Which Language Should Your Child Learn?

Why I Chose For My Kids To Learn
French in Los Angeles

     If you asked around, I am certain you would find that most parents feel that if their children could learn another language this would be unequivocally a good thing.

This belief is not derived from the fact that the parents speak another language – this is not the norm in America. So why do we agree with this without a heartbeat’s hesitation,
even though we know that English is the default language around the world? I would bet that the most common answer would be, “…because speaking a foreign language will give my child an economic advantage.” Fair enough. It will.  However, I have a feeling that there is also another more emotional motivation for us parents – adventure and romance!

     We hope that speaking another language will enrich our kid’s lives in ways beyond a better paying job. Already by learning another language, my children have had treasured exchanges with French families that have broadened their little universes and enhanced their vision of what the world has to offer them. Do I see my kids sitting in an office in Los Angeles taking orders in a foreign language when I imagine them as bilingual adults?

Not for a second!
I see them flying back and forth to far flung capital cities.
I see them in Paris restaurants effortlessly ordering for a group of international friends.
 I see them as citizens of the world, taking advantage of the best of each culture.
The ability to speak a foreign language, any foreign language, can give our kids the possibility of adventure and romance that
computer skills alone can never do!  

So which language should you enroll your preschool kids in?

 

Pick a language that you are excited about!

·        Did you study Spanish in college?

·        Did grandpa come from Germany?

·        Did grandma come from China?

·        Did you love your trip to France ?

·        Did you have a romantic Italian connection?

·        Do you love the food and culture of Japan?

Your excitement with the language and culture is vital to your child’s progress. More over, the creative, right brain nature of language demands interaction. You and your child can share this common passion for years. Choosing which foreign language to learn can, and perhaps should be, colored with emotion. It is just not the same as deciding whether to take AP calculus or not!

Economic advantage is one of the criteria for selecting a foreign language but arguably not the most powerful one.  My children learn French because I come from a French speaking country and we have developed many warm relationships with French speakers. It may have seemed more practical for my kids to have learned Spanish as we are here in L.A. or wiser to learn Chinese as that country rises in economic importance.  But, a language is ultimately not about business but about the culture and people and interaction.

It is okay to pick a language with this in mind.