Languages are a fascinating window into the world and other cultures. Sooner or later, your child will need to learn another language, such as English, French, or Spanish. Here are some tips to make that task easier.
There’s no real secret to learning a new language: your child has to hear and speak it as often as possible. But if you don’t speak the language yourself or don’t use it on a daily basis, the process may not be so simple. Fortunately, there are many great learning strategies your child can use, such as watching movies in the language they want to pick up. To help your child get the most out of this activity, encourage them to do the following:
- Write down some of the words or expressions they don’t understand
- Look up the meaning of those words and expressions
- Summarize the plot of the film in their own words (in the language they’re learning, of course!)
- Etc.
Learning a new language takes a lot of concentration, so watching an entire movie in one sitting can be tiring. To keep things fun and manageable for your child, try having them watch just 20 minutes of a film per day. Other options include choosing a TV series instead, or reserving weekend screentime for learning their second language.
As mentioned above, learning a language requires speaking it as much as possible. Encourage your child to find or create opportunities to practise. Here are some examples:
- Have conversations with friends or family members who are fluent in the language they’re trying to learn
- Participate in day camps or extracurricular activities that are offered in that language
- Join a language conversation group
- Use apps such as Duolingo
- Etc.
Reading has countless benefits! In addition to fostering academic success, awakening interests, and stimulating the imagination, books can help kids learn a new language. Being able to read in a foreign language is a gift that can lead to exciting discoveries:
- New words
- New expressions
- Foreign authors
- New cultures and traditions
- Etc.
Try starting with picture books to ease your child into learning a new language through reading.
One of the advantages of music is that you can listen to it over and over without getting bored (at least not for a long time!). Listening to songs in another language allows your child to do the following:
- Enrich their vocabulary
- Think about the meaning of the lyrics
- Learn new metaphors
- Practise pronunciation
- Etc.
To take things a step further, encourage your child to sing along using subtitles or to sing karaoke-style!
One, two, three, go! Set a timer for five minutes and, as you point to different objects around you, ask your child to name as many as they can in the language they’re learning. For a fun twist, try the following variation:
- Write the names of the objects on sticky notes
- Give the notes to your child
- Challenge them to match each name to the right object within a certain amount of time (e.g., in under 2 minutes)
- Check their answers
- Praise their efforts
Writing : The Alloprof Parents' team