Hi Everyone,
Learning a second language will not only help your child to succeed in language lessons at school, but it can also support them in other academic areas. Studies show that multilingual children have enhanced creativity and critical thinking skills. Furthermore, knowing a second language can also provide many future career opportunities.
If you are looking for some tips on how to help your child learn a new language, here is some great advice from an independent boy’s school in London…
Daily practice
If you want to help your child to master a new language, it is important to practice with them as often as possible. Ideally you should try to make time for language learning at least once a day. This can be done at home, using books or online resources; or you can sign your child up at a local language class. To help with your home learning you could use posters or add sticky labels to objects around your house. This will help your child to memorise new words and enrich their vocabulary.
Online learning
If you do not have any language classes I your local area, there are lots of resources available online. Many are free and are specifically aimed at children. These are a great way to encourage learning through fun and interactive games. Help your child to get set up on your computer, or download an app onto your smart phone or tablet. You can always ask your child’s teacher for their recommendations on the best language learning websites.
Television
Another useful learning method is watching foreign-language television or movies. Your child will be able to follow along visually, whilst listening to natural conversation and pause or rewind where necessary. This method of learning will help to improve your child’s pronunciation and sentence structure.
Music
If you’ve ever had a song stuck in your head, then you will understand how the power of music can help you to learn new information. Studies have shown that listening to songs and singing along can help children with language learning. This is because rhythm and repetition helps with memorisation. If you have younger children you could start by learning nursery rhymes in your chosen language.
Laura x
[…] life due to being more advanced. This means they will feel less daunted and skeptical of the learning as they are already aware of it. Getting them to read and write from an early age is a great way […]