream, there are an abundance of resources for parents and students in the areas of social studies, English, math and science. The study of foreign languages, however, presents a special problem for many homeschool parents. Often parents are uncomfortable trying to teach a foreign language if they themselves do not speak it proficiently.
We all know that it is best to start children on second languages at a young age. Young minds absorb language patterns and vocabulary with an ease that cannot be replicated as we age. Many homeschool parents use books or DVDs and other products to get their children started with a second language. In many cases parents begin learning a language alongside their children.
All of these strategies are good but they leave a one piece missing, the importance of actually speaking. It's almost impossible to truly learn a language without speaking and interacting in that language. The more people speak, the more comfortable they are with a language.
Some homeschool parents are fortunate enough to live in areas with available foreign language tutors who can help children practice. For many others, however, a "geography" problem exists, whereby they cannot find native speakers in their local area who are available to tutor.
Several parents knew that they wanted their children to study foreign languages but were concerned about effectively teaching a language that they didn't speak. The children can practice speaking and build confidence.
Studying grammar and vocabulary is a very important component of learning a foreign language. But to truly speak another language with confidence, nothing can replace practicing one's skills with native speakers.
In the future, more homeschool language learning will undoubtedly become available to homeschool families. This, in turn, will likely create more interest in foreign language study and its many rich rewards.
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