Why Parents Invest in Online Hebrew Classes for their Junior High and High School Kids

It used to be commonplace to see Hebrew reserved for private and public Jewish day schools and high schools, but according to the Jewish United Fund, more of these schools are making Hebrew optional while more non-Jewish junior high and high schools are offering this language as an elective.

There are a number of reasons why taking Hebrew to meet language requirements in high school is so advantageous for kids. First of all, Hebrew is spoken throughout the world in various communities, so learning the language enables teens to converse with groups anywhere in the world. Whether they are in Encino, CA, in the Stamford Hill area of London, England, or walking down the Rue des Rosiers in Paris, France, Hebrew is spoken all over the world making it an essential language to learn if you want to feel like you belong to a very special group of people that can be found in many countries across the globe. 

But why should parents invest in online Hebrew classes for high school students (and junior high) as opposed to taking traditional classes on campus? Continue reading to learn why, and to discover why Hebrew is an ideal language to learn for our modern era. 

Taking a language in an expedited manner is attractive for a number of reasons. First of all, enrolling in online Hebrew classes from an accredited program like the one offered by LanguageBird allows students to get their language credits during the summer before they begin their senior year. This is advantageous because it offers students more breathing room in their final year of high school to focus on harder classes or impress the college scouts in search of student-athletes. Getting the language credits out of the way also frees up time for family activities and personal time, and the free time created can also be used to allow kids to volunteer, get a job, or participate in hobbies and extracurricular activities. 

Students Who Take Online Hebrew Classes Generally Get Better Grades

The average teacher to student ratio in American public schools is 1 to 30. This makes learning Hebrew very challenging for most students. Why? Because kids learn at different paces, and they perform better when the approach is customized to their learning style. But with one teacher to a class full of kids, all students are taught in a single method and are expected to all learn at the same pace. This makes the class very stressful for many students and even causes them to get lower grades than they would otherwise receive. Parents often invest in online Hebrew classes so their students can learn the language at their pace, with an approach that fits their needs, and so they can get better grades and stay academically competitive. 

Online Hebrew Classes Help Kids Connect with their Own Culture

Not all kids who take Hebrew from school campuses are Jewish, and therefore cultural angles are usually left out of lessons. However, you can set your child up with a teacher who is Jewish, and a native speaker from Israel, that can base the Jewish faith and culture around the language lessons if making that connection is an objective. If the student is in junior high, taking online Hebrew classes could be set up to also help him prepare for his Bar Mitzvah where he will be expected to speak Hebrew. If the student is in high school he may want to volunteer by going to Israel to lead kids on guided tours when they take their cultural birthright trip. By being fluent in Hebrew, older kids can get in critical volunteer work for their college transcripts while also giving back to their homeland by teaching kids about their rich culture. 

Online Hebrew Classes Help Kids be Fluent by the Time they Travel to Israel

Israel is one of the top destinations in the world. People love to go for the ancient history and Biblical legends surrounding the area. They also go to indulge in Tel Aviv’s vibrant and liberal nightlife, visit the beautiful beaches, explore the art and architecture all over the country, and take a culinary tour from Jerusalem to Haifa. When parents invest in online Hebrew classes for their kids, they put them in a position to have meaningful conversations with local people where cultural connections are made at deeper levels thus giving the student an overall richer experience.

Online Hebrew Classes are Ideal for Future Business Majors or Kids who Plan to Enter Tech

Tel Aviv is a world leader in both tech and international business. If your child dreams of entering one of these lucrative industries, taking online Hebrew classes would put them on the fast track for getting into the right classes once they graduate high school. With the influx of tech partnerships arising between Israel and the United States, the industry is (and will be for decades to come) in need of business savvy tech experts who speak both Hebrew and English. 

Make Sure the Online Hebrew Classes are Accredited

Finally, make sure the online Hebrew classes your child takes are accredited in all the right ways. The best thing you can do is to book an appointment with your child’s school counselor and have her confirm the online Hebrew classes are accredited. The program should meet the requirements of your child’s school, the college they plan to attend, and any other organizations that require credits from a language class. For example, if your child has a college scholarship through the NCAA to be on the swim team, then the online Hebrew classes must meet NCAA accreditation requirements. Since there are so many moving pieces in the transition from high school to college, make sure your child’s school counselor can verify everything. 

LanguageBird offers fully accredited online Hebrew classes that comply with the NCAA and high schools and colleges nationwide. Give us a call today, and together let’s discover the best program for your student so they can achieve academic success and achieve life goals.