Do any of you send your children to a Saturday language School?

[Luna9]

Do you send your children to a Saturday language school? do you find any benefits on doing so? do you struggle to convince your children to go?

I am trying to persuade my DC to attend a Saturday language school but finding it hard as they really don't want to give up one day of the weekend to spend in a classroom; they already have other activities during the week so I do sympathize with them; on the other hand it will be good for them to learn another language. They attend a state school that teaches french but what they learn is very basic; plus I want them to learn a different language.

What's your experience? do the children just start to resent the language? or have you find they benefit from it?

Thank you

Is it all day Saturday? I would have thought well taught an hour a week would be sufficient, in fact know it is even for Mandarin.

We are a bilingual family and our DC attend Saturday school. It has been proving very beneficial in keeping their minority language up to scratch.

They are often not too keen on going, especially on the Saturday morning when they would like to just mooch about and instead, everybody needs to get ready and go. But they usually enjoy it once there. It is only 90 minutes though, so they are hardly giving up a whole day.

However: We looked at a couple of options for Saturday schools, and both of them required the children to have age-appropriate knowledge of the language already, before being able to enrol. So a 4yo would need good passive understanding and at least be able to say a few things, though might not actually say anything due to being shy. A 8yo new joiner would need a decent vocabulary and probably be able to read a bit. A 11yo would need to have some grasp of grammar etc.
Saturday schools, I have found, are usually NOT for teaching a language as someone's foreign language, but to support learners for who the language is a home language.

Thank you; this one goes for 5 hours which is what put me off; not sure how much time of that is productive studies though

It is also to support their second language which is my husband native language

We sent dd for a while to french saturday school as dp is french, but she absolutely hated it, in fact it put her off french for years. They were really really strict

Yes; I read some children start resenting their second language; but I think it is because some of these schools are very strict as you said

We also have a minority language, but most Saturday schools would have meant spending half of Saturday in a classroom. I didn't want to do that to my kids.

We opted for a teacher that comes during the week to our house for an hour. And, she sets some homework that we do over the weekend. And of course we try to read regularly in the minority language.

It is not easy to maintain/develop an additional language! But I do believe it is beneficial, so am not giving up, even though they do complain about having to speak it...

Yes; It is important to persevere with their second language; I think I will give a try to the Saturday school to improve their reading and writing; and then just get a tutor and get them to read more at home.

We send ours to Sunday School at synagogue to learn Hebrew - DH's first language. At our old synagogue the DDs didn't seem to mind, most of the time. But we moved 6 months ago and they don't like their new Sunday School and kick off with huge tantrums every week, and DD2 hides under the desk and refuses to come out. It's difficult to know what to do because it's just torturous for all of us to go through this every week. But if they don't go, it seems such a waste of an opportunity for them to gain a second language. Plus they won't be able to have a bat mitzvah, which I think they might regret later on.

Today they're being bribed with Animal Jam membership.

Good luck, I hope your DC are more cooperative then mine!

Poor you Sera; maybe the one they are attending now is more strict.

I don't think i will send mine if they start hating it and reveal against it; only if they need a bit of persuasion.

Mine went to Saturday French school for 2 1/2 years. They hated it. I am French speaking and DH is English. I don't speak enough French with them and French school was helping. But it was such a faff and a battle that I gave up. I regret it now.

I regret not sticking with it too, but it was so awful, the clinging to me and begging me not to make her go.

One time i took her in, and asked the teacher if maybe she could give her a little cuddle or something as she was upset, and the teacher looked at me like I had two heads and said "oh no, we're not allowed to TOUCH the children"

I thought no bloody wonder she hates it. Compared to cosy friendly english primary schools, it was like punishment time.

5 hours is too long though. This may put DC off.We only do 2 hours, even DS1 who is 15 and is studying for AS level, he still only does 2 hours.

I think the weekend school is just to keep a structure, then you have to practice at home to keep up. And also, DC get the chance to meet friends who learn same language, so he know it's not only him that have to learn an additional language.

I do agree, 5 hours is far too long, and that's why I have not registered them. 2.5 to 3 hours will be perfect. They do other activities like dance and music plus break but I still think they should cut it shorter; will look at other schools or ask them if they can do a shorter day

Sera - if your children were previously happy to study Hebrew and are now hiding to avoid going, I would say the problem is not with them! Listen to what they are telling you!