how to choose a second language

[kristin0713]

I'm partial to French because I took several years of French in high school and college.  I've lost a lot of it, but still have the basic pronunciation.  I have never taken Spanish, ever.  The pronunciation differences between French and Spanish have given me this mental block against Spanish.  I just feel like it would be easier to do French for that reason.  I feel like time is running out now to start another language because my kids are 8 and 6 and so far all we have done is sporadic French music.  BUT would it be more beneficial for them to learn Spanish, for practical reasons?  We have a growing local community that only speaks Spanish.  It's more useful, right?  But I can't help them with it at all, and I have no desire to learn it.

 

I should note, my professional background is Deaf Education and I am fluent in ASL.  I've taught them a lot of ASL and they are exposed to the Deaf through our church.  I want them to have a second spoken language, though, and DH feels strongly about that as well. 

 

 

[kiana]

I'd teach them the language you know over a language that you consider "useful" but don't know and don't want to learn.

 

If they had a burning desire to learn Spanish my answer would be different.

[rimk3]

I'd start with French since you are familiar with it and you will enjoy teaching it more than Spanish, which is an important factor to consider.  Honestly, once they know French, Spanish will not be difficult to learn if the desire or need arises.  Why not learn more than one foreign language?  Just start with French and see what happens.   :001_smile:

[Susie in MS]

I love to hear French and French accent. I am partial because of my French heritage. However, I chose Spanish based on the probability of my kids needing it one day. We have more Spanish speaking peoples in this country than French. That is why I chose it. Otherwise I would have went with French.  :001_wub:

[EmilyGF]

Choose what you can teach. That means you need to choose a language that has a reasonable set of materials that you can handle.

 

My friend taught her kids Japanese because she knew it. I teach my kids German because I know it. I do expect them to learn about 500 Spanish words as they grow up, but that happens naturally when you live/spend a lot of time in CA. ("What does Gramma's street name mean? What does our town name mean? What does 'Lavarse las manos' mean in the bathroom at the restaurant?")

 

Better to get it done than to choose a "perfect" language! :-)

[basketcase]

I totally agree with the other posters - go for what you know and like. Any foreign language is a success. I don't think we should stress so much about which one. And just to tip you over the edge, here are a few advantages that French has:

 

It's spoken on every continent, and it's second only to English in the number of countries that have it as an official language

A research language - at a certain advanced level in many disciplines, you're expected to have a basic knowledge in a research language or two (meaning that you'll be able to translate academic research from another language). French and German are the most common ones for English-speakers.

Helps you understand English - Norman conquest and all that

One of the best languages for ballerinas, artists, musicians, chefs

Rich literature tradition - much more than in most languages

[Spring Flower]

 

Better to get it done than to choose a "perfect" language! :-)

 

THIS!

 

Spanish and French have many similarities so it wouldn't be hard to transition to Spanish later if needed or desired.

 

My husband and I speak Russian fluently (we're not native) and it seemed to be the most logical choice for my children despite it not being "useful." I spent 7+ years studying spanish (before learning Russian) and I felt like Spanish would be more useful than Russian. I don't speak Spanish and I don't love Spanish like I love Russian. Russian won in the end. I think when it comes to the tedious task of learning and teaching a second language, the parent really needs to be on board. 

[Miss Tick]

Do French! You know it. If your dc want to learn Spanish at some point they can and will be better off for having studied another language.

[MinivanMom]

I totally agree with the other posters - go for what you know and like. Any foreign language is a success. I don't think we should stress so much about which one. And just to tip you over the edge, here are a few advantages that French has:

 

It's spoken on every continent, and it's second only to English in the number of countries that have it as an official language

A research language - at a certain advanced level in many disciplines, you're expected to have a basic knowledge in a research language or two (meaning that you'll be able to translate academic research from another language). French and German are the most common ones for English-speakers.

Helps you understand English - Norman conquest and all that

One of the best languages for ballerinas, artists, musicians, chefs

Rich literature tradition - much more than in most languages

 

It wasn't enough to just like this post.

 

There are many compelling reasons to choose French. Don't succumb to the Spanish pressure if you don't speak it and your kids don't want to learn it. Go with the language you know and love.