The six-year-old boy sat in front of his mother and aunt, happily humming his favorite English song while playing with his toys. After he got tired of singing, he repeated the French alphabet as if he had studied French and learned it as his mother tongue. The mother was not surprised, as she was used to his way of playing and singing, while the aunt wondered in amazement, when did the child learn those languages? What did her sister do for the son to receive this special education? Which school was able to make the child able to comprehend, hum and pronounce those languages with ease?
The mother listened to the questions that the aunt asked her, smiling as if she was singing like her son. She calmly replied that she had done nothing but guide the child and direct him towards the correct educational channels and methods, and that she was not satisfied with traditional school education for the child to learn languages. She was never convinced by traditional education that relied on indoctrination and memorization, and she believed that education was based on enjoyment. She searched extensively for places that supported alternative, non-institutional education, which built the child’s skills and did not kill them.
Her aunt listened with interest and passion, as she often suffered with her young children while teaching them and memorizing the English alphabet, or while explaining the grammar rules of the French language or even the Arabic language, and she realized that she was dealing with her children in a way that contradicted their cheerful nature, full of energy and passion to discover the world around them, and that there are different ways to teach languages to children that stimulate and enhance their energy and passion and teach them the language in an easy and enjoyable way. Here is the method and manner that the mother narrated to the aunt.
How do you teach your child languages?
The mother answered this general and important question with a set of points that she outlined for the aunt, saying to her:
You have to answer some of the initial questions that plan the child’s path in learning languages before thinking about implementation. These steps are:
- Specify why you are interested in teaching children languages ?
- What is your child most attracted to? Is he more attracted to sound? To pictures? To animations? To written words?
- What is the best time for a child to learn something new? In the morning, at noon, or at night?
- How to prepare a child to learn a new language?
- How do you motivate your child to learn new foreign languages?
- What are the previous experiences of mothers in their journey to teach their children foreign languages, whether English, French or any other language?
- What are your children's characteristics and hobbies?
After answering these questions, he will then draw you a road map that will help you take the first steps to teach languages to your child .
When to start teaching your child languages?
According to many research studies in the field of education and teaching for children , the best time to teach a child a new language is from the first months of his life, not after a year, 5 or 7 years, but if you did not take the step from the beginning, start teaching your child the language from now, and start developing your child’s native and second language skills.
What do we mean by language skills?
By language skills we mean listening, speaking, writing and reading skills , i.e. how one deals with and interacts with the language. These skills need to be followed up and developed, and thinking about how to enhance them. This happens in many ways that the mother mentioned in interesting and enjoyable divisions.
Steps to teach language skills:
The mother mentioned how to develop the child's language skills through specific steps, the most important of which are:
- Sing in a foreign language with your child, humming simple songs that encourage word memorization and pronunciation.
- Tell stories in a foreign language
- Speak in English , French, or any language you are interested in the child learning.
- Encourage them to blog in a foreign language.
- Watch animated films in English with English subtitles.
- Take your children on educational trips and exploratory tours with a foreign-language speaking guide.
- Buy them educational toys and games.
- Download language learning apps for children on their phone.
- Ask teachers or educational centers that adopt the modern teaching method.
- Encourage your child to search in a foreign language and read mini-articles.
First steps in teaching language to a child
Don't despair! This is the most important step, children are always capable and motivated to learn, but they need guidance and innovative ideas that push them tounderstand and absorb the language , and then you start developing their language skills, which are represented in listening, writing and reading skills.
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