Without doubt, the way to make language learning easier for children is to start them early. Children learn fast, they listen and pay attention to everything going on around them. Youngsters are very curious and, when old enough to speak, are not shy to ask as many questions as needed to understand something.
No matter how frustrating it may feel, do try to answer the question “why” “¿porqué?” “pourquoi?”, even if your feel like it’s asked about a hundred times a day 😉
In this article, we are going to share some Tips to Make Language Learning Easier for Children. We are not going to talk about complicated methods or ideas that require expensive materials. These suggestions merely require thought and time from you…
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CookingWithLanguages.com
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1. Play Games in the Target language
Children love playing games and even more so if parents are involved. It makes it even more fun for them so, why not play games that involve speaking the target language?
Of course, make sure that children don’t feel like you are teaching them a language lesson or anything just be natural about it, don’t make a big deal about it. Suggest it to them as something they can do for fun and that way they will always see learning languages as an entertainment, not something boring.
As for game suggestions, you can play any game your children enjoys. All that matters is that you all speak in the target language and have fun together as a family.
In future posts, we will share some great games that can be adapted to your target language. Click here to Subscribe to Cooking with Languages by Email and don’t miss our future posts as they are published!
[bctt tweet=”Make language learning fun: Play Games in the Target language”]
2. Talk, Talk, Talk!
The most natural way to learn a language is by listening to other people talking and repeating what they say. After all, that’s how we all learnt our native language as a child. That’s also how your child can learn a second language, without needing a professional to teach them.
If you are able to converse in your target language, talk to them and use the target language often whilst at home, as something normal and casual. Your child will get used to listening to you and they will repeat and learn from what you say to them and, like that, both of you will be learning together.
In future posts, we will look at he different approaches to language learning such as OPOL, ML@H etc… Click here to Subscribe to Cooking with Languages by Email and don’t miss our future posts as they are published.
3. Watch Cartoons
All children love watching cartoons. This makes watching these shows in the target language a perfect idea for them to immerse into the language without always realising it. Of course, still let them watch cartoons in your native language but mix it with the target language. This way children will find it completely normal and won’t even realise they are learning as they watch their favourite shows.
In future posts, we will share the best children’s programmes for language learning … Click here to Subscribe to Cooking with Languages by Email and don’t miss our future posts as they are published!
www.FlashSticks.com
4. Labelling
Labelling objects around the house is a great way for children to learn new words. You can buy some nice stickers to write words on or you can create them together with colourful papers and some tape. This helps make this part of language learning a fun activity.
Once you have your stickers go around the house and write the names of things in the target language and stick them on the objects in a place where the youngest can see them. This way, every time they see something around the house, they will know how to say it in the language they are trying to learn.
Practice the pronunciation of the words with them and just make sure that they have a great time so that when they think of language learning they think of it as a fun thing to do, not something boring.
If you’d like the work already done for you, you should definitely have a look at FlashSticks …
FlashSticks® help to make language learning a part of your everyday life, complementing your current language learning programme, perfectly.
The unique, custom printed Post-it® Notes are…
- Supported by a free pronunciation app, available for your phone or tablet
- Perfect for teachers, adults and students of all ages
- Currently available in French, German, Italian, Spanish, BSL and English.
- Split into 3 levels – Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced
- Colour-coded for gender association
[bctt tweet=”Make language learning fun: Use labels by @FlashSticksEdu around your home :-)”]
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Arthur is one of our language assisitants, here to help your children.
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Nerea helps children learn Spanish & English
5. Make it Fun and Natural!
As we have pointed out throughout this article, the best way for children to learn is if they have fun while doing so, and if they don’t realise they are learning. If they think of languages as something boring and taken out of a school book, they will most likely find it boring and will not pay much attention.
By making language learning into something fun –with different activities and games in the target language- and something natural –including the activities in a natural way, as part of their everyday life- children will learn the target language quicker.
The aim of our website is to provide you with tools and materials to make language learning fun for your children and for you.
Our bilingual, English/Spanish Activity Cookbook will be available very soon. It is guaranteed to help you have fun in the kitchen with your children.
Click here to Subscribe to Cooking with Languages by Email and don’t miss our future posts as they are published!
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