.svg)
Take a survey of people you know who studied a foreign language. Ask them why they chose the language that they did. Among their answers, you might expect to hear:
- My parents picked for me
- I liked the teacher
- My friends signed up for it
- I thought it would help my career
- I wanted to be able to use it in everyday life
- I wanted to learn one of the most widely spoken languages in the world
- I wanted to use it for travel
- I was interested in the culture
- My family speaks it
- I wanted to learn a language similar to English
- I wanted to learn a language totally different from English
Now conduct another survey: ask people who studied a foreign language as a kid — and still speak that language today — why they chose their new language. Perhaps you’ll hear similar reasons, but regardless of what got them started, something happened during their journey: they eventually found the intrinsic desire to keep up the hard work and become bilingual.
We’re not going to pull any punches. There’s one simple answer to the question, “What language should my child learn?”
The one they want to learn.
Now, of course, it isn’t always that easy to just pick a language and go ahead and learn it. If it were, we’d all be polyglots. So here are some things to keep in mind when trying to set your children up for the best second language learning experience possible — which is the experience they want to continue.
Foreign language education is a big investment. While language acquisition for young children is effortless, starting at age 10, monolingual learners (people who only speak one native language) will typically have to put in more effort.
If you had an uninspired high school foreign language learning experience yourself, you might have memories of endless flashcards, verb conjugations, and awkward role play activities. Even if you had a top-notch experience, however, you know that there’s no effortless route to obtaining linguistic mastery.
All this to say, you’re going to need your child’s buy-in — and plenty of it — if you’re going to get them to really learn something. There’s nothing wrong with acquiring beginner language skills, of course, and then leaving a language behind; but if you want your child to be able to use the language beyond the classroom, they are going to have to want to do it.
There are countless points of entry into a language, including a personal connection with a native speaker, an interest in the culture, or a desire to travel there.
While it may be more practical to learn Spanish or Chinese (Mandarin) for sheer number of speakers, these intellectual considerations can’t be the only factor in the equation. If a kid is passionate about Japanese because they love anime, Korean because they love k-drama, or French because they love impressionist art, we recommend following their lead.
Sometimes a child’s interests connects directly to a foreign language, but in other cases it’s more oblique. Maybe they like puzzles, so a language with a non-English alphabet like Hindi, Arabic or Russian, could offer them an exciting challenge.
- brainstorm possible travel destinations (worldschooling, anyone?)
- think about career goals that might benefit from learning a certain language (diplomacy, international business, hospitality)
- build a playlist of music in different languages or a queue of international film
- experiment with a few trial lessons on an app, such as Babbel or Duolinguo
Some kids dive into language like a fish into water. Other kids — particularly kids who are shy and/or perfectionists — might act embarrassed, put up a fight, or clam up at the first sound of “hola.”
Here are some things to try if your child doesn’t want to learn any language:
- Make language learning a game: label objects in your house with post-it notes, or introduce single vocabulary words into conversation in a low-key way
- Direct them towards a language with similarities to the English language (for example, Latin-based languages have a lot of vocabulary that are cognates with English words)
- Expose them to languages indirectly (watch soccer on a Latin American tv station, read cooking recipes with lots of foreign ingredients, etc.)
- Go easy on the corrections: If they are willing to take a tiny little step into a foreign language, be extra gentle with corrections at the beginning. There’s plenty of time for them to gain proficiency; start by giving them an A for effort.
- Ask yourself: Is this a good time for my child to learn a foreign language? Foreign language acquisition is a great way to build confidence, but if there are other educational priorities (whether academic or social emotional), don’t feel like you need to rush in tomorrow.
With all the challenges of learning a foreign language, it’s important to think about how your child learns best. From there, look at what languages are available and in what format, and see what lines up.
- What kind of instruction does your child need: one-on-one, group classes, in-person or remote? With all the app-based language programs and online communities, the sky is the limit. (Prisma learners can choose a foreign language as an elective through Berlitz.)
But if your child prefers an in-person experience, they may want to choose from one of the most common languages offered at local community colleges (often Romance languages, like French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese; as well as German or Latin).
- Do you have access to an advanced speaker of the language for conversation? Being able to practice speaking and listening is a major advantage for language development. For some kids, however, learning from a parent or relative poses challenges (if they are self-conscious, for example), so finding a conversation buddy in the local community (or online) can be a help — and a great way to make a new friend.
- For students with learning differences, can accommodations be made to support their experience?
Don’t sweat it too much. There’s no ‘best language’ to learn: on top of the cognitive benefit of learning a foreign language, it teaches executive functioning and study skills. Besides, once you learn one language, it paves the way to learn others more quickly, so there’s no loss if you realize you want to change direction later.
From national parks to beach vacations, design an in-the-field learning experience the whole family will enjoy
Online learning takes many forms. Decide why you want to go remote — and the rest will fall into place.
Here’s how parents of ADHD children can set themselves up for successful learning at home.
Online learning doesn’t have to be distracting. These tips can prime your child to thrive at home.
From early childhood through high school, homeschooling provides the ideal setting to facilitate a gifted child’s learning. Here’s how.
And how can you support them in the classroom?
From fostering a love of learning to developing problem-solving skills, child-initiated learning is a pillar of a successful homeschooling journey. Here’s how to get started.
Focus on number sense and you’ll help your child add math skills to their toolkit.
Combine fun with a pinch of self-discipline, and you’ll be well on your way to a wellness routine your child wants to follow.
Kids need to develop their own world as they mature. But the stereotype of the zip-lipped pre-teen doesn’t have to be your reality.
It’s not easy to juggle full-time work and homeschooling — but it is possible. Here’s what we’ve learned about how to thrive.
