Homeschool Foreign Language: Yay or Nay?

 

If electives tend to take a back seat in your homeschool—I get it. It happens to me, too. Getting the core subjects in is enough of a balancing act to give me enough credits on my resume to successfully apply to join the circus. Each year is the same routine. I'll have the perfect foreign language curriculum picked out and ready to implement, only to find it hard, time-consuming, or labor-intensive. The good news is, last year was different. I found a curriculum that worked for one child and a method that worked for another. Curious as to what these are? Well, I'll begin with what did not work over the years and then share what did, so you can take my thoughts into consideration when choosing how to approach foreign language curriculum in your homeschool.

NAY

Rosetta Stone

As an ESL tutor, I understand the concept of using pictures to help with foreign language learning, but it simply does not work in the format that they use—at least not in our house. If the basic language format is not taught, your child is left confused, and worse, a diminished sense of confidence. I was so confident that this program would work that I purchased a lifetime membership. However, after several months of trying it out and discovering that it wasn't a great fit for our family, I was able to obtain a full refund.  

Duolingo

The gamified aspect of this app has helped countless people gain grammar and verbal skills in various foreign languages. For my kids, this method did not stick in their long-term memory. Short-term? Yes! Long-term? Nope. Also, when we stopped using it in 2019, my kids complained about the woke aspect of the app. As a Conservative Christian family, we did not want to endorse a program that had a woman going on a romantic date with another woman. Again, that was in 2019, so it may have changed—or not. 

Excelerate Spanish

The method behind this curriculum is incredible, and when used in a classroom setting I can see this as being extremely effective. In fact, the videos included in this program show a classroom setting, and the kids are highly engaged. That said, it simply did not translate well for our family. If a parent knows the language and can enact what the teacher does in the videos at home, then this could be your ticket!

 

YAY

Compass Classroom: I gave my daughter an option this year for foreign language—Spanish or Latin. She chose Latin. I'm not surprised. She's an avid reader so understanding root words that stem from Latin is right up her alley. At first I thought that it would be pointless because it is no longer a spoken language, but I was wrong! Learning Latin has helped with her vocabulary tremendously, which will be a big win when she goes to take the SAT. Compass Classroom is an easy-to-follow option with video instruction, workbooks, and textbooks. The lessons are bite-sized and attainable, and the teacher is likable—which is important when it comes to homeschool curriculum! Other languages, including Spanish and French, are available, which I plan on using in future years!

SchoolhouseTeachers.com: The method used on SchoolhouseTeachers.com is effective for my younger learners. Although they have a wide variety of foreign language options, the Spanish courses are short and attainable for younger learners—plus Bible memory verses are included, which is a win in my book! 

Homeschool Spanish Academy: What I love about Homeschool Spanish Academy is that you have a LIVE instructor from a Spanish-speaking country in real-time. It's been a few years since we used this, but it helped my older kids be prepared for living in a Spanish-speaking country for an entire year! The price tag is a little higher than the other options above, but if you need an immersive experience, and quick, this is a great choice!

What has been your experience with 

foreign language in your homeschool?