Tips for Parents on Organizing The EFL Environment for Kids at Home
Nowadays, many parents want their children to approach and learn English early. This stems from an objective cause when English becomes the language of globalization. English training for elementary students should be focused on because children at this age can absorb language very well. This article will explore methods for parents to help their elementary school children learn English well.
This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Phuong N. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.
Learning English with children
Like joining an English class, parents who study with their children will build their children a positive learning attitude. Learning English together with your child is a great way to spend time with your child and makes it fun to communicate in a new language.
Besides, many parents also feel a lack of confidence in communicating in a foreign language. Therefore, if parents show their children that they can overcome the psychological barrier and start speaking a new language, children will learn confidently and begin to talk to English despite many mistakes.
Play games with children in English
Children can learn foreign languages naturally without parents having to guide them through fun activities. Therefore, letting them play games in English is also a way to help them understand better. Popular games like hide and seek or trivia are all very helpful. In other words, let your child learn English the way he or she has learned a native language before.
Read English stories to your baby before going to bed.
Nowadays, parents can easily buy English books to read to children before going to bed. This method will be beneficial for parents with good English skills. This will help children remember more different phrases with different contexts much later.
The use of illustrated picture books is also perfect for children's memory because they will easily remember when vivid pictures accompany words. For parents who are not confident in their pronunciation, English-language audiobooks read by native speakers are also the right choice.
Let children listen to English passively
In the same way that babies learn their native language, they can absorb and use that language when they hear a lot in one language. This is considered an effective way to improve English listening comprehension skills for elementary students.
When children hear a word repeated many times by many different voices, they will learn how to use that word. Foreign television channels or radios are all excellent choices for this method.
Listen and sing in English with children
Listening to English music regularly can help children get familiar with the language and learn new words and phrases. With the songs that children love, they can sing along and thereby increase confidence when using English - something that teachers and parents can hardly teach them directly. Moreover, if there is a companionship in listening and singing in English, children will add excitement and from that, learning English becomes exciting and gentle. English words memorized by children can also help children when meeting grammar lessons at a later stage.
Switch the language of home electronics to English
Children can learn and remember things they often see around them. Therefore, with devices that children can use such as TV, phone, computer, parents can switch the language into English so that children can get familiar with the system's vocabulary. However, do not forget to limit the time to use technology with children.
Are you ready to teach English abroad or online?
In short, learning English in elementary school children is a long process and takes a lot of time and perseverance for both children and parents. The attention of parents to children is a great encouragement for them to make efforts and progress continually.
Apply now & get certified to teach english abroad!
Speak with an ITTT advisor today to put together your personal plan for teaching English abroad!
Send us an email or call us toll-free at 1-800-490-0531 to speak with an ITTT advisor today.
Related Articles:
- Top 10 Cities in Europe with the Highest Demand for English Language Teachers
- 5 Reasons To Take A TEFL Course Right Now - Even If You Are Not Leaving Yet | ITTT | TEFL Blog
- All the Documents You Will Need to Teach English Abroad
- The Impact of Positive Motivation on an ESL Classroom
- You’re Never Too Old to Change Your Life and Do a TEFL Course | ITTT | TEFL Blog
- Getting Student Placement Right - The Best Desk Arrangements for EFL Students
