My Story: How I Started Teaching My Kids French at Home

When my kids were little, we actually lived in New York City for a short time. And it was one of the most beautiful experiences of our lives!

Picture an endless melting pot of language and culture. We were constantly exposed to different people speaking different languages and along the way, my children even picked up some Spanish!

I can’t describe how great it was to see my little ones interacting and learning from their environment. A typical trip to the supermarket was now this amazing learning opportunity. 

Unfortunately, the learning didn’t continue when we moved back to Australia. 

My kids no longer had access to those different languages the same way they did in New York. But I was determined to not have everything they had learned go to waste. 

I tried so hard to find ways to keep exposing them to new languages but the options were limited and often catered to older kids. 

That’s when I decided to take matters into my own hands - I began creating some lessons of my own. I’ll be honest with you because they were picking up languages so effortlessly in New York, I thought these home lessons were gonna be a walk in the park. 

I was so so wrong. It was tough! Coming up with lesson plans from scratch or attempting to piece together something useful from 10 different Pinterest boards was complicated and frustrating. I was overwhelmed until something amazing happened…

They were learning! New French words and phrases at the dinner table or bath time. We were at the playground one day and my youngest saw a bird and said oiseau. 

It was beautiful.

As we got deeper into our French lessons at home, I began to really think about how or why this was working. What was it about the lessons that had helped me re-capture the experience we had in New York?

That is when I discovered the number one thing you need to teach your kids a language at home even if you aren’t fluent…

There’s no need to be perfect or have all the answers. Your ONLY job is to create an environment of learning that suit your kids' needs. 

You don’t need to know everything to start on this language journey. You just need to know what works for them. And who knows them better than their mama?

Contrary to popular belief, I'm not fluent in every language I offer. But you know what? That’s okay! It’s okay to have awful pronunciation – and it’s okay to make mistakes along the way.

All you need to do is show up for your kiddos and support them on their language-learning journey. When your kid comes up to you and asks what this word is in Spanish or French and you don’t know - that’s fine. Just tell them that we’ll find out together. 

It’s really that simple. 

If you’re willing to take that extra step, you’ll be amazed at just HOW much is possible. 

I created my lesson plans through my experience teaching my kids a language I barely knew, so trust me when I say I know exactly what you need. 

But if there is still something holding you back, let me know in the comments below 👇 Let me be your helping hand through this journey, and let’s raise some bilingual kiddos together.

To help get you started I've included below:

5 Practical Tips to Foster Language Learning at Home

1. Incorporate Language into Daily Routines: Make language learning a natural part of your day. Label household items in the new language, use the language during mealtimes, or narrate your activities. This creates an immersive environment, similar to our experience in New York, making language acquisition a part of daily life.

2. Use Media to Your Advantage: Introduce your children to music, TV shows, and books in the target language. This not only aids in language acquisition but also exposes them to the culture associated with the language. It’s a fun and engaging way to learn, reminiscent of the diverse exposure we had in New York.

3. Engage in Language Games and Interactive Activities: Children learn best when they're having fun. Play games, use flashcards, or create crafts that incorporate new vocabulary. This interactive approach makes learning enjoyable and memorable, much like how they naturally learned in the playful environment of the city.

4. Connect with Native Speakers or Language Communities: If possible, arrange playdates or interactions with native speakers. Engaging with people who speak the language fluently can significantly boost your child’s confidence and proficiency, replicating the diverse linguistic interactions we had in New York.

5. Be Patient and Celebrate Small Wins: Language learning is a journey, not a race. Celebrate small milestones, like when my youngest identified a bird as 'oiseau'. Acknowledge their progress, no matter how small, to keep them motivated and excited about learning.

✨ Psst... When you're ready, here are a few ways I can help you get started with teaching your kids a foreign language at home...

1. Download My FREE Languages Made Easy for Kids Roadmap to help you see how easy introducing a foreign language at home can be - especially if you don't speak the language at all.

2. Discover the magic of our FREE Fast Track Mini Language Lesson Bundle.
These play-based lessons are designed to give immediate results, making language learning fun and effortless. Simply choose your desired language and kickstart your child's linguistic journey today!

3. Looking for a 12 month, step-by-step plan and play based resources to help you introduce a language to your little ones with EASE? Quit scrolling on Pinterest and Join our 12 Month Kids Foreign Language Program to get everything you need to started and KEEP GOING!