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Which language to start with and when?


AFthfulJrney
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My children are 8 & 6 yrs. old and I was wondering at what age/time I start a foreign language and which language to start with?

 

I have some HS friends who have been doing one day a week of Spanish since their kids were six and now I'm wondering if I should have been doing the same!

 

Thanks for any advice/help!

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Many classical home-schoolers choose latin. There's articles on memoria press about why latin is an important language to study. I'm not really sure if we are going to try latin or not. We are currently in CC and they teach latin in 7th and 8th but I'm not sure if we will stay with them. 

 

We/I decided to do spanish next year for a multitude of reasons. I've read the younger you start a language the less likely it is the kids will have an accent so you could start now. That being said I consider it an elective not a core so if it's a struggle to fit it in I wouldn't stress about it. 

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My 8 and 7 year olds started Spanish this year (they spent a year in a local charter school). We have done Latin since Kindergarten with them ( started with Song School). 

I'd say not to stress yourself out over it, and it's certainly not ever too late to start a language. If you want to start one with them, maybe pick something gentle and fun for an introduction to a language for the year, and see how it goes.

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I have no advice about when to start.  However, I would seriously consider which language to start by considering your resources.

 

I had 4 years of Spanish and 2 years of French in high school, so Spanish is my stronger foreign language.  (I'm not fluent by any means, but will be easier for me to teach Spanish than it would for me to teach French.)

 

Also, our church has a Spanish church services.  One of my friends is from South America and speaks Spanish as her native language (and she has offered to help me!)

 

Additionally, Spanish is more commonly heard here than any other foreign language.

 

At least two of my dc would rather learn French.  I put my foot down on this one for the above reasons.  I have no problem with them learning French, but I don't feel that I have the proper resources (including time!) to teach it to them.  

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I came into this backwards. Honestly foreign language wasn't really on my radar. I mean it was, but not really. Then I was talking to a friend and she mentioned that she was teaching her child (same age, nearly exactly as my son) her daughter German and Russian. She was fluent in both.

 

So then it got me thinking. I had tried to teach my son Chinese when he was little. However that didn't go over very well as I didn't know it. I choose Chinese because my sisters (who are currently 11 and 13) are from China so it makes sense. However it was EXTREMELY difficult and WAY different then english. 

 

Then after the conversation with my friend I was thinking about what would be best for us. Thinking back on my marriage, most of the people we were friends with that spoke another language were German. Yeah I know Spanish is more popular in the US, but we are friends with the Germans. :dunno: Also German is part of my husbands heritage. His parents grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (big German community... at least back then), and his father served 3 years in German in the Army, when my husband was a toddler. Also my husband and his father are both PhD level scientist. Up until WWII Germany is where you would go if you wanted a degree in science. 

 

So I looked around and found a german story time at a local library. That lady taught german so I enrolled my son. Sadly she left to move to Switzerland, less then a month later my friend who was fluent in German (and also worked with my son) also moved to Germany! I have a pulse on the german community in the area though so I have found 1 maybe 2 schools that I can continue to take him to. I am still not fluent in German, but I am learning along with him. My youngest (2 next month) is also learning and some things he says in German, somethings he says in English (very verbal child). I am also realizing that as I go down this route that I might have fell into the perfect language for him. He says that he wants to be a car designer when he grows up. While that may change, it is clear that he is following in his father's and grandfather's footsteps. So German could be very beneficial for him in the long run.

 

I should also add that next month (maybe August) I plan on starting Latin with him at home. I don't know latin (DH had it in Catholic school but that was it) but I think that I will be able to learn with him and teach it. It should help him with both english and german as they are both latin based. If he wants to learn another language later on, I will be in favor of that. The only other language I know is sign language, which ironically, I never needed with any of my babies. My children are great with communication from an early age I guess. 

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Thank you all for your helpful responses!

 

Neither my husband or myself speak any other language besides English. I took Spanish in High School,but cannot remember any of it. I was thinking of going with either Latin or Spanish for my children. Can anyone recommend any program/curriculum for either? Looking for something not too expensive and pretty basic to start as a light introduction to the language.

 

Thanks!

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Song school latin (cap) and prima latina (memoria press) seem to be very popular here for latin in the younger grades. Getting started with spanish is also a popular program. I liked la clase divertida and calico spanish but we went with espanol para chicos y grandes since it seemed geared towards older kids.  

