What Foreign Language should my High Schooler Study?

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What Foreign Language should my High Schooler Study?

There are many things to consider when deciding on a foreign language to study. Here are seven things you should keep in mind during your decision making process.

1. Motive–

Help your student determine what their main reason is for wanting to learn a particular foreign language. Are they wanting to learn a language for the fun of it or for it to be helpful to their future?

2. Career Goals–

What plans does your student have for life beyond high school? What course are they hoping to pursue with their life? It would be a wise idea to check and see what languages are more in demand by employers in the particular vocation they are thinking about.

3. Determine Usefulness–

Learning a language that is spoken by a large number of people definitely has its advantages. Here are some worth considering if usefulness is a reason- French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), German, Japanese, Portuguese, and Hindu.

4. Availability–

Is there a way to learn this particular language either locally with a class or can you find an online class?

5. Difficulty–

Depending on the language make sure to keep in mind that some languages are a lot harder to learn than others. How much time and effort is your student able to devote to learning a particular language? Some languages that are easier for English speakers can be: Italian, Spanish, French, Dutch, Afrikaans, German, Portuguese, Romanian, Norwegian, Swedish and Danish. On the flip side some that are considered more challenging for English speakers are: Arabic, Korean, Japanese and Chinese due in part to a completely different alphabet.

6. Intrigue–

Maybe your students’ motives to learn a second language are not career related. If so, help them discover what language or even country they are most interested in. Maybe they have hobbies that relate to a particular foreign language? Is there a certain country that your student hopes to travel to one day? If so, this leads us to #7.

7. Consider studying abroad –

Maybe your student would enjoy spending a year or two after finishing high school, studying in a different country. That would definitely help determine what foreign language they should study in high school.

Deciding on a foreign language might feel like a daunting task but help your student see it as the prospect for an exciting future. If you would like more resources on learning foreign languages and possible even studying abroad make sure to click on the links below.

Top 5 Most Useful Languages To Study In High School!

5 Free Foreign Language Resources to Use Now

Maximize Summer Learning with Foreign Language Studies

The Benefits Of Studying Abroad

 

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• Foreign Language
• Free Resources
• High School Information
• Tips for Homeschool Teens

May 23, 2019