My son really wants to do this his senior year (next year). We are working on the application and wondering if anyone has any feedback, advice, experience in the process or if a child has participated in the government program? We are hoping more for the summer program and not the year program not sure if he is ready for that maybe a gap year after he graduates. His focus is Arabic he has had 3 yrs. online school, done an immersion program this summer with Startalk which he loved....and is in his career ambitions...thanks for your help!!

Hello all, I was wondering if anyone could share some opinions or insight about which language we should learn. My goal is for us to learn another language and speak it around the house together so that they really get to know the language and not just have book knowledge. We have been learning French, because I took many years of French in school, and it felt the easiest to pick up and speak with my kids. I was never ever fluent, despite taking years of it in school and even in college, because it was mostly book learning. We didn't really speak the language in all those years in a useful and productive way. But as I hear it now, much of it comes back to me, and it feels very familiar. I really wanted the kids to learn French. However, we live in an area where there are a lot of Spanish speakers. We have Spanish-speaking neighbor kids. I encounter Spanish on a daily basis in my job. There are Spanish-speaking kids on the soccer field. Opportunities for actually speaking it with native speakers are really everywhere. I could practice it at work and that would really give me an ear for it. So, part of me feels like I am denying them a great opportunity by being surrounded by so much Spanish to not learn Spanish instead. And I worry that if they are hearing my French, not being a native speaker, that they won't get the best accent they could. I just really liked the idea of French, and I read an article about how French is a really good second language if you want to go into the sciences, which my older child definitely does. Plus, I already know a lot of French, so it is easy to start them speaking it around the house. We know a few friends who are learning French in school, so we could speak it with them. And we have several friends who are from Quebec and speak French. Opinions? I am open to all ideas and perspectives. Thanks!

Or maybe I don't need a plan. I guess I want a plan subject to change. I'd planned on Latin beginning in first grade, then Greek beginning in third, and while I knew I wanted four years of a single modern language in high school, I wasn't sure about whether/when/where/how to do one before then. However, my son took up Greek this year, his kindergarten year, so now my plan is off. I think adding Latin for first grade would cause us to have too much school time. Therefore, I was thinking of just switching them around: continue with Greek now and add Latin in third grade. Modern languages still up in the air. On the other hand, this particular son seems to have a gift for language decoding and phonemic awareness. (I don't know if that's the right terminology, but bear with me.) He can now read both Greek and English phonetically with fluency. Am I making him miss a good opportunity by not adding in a modern language now? There are good programs for Spanish and Chinese in our area. Or should I just keep informally exposing him to other languages while we continue on in Greek?

Do you teach your children sign language? My 22 month old is not talking besides mama mama all day long! He was born with a congenital defect and had a long stay in the NICU and these usually contribute to delays. He does sometimes sign all done and does sign please. He also waves hello and good bye. I was thinking maybe it would benefit Robby if we began Chloee with some ASL. She could teach Robby more signs. What do you think of teaching sign language?

I was just wondering if I'd be able to share my copy of Rosetta Stone with my friend. Would he be able to use it without a hitch?

Somewhere in that age range? My oldest is 7 and we're doing Rocket French right now but even that is a little too over his head. Is there anything easy that can ease him into the language while still teaching him something? Thanks in advance!:D

My oldest is entering 2nd grade and I'm contemplating teaching her another language this year or next, so I consulted the newest version of TWTM, and she says that it's better to start with Latin when they are young (since it's the basis of the other languages) and do a foreign language when they are older...unless, she says, there is a fluent speaker of the foreign language at home so they get regular practice--in that case they are supposed to learn the foreign language first and then learn Latin in middle school. Where it gets confusing is that in the example schedule section, her youngest child (kindergarten) has Spanish on his schedule. :confused: ...Do you think this means that she or her husband are fluent in Spanish so they went ahead and decided to teach that first? Judging by their last names, I doubt they are native Spanish speakers, but it is possible I suppose that one or both of them are conversant in Spanish. I just was under the impression from what she wrote that the foreign language would need to be spoken regularly in the home, which seemed to imply it being one parent's native tongue. I'm actually fluent (though rusty) in French but I'd rather my children learn a more practical language, so that's why I thought we'd do Latin and then Spanish. I'm just concerned, though, because I've always heard that the younger they are, the easier it is for them to learn a foreign language. Perhaps this is only true where the language is being spoken regularly? :001_unsure: I'd appreciate any input on this based on your experience. :bigear:

Hi There, My 5 year old loves singing chants/songs and so I'm looking for the "best" cd for him to learn basic Latin grammar and other Latin basics. Any suggestions?:)

For those of you doing multiple languages with a child prior to 3rd grade- After the primary language spoken in the home what language did you teach and why? At what age did you begin this second language? When did you add the third, fourth, ... language? What materials do you use? Do you recommend this product? Why or why not? Thanks- Mandy

I'm looking for cds that would help my children learn the following Endings. We are using Classical Pronunciation although it's really not too much different. Noun Endings (Single and Plural 1st,2nd,3rd,4th,5th, declension) Verb Endings (1st Conjugation, Present tense, Imperfect Tense, Future Tense, Present Perfect, Pluperfect, Future Perfect) If anyone has suggestions, that'd be great! It's hard to compare the cds when I'm looking around at the possibilities... Carrie:-)

I understand that it's the root of all languages. BUT...I still have doubts about spending so much time on this language when my kids MUST learn Spanish because of where we live. Can anyone help me think this through? I absolutely want them to know Spanish. Also, if you know of any good Spanish programs for dd's 4, 6, 8, I'm all ears. I was going to purchase Rosetta Stone, but am not sure it's worth the price tag. ETA: Ideally, I would do both Latin and Spanish, but I don't know how doable that is. Thanks! Christa