How you can help your child to learn another language
• Get involved with their learning
• Be interested in what happens in your child's English lessons
• Even if you do not know any English yourself, there are many things you can do to support your child's learning
Tips
1. Talk to the teacher to find out how English is taught at school:
• Become familiar with the materials used at school.
• Ask about your child's progress regularly and make sure you attend your child's parents' day / evening.
• Check what they have to do for homework each day and set up a routine and regular time for doing homework.
2. Learn more about the language yourself:
• Engage your child in conversations about what they learnt in school and learn along with them.
• Study English with your child.
• Have them teach you some new language.
3. Motivate them! Make learning fun and stress free.
Here are some language learning games you can play with your child:
Bingo - Use numbers, letters of the alphabet, or word families: furniture, fruits, sports, jobs, colours, actions
Memory - Put 10 everyday objects on a tray. Say what they are in English, cover them. Can your child remember what's there and tell you in English? You can also use photos from magazines or newspapers of different word families.
Alphabet Game - Say a letter of the alphabet. Can your child find an animal, something to eat, etc. beginning with that letter? Or ask your child to write five words beginning with one letter.
I-Spy - Say that you are thinking of something beginning with a letter. Your child has to guess what it is.
Example. "I spy with my little eye, something beginning with W." "Is it water?" "No." "Is it Window?" "Yes!"
Twenty Questions - Think of an object or animal. Your child has to ask questions to find out what it is.
Example: "Is it big?" "No." "Is it very small?" "No." etc…
Definition Game - Give your child a definition, they have to guess what you're defining.
Example: "It is very big and it has a long nose." "Is it an elephant?" "Yes!"
Treasure Hunt - Your child has to find the things, or follow the clues you've written in English.