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I would go with a living language for young children and save Latin for middle school.

This is what I'm starting to feel comfortable doing. I've been reading reviews for Song School Spanish and think it would be perfect to use with kiddos. Plus, I found it several places used online! :)

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We started Song School Latin last year for my 3rd and 1st graders and they love it...we listen to it in the car all the time, and they think the DVD is hilarious.  I just ordered CAP Spanish for Children for my rising 4th grader and also bought the Song School Spanish CD to listen to in the car for the younger ones and because I thought they'd think the songs in the dual languages would be funny :)

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I think Latin is a terrific language to start with because it can help your children build their academic vocabulary, it helps teach discipline and preciseness in their academic work, the vocabulary the child learns in a modern Romance language will look very familiar after Latin, and a homeschool mom could spend several years teaching the grammar well without having to pay for outsourcing.  We began DD on Latin in 6th grade when we brought her home from PS, and I thought that was a little bit too late for an ideal, non-rushed Latin sequence.  We brought DS home in 4th grade and began him with Memoria Press' Prima Latina, and I thought that was an ideal time to begin Latin studies.  That said, I think the benefits of Latin begin accruing as soon as you start learning it, and no time is ever "too late".

 

That said, DD has been taking once per week French since 1st grade (she just finished up 7th this year) and has just completed her first year of high school level French after years of playing around with conversational French (which gave her a decent ear for the language and a nice little vocabulary base as a start).  So I think there is value in learning other languages first and from a young age, also.  The downside of a modern language is that I felt the need to outsource from the get-go, which has made French costlier than the Latin we are learning together.

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I have no advice about when to start.  However, I would seriously consider which language to start by considering your resources.

 

I had 4 years of Spanish and 2 years of French in high school, so Spanish is my stronger foreign language.  (I'm not fluent by any means, but will be easier for me to teach Spanish than it would for me to teach French.)

 

Also, our church has a Spanish church services.  One of my friends is from South America and speaks Spanish as her native language (and she has offered to help me!)

 

Additionally, Spanish is more commonly heard here than any other foreign language.

 

At least two of my dc would rather learn French.  I put my foot down on this one for the above reasons.  I have no problem with them learning French, but I don't feel that I have the proper resources (including time!) to teach it to them.  

 

Sorry to hijack, but did you have trouble learning both French & Spanish as 2nd languages? I've heard that companion languages (such as Spanish/French/Italian) are very difficult to master together than distinctly different ones. We're starting French, but I also want to have mine learn Spanish down the road.

 

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This is my concern as well...if I choose to start Spanish now, while my children are both elementary aged, will I have trouble teaching them a different language, i.e. Latin or French, later on when they reach high school? And how long will I be teaching them Spanish?

 

Sorry if this sounds like a silly question, it's just that this area of learning and how to go about presenting it to my children, really confuses me. :)

 

Thanks for the help!

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This is my concern as well...if I choose to start Spanish now, while my children are both elementary aged, will I have trouble teaching them a different language, i.e. Latin or French, later on when they reach high school? And how long will I be teaching them Spanish?

 

Sorry if this sounds like a silly question, it's just that this area of learning and how to go about presenting it to my children, really confuses me. :)

 

Thanks for the help!

The reason I suggest a living language first is bc being able to speak it matters. Accents are easier to pick up as children than older. Mastering a spoken language requires being not only able to read it (the easiest skill from my perspective in a foreign language like French, Spanish, or Portuguese) but also listening and speaking. (The latter 2 skills seem easier for kids to acquire.)

 

Grammatically, French and Spanish are easier languages. Latin grammar is more complex. I disagree that waiting until 6th grade seems too late. High school equivalent Latin grammar can be mastered in 2-3 yrs. it does not need to be stretched out across elementary and middle school. Translating Latin poetry, otoh, is a rather complex skill and not one that most younger children are going to have the interest or patience for mastering. IOW, you can spread over a lot of yrs what can be mastered rather quickly, but some things are better covered when they are more mature. My personal experience is that translating Latin poetry falls into that category. My current rising 11th grader started with intro to Latin in 6th and just finished level 4 poetry in 10th. Poetry was challenging and unless a child loves Latin. I cannot see them really enjoying it at a younger age.

