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Should my child take a foreign language in the sixth grade?

 Question:  Should my child take a foreign language in the 6th grade?

 

Answer:  Maybe.

 

Ask yourself some questions and if the answer to all of them is “YES” then your child is probably ready for foreign language.

 

1.  Is my child a strong student academically (i.e., all As and Bs)?

    • “Yes.”  Congratulations.
    • “No.”  If your child is not a strong student, he or she will likely find foreign language frustrating.  The transition to middle school is hard enough without adding the burden of a difficult class.  It is an elective, which means it is a choice.  Waiting until 7th grade is perfectly reasonable.

 

2.  Does my child willingly and efficiently do homework?

    • “Yes.”  Count your blessings.
    • “No.”  Students who strongly dislike homework in their native language will dislike it even more in a foreign language!  French, Latin, and Spanish all add a significant amount of homework to an already rather hefty load of homework.

 

3.  Does my child have an extra 30 to 45 minutes daily to devote to the study of a foreign language?

    • “Yes.”  Great!
    • “No.”  Foreign language is like a musical instrument; it takes daily practice to be successful.  One cannot make up the practice time on the weekends.  Students have to make the time every day.

 

4.  Is my child enthusiastic about taking a foreign language?

    • “Yes.”  There is a lot to be said for motivation.
    • “No.”  This is a tricky one:  some kids have to give something a try before they are enthusiastic.  If, in the past, you have ‘made’ your child do something that you felt she would enjoy once she got into it and she did, this might be a similar situation, and worth a little push.  If, however, it backfired and everyone was disappointed, you might reconsider.  If your child can verbalize why he really doesn’t want to take foreign language, seems particularly annoyed by the idea, or breaks into a cold sweat when you mention it, think about waiting a year.  Again, the transition to 6th grade is pretty substantial, even without the foreign language pressure.

 

The college admission issue:  Yes, most colleges recommend or require foreign language for admission.  The more selective the school the more foreign language your child will need to be most competitive.  Some very basic rules are:

    • No foreign language is required for high school graduation or community college;
    • Minimum of 2 years of foreign language in high school for the least-selective colleges;
    • Minimum of 3 years of one language or 2 years of two languages for the Advanced Studies diploma in the state of Virginia and for admission to moderately selective colleges;
    • Minimum of 4 years of foreign language in high school for highly selective colleges; 
    • For Ivy League colleges, you should have started in Kindergarten.  (Kidding.)