Welcome to our all-in-one resource for teaching your homeschooler a foreign language! I think all of us can agree that it really pays to be bilingual, however, foreign language study is surely not everyone’s cup of tea. As a pro, though, foreign languages do often help students augment their understanding of their own language in addition to the new language they are learning.
A fully-rounded high school education must include a few credits of a foreign language. Each state has its own guidelines but the state average for foreign language requirement is two credits. Common languages include Spanish, French, German, and even Latin.
Here’s what we cover in this article:
- Tips for choosing a foreign language
- Tips for Grade school foreign language learning
- High school foreign language curricula options
- Check out our related high school guides
Tips For Choosing A Foreign Language
Students are under no obligation to take the language credits at a particular time. However, it is typically best to take at least two consecutive years of a language. If a student desires to be fluent in the language that they are studying they should consider 3-4 years of study in that language or some additional time investment. This might include a summer internship in a country that speaks the language or even an extended mission trip.
We have several articles to help with teaching a foreign language in your homeschool:
- Top 10 homeschool foreign language resources
- Foreign language learning: Which one? When do we start?
- 5 free foreign language resources to use now
- Our top choices for foreign language resources
- FAQ About Homeschooling a Foreign Language
Tips for Grade School Foreign Language Learning
- Use Duolingo: Their tagline is “The world’s best way to learn a language” for a reason. It really is an easy and fun way for people of all ages to learn a foreign language!
- Homeschool Languages has a play-based program that introduces basic communication words for even pre-readers and is geared for ages 4-10.
- Listen to language podcasts: Coffee Break is a great podcast resource that covers 7 different languages! News in Slow is another way to learn a new language while listening to current events.
- Read a children’s book in the language you are studying: Here are some great options!
- Get a subscription box: TalkBox.Mom is a great way to introduce a new language into your daily routine, and your family can all learn it together!
- Watch cartoons or television shows in the language: Most streaming services have an option to choose a language. Utilizing that option will help your child pick up on words as they watch their favorite cartoon characters! Turning on subtitles can help in identifying the written words as well.
High School Foreign Language Curricula Options
Here are a few curricula for the most common types of languages studied in high school.
| Spanish | Time4Languages |
| French | Time4Languages |
| German | Time4Languages |
| Latin | Time4Languages |
