Many parents want to teach their children English at home but don’t know where to start. It is okay to tutor even if your own English speaking skills are not perfect. The most important thing is to be enthusiastic yourself and give lots of encouragement to your children.
Your child may not be able to speak English fluently in the beginning, as learning a language takes a certain amount of time. Be patient, they will start speaking English like themselves.
Create a family routine:
Why not only children, but the whole family should sit together and practice English during the day? Choose a time when it is easier to talk or work with children. It is better to abstain at night. Because they start sleeping late at night. Name the time when you teach English. If the child is interested, he will automatically wait for that time.
Remember that young children cannot keep their attention on anything continuously. 15 minutes is enough for very young children. As your child gets older, you can gradually lengthen the sessions. Keep sessions short and varied to keep your child’s attention.
You can play an English game every day after school or read an English story with your kids before bed. If you have space in your home, you can create an English corner where you keep English books and games.
Children naturally learn faster when they are having fun. Flashcards are a great way to teach and revise vocabulary. One way to improve English skills is to use simple sentences for children.
Maintain an English learning routine as much as possible. Give from time to time, but don’t make it a habit. If the child is upset, has guests at home, goes on a trip or is sick, he can be given a day off!
Subject Selection:
To encourage children to speak English, choose topics that they are already interested in. Start by paying attention to your child’s interests so you know what games, songs or activities will motivate him to speak English.
Let’s say he watched the movie ‘Cars’ today. Continue the conversation with him about that movie in English Tell him about different cars in English. If he likes dogs, you can read him the book “The Hundred and One Dalmatians” or watch the animated version together.
Then you can introduce the child to those related words. Since you are focusing on a subject that your child enjoys, it will be much harder for them to get bored!
Use props, gestures, and facial expressions:
Use props, gestures, and facial expressions to get your child’s attention and interest in the words you are teaching.
Props are objects that children can see and touch. If you say the word ‘spoon’ to your child as they spoon it out of your kitchen, they will make an association between the word and the object. Babies love to hold, touch and copy your movements.
Also read: Special things to know about language
Gestures and facial expressions add a fun element to teaching children. If you wave when you say “goodbye” in English, your baby will lock the gesture and word into his head.
Less emphasis on grammar:
Grammar should be less emphasized when teaching English to children under 10 years of age.
What should you do if you hear your child speaking English with incorrect grammar? Do you get them right every time?
In fact, these small mistakes should be excluded and they should be given a chance to speak. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t fix them. But don’t focus too much on finding their faults. Correcting them too often can make them lose interest in learning and discourage them from speaking English.
Instead, talk to them patiently, even if they forget what you taught them or keep repeating the same mistakes. Children often learn by repetition. If you repeat a word or grammatical structure often, chances are they will naturally learn it correctly.
Use essential English words every day:
Imagine taking your child to a school where you can introduce your child to the birds, insects, animals, and plants they see in English. It will increase his vocabulary. If he sees something new, he will want to know more about it and explain it in simple words.
The advantage of teaching English at home is that you can use everyday situations and real things around the house to practice the language. For example:
Talk about clothes when your child is getting ready or when you are doing laundry.
Teach food vocabulary while cooking or shopping.
When you go to the market, write a list in English of everything you need and ask your child to find it.
Read storybooks:
Young children love books with bright colors and interesting pictures. Read the books together and point to the pictures and say the words out loud. Can also play English songs for kids. If you learn something by listening, it stays in your mind for a long time.
Learn to translate:
If your child is old enough to read and write, you can ask him to translate English to Bengali or Bengali to English. Then he will not only learn the words needed for spoken English but also develop spelling skills.
Words needed to speak English:
You may be wondering which words to start teaching your child in English. Start with the words we use the most in our daily lives. For example:
- Numbers (1-10; 10-20; 20-100)
- The color
- Adjective
- Body part
- Toys
- Clothes
- Animals
- Food
Some interesting English-speaking apps:
The easiest way to teach kids something is to not feel like you’re teaching them. You can teach English with apps without letting them play mobile games All the fun animations will grab their attention in no time.
Thus, learning English regularly makes English more relevant in children’s lives. It also helps them practice English and learn new words in a relaxed, fun environment. Keep practicing English with your kids and watch them become more fluent and confident every day.