Foreign language was a major component in Charlotte Mason’s curriculum. This podcast addresses the reasons for foreign language study and how mothers of one tongue can still faithfully include it in their homeschool.
Listen Now:
“All educated persons should be able to speak French.” (Vol. 1, p. 300)
If you would like to study along with us, here are some passages from The Home Education Series and other Parent’s Review articles that would be helpful for this episode’s topic. You may also read the series online here, or get the free Kindle version from Fisher Academy.
Home Education, Part V, Chapter XX
An Essay Towards a Philosophy of Education, Book I, Chapter 10, Section II: Languages
(Contains affiliate links)
http://www.thespanishexperiment.com/
http://www.thefrenchexperiment.com/
http://www.theitalianexperiment.com/
http://www.thegermanexperiment.com/
http://cherrydalepress.com/
So many great ideas, gals! 🙂 Thank you.
Glad to hear it. Let us know how some of them work for you.
I found your episodes on foreign language really helpful. I've been dabbling in French with my two boys, but this made me realise that it doesn't need to be *me* teaching them – we can use others' recordings to learn from, just like the rest of the time we're using others' writings to learn from, rather than me teaching them things. That fits perfectly with a Mason approach, and is a lot less daunting for me!
Katie,
Foreign language is taught by native speakers or accomplished teachers, and the use of other resources helps us to do that. You should still participate in the lessons with your children to increase your own ability and to stay ahead of their acquisition of that language.
-Liz
Yes, thank you – I didn't mean that I wouldn't be involved (I really like French so I'd do that even if I didn't have to!) but it was so helpful to feel relieved of the burden of having to do all the teaching myself.
Your podcasts continue to be so helpful! 🙂
Yes, thank you – I didn't mean that I wouldn't be involved (I really like French so I'd do that even if I didn't have to!) but it was so helpful to feel relieved of the burden of having to do all the teaching myself.
Your podcasts continue to be so helpful! 🙂
What great ideas. I was so overwhelmed with how to teach foreign language to my children. I was way over complicating things! Thanks so the inspuration.
Barb,
I find that the surest way to defuse anxiety about language is to consider how we have already acquired one. This new one has the challenge of having to find speakers to listen to, but is still the same process of listening, watching, and trying to imitate speech. Then, keep at it, day to day, week to week, and in a year, you will be, more likely than not, ahead of most one-year-olds speaking ability in learning their first language.
Liz
I don't know about the other languages, but when I went to http://www.thegermanexperiment.com/ I was redirected to http://www.thegermanproject.com/. Are these the same resource?
Dawn Rhymer
Thank you for your question, Dawn. It is the same site, but I can't explain the name change for that particular one. The designs between the different sites (the different languages) are the same, so I know it's the same people. In fact, upon checking on this, I see that they have redesigned the sites and they look super clean and nice. It's a useful resource.
~Nicole
Hi! I was wondering what principles should be kept in mind for the Latin part of CM's foreign language program & if you have any recommended resources for Latin.
We'll be coving that topic separately in an upcoming episode. Watch for it in the next couple months.
~Nicole
Additional Spanish story resources: Podcasts – Cody’s Cuentos, Cuenta Cuentos, Cuento Aventuras.
Also, if you search for “Cuenta cuentos Salvat PDF”, there are a couple websites where you can download the text and pictures to accompany those stories. It’s a treasure trove of stories, songs, and audio in Spanish!