Critical thinking matters for academics, work and relationships. Here’s how to lay the foundations at home.
Read about the hands-on learning opportunities one Prisma high schooler tackled in the Secrets of the Biosphere theme
Creative thinking is the key to problem-solving. Here’s how to foster creativity at home.
Traditional four-year college is only one option. Here’s how to inform your decision.
The Montessori approach focuses on early childhood. Here’s how the popular pedagogical method can lend itself to home-based learning for all ages.
Here’s what parents need to know about the popular social media network.
Here’s what every parent should know about facilitating a routine that works for the whole family.
Hands-on learning benefits all students. Here’s how to incorporate it into your homeschooling.
There’s no evidence to confirm the validity of these popular labels. But here’s how auditory learning strategies can benefit everyone.
Although no studies link these popular labels to academic achievement, here’s how visual learning helps everyone.
Here’s what parents need to know about the free, popular chat app.
Incorporate these reading tips into your routine, and you’ll be on your way to fostering a love of reading in your child.
Ready to Deck the Halls? Here are projects to engage kids of all ages—and tackle your seasonal shopping with DIY keepsakes.
More than just asking questions in the classroom, the Socratic Method helps learners test their own ideas in a real-life context.
Here are some guidelines to help sift through the infinite options.
When students set the conditions of their learning experience, they show more creativity, passion and sticktuitiveness.
With built-in lesson plans, educational tools, and endless problem-solving opportunities, Minecraft: Education Edition can help motivate kids in coding, science, language arts, and more.
Get into the spirit of gratitude with these easy Thanksgiving crafts for kids.
Teach children gratitude and they’ll experience better mental health, well being and social connection.
8 tips to ensure learning disabilities don’t get in the way of building reading skills.
Why does your child dread Mondays? Once you know, take these steps to help them (re)discover their spark.
To stop bullying behavior, educate yourselves and your children.
Bullying is about a power dynamic between peers. To interrupt it, first understand why it happens.
Children’s Mental Health is in Crisis. Here’s How to Help Develop Your Child’s Self-Esteem.
To reach their high potential, twice-exceptional children benefit from a flexible learning environment.
The holiday season is the time to get your hands dirty with these Halloween craft ideas - candy corn optional.
Dyslexic kids often lose their love of learning. Here’s how parents can help them rediscover it.
The challenges of adolescence can be magnified for LGBTQ kids. Here’s how to help them thrive.
From bullying to finding a safe bathroom, LGBTQ students navigate a tough landscape at school.
What we know about the relationship between ‘hard fun’ and learning. (Hint: It’s not about playing games in between worksheets.)
Here’s what we mean by ‘success’ at Prisma - and how we use it to help kids thrive.
What parents need to know about socialization in—and out of—the classroom to help your homeschooler thrive.
Child entrepreneurship is trending. Here are three steps to developing an innovative business that stands out from the crowd.
A hands-on approach to develop real-world skills, resiliency and a love of learning — here’s how we practice it at Prisma.
A Shared Name and Diverse Strengths Led Two Bens to Build an AI Writing Business.
When traditional public school isn’t the best option, consider these alternatives.
Five ways parents can help their kids see themselves as a work in progress.
Gifted kids face unique challenges when it comes to burnout. Here’s how parents can help.
For travel-hungry families dreaming of school vacation, there’s much to celebrate about shifts in the way we live, work and educate our children.
To create a customized education for your child takes more than a checklist. This three-stage framework can help you get started.
If you’re homeschool-curious, here’s what 100 families have to say about the biggest advantages and disadvantages of homeschooling.
With homeschooling, the sky’s the limit – and there’s a lot on your plate. Learn about how to make this growing trend work for your family.
Learning how to use the internet safely, smartly, and creatively is one of the most essential skills for success in our hyper-connected world. Prisma learners just wrapped up their Cyber Citizens learning
A live learning platform purpose-built for kids. It's a new, fun and engaging way for kids to learn and collaborate together virtually.
Technology has completely revolutionized how we shop, communicate, entertain ourselves, and even how we work, but no such revolution has happened in education.
We’ve officially wrapped up our first ever fall session at Prisma and are excited to share our learnings and observations with you.
Claire Cummings is one of our new Learning Coaches joining us for Winter Session starting in January 2021. Claire is based in Detroit, Michigan!
In our Meet the Team blog series, you’ll get to read more about the innovative thinkers behind Prisma.Next up is Leena Williams, the Founding Learning Coach for Prisma based in Tampa, Florida.
Starting today, families can apply to join Prisma from anywhere in the USA. Here’s how it will work. You can still apply to any of our five founding cohort hubs (Chicago, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, or Tampa) if you live nearby.
In our Meet the Team blog series, you’ll get to read more about the innovative thinkers behind Prisma. Next up is Emily Veno, one of two founding learning experience designers for Prisma.
Over the past week, as millions of parents have realized that traditional in-person schooling may not be safe or available come September, a new twist on an old phenomenon has emerged.
We're kicking off a "Meet the team" blog series. First up is Kristen Shroff, one of two Founding Learning Experience Designers at Prisma. As a Learning Experience Designer, Kristen has been working on dreaming up the Prisma calendar and schedule, developing the curriculum for Knowledge and Worldview Badges, and hiring our first group of learning coaches.
We're excited to announce the rollout of Prisma cohorts in 5 US cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Tampa and Salt Lake City.
We’re Prisma, and today we’re announcing the world’s first Connected Learning Network, a whole new category in education. We’re not a school in the conventional sense; we’re a locally-rooted, globally connected at-home learning network that gives kids the tools to live their optimal life, starting today.
First-time Poet Wins “Games for Change Student Challenge” with “Poem of PvZ”.
