How to Teach Your Children a Foreign Language

Your children may be learning math, reading, and social skills at school, but if your child's daycare or elementary school does not have a foreign language program, you'll definitely want to make sure that you teach your son or daughter some basic tools to learning a new language. In today's job and education markets, the ability to learn another language quickly, and to speak another language fluently will make your children much more marketable when they are ready to enter the workforce. And, teaching your kids another language, whether you are a parent or teacher , will help you to brush up on your language skills as well. Here are some tips that you are your children can try at home or in the classroom.

Make the new language relatable.

If your child knows how to actually understand the language instead of simply substituting English words for the words of another language, this will help you to convey the language to your children easier. So, if you are already fluent in another language, or know enough to teach your children basic parts of the language (i.e. colors, greetings, shapes) you can start teaching by making the language a part of your daily speech, so that your child will know that there is more than one way to say something.

Use lots of visual aids.

Visual aids are a great way to make sure that your children remember the words you teach them in another language. You can use pictures that you create yourself, or you can have children draw certain items, animals, or pictures of themselves that will help them to remember the foreign language words they've learned. For instance, if you are teaching your children colors in another language, you can use flash cards, or 'flags' by using ribbons or fabric of different colors to help children remember the words associated with the colors. You can also have your children draw certain items and teach them the word(s) for the item in another language. For instance, if you are drawing pictures of animals with children, and a child draws a picture of a cat, you can explain that in Spanish, 'cat' is 'el gato'. Then, when you see a cat on television or outside, you can say the word again to help your child learn Spanish words in normal conversation.

Brush up on a foreign language.

Whether it's French, Spanish, German, or the language of your native country, make sure that you're learning right along with your child, and that you stay on top of things when you're conveying this new language to your child. If you haven't taken a foreign language in a while, it's best not to rely on what you remember from high school-check out your local library to find books about learning a new language, as well as children stories in languages other than English. You can also go to bookstores in your area, such as Barnes and Noble (www.barnesandnoble.com) or Borders (www.borders.com) to find books about foreign language that will help both you and your little one. And don't forget to ask family and friends for help as well; try speaking as much as you can in another language to loved ones or friends on certain days around your kids; you'll be surprised how much the example will help. But most of all, don't forget to have fun while you're learning!