Unless the second language you want to teach your child is spoken fluently and as the primary, regular language heard in your home...chances are you will be in need of some "back-up" in the way of foreign language education for your child. Searching for the perfect daycare, preschool or elementary school and beyond is hard enough on parents- tracking down the right extra-curricular programs might be too much to ask of busy parents! So, I'm going to work on making that easier for you by doing some legwork to find the best programs available nationwide and connecting children's foreign language educators with parents by way of in depth interviews posted right here at SmartMouth's bilingual and foreign language children's education blog.
I'm excited to print this first interview with Brita Schumacher, President of Futura Language Professionals. Her enthusiasm for learning foreign languages rivals my own- she's infectious! And isn't that just what you need when teaching children? An obvious love and enthusiasm for the subject taught? Futura's program is a community-based school currently operating throughout Central Florida, Michigan, Texas (S. Texas & Houston), Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Illinois (Chicago), offering several thousand students the opportunity to develop fluency in Spanish and even Mandarin Chinese (in limited locations). Read on to learn about Futura's innovative programs, their amazing founder, and get some great advice about how to support your child's foreign language classroom learning at home (whatever program you choose to follow).
1. How did "Futura Language Professionals" come to be? I studied at Universities and prestigious language schools throughout Mexico. I have also lived, traveled, and volunteered extensively in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and Asia- building an ever increasing passion for language and culture. I taught kindergarten in South Korea and was amazed at how quickly the children could speak English and how eloquently they could switch between the two languages. It made me think that we are remiss in the U.S. starting foreign language at the middle school level. When I moved back to the U.S. in 2001, I started Futura in a little office space in Wauwatosa, WI with 6 students (we now have several thousand nationwide!)
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| Brita during a volunteering with children in Guatemala |
2. What do you see as the biggest challenge in teaching children a foreign language? Children are so involved in multiple activities these days, which is great. Yet, with foreign language it is also a challenge, as families usually don't have more than one day a week to commit to Spanish instruction. Obviously budget cuts at the school level dramatically affect foreign language learning for children as well.
3. What have you found most rewarding? What has been the biggest achievement for Futura so far?
Getting out to the classroom is so rewarding. Seeing our program working and in action is amazing! Kids are singing and playing songs in Spanish and having so much fun. This is completely rewarding, as one of our goals is to create lifelong language learners. I believe that if kids are having fun and enjoying Spanish, they will continue to study it and feel confident about learning a language and they will go on to high school and college Spanish and hopefully study abroad. Seeing my first group of students graduate our level 10 class was also amazing! These forth and fifth graders were reading and writing in Spanish and conjugating Ser and Estar.
Also, each fall training new teachers is incredibly invigorating. This week I am training 110 Futura teachers in Milwaukee and Minnesota--It is a room full of energy and so much experience. Collectively we have traveled the globe. Furthermore, bi-annually I lead a group of community members to Guatemala. This is also an incredibly enriching experience, as I think travel, especially Third World travel can truly change lives.
4. What makes Futura unique? We have a unique method called the Building Block Method of Learning. In a nutshell, this method uses dynamic, interactive approaches to language instruction and puts conversation as first and foremost. Each class also incorporates elements of culture, as we believe culture and language cannot be separated.
Also, I think our program is unique in that we have a long-term solution to parents and schools where budgets do not allow for Spanish to be taught during the school day. I also take pride in making our program affordable to the average middle class family and for providing need-based grants and payment options for families.
5. What are some of the details parents should know? We teach Spanish in all locations and Mandarin in limited locations for children in Kindergarten to Middle school. Enrichment programs last 16 or 20 weeks before or after school. We also offer integrated programs that last throughout the school year.
All Futura programs feature a set curriculum and it is extensive. For the elementary program we have an adventure theme-based curriculum, which is incredibly fun. We also have a 10 level series of more traditional classes. In addition to elementary, we have a very comprehensive middle school curriculum which is used by our integrated teachers who instruct Spanish during the school day. Furthermore, we have a preschool program as well as two fantastic camp program offerings. I think we are up to 25 books now, which is so exciting!
6. What can students/parents expect when attending one of your classes? They can expect a lively, dynamic atmosphere where students are learning without it feeling like 'school'. I once walked into an upper level class where the students were learning how to conjugate verbs. The teacher had the class divided into a volleyball game with a team of verbs and a team of pronouns. The pronoun would hit the ball to a verb and they would have to conjugate the verb correctly before hitting it back. "Yo bailo!" "Tu bailas", etc. I heard a little girl say, "This isn't even Spanish." I thought Perfect! We have absolutely tricked these kids into thinking they are having so much fun playing volleyball that they don't even realize they are learning something complex in Spanish.
7. How long before students achieve fluency in the second language? I think it is important to be realistic in language learning--It takes a lifetime dedication to achieve true fluency. However sticking with language instruction from kindergarten and beyond is the first step.
8. Do all or most of your students come from bilingual homes? Does your method or approach differ when students have no background in the second language? I would say that a lot of our families come from monolingual homes. I think it is wonderful that families of all kinds are recognizing how critical it is to learn a second language in this day and age. Our approach is the same for all students and they seem to blend wonderfully together in our classes.
9. What advice do you have for parents- what can they do at home, to support the bilingual or foreign language education their children are receiving at school? Reinforcing at home is important as well as giving your child opportunities in the world to see the value in learning Spanish. For example-traveling to a Spanish speaking country or if that is not viable, simply visiting a local neighborhood where people predominantly speak Spanish.
10. What if no one in the home speaks the second language? What advice for those parents? Sit in on classes if you can. Travel somewhere together. Use the internet to hear pronunciation, but more than anything support your child in this journey.
11. How can parents find you? Do you have a website or email address I can publish? In the event of multiple franchises, how do they locate their local learning center? You can find all of us at www.futuraadventures.com. You can reach me directly at britak@futuraadventures.com
Enough with the chit-chat, let's start talking!
Consuelo Bova,
CEO of SmartMouthLearning.com
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