Learn Spanish online for Kids

While we have discussed how italki is a great resource to learn Spanish, we have not yet gone into detail about how it is also a unique resource for children. There are several benefits for kids to learn Spanish online and italki continues to be a prime resource for them to learn.

Summertime can be a great time to have them learn Spanish through italki. Generally, the family’s schedule is more flexible and can permit regular, or even daily, classes. Plus, it’s a great way for kids to learn in a fun way, that is different from what they experience at school. Imagine them returning to school to tackle their Spanish class, full of energy and confidence in their improved level, motivated and excited to learn more.

That is how learning a foreign language should feel!

Here are some of the reasons we found for children to learn Spanish over the summer:

1. Meeting and speaking with people and teachers from other countries can open their minds to the world, to understand it’s bigger than their own neighborhood.

2. Each child is free to make mistakes without being teased or ridiculed by other kids. This is fundamental to language learning since it is through making mistakes that we learn the language. While most adults can deal with any ridicule, the reality is that children face much more ridicule from other kids, than adults do, and that ridicule can cause them to completely shut down any passion to learn languages. Learning on their own, at home, removes this potentially major obstacle as they learn Spanish.

3. Shy kids can be drawn out of their shell. It’s much easier for a shy child to speak one-on-one with a teacher, than for the same child to speak in front of a group, during a regular classroom.

4. The online language learning community is extremely positive. Everyone is expected to make mistakes as they learn, so the stigma of not being right or 100% correct does not exist. This is important to learn a language, yet schools’ grading systems and the desire for students to achieve high scores can sometimes reduce the mistakes a child is willing to make. Children will find that adult language learners will be excited to help them, and will be extremely positive.

5. Private classes are reasonably priced online, which is not always the case for in-person classes. And purchasing a package of 5 or 10 lessons, makes the price even more affordable.

6. Online classes solve the problem where in-person classes may not even be an option if there are no native speakers near you.

7. The relative anonymity of the internet allows kids to be judged by their ability, not by their age (obviously they should be supervised at all times).

8. Kids can advance at their own pace.

9. italki classes can be anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes, allowing for a flexibility that does not exist at school.

10. With so many Spanish teachers available, it is easy to find a schedule that works well for the parents.

11. Several functions of italki allow the student to ask for feedback from native speakers, for free. This allows kids to practice their writing and ask cultural questions about a specific topic or region that interests them. It can even be a great tool during the school year for reports and obtaining first-hand knowledge from people around the world.

A couple hints for parents when using italki with their kids

• You should create the account and have your child take the classes using your account. This way you will be able to monitor your child’s progress and better control the experience.

• Before scheduling any class, contact the teacher and let him/her know that you are interested in classes for your child. That way, he or she will be ready with the appropriate materials.