Introduction:
A second language is one of the single most valuable gifts you can give your child. It’s long been known that children learn languages far more easily than adults, by using the same parts of their brains that control unconscious actions. Get them started now, while their minds are tiny sponges, and they’ll benefit from improved brain function, attention and focus levels, and even increased empathy for the rest of their life.
Any second language will open doors for your child. However, there’s mounting evidence that Spanish is a particularly prudent choice. It’s considered a “super language” the second most widely-spoken language on the planet! It’s also one of the easiest for native English speakers to learn.
Above all, Spanish language skills will set your child apart from the crowd when they enter the job market. It’s thinking ahead, but by the time your child hits their mid-career, those Spanish language skills might be paying dividends!
5 reasons to sign your kids up for online Spanish classes:
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They’re a pandemic-friendly activity
So many wonderful childhood experiences are not safe at the moment, but fortunately, learning a language isn’t one of them! In fact, learning to speak a second language is one of the few interpersonal skills that it’s completely possible to learn from home.
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They’re cheaper than ever
Traditional, offline language classes have their benefits, but they aren’t exactly renowned for their value. For many parents, enrolling their kid on an expensive course is a serious financial gamble. What if you pay for a term, then they decide they hate it? By comparison, online classes can be found at every price point. They generally tend to be a lot cheaper than offline learning, since you’re not paying to heat the classroom, cover a teacher’s travel expenses, or buy materials like textbooks and stationery.
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They’re convenient
There’s no beating online lessons for convenience. Your child can take a Spanish lesson with an online tutor while they’re sitting on the sofa in their pajamas. There’s no travel time to factor in, and you don’t have to drag your kid out again after a long day at school. The logistics are streamlined so you and your child can focus only on learning.
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They’re flexible
If you send your kid to a traditional language school, you’ve got to commit to following the course schedule, week-on-week. It’s good to develop regular learning habits, sure — but family life is chaotic, and there’s little flexibility for when life gets in the way. Online courses, on the other hand, are designed to be flexible!
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They’re engaging
Finally, screen time you can get behind! Not every kid loves school, but almost every kid loves using technology. An online Spanish course is a great way to put your child’s taste for screentime to good use. Some online Spanish courses are game-based — brilliant if you’re constantly trying to pry the iPad away from little hands!
7 best online Spanish classes for kids:
1. Preply
If you’re looking for Spanish classes personalized for your child with an honest price tag, then Preply is a brilliant option to consider. We’re a little biased of course — but hear us out. Preply offers 1-on-1 lessons with personal language tutors over our secure video chat platform. They’re mostly based on speaking, which is a great bonus for kids. As we all know, young people really can pick up new languages fast through speaking. Many parents have told us how surprised they’ve been to hear their child chatting away in a second language after only a few weeks.
2.Multhibhashi
Multibhashi is an ed-tech platform that facilitates online learning in an effective and innovative manner through the medium of audio-visual training sessions and app-based learning. It is a leader in providing learning solutions in various spheres. It is also one of the most trusted service providers in the business to the business area with its incomparable expertise in translation, transcription, content development, etc. in Indian as well as foreign languages.
3. Kids Club Spanish:
Kids Club Spanish is a video-chat based Spanish course developed for younger learners. The course is based around 25-minute long 1-on-1 lessons, run by native-speaking tutors. Teachers are encouraged to be highly energetic, which will suit little people with short attention spans!
Your child works through a set curriculum that stars several colorful characters including a friendly green monster, a little girl and a talking ice cream. Kids Club Spanish is aimed at children aged 5 to 13 years old, but seems to be geared towards the younger end of that bracket. Mature 13-year-olds might find the whimsical stories a little patronizing.
4. LAE Kids
Would you prefer classes approved by a prestigious institution? If so, LAE Kids might be what you’re looking for. All of its courses are accredited by the Instituto Cervantes, the Spanish government’s own organization for the promotion and teaching of the Spanish language.
LAE Kids is primarily a traditional, classroom-based language school in Madrid, Spain, but the age of pandemic has moved almost all of its courses online. Lessons take place over Zoom, and can either be 1-on-1, or shared with siblings.
5.My Lingo Kids
My Lingo Kids offers 1-on-1 online language classes over Skype for kids aged 3 to 17. Packages are divided into three age brackets. “Kiddos” for 3-8 year olds, “Youngsters” for 9-12 years olds and “Teenagers” for 13-17 year olds. Whichever bracket your child fits into, they will work through a curriculum that aligns with CEFR levels, featuring regular tests to check in on their progress. As a parent, you monitor their lessons, homework and overall progress via your own Parent Profile.
6.121 Spanish
121 Spanish offers 1-on-1 Spanish classes over Zoom for kids aged 5 and up. As with many other online courses, parents choose either 25 or 50 minute long lessons, depending on the age and concentration skills of their child.
Unlike most other online Spanish classes, 121 Spanish comes with a partner app, called Ouino Spanish, with extra exercises and games for home study. It’s also worth noting that the majority of the online tutors teach Latin American Spanish, and teach in US time zones. As an added benefit, if you have more than one child, they can share a lesson at no extra cost.
The website is a little clunky, which might not fill parents with trust, but 121 Spanish is an affordable option with good reviews.
7.Let’s Speak Spanish
Let’s Speak Spanish offers online Spanish courses for adults and children ages 6 and up. Your child will work through a set curriculum with a regular tutor. Unlike most of the options available in this roundup, you can choose which tutor your child will work with.
The unique thing about Let’s Speak Spanish is the group classes feature. If you and some other parents want to join together and organize a weekly Spanish club for up to five children, this site can help. It will be just like a live after-school club, except the “classroom” will be one of your living rooms, and the teacher will join via video link.
Thanks to the rise of online learning, it’s perfectly possible to get your child a quality Spanish language education without ever leaving the house. But which online course is best?
The truth is that the “best” course will depend on your child’s needs, and what you want from the experience. Are you looking for a class that siblings can share? Something play-based and short for a younger child? Longer lessons to help your teenager with their first set of important exams? All of these options are available to you.
However, very few of the courses we’ve researched focus on pairing you with the right tutor match. Even the best course in the world can be terrible if you don’t love the teacher, so if you believe in the power of a strong student-teacher relationship, check out Preply’s Spanish tutors for kids. You’ll be sure to find an expert who your child simply adores.
