Teaching young students foreign languages can set them on a path to better communicating with a wide range of people and to developing a life-long appreciation for other cultures. There are also many cognitive benefits associated with learning new languages, such as stronger memory, problem-solving skills, and listening ability.
Get young learners started with these foreign-language worksheets, which are perfect for learning the basics of Spanish, Chinese, French, Arabic, and American Sign Language. Looking for more languages to learn? Check out all of our worksheets here!
Spanish
Spoken by: 538 million people worldwide in countries including Spain, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina
Fun fact: An estimated 41 million US residents speak Spanish at home
Best for: 2nd graders
¡Puedo hablar español! Help your young linguist learn the basics of Spanish with this worksheet. Learners will read different letters and work on pronunciation as they become familiar with the Spanish alphabet.
Best for: 3rd and 4th graders
¿Cómo se dice “family” en español? Kids will match words with pictures representing different family members for quick and easy practice!
Best for: 4th and 5th graders
Sort out the parts of the body in Spanish with this fill-in-the-blanks worksheet. Children use the English translation of each sentence to help figure out the right word to go in the blank, then translate that word into Spanish to finish the sentence!
Try out more Spanish worksheets here!
Chinese (Mandarin)
Spoken by: 1.3 billion people worldwide in countries including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore
Fun fact: Approximately 16% of the world’s population speak Chinese as their first language
Best for: All ages
Designed for beginners, this two-page worksheet teaches learners how to write numbers 1–10 in Mandarin. On the first page, learners are introduced to the correct stroke order for writing each number, along with its Pinyin form. On the second page, they’ll use the template to practice writing numbers on their own as they say them out loud.
Best for: All ages
Designed for intermediate Mandarin learners, students review the characters and Pinyin forms of the words for various types of weather. This exercise also helps learners connect the dots between words and characters with the concepts they represent.
Best for: All ages
Children learn to identify and write characters and Pinyin for common pronouns in this introductory lesson. After learning the words for I, you (singular and plural), he, she, we, and them, students use the template on the second page to practice the correct stroke order for each pronoun.
Try out more Chinese worksheets here!
French
Spoken by: 277 million people worldwide in countries including France, Switzerland, Canada, Algeria, and Vietnam
Fun fact: French is one of the six official languages of the United Nations
Best for: 1st graders
Take a walk through the park and encourage your child to learn French vocabulary words while they color objects, such as a bird, girl, and tree!
Best for: 3rd graders
Help your child strengthen their French vocabulary by labeling all the different parts of “le corps,” or body.
Best for: 4th graders
Salut! Discover the many ways to say hello in French by spelling, writing, and pronouncing each word and phrase. Once learners have mastered greetings, a crossword puzzle on the second page will test their memories!
Try out more French worksheets here!
Arabic
Spoken by: Approximately 274 million people in countries including Egypt, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco
Fun fact: Arabic is considered a holy language to 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide
Best for: 3rd graders
This introduction to Arabic worksheet explains the fundamentals of writing the Arabic script!
Best for: 3rd graders
Kids will learn Arabic calligraphy, handwriting, and vocabulary with this worksheet. Alif is the first letter of the Arabic script. Children will learn how to distinguish between Alif’s two phonetic uses while they practice writing the letter.
Best for: 3rd graders
Arabic beginners learn the pronunciation of the letter “Bā’,” which is similar to the English “B.” Students expand their vocabulary and practice handwriting by writing Arabic words, such as door and house.
Try more worksheets like this here!
American Sign Language
Used by: 250,000-500,000 Americans
Fun fact: ASL is the first language of many deaf Americans and is one of the most commonly used languages in the United States
Best for: 2nd graders
Introduce your child to the basics of sign language with this introductory worksheet and practice signing the alphabet together.
Sign language flash cards: Y, Z, 1-4
Best for: 2nd graders
This series of flashcards will teach children the basics of how to sign the alphabet and the numbers 1–10.
Best for: 4th graders
Students will test their sign language comprehension with this fun finger spelling exercise. Find out what the famous quote is by translating the sign language letters into alphabetical letters!
Try more worksheets like this here!
