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Best Extracurricular Language Classes For Kids In LA

Children with flags
(credit: Thinkstock)

Learning a new language opens many doors and childhood is the perfect time to get started. The following locations are well known for their unique approaches to teaching kids a new language. Many communities respect these institutions for bridging communities together through music, fun, art and language.

Search to Involve Pilipino Americans' Kultural Enrichment & Language Program
3200 W Temple St.
Los Angeles, CA  90026
(213) 382-1819 Ext. 107
www.esipa.org

Price: Registration $50, the program fee of $275 covers instruction, supplies, and room rental for 3 months; There is also a Daily Drop in Rate available: $20 per child per day (includes 3.5 hours of instruction and all materials)

SIPA's Kultural Enrichment & Language Program (KELP) class is in session every Saturday except for one Saturday out of the month. In this program, youth in grades Kindergarten through 4th grade will learn Tagalog, Filipino history and arts and culture. In addition, the kids get to go on field trips, play games and make crafts. Kelp is also a fabulous way for children to learn about Filipino literature and geography. All of these elements foster children's self esteem and instill in them an appreciation of their heritage or expand their knowledge of other cultures. SIPA also offers support to the families that they serve to create a close knit community, and provides adults assistance with business classes, low cost family housing projects.

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Savoir Faire International Language Institute
322 Vista Del Mar Suite B,
Redondo Beach, CA 90277
(310) 378-1086
sfli-ca.com

Price: $40 per 1.5 hour in a group, private lessons vary depending on the number of hours and the number of people in group

This language institution offers classes for youth as young as a year old, but both children and adults are welcome to take classes here. This program allows students to choose from several languages, including Arabic, English, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Mandarin and Japanese. Because Savoir Faire has more than 15 teachers from around the world on hand to help your child learn a new language, this is one of the best institutions in which to gain some worldly insight. If students need additional attention, individual private tutoring sessions are available. Savoir Faire International Language Institute's flexible hours and easy to understand techniques make it a wonderful environment for children learning new languages and the ways of other cultures.

Pasadena Language Center
46 Smith Alley Suite 240
Pasadena, CA 91103
(628) 844-5003
pasadenalanguage.com
Price: $225 for 8 weeks–weekly program, $35 registration fee

The Pasadena Language Center serves various communities by offering instruction in more than 30 languages. These languages are of particular interest, since they are not widely taught at most learning centers: Arabic, Armenian, Croatian, Danish, Dutch, Farsi, Finnish, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Korean, Nepali, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Swahili, Swedish, Thai, Urdu, Arabic, Chinese, Hindi and Japanese and Vietnamese. Children from ages four and up are welcome to attend, and the center uses techniques that make learning fun for children. Teachers incorporate familiar items like body parts, animals, colors, food, numbers and shapes into their lesson plans to ensure success. The engaging curriculum draws kids' interest with music, conversation, imitation, repetition, role playing and story time. The combination of diversity, great teachers and simple instruction makes Pasadena Language Center one of the best bilingual locations in Los Angeles for youth.

South Bay Chinese School
600 Cloyden Road
Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274
(310) 780-0222
southbaychineseschool.org

Price: $600 a school year

Children from kindergarten up to 8th grade meet on Saturdays to learn Chinese at the South Bay Chinese School. Students also learn about Chinese culture and customs for a well-rounded introduction into the Chinese way of life. Your kids can participate in exercises that include arts and crafts, building projects, calligraphy, tennis and basketball. Youth will also partake in fun Chinese traditions and festivities, like the Chinese New Year.

France Exchange
3738 S Barrington Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(310) 391 4677
www.franceexchangeschool.com

Price: Private lessons $65 first student $25 second student; Group rates 4 or more $25 per student, after school program $16 per hour

France Exchange offers families affordable classes and the convenience of at off site sessions that can be held in the comfort of your own home. Kids love love learning French with hands on activities like science projects, Bingo, computer games and crosswords. What's learning without a little socialization? France Exchange also offers fun field trips in the camp programs where they make trips to amusement parks, go bowling, ride go karts and visit museums. This is the perfect place for children to be nurtured, develop skills in another language and learn about a new culture.

Related: What To Do With Your Double-Digit Kids

Cassandra Bautista is a freelance writer from Los Angeles. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

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