 

I am very glad my dd did start Latin in 6th. She has a very strong grasp of the complexities of grammar which has helped her master Russian grammar (which is also complex comparatively speaking.) Every grade report her Russian tutor writes emphasizes her her great grammatical skills and how they have helped her master her current level in Russian.

 

Fwiw, I think dragging out Latin would have made dd lose interest in Latin bc she likes to dig in an make significant accomplishments. There are just so many things I see that I don't think she would have been able to do at a younger age. I'm glad her focus was on French when she was younger bc ultimately she is achieving pretty high levels in all of her languages.

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The reason I suggest a living language first is bc being able to speak it matters. Accents are easier to pick up as children than older. Mastering a spoken language requires being not only able to read it (the easiest skill from my perspective in a foreign language like French, Spanish, or Portuguese) but also listening and speaking. (The latter 2 skills seem easier for kids to acquire.)

 

Grammatically, French and Spanish are easier languages. Latin grammar is more complex. I disagree that waiting until 6th grade seems too late. High school equivalent Latin grammar can be mastered in 2-3 yrs. it does not need to be stretched out across elementary and middle school. Translating Latin poetry, otoh, is a rather complex skill and not one that most younger children are going to have the interest or patience for mastering. IOW, you can spread over a lot of yrs what can be mastered rather quickly, but some things are better covered when they are more mature. My personal experience is that translating Latin poetry falls into that category. My current rising 11th grader started with intro to Latin in 6th and just finished level 4 poetry in 10th. Poetry was challenging and unless a child loves Latin. I cannot see them really enjoying it at a younger age.

 

I am very glad my dd did start Latin in 6th. She has a very strong grasp of the complexities of grammar which has helped her master Russian grammar (which is also complex comparatively speaking.) Every grade report her Russian tutor writes emphasizes her her great grammatical skills and how they have helped her master her current level in Russian.

 

Fwiw, I think dragging out Latin would have made dd lose interest in Latin bc she likes to dig in an make significant accomplishments. There are just so many things I see that I don't think she would have been able to do at a younger age. I'm glad her focus was on French when she was younger bc ultimately she is achieving pretty high levels in all of her languages.

Since my children are only 8 & 6, I wanted to introduce a language in a fun way, to start, then of course I know it will become more challenging and possibly not so fun the older they get. I chose Spanish, because it's the language I am most familiar with, although I cannot speak it whatsoever. My husband took four years of French in high school, but he too, only remembers a little of it.

 

I guess my main concern now is, if I choose Spanish for this upcoming school year, they will be in 3rd and 1st grade, when would I switch to something different? Would I just continue with Spanish throughout their elemntary years? Wait and see how it goes and go from there?

 

Thanks again for the help!

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Sorry to hijack, but did you have trouble learning both French & Spanish as 2nd languages? I've heard that companion languages (such as Spanish/French/Italian) are very difficult to master together than distinctly different ones. We're starting French, but I also want to have mine learn Spanish down the road.

 

 

This is a hard question to answer.  I never mastered either of these languages, but I was able to speak (halting) conversational Spanish when I was in practice.  Compare it to a Spanish speaker in the U.S. who can speak enough English to talk to you, but doesn't always get the verb tenses correct and sometimes makes vocabulary errors.  If I had had someone to speak Spanish with it would be much better.

 

Now, that being said, I began Spanish in 9th grade.  I loved learning a foreign language and had at one point considered being a Spanish teacher.  I thought that it would be good to add another language, so I chose French. 

 

I actually do not remember any difficulty with adding the third language.  Many of the vocabulary words are similar, so if you would look at the root words, they were fairly easy to figure out.  However, the language was different enough that I had very little trouble keeping them separate.  The pronunciations were very different and I never once tried to say French words with a Spanish accent.

 

My French class was a lot of fun.  I'm trying to remember if I had any difficulties.  I do remember that on tests I would fill in Spanish words if I didn't know the French.  I didn't actually (usually!) do this on purpose.  It was in my brain and came out.  I do not remember ever doing this if I knew the French word.

 

One thing that may have helped is that I learned French with a different group of kids than were in my Spanish class.  (Just thinking out loud about this.)  I took French I as a junior, so everyone else in the class was a freshman.  Maybe this made it easier to separate Spanish/French.  I also had a different teacher for each language, and that probably did make a difference.

 

I didn't get far enough in French to learn much grammar, but I *think* that it was a similar construction.

