A polyglot is a person who speaks many different languages comfortably. A person who knows and is able to use several languages is more likely to be able to understand the cultural differences that exist and is also likely to be a whole lot more tolerant of his fellow humans. Wouldn’t you like your homeschool student to know more than one language? To be able to feel comfortable in no matter what new country or language speaking demographic he finds himself in?
Perfection is Not the Goal
Many people are too embarrassed to speak a new language till they know all the words, the grammatical structure and exact pronunciation of difficult sounding words. The truth is you don’t need to be perfect in the language to make yourself understood. A few simple words can help you get your thoughts across in a foreign country. Learn basic words that can help you communicate along with your homeschool students in two different languages.
Communication is the Goal
If you can say “where” and “food” and pantomime an empty stomach, the person is sure to be able to guide you to the place where you can get some food to eat. You don’t need to be able to say “where can I get some food to eat” in the language. So make your homeschool students speak out the words that you do have even if you think that they are not perfect.
Learn Languages for the Right Reason
If you want to learn new languages to appear smart or more intellectual, you are probably dooming yourself to failure. Learn a language because it interests you, or the country’s culture is something you would like to discover. The language itself needs to fascinate you so that you can stay motivated to learn it. If you are simply teaching a language to get a good grade on the test paper, your homeschool students are never going to find that inner motivation.
Little bits of culture, small poems and stories, some comics or even magazines in the language you are trying to learn, make it easier for your homeschool students become more multilingual.
