• Encourage your child to practice the new language every night—listening, speaking, reading and writing it.

• Allow your child to put labels on household objects to remind him of the foreign word for that object.

• Suggest your child make flash cards.

• Encourage your child to make friends with students who are studying the language or who already speak the language.

• Introduce your child to coworkers or others who are native speakers of the language—and are willing to use it in basic conversations with your child.

• Go to the library and look at foreign language magazines, newspapers and books.

• Check out cassettes, computer programs and foreign language videos your child can use for home study.

• If your child has access to the Internet, let him visit, under supervision, a chat room for foreign language students.

• If you are fluent in the language, don’t be overly critical of your child’s efforts. Focus on what she does right.

Copyright © Parent Institute