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Studying a foreign language can be a great learning experience for your child. But is she ready to undertake this adventure?

The world is rapidly becoming even more diverse as travel and immigration rates accelerate. In the United States, it is estimated that by the year 2020, about 25% of the workforce will have originated in other countries. Never before has it been so important to learn a foreign language. Yet, most elementary, middle, and high schools offer language study as an option more than as a requirement, except for college prep and honors programs of study.


If your child attends a school where foreign languages are offered, this is a good time to assess the situation and determine whether she is ready to undertake this type of study. Here are some things to keep in mind:



1. Does your child have an aptitude for language study? If she performs well in language arts classes, she may be more apt to excel in foreign language learning. Students who are aural learners often tend to do well with communications-based classes like Spanish or French. Often, girls are more verbal than boys, so that may be another indicator that your daughter could enjoy a foreign language class, although this can vary widely by personality.


2. Is your child interested in foreign cultures or diverse people groups? If she enjoys meeting new people or learning about other countries, she may be ready to work on acquiring the skills of speaking a second language. You may want to borrow library videos about a culture or its people to see whether your child demonstrates interest in them. If so, explain that learning their language is the next step to understanding more about the culture and its inhabitants.


3. Does your family plan to travel? Even if you will be visiting an area where that language will not be studied in school, such travel provides an opportunity to observe the benefits of knowing and using a foreign language as opposed to looking for someone who speaks English. This practical experience may help to sharpen interest in taking a language class in preparation for future travel or workforce exposure to those from other lands.


4. Does your daughter read books or express interest in distant locales? You may have caught your child playing dress-up as a matador from Spain or an artist from France. Perhaps he enjoys watching films that are set in a certain country or that feature specific actors or characters from a specific region. These interests can lay the groundwork for successful language study later.


5. Are you willing to support your child's interest in learning a new tongue? Borrow audiotapes and work with your child at home, even learning the language yourself if possible. Play music from the country during the family's dinner time to expose everyone to some of the culture from the land of language study. Take the kids on outings or encourage school field trips to locales that celebrate individuals from a particular ethnic background where the language is spoken, such as the Alamo in Texas for students studying Spanish.


While these indicators are not sure-fire evidence that your child is ready to study a language and will do well, they may be helpful in considering some of the ways in which you can pique your child's interest to prepare her for this exciting new step in a school education.