It’s never too early — or too late — to learn another language. Whether you and your child are interested in virtual or in-person courses, you’ll find what works for your family near home. Use our guide to find classes around Gilbert, Arizona, that everyone can try.

Advantages of Multiple Language Learning

Preschool is the ideal time for your child to learn new things, and speaking another language comes with many advantages. Early childhood education experts say that kids who are proficient in a second language show improved skills in areas like problem-solving, critical thinking, and listening. Parents may see changes in their child’s memory, concentration, and ability to multitask, and some children show enhanced creativity.

Crème de la Crème of Gilbert’s Second Language Library enrichment program introduces your children to the Mandarin and Spanish languages through its unique 30-minute classroom rotations. Kids will learn vocabulary, cultural awareness, and music through diverse interactive activities like stories, songs, and games. It’s their passport to exploring the world without having to leave Arizona.

The Maricopa County Library District

Image via Flickr by digitalbookmobile Licensed CC BY 2.0

Your public library is a terrific place to learn all kinds of things, including a new language. Choose from two electronic language learning tools, including Powerspeak Languages. You can select English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Mandarin, Japanese, and Korean with this program. Alternatively, try Rocket Languages. This self-paced language instruction course features downloadable audio lessons for an impressive 11 different languages. 

Visit a neighborhood branch and rent a foreign film or audiobook to supplement your studies while immersing yourself in various dialects. In addition, electronic resources like “Fast Easy Way to Learn a Language” by Bill Handley are ideal educational companions that are entertaining and help you progress quicker. The Maricopa County Library District also offers many other services that benefit the whole family, from homework help to storytime.

takelessons

One of the best places to find an instructor is online. The website takelessons is a resource that you can use to find an expert private language instructor in your area. You can compare prices, reviews, and bios to find just the right teacher for your child. So whether you’re looking for someone to come by the house after school or a virtual lesson with an instructor, you’ll find it here.

The company even offers a satisfaction guarantee, so you don’t have to worry about failing to progress with this program. Learn American Sign Language, Spanish, Korean, French, Japanese, and more. When looking for your new language teacher on takelessons, consider these points:

• Goals. Are you and your family moving to a foreign country, or is this something you’ll do for fun?
• Learning style. Do you thrive in a strict classroom, or do you prefer a more nurturing teacher?
• Schedule. Learning a language takes time. Does your family’s busy schedule have room for classes and practice?
• Lesson length. Typically, lessons run between 30 and 60-minutes. How long will your child stay engaged?

Arizona Language Center

Arizona Language Center on East McDonald Drive is a school that offers interpreter and teaching certification courses, as well as English and Spanish speaking lessons. If your mission is to teach English to non-native speakers — children or adults — you may need to obtain your certification. Arizona Language Center offers the 120 total hours of training required to earn your Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certification.

Adult students can enroll in any of its web-based classes with just a tablet or desktop computer right from home. Improve the quality of your foreign language classes in just 90-minutes twice a week. An experienced instructor also provides 30 hours of live online language training.

Interlingua LLC

The award-winning Interlingua School on North 7th Street in Phoenix is another terrific language learning provider. Gilbert-area parents know that being bilingual opens up opportunities worldwide, whether your family wants to travel, live abroad, or just have fun stimulating some brain cells. So give your kids the gift that comes with life-long advantages and enroll them in Interlingua’s youth Spanish program. 

If your child is between 3 and 7 years, sign up for the “Parent & Me” course. Interlingua’s methods stimulate natural language learning with games, songs, and hands-on activities to fully engage its youngest students. This 12-session series features 45-minute classes and costs $150 per child.

Arizona Language Preparatory

Arizona Language Preparatory on East Marilyn Road is a kindergarten through sixth-grade public charter school dedicated to providing a challenging and engaging curriculum. Learning additional languages at an early age helps equip children with skills that will give them a leg up in business — and life overall. Arizona Language Preparatory’s program is so fun that kids don’t even realize how much they’re learning.

Its instructors are committed to developing your child’s knowledge and skills through their authentic, globally relevant study. This pick offers a trilingual immersion experience in Mandarin, Spanish, and English courses with an emphasis on nurturing cultural awareness and developing language perspectives. 

Valenti Lingua Italian Language School

While most Valley parents focus on Spanish because of its wide use throughout the state, Valenti Lingua Italian Language School on East Cathedral Rock Drive is teaching Gilbert residents how to speak Italian. With its close Scottsdale location and available online courses, it’s the convenient choice for group classes, private lessons, and tutoring.

The staff at Valenti Lingua have offered Italian lessons and classes to students of all levels in a positive, student-centered environment since 2000. Davide Valenti developed the program to immerse students in the language by using vocabulary and grammar frequently in conversation while at school at home.

So, that’s it! Crème de la Crème of Goodyear has informed you of the six best places to take language classes in the area. Did you like our picks? Did we miss a favorite course of yours — one Arizona locals will love? If we did, let us know! Drop us a line so we can add your suggestions to our list.