October 15, 2025 – Is Foreign Language on Your School Schedule?

Hey, Mama!

Gena Suarez, Publisher of TOS

The Gospel in Every Language

Hey, Mama,

Don’t you love the encouragement each week from The Homeschool Minute authors? They help me remember there is one reason we do what we do—the Gospel. 

The Gospel is the “good news” that we can be right with God. We may not get everything right, but we can get this one thing right. We can be right with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, as we recognize our sin and accept the overpayment He made for our right standing with Him. It is all because of Christ that we can stand at all!

That’s why teaching a foreign language is so important. The Gospel needs to be shared in every language. You don’t know where you (or your children) will end up. Sharing Christ in another language could be a huge part of the future. Writers from The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine thought it was pretty important for their future.

Language: A Door to New Worlds

Community Resources for Foreign Language Instruction

Language Learning Success

And remember, Mama . . .

If you can’t stand one more day, fall on your knees and on His grace as you yield to the Holy Spirit Who is calling you to Himself. Accept His free gift of love and righteousness as you move forward in Him and trust Him to make everything else right. He is trustworthy.

Begin by reading and studying the books of John, Romans, and Hebrews together. If you and your kids are proficient in the Gospel, you will have wisdom for living this homeschool life.

Christ offers you the abundance of Heaven as you offer Him yourself and your homeschool, and He will be your Helper as you keep His children Home Where They Belong.

Hey, Mama! You (and your children) need the Gospel!

-gena

(Copy this link to share this article with a friend.)

Unique open-and-go, hands-on, 50-state workbooks teach your student US History and US Geography. Completely self-contained! Age 4-grade 12, correlated. www.statehistory.net

Todd Wilson

Familyman Ministries

Foreign Language?

My thoughts on teaching foreign languages: If you think learning a foreign language is important for your kids’ future success, you like teaching it, and your kids like learning it . . . then do it.

If you don’t think you’re kids need a foreign language in their future, you don’t want to teach one, and your kids don’t show any interest in learning one . . . don’t do it.

None of my kids know any other language besides English, except for a few Spanish numbers and a few simple words. Honestly, we only have limited time in our homeschool day, and we think there are other things more important to teach.

If my kids decide one day they need to learn Spanish, Swahili, or Elvish, they can learn it themselves. That’s why missionaries go to language school and Rosette Stone is in business.

So final advice: Do what you want. Don’t do what others say you must do. And let your smile be your guide.

Btw—my son, Jed (17) is taking Spanish . . . just because. I don’t care if he masters it or never retains a single word. It’s just something to keep him busy, and he showed some interest. Plus, it might come in handy in ordering at the local Mexican restaurant, El Torro!

Be real,
Todd

(Copy this link to share this article with a friend.)

About the author

Todd Wilson is a dad, granddad, writer, conference speaker, and former pastor. Todd’s humor and down to earth realness have made him a favorite speaker at homeschool conventions, retreats, and churches across the country. As founder of Familyman Ministries and the Smiling Homeschooler, his passion and mission are to remind dads and moms of what’s most important through weekly e-mails, podcasts (The Familyman Show & The Smiling Homeschooler), seminars, and books and products that encourage parents. Todd, and his wife Debbie, still homeschool two of their eight children (six have graduated with four married) in northern Indiana. You can read more at www.familymanweb.com.

Turn science stress into success! Faith-affirming, plug-and-play virtual labs. Build a Biblical worldview and confidence. Try free at ScienceOnDemand.com

Heidi Mosher

The Best Foreign Language Lesson

After working towards acquiring a foreign language for over five years as an adult, I was delighted to get an opportunity to finally put all those hours and hours of daily practice to use. My aunt and two of my cousins visited recently from a foreign country. What a joy!

They, having learned English already as children in their schools abroad, spoke my language excellently with charming accents. I, though I had studied their language for years as an adult, had not yet had opportunity to converse with it.

During their visit, I felt a little silly in front of my husband and kids while awkwardly attempting to speak a different language. I admit I didn’t try very hard because I didn’t want to mess up. One afternoon though, while alone with our visiting relatives, they encouraged me to try communicating in their language. They were gracious and patient with my attempts, and they taught me the greatest foreign language lesson: try, even though you will make mistakes. 

And so I tried. And I did make mistakes! I determined, however, to attempt every sentence in their language that afternoon. My incorrect word order and mistaken emphases must have been hilarious to them, yet they let me keep trying. That day spent conversing with them in their native language was truly one of my favorite days ever. 

My familiarity with their language also helped me understand them. I estimate that I could comprehend about eighty percent of what they were saying. Our two weeks together were the cherry on top of my foreign language learning and fueled me to continue studying. 

Learning a foreign language is ultimately about connection. Imagine how the efforts might apply in travel or work situations, or with missionaries, refugees, or foreign college students. So absolutely put foreign language on the school schedule, and find opportunities for your kids to practice out loud—knowing mistakes will be made. That’s how we learn best!

(Copy this link to share this article with a friend.)

About the author

Heidi Mosher is honored to write for The Homeschool Minute, as it was a lifeline of her early homeschooling years. She is thankful to be the mother of four: three recent homeschool graduates and one in high school.

Alexandria Letkeman

Don’t Wait on Foreign Language

When we’re planning high school at home, some subjects are easy to remember: math, English, science. But one that sneaks up on a lot of families is foreign language.

Most states and colleges expect at least two years of the same language. Some competitive colleges might ask for three or even four. The key is consistency. Your teen can’t take one year of Spanish and one year of German and expect it to count. It needs to be two or more years in the same language to show real progress.

That’s why I always encourage parents to start foreign language in freshman year. Life has a way of surprising us with illness, family changes, big moves, or a surprisingly heavy academic load. If your teen gets language credits started early, you’ll stay ahead of requirements and still have some breathing room. If they need an extra year, you’re not scrambling at the end.

And the benefits go far beyond checking a box. Colleges require it, but employers love it too. Bilingual skills often mean higher pay and more opportunities. Plus, studying another language works the brain in amazing ways, boosting memory, problem-solving, and communication skills.

The good news? As homeschoolers, you have options. Foreign language credit can come from online programs, co-ops, tutors, dual enrollment, or even apps with documented practice. As long as you track about 120–180 hours of study per year, it counts as a credit.

Start now, stay ahead, and give your teen a skill that will serve them for life.

(Copy this link to share this article with a friend.)

About the author

Alexandria Letkeman began homeschooling with her family in middle school and has recently graduated with honors in 2020. Together with her husband, she has developed a passion for financial literacy, classical writing, and the freedom that homeschooling provides. In pursuit of those passions, she and her husband aim to continue the legacy of The HomeScholar and continue helping homeschool parents homeschool with confidence. One day, Alex plans to start a homesteading farm in Texas featuring mini cows.

Curious about adding a new language at home? Basic Conversational Korean on SchoolhouseTeachers.com makes it easy as it guides students through learning the Korean alphabet, as well as phonics, handwriting, vocabulary, grammar, conversational skill, and historical cultural facts. Try it today!