Which language is best for my child to learn?

The following guide should help you confidently navigate your choice, as well as this important note. Children ages 0-6 have brains best for learning up to three languages at once! If you can’t choose one, why not consider two or more? Your child will soon thank you for this choice between multiple languages learned. What a unique potential to influence our world!

For more information, head over to our blog post: A Simple Guide: Which Language is Best For My Child to Learn?

SPANISH FOR KIDS

Spanish is the second widest spoken language in the world. Over 300 million people speak Spanish worldwide, making it one of the largest markets for businesses and one of the most useful languages in the world for travel. It is an official language of more than 20 countries, and is recognized by the United Nations and many other international organizations. Spanish is also the second most common language in the United States after English. Employers are seeking applicants who can speak Spanish in nearly every profession (medical, government, legal, journalism, finance, education, sales, etc.).

Tourists flock to Spanish-speaking nations in Europe, North America and South America every year, where major international businesses, media, banks and industrial enterprises are headquartered. Because of its Latin roots, nearly identical alphabet and pronunciation rules, Spanish is one of the easiest languages for an English speaker to learn. Learning Spanish at early age can help your child learn the other Latin-based languages in the future such as French and Italian. These languages all have Indo-European roots and share some characteristics that are present in Spanish but not English.

FRENCH FOR KIDS

French is the most widely studied foreign language in the world. With 200 million speakers worldwide, it is the official language of 29 countries, as well as an official language of the United Nations. A beautiful language, French is the basis for many words in English, like, “rendezvous,” “naïve,” and even “cinema.” To this day, tourists flock to France to revel in French contributions to the world, such as a rich decorative arts tradition, high fashion, wine, fine cuisine. French remains one of the most utilized languages in the worlds of higher learning, literature, the culinary arts and fashion.

RUSSIAN FOR KIDS

Russian is spoken by almost 280 million people worldwide, and is an official language of the United Nations. It is the fifth most frequently spoken language in the world. The official language of the former Soviet Union, it is still spoken in 15 European and Asian countries. International political developments and growing business opportunities with multinational companies have led to increased demand for Russian speaking employees and experts, and thus, increased opportunities for Russian speakers. Little Pim Russian helps children develop the unique speaking and listening skills necessary for learning the language.

ITALIAN FOR KIDS

Italian is spoken by almost 125 million people worldwide, and remains one of the top five languages studied in US colleges. An estimated 7,500 American companies do business with Italy and more than 1,000 U.S. firms have offices in Italy. With roots in the Roman Empire, Italians have influenced the world throughout history. Many countries, especially in Australia, Europe, South America and North America, enjoy Italian contributions to their own cultures, including food, culture and commerce. To this day, millions of tourists still flock to Italy, and Italian remains widely used in higher learning, literature, the culinary arts and fashion.

GERMAN FOR KIDS

German is the tenth most spoken language in the world, with almost 120 million speakers worldwide. With roots of the English language in German, it is a terrific language for any child who knows English to start learning. German is mainly spoken in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, where tourists flock every season of the year, and where some of the world’s leading businesses, banks and manufacturing enterprises are headquartered. German is highly regarded in many circles as a language of academia and science. And with growing business opportunities around the world, there is increased demand for German speaking employees and experts, and thus, increased opportunities for German speakers.

PORTUGUESE For Kids

With over 170 million speakers, Portuguese is the most widely spoken language in the southern hemisphere, and the third most spoken in the Western world. Since it is so important and so rarely studied, knowledge of Portuguese is a very marketable skill, especially in commerce and banking. Brazil is the eighth largest economy in the world and attracts lots of tourists featuring the Amazon jungle, huge urban cities such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, and over 6,000 miles of beaches.

MANDARIN CHINESE FOR KIDS

Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world. Spoken by over 1 billion people worldwide, it is an official language of the United Nations. Throughout history, the Chinese have interacted with hundreds of cultures, and today, many nations enjoy Chinese-specific cultural contributions in the areas of cuisine, the arts, and commerce. International political developments and growing business opportunities with multinational companies have led to increased demand for Mandarin speaking employees and experts, and thus, increased opportunities for Mandarin speakers.

Mandarin Chinese is tonal, which means that pitch is used to distinguish its lexical or grammatical meanings. The earlier a child begins to learn this language, the easier it is for them to pick up on the differences in tone and begin employing them correctly. Little Pim Mandarin helps children develop the unique speaking and listening skills necessary for learning the language.

JAPANESE FOR KIDS

Japanese is the ninth most spoken language in the world, with more than 130 million speakers. Almost every nation in the world is familiar with the great aspects of Japanese culture and commerce. Tourists flock to Japan every year, and some of the world’s leading businesses and manufacturing enterprises are headquartered there. International political developments and growing business opportunities with multinational companies have led to increased demand for Japanese speaking employees and experts, and thus, increased opportunities for Japanese speakers. Little Pim Japanese helps children develop the unique speaking and listening skills necessary for learning the language.

ARABIC FOR KIDS

Arabic is spoken by almost 300 million people worldwide, and is an official language of the United Nations. It is the official language of 26 countries, and has the most speakers of all the Semitic languages. It is a language of literature, mathematics and science. Many English words have Arabic roots, such as “candy” which comes from the Arabic word “qandi,” and, “spinach,” derived from the Arabic “isbanakh.” International political developments and growing business opportunities with multinational companies have led to increased demand for Arabic speaking employees and experts, and thus, increased opportunities for Arabic speakers. Little Pim Arabic helps children develop the unique speaking and listening skills necessary for learning the language.

HEBREW FOR KIDS

Hebrew is spoken daily by almost 10 million people. It is the official language of Israel, and studied by millions around the world for religious and cultural reasons. With the founding of Israel more than 50 years ago, the reestablishment of Hebrew’s importance in the 21st century has been laid. Israel is one of the world’s fastest-growing high-tech economies and a country of prominence on the world stage. As a result of growing business opportunities, recent international political developments and tourism, Hebrew is a terrific language to learn.

KOREAN FOR KIDS

There are significant populations of Koreans in the United States as well as other countries such as Japan, Brazil, Canada, etc. who count Korean as their heritage language and try to inherit it to their children.

Korean is becoming a more popular and important language on the world stage because of South Korea’s powerful economy, geopolitical importance, and art & culture including K-pop and drama.

ENGLISH FOR KIDS

Little Pim’s most popular language program outside the United States in our English/ESL program. After Chinese and Spanish, English is the world’s most spoken language with over 335 million speakers worldwide.

Learning a second language can be fun, easy, and effective with Little Pim. Language learning should always be a positive experience and cannot be rushed. Remember to praise your little ones for speaking in the second language. Teaching your child a foreign language can be a great way to give your child a head start and prepare him or her for the global economy.