Niños say “¡Hola!” to new skills at these language schools around Chicago.
We all know the value of learning a second language. It can help children’s brains develop, help them do better in school, and help them become more interested in the world and other cultures. A new language is never easier to pick up than while a person is young. And if Spanish is your second language of choice, Chicago offers plenty of options to help your child move on from uno, dos, tres.
We rounded up several great local language programs with different offerings and teaching methods, all designed to create bilingual kids. You might want to brush up, too, because before you know it, they’ll be ready to chat with their parents, babysitters, and nannies en español!
Instituto Cervantes of Chicago
Address: 31 W. Ohio St., Chicago, IL 60654
Phone: 312-335-1996
Class Schedule: Click here.
This all-ages Spanish school offers a few types of classes especially for kids. Young kids ages 1 to 4 dive right in with a caregiver-assisted immersion class where they learn through songs and games. Older kids are taught in beginning, intermediate, advanced, and highly advanced classes broken into age groups. Children ages 4 to 6 pick up Spanish skills through arts and crafts, while teenagers are taught language that corresponds with their own interests. Students are taught about Latin American and Spanish cultures, along with vocabulary and verb conjugation.
Instituto Cervantes of Chicago teaches special heritage classes for children with a Spanish background, as well as classes for homeschoolers. Teachers are native speakers from Latin America and Spain and have advanced degrees in Spanish. Class prices vary. Three hours of beginning classes per week for 10 weeks costs about $503.
Little Linguists Arts Academy
Address: Classes are held at various locations and at various times.
Phone: 773-609-5492
Class Schedule: Click here.
Weekly class themes and cultural immersion make learning fun in this program. Held at local elementary schools and churches, Little Linguists Spanish classes are offered for kids from toddlers to grade-schoolers. Songs, arts and crafts, games, and dances are used to teach the language. Once-a-week classes cost $260 for the fall session for grade-schoolers, while toddler classes are billed at $135 a month. The school also teaches Mandarin, French, Italian, Hindi, Urdu, and Arabic, plus yoga and music classes.
Language Stars
Locations:
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5500 Woodlawn Ave., Chicago, IL 60637 | P: 866-557-8277
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1741 N. Elston Ave., Chicago, IL 60642 | P: 773-772-7877
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Click here for more locations in the suburbs.
Class Schedule: Click here.
Kids ages 1 to 12 can polish their Spanish at this school with several locations in and around Chicago. Toddlers start with their parents by learning basic vocabulary through activities and art. For older kids, classes are taught in an immersion environment with high-energy activities and themes — think: Olympics and rock ‘n roll — to build cultural awareness and vocabulary. The teachers are native speakers.
When your child has mastered Spanish, he or she can take classes in Mandarin, French, Italian, German, and Arabic. Once-a-week classes start at $199 a month.
Spanish Horizons
Address: 2836 N. Southport Ave., Chicago, IL 60657
Phone: 773-348-7686
Class Schedule: Click here.
This program aims to teach Spanish organically through immersion classes led by native speakers. Little ones can start as early as 4 months with music-based classes, and 2 1/2- to 6-year-olds take three-hour play school classes that can be scheduled a la carte on whatever days work best. Older kids learn to read and write in Spanish in addition to speaking it in classes that include role-playing and games. Tutoring and private classes are available, too.
Parent-child classes cost $225 for 12 classes, and play school classes cost $65 per three-hour class.
Living the Language
Address: 219 E. 31st St., Chicago, IL 60616
Phone: 312-285-2074
Class Schedule: Call for current details.
Living the Language offers language-immersion daycare, preschool, and after-school classes. The instruction here gives kids the chance to hear and use the language in real-life situations, including outings, cooking, and more. After-school Spanish classes for ages 4 and up are personalized to each student’s abilities and taught by native speakers. The daycare and preschool programs integrate Montessori principles and activities like arts, dance, and science.
French and Mandarin are spoken here, too, though after-school classes are grouped by language, and children in the daycare and preschool programs each choose one target language. A music class for 2- to 3-year-olds introduces Spanish through song and dance. Prices vary, with three months of twice-a-week classes costing $966.
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