How to choose a second language for your child

Start with one question: where will your child hear it?

Parents often begin by asking which language is "most useful" or "easiest". Those are reasonable questions, but for young children a more important one comes first: where will this language show up in my child's life? Children learn languages through contact and connection. A language with a grandparent, a neighbor, a school program or a family trip attached to it has a huge head start over one that only lives in an app.

Work through the factors below in roughly this order. Often the answer becomes obvious by the second or third.

1. Family heritage

If someone in your family speaks a language, or did a generation or two ago, that's usually the strongest choice. It gives your child:

• Real people to talk to, who can model natural speech and care deeply about it.
• A reason to speak that a child understands: "Oma loves it when you sing to her in German."
• Identity and belonging. Many adults wish they'd learned their grandparents' language as children.

Even if the heritage speaker isn't nearby, video calls, recorded stories and songs they share make a big difference. Our guide to raising a bilingual child at home covers how to organise this when one parent speaks the language and the other doesn't.

2. Your community

Which languages can your child hear around them? Look for:

• Story times, playgroups or music classes in another language at your library or community centre.
• Neighbors, friends, babysitters or carers who speak a language.
• Shops, festivals and cultural events.

In many parts of the United States, Spanish is the obvious candidate on this measure. In other places it might be French, Portuguese or another language entirely. Local opportunities to use a language keep it alive long after the novelty of a new app has worn off.

3. What schools offer

Find out which languages your local preschools, elementary and secondary schools teach, and whether there are dual-language or immersion programs nearby. An early start in the same language your child will later study at school means:

• Familiar words and sounds when lessons begin.
• Confidence in class, which tends to feed motivation.
• A natural continuation rather than starting over.

If your schools offer a choice, it's fine to start the language your child is most likely to continue.

4. Travel and future plans

Where does your family travel, or hope to? Where do relatives or friends live? A holiday where a child can say bonjour to a baker or obrigado to a waiter is a memorable, motivating experience. If you might live abroad, the language of that country is an easy choice.

5. Sounds, spelling and "ease"

At ages 2–8, children can learn the sounds of any language, so don't rule a language out because it seems hard for adults. That said, each language has different strengths for English-speaking families:

These are general tendencies, not rules, and they matter less for a toddler than for a teenager.

6. What your family will enjoy

Enthusiasm is contagious. If you love Italian food and dream of visiting Rome, Italian at home will feel like a treat rather than a task, and your child will pick up on that. A language you're curious about yourself is one you'll keep doing, and keeping going is what makes the difference. See what age should kids start? for why years of steady exposure matter more than the perfect starting point.

A quick guide to the six languages we teach

Spanish

Spoken across Spain and most of Latin America, and widely heard in many US communities. It's one of the languages most commonly offered in schools, which makes it a natural first choice for many families. Spanish pronunciation is regular, which helps children and parents read and sing along. See our guide to teaching Spanish when you don't speak it.

French

Spoken in France, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada and many countries in Africa. English has borrowed many words from French, so children keep spotting connections. The sounds are best learned by ear, which suits young children. See French for toddlers.

German

Spoken in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and beyond. German and English share roots, so many everyday words feel familiar. A good choice for heritage families and for kids who enjoy rhythm and big, bouncy words. See German for kids: where to start.

Italian

Musical and expressive, with words that often end in vowels, which makes them lovely to sing. A natural choice for families with Italian heritage or a love of Italy. See Italian for kids.

Portuguese (Portugal)

European Portuguese is spoken in Portugal and is related to the Brazilian variety, with differences in pronunciation and some vocabulary. A strong choice for families with Portuguese heritage or links to Portugal. See Portuguese for kids: European vs Brazilian.

Dutch

Spoken in the Netherlands, in Flanders (Belgium) and in Suriname and parts of the Caribbean. It's one of the closest major languages to English, so children often recognise words quickly. See Dutch for kids.

What if we can't decide?

Some families agonise over this choice for months. Some tips:

1. Try a few for a week each. Play songs or read a picture book in two or three languages and see which one your child (and you) respond to.
2. Remember it's not permanent. Children can add another language later. An early positive experience with any language makes the next one easier to approach.
3. Don't start three at once unless they're already spoken in your family. One well-supported language is better than several thin ones.
4. Let your child have a say. Older preschoolers often have strong opinions, especially about songs.

A simple decision checklist

If you like a structured approach, score each language you're considering from 0 to 2 on each line, then add them up:

The highest score isn't a rule, but it's usually a good sign. If two languages tie, go with the one your family is most excited about. And if the checklist points somewhere unexpected, that's useful too: it often reveals a person, place or plan that could make a language come alive for your child in a way no app or class can on its own.

How Language with Songs can help you choose

Every language in Language with Songs has the same 80+ songs in 20 themed units, sung as call-and-response between English and the target language with lyrics and translation on screen. The first unit is free in every language, so you can try a few before committing, and Premium includes all six, so you can switch at any time.