Myles Sandy, 6, and his sister Madison, 4, are teaching their mother Spanish, thanks to their weekly language classes through Lango of Prince George’s County, Inc.

Nichelle Sandy of Bowie said she takes her children to the grocery store, where they can identify and describe fruits and vegetables in Spanish after two years of classes with Lango, a newly formed nonprofit organization that offers classes in French, Mandarin and Spanish.

“A lot of things are now in Spanish and English in America, and I wanted them to know both,” said Sandy, who also wants her children to learn Mandarin.

Students at a few Prince George’s County elementary schools soon might be able to take these language classes during or after school hours, said Joanne Wallington, the chief executive officer and president of Lango.

Formerly a for-profit company offering classes at daycares, preschools and churches, Lango became a nonprofit organization so it could work with the county school system, apply for grants, and subsidize some classes, Wallington said.

“When I brought the program to the county, that’s how I always envisioned it — for families who couldn’t afford a tutor,” Wallington said. “Every child can and should learn a second language.”

The San Francisco-based Lango has franchises across the country.

Wallington said she would like to offer Lango’s play-based classes, designed for children 18 months to 10 years old, this year at about five county elementary schools where parents or administrators have expressed interest.

“Between the ages of childbirth and 7, there is the magic window, and the brain can learn those new sounds with very little accent,” Wallington said.

“It hopefully will create a lifelong love of language learning for students.”

Hope McGuire, the principal at Imagine Foundations II Public Charter School in Morningside, said she is considering working with Lango to offer a Mandarin class during the school day starting in January.

“It’s the best time for them to learn a new language while they’re young and impressionable,” McGuire said.

Teaching students an Asian language would better prepare them to compete in an economy where Asian countries and companies, particularly technology companies, are major players, she said.

Diane C. Fingers, the principal at Indian Queen Elementary School in Fort Washington, said she will gauge parents’ interest in enrolling their children in after-school Spanish classes and then decide whether to invite Lango to operate classes at the school.

There now are more than 50 classes — mostly in Spanish — at 13 sites in Prince George’s County, Wallington said. About 1,000 students have taken Lango classes since mid-2009, when the county branch opened.

The classes, taught by native speakers or those who are certified as bilingual, are active and dramatic, Wallington said. In weekly 45-minute sessions, children learn songs and chants, play games, tackle obstacle courses or participate in cultural activities to study the language.

Classes cost $60 per month, which includes materials such as flashcards and activity books, Wallington said.

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