Our
Multilingual Kids program provides infants through adolescents with
language exposure and fun. It's never too early to start learning
a second language, and the cognitive and social benefits of second
language exposure are tremendous. To that end, we have a variety
of classes at our center, or we can come to your school. Click
here
for schedules and to register!
We offer weekday and weekend language classes for
kids at our Logan Square/Avondale center, and our list of programs
continues to expand based on requests from our families. With our
open enrollment, you can register your child for the entire session,
pay monthly or do drop-in. No need to wait until the beginning of
the session - your child will enjoy and learn no matter what!
Center-based programs include Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese,
Korean, Hindi, Gujarati and Arabic.
Parents
and Tots: For kids 1-3 years old and their parents, begin
your exposure to a second language through songs and age-appropriate
activities that are fun for kids and their caregivers. Class meets
for 50 minutes once a week.
Kids 3-5: This independent class is designed
to teach colors, numbers, body parts, emotions, shapes and other
core vocabulary through games, art projects, songs and lots of
laughter. Class meets for one hour once a week. (Parents - during
this time you are welcome to relax in our Language Cafe, help
yourself to organic coffee or tea, use our wireless, read a magazine
or chat with other parents).
Kids 6-10: Our classes for 6-10 year olds introduce
kids to language in fun and engaging ways, developing their vocabulary
around colors, numbers, foods, body parts, adjectives and animals,
and encouraging early conversations. This class is perfect for
beginners but also great as a supplement for kids already learning
language at school or with a parent!
Other options include:
Advanced Spanish for Kids: This class is for
kids with a strong pre-existing foundation in Spanish (those who
hear it at home or have spent time in a Spanish-dominant environment)
who are in need of additional speaking opportunities. Our fun
and interactive activities will be related to the cultures of
Spanish-speaking countries. Class is appropriate for kids 4-7
years old.
¡Canta Conmigo! / Fine Arts for Tots (Spanish Music):
Fine Arts for Tots is an early childhood bilingual music/movement
program that includes songs, fingerplay, instruments and dancing
for children brought to us by Voice of the City, a local arts
alliance. Programs are for babies (3 - 18 months), toddlers (18
months - 3 years) and kids (3-5).
Spanish Story Time and Play: This program is
designed for kids (birth `through 5) and their parents/caregivers
and includes story time in Spanish as well as open play - all
facilitated by one of our Spanish for Kids instructors. Great
for kids, great for adults! Price: $10 per class, including yummy
organic snacks. No pre-registration - first-come, first-served
basis, maximum 15 kids. Pay when you arrive!
For schedules and to register, click here.
For new classes, it typically only takes a group of four, so if
there's a language, schedule or age group that you're interested
in but don't see, let us know,
and we'll do our best to accommodate! And as always, private tutoring
is available for adults and kids of all ages, whether to help ensure
success with Advanced Placement exams, to help kids keep up with
their language classes, for international travel or for any interest/need.
School Programs
Looking for a language enrichment program for your
school? Whether part of your before-school or extended-day program,
or during the school day itself, let Multilingual Chicago bring
our trainers, our curriculum and our experience to your students.
We work with all ages and will happily accommodate your scheduling
needs. Spanish, French and Mandarin available - just
ask!
Click here
to download our 1-page flyer.And yes, we're a CPS
certified vendor!
Summer Camp
Multilingual
Chicago is excited to announce Camp MK (Multilingual Kids) for children
3-7 years old who are looking for fun and education in an outdoor
setting! Campers will play games, sing songs and do arts & crafts
– all in the target language!
In addition to learning the language, kids will learn
about the cultures and customs of the people that speak the language.
Choose from Spanish, French, Mandarin, Hindi and Korean,
pick one week or two, and get ready for fun at Logan Square's Unity
Park!. Click here for details!
FAQs
My child is just learning a first language
- won't a second language confuse her?
No! Multilingualism is actually the norm in many places around the
world, and kids raised in these environments have no problem distinguishing
between different languages and knowing which language to use with
whom.
How
soon will my child be fluent?
Flueny in a language takes a really long time to achieve, so it's
important to be realistic. Think about how long it takes a child
to learn his/her native language - and that's after an incredible
amount of exposure (direct language, indirect language, reading,
music, etc.). If you want your child to be fluent - or at least
proficient - in a second language, the earlier the exposure, the
better. But even the best weekly class isn't going to work miracles.
Fluency is developed over many years and as a result of intense
exposure to the language. Be realistic, but also be aggressive:
enroll your child in language classes, play music in the language,
read books aloud to him/her in the language (we can help you with
this through our adult classes!),
join bilingual playgroups, travel to a country where the language
is spoken - the more, the better!
Can I sit in on class? Classes for our youngest group - 1 to 3 years - are designed
for a parent or caregiver to be present. Our classes for older kids
are designed as independent classes, so to the extent possible,
we encourage parents to relax in the Language Cafe (with an occasional
peek through the glass door) while the kids are in class.
How
soon will you introduce grammar?
Just like you don't talk to your toddler about gerunds and adverbs,
we don't, either. Kids learn language through hearing it over and
over in context - explicit rules about language come much later.
Our classes focus on providing kids vocabulary as building blocks
for communication in a fun, interactive and engaging way.
What can I do in between classes to help support
my child's learning?
After each class, parents will be given a take-home sheet with the
vocabulary covered in class, as well as a brief activity to help
your child practice what was covered. If you speak the language
your child is studying (even poorly!), we encourage you to use it
with him/her. If not, the take-home sheet will help guide you, and
you can easily find short videos in the language on youtube or play
music in the language. If you need additional suggestions (or specific
resources), ask your child's instructor or the Multilingual Chicago
staff!
What are some good resources for learning
about raising a bilingual child?
There are lots of great resources available! Take a look at some
books like Raising
a Bilingual Child or 7
Steps to Raising a Bilingual Child, visit our Multilingual Kids
blog
and reach out to other parents who are doing their best to raise
their child in more than one language. It's not always easy, but
the benefits are tremendous!
Other questions?
Just contact us! Also feel free
to contact Jill Bishop, Multilingual Chicago's founder, who has
a PhD in Linguistic Anthropology and is trying to raise her 3-year
old to be bilingual. She's the first to admit that it's not easy
- especially when you're not a native speaker of the second language.
Parents
and Tots: For kids 1-3 years old and their parents, begin
your exposure to a second language through songs and age-appropriate
activities that are fun for kids and their caregivers. Class meets
for 50 minutes once a week.
Multilingual
Chicago is excited to announce Camp MK (Multilingual Kids) for children
3-7 years old who are looking for fun and education in an outdoor
setting! Campers will play games, sing songs and do arts & crafts
– all in the target language! 
How
soon will my child be fluent?
How
soon will you introduce grammar?
