While there are many reasons to learn a foreign language, I want to share 3 reasons why you and your kids should learn Hebrew.

1 - Learning Hebrew boosts cultural and Biblical understanding.

With over 7 billion people living on earth, there are a lot of languages and cultures out there, but there is only one that started it all - (you guessed it) Hebrew. This language is said to be the language (and culture) that the Father chose for His people.

Learning the Hebrew language will bring the God of the Bible, and its writers, to life by giving your family a deeper understanding behind the translated words we read in English. Think about it. 73% of the Bible was written in Hebrew and every single one of its author were Jewish.

Linguistic relativists even argue that the way we see the world is shaped by the language we use, so how awesome would it be to gain a deeper insight into how the people of the Bible saw the world? Also intertwined within understanding the Hebrew culture is a microscopic view of traditions that helped shape the language. Simply put, learning Hebrew will also help you understand the world more deeply.

2 - Learning Hebrew can boost your child’s abilities in their native language.

It used to be said that children would get confused by learning a second language. Now, research is showing that children who study a foreign language enhance their native language. It is also proven that children start reading earlier. This also goes hand in hand with it being easier for children to acquire a foreign language.

Children are little sponges, so when it comes to being exposed to a foreign language, they are able to retain the ability to distinguish foreign sounds (pretty cool, huh). Through the age of about 8-years-old, children can learn to speak a second language with fluent grammar and without an accent. Not to mention, once you’ve learned one foreign language, it gets easier to learn others. So if you want your child to master Hebrew, start this summer!

3 - Learning Hebrew is FUN!

Besides the developmental benefits, learning another language (especially Hebrew) is fun! There’s a joy that comes from being able to speak the language of the Creator and communicate with others who can speak the same native language.

Part of the fun of learning Hebrew is discovering a deeper meaning behind the Biblical texts we've been reading and memorizing for years. Not to mention how cool it is to see our kids reading and writing from right to left in a completely different alphabet, using their brain in a whole new capacity.