Some people say at-home moms are in a great position for language learning. Since they’re indoors most of the day, they can get on the computer to work with their language software any time they need to.
The reality, of course, is often different. With children in the house, it’s probably rare for an at-home mom to have 30 uninterrupted minutes, much less a couple of hours. Add to that having to attend to every issue that comes up in the house and you’ll find yourself having to hustle to get your language lessons in.
Here are some tips for at-home moms who want to pick up a second language:
Find at least one hour to work uninterrupted. Think you can’t spare that hour? Try when the big kids are in school and the small one is sleeping in the afternoon. Or maybe have a neighbor babysit the kid (or kids) for an hour. Or wake up just an hour earlier than you normally do.
Practice with your kids. You’ve probably heard that kids are like sponges to learning new information. If you need to practice your speaking in the target language, do it with them. Just make sure to explain when they ask questions. You might even end up with an instant language learning buddy.
Label your household items. Put stickers on everything in your house — from appliances to kitchen tools. Then, use a marker to write their equivalent names in the target language on the sticker. At the least, it will help you memorize a whole bunch of new words. And, yes, you can put a sticker on your husband’s forehead and label it with the equivalent word. Throw a fit if he says no — always works.
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