Are you a parent who wants to give your child a leg up in the English language game? Do you dream of them being the next Shakespeare or J.K. Rowling? Well, you’re in luck because we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best ideas for teaching your kids English!
English is the language of international communication, and the earlier your child starts learning, the better equipped they’ll be for future success. Plus, let’s face it, speaking English fluently opens doors to opportunities that can’t be found in any other language.
But don’t worry, teaching English doesn’t have to be a daunting task! With our list of innovative and engaging techniques, your child will be speaking like a native in no time. So, whether you’re a parent looking to supplement your child’s school curriculum or a homeschooler looking for fresh ideas, we’ve got you covered. So, buckle up, grab a pen, and dive in!
How to Teach Your Kids English
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Without further delay, let’s see the 10 useful techniques to teach your kids English:
1. Set Daily Goals
The best way to ensure your kids will learn English is to get them interested and make them want to know. Setting daily goals is an excellent way to keep your kids focused and motivated. Once you’ve selected some goals, read a story or do an activity together every day so they can interact with English as much as possible.
Stick with it! If you only do it a few times, they won’t see any results, but if you stick with it long enough, they’ll begin to pick up on what they’re learning—and enjoy doing it! If we want our kids to learn English, we must teach them how fun and interesting language can be!
2. Have Fun while Learning
When you start teaching your kids English, have fun while doing it. Reading to your children at bedtime is a great way to spend time together. The more fun you have and the stories you tell them, the more exciting it becomes.
Some kids even pretend they’re reading along in their favorite books when they’re supposed to be sleeping. Using things that are part of your daily routine can teach valuable lessons, like new words and say good morning. You don’t need to make it boring; get creative!
3. Teach Key Phrases
Start teaching your kids English by focusing on key phrases. Using these short sentences and keywords will give you something to work with that’s simple and easy to prepare, but it also gives your child a strong foundation they can build upon.
Phrases like good morning and how are you? These should be the first phrases taught. Let your child try out their new phrases on you so they can feel more comfortable when they’re ready to say them in front of others.
4. Use Music
Music is a powerful teaching tool. Music can help your kids learn English grammar and pronunciation, making learning fun. Use music to engage your kids in English language learning – help them start singing a song in English or let them listen to one you like on repeat. It’s also possible to teach basic English with nursery rhymes.
This can be an entertaining way to introduce vocabulary words in an easy-to-understand format. Songs are great because they include many aspects of language, including verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and sentence structure. When combined with pictures or videos of someone acting out each word, songs are perfect for simple visual learning!
5. Play Games Together
Playing games with kids is one of my favorite ways to teach English vocabulary. Not only is it fun, but there are also a lot of different games you can play that will help you reach your goal. Playing games together is a fun way to learn basic English.
Board games like Scrabble, Monopoly, and Life are popular ways to play together; they’re also relatively easy to understand and can help your child pick up some very basic English.
Playing with board games should be accompanied by some serious vocabulary work; if you’re not sure what terms mean, have your kids look them up in a dictionary—there will be plenty of time for them to figure out how to say each word later.
6. Practice Speaking with Other Kids
At school, try to speak with other kids in English and feel it’s like talking about another language. You’ll soon discover that children will be very forgiving of your mistakes because they don’t expect perfect speech.
Speak as much as possible, and be positive and encouraging when your child makes mistakes. The more they practice speaking English at home and school, the better they’ll become. And remember: once you start conversing with kids in English, try not to switch back to your native tongue!
It can be uncomfortable if you’re caught mid-conversation (especially since it shows their friends that you’re not fluent), but sometimes forgetting is easier said than done!
7. Reading Time – Books in your child’s native language as well as in English
Books in your child’s native language and English are a great starting point. Many available books have been translated into English, which can help establish connections between words and phrases.
As they become more familiar with how certain words appear on a page, students can begin to pick out similar words when they see them in English books.
If you’re reading aloud to your kids at home, vary where you place pauses and emphasize different syllables; these techniques will be helpful later when students learn to read aloud.
Ensure all their reading materials are fun and age-appropriate; otherwise, they’ll quickly grow tired of looking at pages full of writing.
8. Watch movies together in English
Watching English movies is one of the favorite things to do with your children. It’s very relaxing and fun at once! When watching together, it’s a great idea to stop and talk about what you’ve just seen or heard.
You can ask your child things like: What did he say? What does that mean? If your child doesn’t know, don’t worry; explain it in a way he will understand. This way, you’re letting him learn English without having any pressure on him – and you can have fun too! I hope some of these ideas help you out! Happy learning! 😉
9. Speak Correctly From Day One (no baby talk!)
Correct grammar is one of the hallmarks of English, and learning it early can have lifelong benefits. By talking correctly to your kids from day one, you’ll lay a strong foundation for speaking English ideally.
Learning English as a baby or young child is often more important than you think, so help your kids develop strong language skills immediately by making sure they’re using correct grammar as soon as possible.
And don’t forget those native speakers aren’t born with perfect grammar—it takes years of practice! So practice the correct language with your kids every chance you get!
10. Ask Questions Instead of Giving Orders
Parents often treat their kids like employees, barking orders and expecting them to follow. Instead of giving orders, ask questions. Is it time to put on your shoes? It can go a long way toward instilling a sense of independence in children, not to mention a sense of personal responsibility.
Plus, when you ask questions instead of giving orders, you may be surprised by what you learn about your child (whether or not he knows how to do something).
When you respect your child’s autonomy—by asking him questions rather than dictating what should happen—he’ll feel appreciated too. When that happens, everyone wins.
Conclusion
When teaching your kids English, you don’t have to do it simultaneously. You can use a piecemeal approach, covering one concept per day. Or try one of these ten ideas and see which ones your children enjoy most. Good luck!
Azizul Hakim is the founder & CEO of englishfinders.com. He is a passionate writer, English instructor, and content creator. He has completed his graduation and post-graduation in English language and literature.