 

I don't think starting two languages at the same time is a good idea.  Two years apart seemed to work well for me.  Any closer I believe would be confusing.

 

I also know a little bit of sign language, but I didn't add this in until I was an adult.

 

I think the biggest key to learning a language is having someone to speak it with.  (Thus, my reason for choosing Spanish as the starting foreign language for my kids -- we know people who speak it.)

 

I hope this answers your question.  If not, post again!

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I guess my main concern now is, if I choose Spanish for this upcoming school year, they will be in 3rd and 1st grade, when would I switch to something different? Would I just continue with Spanish throughout their elemntary years? Wait and see how it goes and go from there?

 

Why would you switch to something else?

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Why would you switch to something else?

Ha ! I don't know! I guess thats where my lack of info in this area really shows! I wasnt homeschooled...went to a private school...and I didn't start learning a foreign language until 9th grade. I just want to give my kids...like we all do...the best advantage and making these decisions really stresses me out!

 

So, for those of you who say to start with Latin, would it be more challenging for a struggling reader whose never had any formal english grammar lessons, (starting them this year), or would it be more beneficial?

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So, for those of you who say to start with Latin, would it be more challenging for a struggling reader whose never had any formal english grammar lessons, (starting them this year), or would it be more beneficial?

I would spend my time working on reading skills and introducing grammar. Michael Clay Thompson is an excellent program. It made learning English grammar painless and the higher levels of vocabulary emphasize the connections between English, Latin and Spanish. I wouldn't worry about introducing a foreign language until you have rock solid reading skills in place and a good working knowledge of analyzing sentences (parts of speech, parts of the sentence, phrases and clauses).

 

If you want to do a bit of Spanish for fun, you could watch Salsa episodes. But, even if you don't do anything until middle school, you'll be okay. The elementary materials don't teach much grammar and without it all you have is a bunch of words and phrases that you can't use in novel ways to communicate because you don't know how to conjugate verbs and form sentences.

 

I wouldn't start Latin until middle school. We blew through Latina Christiana in a summer and then T did First Form Latin. That was an excellent base for high school Latin 1. You could do this in middle school and be on track for AP Latin in high school or you could slog through the same basic material for years in elementary school without making much progress because your child just isn't ready to analyze case usages. CAP explicitly states that all three years of Latin for Children is retaught in Latin Alive 1. That's not a great use of your time when there's so much to study.

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I learned French casually in preschool/daycare around age 5.  Later in public school I took Spanish for 3 years, then another 3 years of French and had no problem learning both.  When I married my husband and we moved to italy it was again very easy to pick up Italian.  I don't think there's any detriment to learning similar languages. Any kind of language exposure when they are young is helpful for helping pick up the nuances of the language later as well...my French teacher always told me I had a very good accent and I credit that to the early exposure.  (My Spanish accent was not so great!)

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I would spend my time working on reading skills and introducing grammar. Michael Clay Thompson is an excellent program. It made learning English grammar painless and the higher levels of vocabulary emphasize the connections between English, Latin and Spanish. I wouldn't worry about introducing a foreign language until you have rock solid reading skills in place and a good working knowledge of analyzing sentences (parts of speech, parts of the sentence, phrases and clauses).

 

If you want to do a bit of Spanish for fun, you could watch Salsa episodes. But, even if you don't do anything until middle school, you'll be okay. The elementary materials don't teach much grammar and without it all you have is a bunch of words and phrases that you can't use in novel ways to communicate because you don't know how to conjugate verbs and form sentences.

 

I wouldn't start Latin until middle school. We blew through Latina Christiana in a summer and then T did First Form Latin. That was an excellent base for high school Latin 1. You could do this in middle school and be on track for AP Latin in high school or you could slog through the same basic material for years in elementary school without making much progress because your child just isn't ready to analyze case usages. CAP explicitly states that all three years of Latin for Children is retaught in Latin Alive 1. That's not a great use of your time when there's so much to study.

Thank you so much for this response! This has helped me a ton and makes me feel less stressed! :) I definitely feel comfortable holding off for a few years. I may still do song school Spanish, just because it looks fun and very low key...and I found it pretty cheap used online! :) Even if we just listen to the CD, as a previous poster said, just to get some words taught without getting into the grammar part of it.

 

Again, thanks a ton!

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