10 ways to help your kids learn a language
Friday, 30th July 2010
Expose your child to a second language at an early age and they will soak it up like a sponge. Stuck for ideas? Here's how to encourage language learning in the home...
It’s well known that learning something when you’re young is the secret to learning it well, and for life. No more so is this relevant than in learning a foreign language, which – as any adult learner will testify – is infinitely more difficult later in life.
A child, on the other hand, its brain growing rapidly and eager to absorb new things, can soak up a new language without even realizing it. Expose them to a second language at an early age and they show an enviably innate ability to learn new words and develop a natural pronunciation, all whilst benefitting from a lack of inhibition which so often hinders us later in life.
The earlier you introduce your child to a foreign language the better; it seems that before the age of 10 is ideal, even before the age of 5 if you can. Yet whether you’re dealing with a toddler or adolescent, there is plenty you can do to encourage your child to learn a language, and you don’t even have to be good at languages yourself – you could even take this as an opportunity to learn a language alongside your child!
Here are our top 10 ways to encourage language learning at home:
1. Nursery rhymes and songs
Younger children react positively to the repetition and melody of nursery rhymes and songs. Even if they don’t understand the words at first, this is a fun yet effective way to absorb a foreign language. Go beyond Frère Jacques by buying a CD of French songs such as French Playground or 60 Comptines pour Crèche; alternatively, the BBC website offers fun, basic songs for primary school-aged children. Grab a few instruments and have a morning of music and fun!
2. Story tapes
Search for your child’s favourite story in another language. Bob the Builder becomes Bob le Bricoleur, Little Red Riding Hood becomes Le Petit Chaperon Rouge, and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs becomes Blancanieve y los 7 enanitos. Even Sesame Street and Dora the Explorer have been translated. Read the foreign language version along with your child, or play the CD that narrates the story for you both.
3. Word & picture cards
A basic idea, but a great way to learn and remember vocabulary, as it is much easier to remember a word when associated with a colourful image. Simply write the name of an object, in the target language, next to a picture of that object. Then stick these cards around the house, for constant exposure, or bring them out as a game to name objects in the house or garden.
4. Indulge in the local culture!
If it takes a chocolat chaud and a croissant, then so be it. Pretend that you are living in France for the day and surround yourselves at home with French-related goodies. Put on some French music or French radio in the background, draw a French flag, make a necklace with red, white and blue beads, chop up a baguette and French cheeses for lunch, play boules in the garden, and maybe end the day with a trip to the local crêperie. It’s the next best thing to being in France.
5. Find a pen pal
Once you child is a bit older and knows the basics in a foreign language, finding a pen pal is a great way to practise the language and exert some independence. There’s nothing like the excitement of an air mail letter dropping on the doormat, or an email into the Inbox, to encourage a flurry of letter-writing back. Having a pen pal abroad is also a great way to learn about culture in another country and appreciate the differences in lifestyle, eg. school, food, holidays, hobbies, etc.
6. Interactive learning
Like it or not, your child will grow up aware of computers and most likely wanting to be on one. Fortunately there are language-related programmes online that both encourage interaction and serve an educational purpose. For younger children, the BBC’s Muzzy series is a fun language course led by a cuddly, green character and comprising DVDs, audio, songs and written work. Older children already familiar with Wii and Nintendo may like their My French Coach (and My Spanish Coach) language software. An easy compromise if they want to play a computer game, these games are fun and interactive whilst providing the basics of grammar, phrase construction, pronunciation tests and a dictionary.
7. Podcasts
Older children will love the technology and independence of downloading their own free language podcasts from iTunes. Le Journal en Français Facile is a daily and easily-understood podcast delivering the nightly news from Radio France Internationale, and likewise Langsam gesprochene Nachrichten does so in German. Follow with the transcript to catch those words you’re not sure of.
8. Talk about them in another language
An unexpected entry, perhaps, but a cunning ploy if you and your partner both speak another language. A colleague at work revealed that the most successful way to get his girls to learn French was to chat to his wife, about them, in French. Frustrated at not understanding the conversation, the girls had immediate impetus to up their game and catch their parents out. Sure enough, as dad told mum one night that he thought “Elle est fatiguée”, the oldest daughter responded quite indignantly, “Je ne suis PAS fatiguée!”.
9. Speak the language yourself
Along these lines goes the age-old philosophy that you should practise what you preach. If your kids hear you speaking a language at home they will be more likely to speak it themselves. Drop in key words or phrases around the house, such as when you want them to pass you something, at meal times or bathtime. Repetition and familiarity will one day have them saying the same things back to you; even if at first they don’t understand, their little brains will be absorbing more than you think.
10. Go abroad
Money permitting, obviously, a trip to the country of the language your child is learning can do wonders for his or her motivation and progress. Using language in its natural context is one of the best ways for it to really sink in. In the exciting run-up to your holiday you can all practise the language together, and once there your child will absorb all the sights and sounds, hopefully practise the basics, and get a real feel for another culture. Being able to travel and speak to people of other nationalities and cultures is, after all, what learning a language is all about.
Cactus runs children’s language courses in the UK and USA as well as language holidays abroad for all ages and levels, including special summer programmes for children and teens.
Posted by Sarah Watkins 2010-07 under Attitudes to Language Learning, Passion for language, Songs,
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Posted by heather thompson on 12/25 at 10:59 PM
When my little girl was 2, who is now 24, i used to get a french video from the library with songs, she did very well. Used to count raisins in french could eat as many as she could count. At her assessmet she was asked to count, she decided to count in french,she could do both. Only to be met with hostility by my health visitor, who asked were we bilingual, which we are not. Who concluded that i was trying to hard to train my child to be a genius. No way! We just had fun. But i let off and now my daughter speaks very little french and is going to try to learn the hard way.
Posted by Heather Parker on 08/30 at 01:38 PM
There is a ton of learning material on Youtube for free for children and adults to learn another language.
I have my 7 y.o learning with an online tutor also and it is helping immensely. They learn so fast at that age.