No matter how you choose to learn a new language, practice is key. Of course, you also have to want to learn. These five fun educational activities are sure to pique your child’s interest in English.
Acting out everyday activities in English is a good way to help your child learn the language. For instance, playing restaurant in English works well to improve their skills. Here are a few suggestions for setting up a restaurant:
- Make a menu in English
- Prepare different dishes with your child
- Ask your child to set the table as if you were in a restaurant
When it’s time for dinner, have your child play the part of an anglophone maitre d’. Here are a few things you can ask them to do:
- Explain what’s on the menu
- Take everyone’s order
- Describe each dish (the inspiration, ingredients, etc.)
- Start and hold conversations in English during the meal
- Etc.
You don’t need to wait for a special occasion, like Valentine’s Day or a birthday, to tell someone how much you love them. Just for fun, ask your child to write something nice (in English) for their friends and family. Here are a few things they could do:
- Write a poem
- Compose a song
- Translate a song
- Write a letter
- Etc.
Every famous character has their own way of speaking, and doing impressions can be a barrel of laughs. You could, for instance, watch Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion with your family and then ask your child to act out a scene while impersonating the following characters:
- Getafix
- Asterix
- Obelix
- Etc.
Did you know that Canadians have adopted some of Britain’s many traditions? Once they’ve done a little research online, ask your child to do the following:
- Name their favourite traditions
- Find out where these traditions originated
- Find out which British traditions are also celebrated in Canada
- Etc.
The French and English languages share several words (such as croissant and radio) that are spelled the same but pronounced differently. Get your child to make a list of these words and then ask them to do the following:
- Try to guess which words have been Gallicized (or anglicized)
- Try to pronounce the words in both languages
- Put these words into a homemade dictionary
- Etc.
You can also look for words that have the same origin, but whose spelling and pronunciation diverged over time. Here are a few examples:
- Thé/tea
- Veau/veal
- Café/coffee
- Etc.
Play Spellers
Kids can practise their English vocabulary by playing Spellers. Set in a mythical world, this educational game challenges players to collect creatures by completing various English exercises. Learning a new language has never been so much fun. Plus, it’s free!
Writing : The Alloprof Parents’ team