Learn a New Language Without Leaving Town

Published in the March 2006 issue of Austin Family magazine

Ever dream of teaching your toddler a foreign language? People who communicate effectively in different languages possess valuable advantages over the monolingual minions. Kids who study Spanish or French perform better on college entrance exams because higher-level vocabulary words in English are based in Latin. Business recruiters place a premium on multilingual employees when it comes to staffing embassies, trading companies, hotels restaurants, and airlines.

While language learning opens the widest possible array for social and career advancement, many parents find the process of teaching their toddlers foreign languages daunting, but it doesn't have to be that way. According to Dr. Elaine K. Horwitz, professor of Foreign Language Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Texas at Austin, "You need a lot of sources of input: TV, children's books, other children, other adults, adults speaking to each other, and children speaking to each other. Many European countries have government-sponsored websites for kids on the history and culture of that country. I'm also very fond of audio books, especially the kind like the Walt Disney books that you can listen to and read along at the same time."

Barring an extended stay abroad, the easiest way to immerse your children in a foreign language is to enroll them in a bilingual preschool. Eric Thuau, Executive Director of the Austin International School says, "The best time is between the ages of three and six. At three, they can catch up very quickly and easily, the different accents, the vocabulary."

Joseph Hauger, Director of Austin Berlitz, suggests finding children's songs in that language so they can sing along and enjoy. Hauger says, "It's the same as with adults. You want to keep yourself immersed in that language outside of class. Watch movies and TV shows in that language. The best is when the parents are taking the adult class while the children take the children's classes. That way, the children can say, 'Konnichiwa' in Japanese for example, and the adults respond to them and say, 'Konnichiwa' back. Outside of class, practicing with others is best. They need to be interacting with others in the target language."

While Hauger suggests that both parents and children study the target language, he warns, "It's best not to sit in the class with the kids because an adult is going to learn at a different pace. That, and when the only adult in the room is a native foreign language teacher, this lets them know that now it's time to learn French or German."

Whether you enroll your child in a foreign language preschool or take classes weekly, language education should never begin and end with a textbook. Try learning martial arts with a master from Japan, Korea or China. You might also take dance from a Russian ballerina, or fencing from a French master. The less English the teacher speaks the better. If your kids are really young, go on play-dates with families from other countries. You and your child practice speaking the target language and make new friends at the same time. At home, if you subscribe to satellite TV, you can order channels from around the world. Many countries have fantastic children's programs you can record on DVR. Or, you can order foreign language DVDs. Over repeated viewings, you and your child will pick up new vocabulary and sentence patterns.

And finally, read books with your child in a foreign language. The words are at an easier level for you and age-appropriate for your kids. While experts agree that living in another country is the best way to learn a new language, most of us can't pull up the stakes for a few years and take our kids to live abroad. However, with a little ingenuity, you can immerse your family in a foreign language without ever having to leave Austin.