Homeschooling is referred to as Home Education in the UK. There are different legal requirements for home education depending on where you live. You can find out more here.
Before reading this blog post, you might first like to read W Writes: Why Kids Should Speak More Than One Language.
What languages should your child be learning?
It depends on the reasons for your child(ren) to learn a language, maybe you would like them to learn the language of a country you live in, visit frequently or have ancestral ties to. Perhaps you would like them to learn a language to help their career prospects in the future. According to research carried out by The Centre for Economics and Business Research, children should be learning French, German and/or Mandarin. Oops! I’ve been insistent that it’s English, Spanish and/or Mandarin for the last few years, so I was just as surprised as you are now to find out that is totally not the case! However the languages you choose will be completely up to your personal circumstances. Once you’ve decided the language(s) you would like your child(ren) to learn, you need to decide if you will be …
Homeschool or Language School?
Homeschool
If you’re a native/confident foreign language speaker you may be able to teach your child(ren) at home. Or perhaps your child(ren)’s learning style suits something a little more flexible when it comes to language learning. If so here are some suggestions:
- Duolingo – a free app, offering multiple languages and used by many all over the world
- Netflix – change the audio/subtitles into different languages for your favourite show
- EP All-In-One-Homeschool – offers Spanish courses and suggestions for other languages
Another option (if your budget can stretch that far) would be host foreign exchange students, hire a part-time/full-time nanny or an aupair to expose your child(ren) to other languages organically.
Language School
These Language & Cultural Institutions can be found pretty much anywhere in the world, just search for the centre closest to you.
French: Institut Français
German: Goethe Institut
Spanish: Instituto Cervantes
Mandarin: Confucius Institute