الاثنين، 13 ديسمبر 2010

How do kids learn English?

 How do kids learn English?

Many parents are very interested in knowing how kids learn English. People know that children learn, in general, by playing, exploring and experiencing the world around them. It is no different for learning a language.
Kids learn English by using it, playing with it and having fun. If they are not interested and enjoying themselves they will not learn.

So how do you get your kids involved, interested and learning English?
Here my five top suggestions for helping your children learn English.

1) Enroll your kids in English classes.

Some parents need to take this first step. When should my kids start English classes? What age is the right age? Language centers usually provide classes for kids from 5-12 13-18 and then adults. So in terms of formal classes 5 years old would be a good place to start. (Please remember that learning English does not start in the classroom...it starts at home!)

2) Show interest in their English.

When your kids come home, sit down and talk to them about their English class. Ask them what they did in class. (Speak in English so that you can both practice). Do not accept "I don't know or nothing" for an answer. Get them to show you the materials that they looked at and the vocabulary that they used. Try to review the materials with them. This is a great way to introduce English into your home. More importantly, you are helping your child to review what they have just learned. Doing this after every class will help them to recall, remember and understand what they are learning.

3) Watch cartoons and TV shows in English.

Dora the Explorer, Sesame Street and Bob the Builder are some great examples of English Cartoons.
Sometimes your child's favorite TV shows are originally made in English. So collect some DVDs of you kid's favorite cartoons and create an English DVD library to have lots of English options available. Try to create a routine or plan to watch one show a week.

Remember to put the subtitles in English so that they can read at the same time. If this is still too difficult, put the subtitles in Spanish. (You can also watch cartoons online for free if you are on a budget.)

4) Read an English bedtime story, every night.

Many parents have incorporated a bedtime story to their children's bedtime routine. Why not add an English story to the routine? There are many great English books for Kids. Try to keep them simple, even just looking at colors, animals, clothes etc.

Reading the story aloud for them also helps you improve your pronunciation.

5) Provide support, encouragement and motivation

This is the most improvement point. When you show interest in your children's classes or English skills you are really showing an interest in them. Children thrive on encouragement, positive feedback and motivation. If you want your kids to learn English you need to make them feel proud of their accomplishments. This could be telling them directly that you are very proud of them or you could do this by showing interest in their English (classes, assignments etc) by asking questions about them.
So if you want to help your kids learn English, try to incorporate these 5 things into your daily lives and I am sure that you will see an improvement in your child's English.

Happy learning!
Diana

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