Becoming fluent in a foreign language is an amazing accomplishment that I hope to achieve one day. It’s so important, in fact, that I’ve included it as a subject in my homeschool from the very earliest of ages. We practice foreign language basics throughout the week at our family table, and we’ve chosen to invest in having a native-speaker come to our home weekly to round out that which I’m unable to do myself, given that I’m not fluent in Spanish. We’ve also chosen to spend 3 months in Bolivia, a Spanish-speaking country, to help indoctrinate the children with the language from all directions.Studying another language is an important part of any liberal and modern education. Renate Latimer, Associate Professor Emerita of German, at Auburn University gives 25 Reasons to Study Foreign Languages and every one of them is valuable. Reason #7 on her list is “International travel is made easier and more pleasant through knowing a foreign language,” and I can personally attest to that one.

But as a Charlotte Mason homeschooling mama, there is a far more important reason that foreign language study plays a major role in our home. We see it as a moral duty – not just a wise academic endeavor.

For example: What shall we teach our children? Is there one subject that claims our attention more than another? Yes, there is a subject or class of subjects which has an imperative moral claim upon us. It is the duty of the nation to maintain relations of brotherly kindness with other nations; therefore it is the duty of every family, as an integral part of the nation, to be able to hold brotherly speech with the families of other nations as opportunities arise; therefore to acquire the speech of neighbouring nations is not only to secure an inlet of knowledge and a means of culture, but is a duty of that higher morality (the morality of the family) which aims at universal brotherhood; therefore every family would do well to cultivate two languages besides the mother tongue, even in the nursery. – Charlotte Mason, Volume 2, Parents and Children, pg 7

When I first read that, I felt overwhelmed by the prospect of learning and teaching not just one but two languages besides English. It felt…impossible. And because I choose not to tackle impossible tasks at this point in my life, I felt comfortable disregarding it as a goal for my children. But I couldn’t shake the thought in the back of my head because it just makes so much sense. The truth always has a way of gnawing away at us, doesn’t it? How can my family possibly work to “realize the goal of universal brotherhood” when we can’t even speak to the family at our local mercado or those in the country with which we share a border? Oh goodness, it happened again…

Charlotte Mason went and shook up my homeschool. 

She has a tendency to do that. Yes, even from the grave. After wrestling with her words for several months, I decided that fear should never be an excuse to withhold from my children the opportunity to do right. To be right. And from that point on, I chose to do all that I reasonably could to help my children learn two foreign languages.

We’re starting with Spanish for several reasons:

• I took Spanish in high school, so I feel most confident helping the children with that one first. I know no other languages…at all. Unless you count Ebonics 🙂
• We live in a community with many native Spanish speakers, so we have the most opportunity to begin forging relationships in our back yard with that option.
• Our nearest and most prevalent non-English-speaking neighbors are Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, etc. It just makes so much geographic sense for us to start there.
• I personally identify with many Spanish-speaking immigrants in America because I’ve gotten to hear the behind-the-scenes way so many Americans speak poorly of them for a variety of sinful reasons. As part of another marginalized group of people, I already have a love for them built on mutual hardship and unacceptance. I want to know them better. I want to share their burden, and I want my children to do the same.

I’m not nearly as certain about our 2nd language. We haven’t started on that one yet, but I think of it often as I make long-range plans for our homeschool. As with Spanish, I want to pick something that will personally resonate with my family. I do know that my attitude about beginning another language is now one of excited anticipation rather than dread and avoidance, and I’m looking forward to pulling another opportunity to show love into our home(school).