English for children: how to interest a child in learning a language. How to start teaching a child English? And how to do it right? How to start teaching English to children

It is difficult to do without knowledge of foreign languages ​​in the modern world. Therefore, many parents begin to teach the baby English almost from the cradle. To what extent is such a desire justified? At what age is it better to start exercising? Much in this important matter depends on the methodology and approach to learning.

Benefits of Early English Learning

There is no unequivocal opinion on whether it is possible to learn a foreign language from the age of 3. There are enough both opponents of this idea and its supporters in the world.

Their arguments are sometimes contradictory.

Domestic (S. I. Rubinstein, L. S. Vygotsky) or foreign (T. Eliot, V. Penfield, B. White and many others) psychologists are unanimous in their opinion that it is useless to study a foreign language up to 3 years, and after 10 is pointless.

We will listen to the opinion of scientists, and we will start learning English as soon as the baby is 3 years old.

What you need to know before getting started

Before starting to study English at home, parents need to prepare themselves and take into account some of the nuances

1. You need to start classes on the condition that you can conduct them regularly, and not from case to case.
2. If you are not fluent in English, try to polish your pronunciation before class. When a child, repeating after you, pronounces words incorrectly, it will be difficult for him to relearn at school.
3. Before you teach your baby, check out the existing methods, choose the one that, in your opinion, is best for your baby.
4. Language learning should be carried out in a fun, playful way. The boring cramming of English words will discourage the little fidget from repeating English words.

How to teach your child English. Methods and techniques

When teaching the crumbs, you need to use all possible ways to familiarize yourself with the English language.

• Special techniques.
• Audio and video recordings.
• Children's programs for teaching English.
• Games.
• Entertaining books and special cards.

The key to success in teaching English at home is that all classes are conducted in an easy game form, without coercion and prodding from adults.

The more interesting you present the necessary material to the baby, the more interested he will learn new things.

For homeschooling, 3 popular methods are most often used.

Game technique

The name already speaks for itself. This way of learning a foreign language is the most effective, since it does not look like a special activity that requires perseverance.

The kid receives the necessary knowledge in the process of playing or communicating with parents and assimilates information without noticing it.

The use of the game method contributes to an accessible way of mastering knowledge

1. Creation of the child's readiness for verbal communication (including in a foreign language).
2. During the game, the baby has a need to repeatedly repeat certain phrases, so they easily remember English words.
3. Learning in the process of play occurs through the child's own actions, which are a kind of practice. As a result, up to 90% of the information is assimilated.
4. In any game there is a certain secret (unreceived answer to a particular question), which stimulates the child's mental activity, pushing him to find the right answer.

Begin training with the simplest objects and toys. The kid will easily remember that "dog" is a dog, and "cat" is a cat.

Every day, replenish your baby's vocabulary. When talking with the baby, pronounce the words already known to him in English. Immersion in the language environment, when the baby hears English every day, is the key to successful learning.

To study and consolidate information, you need to use all the methods available and understandable to the child.

Here are just a few examples

An educational children's program "Funny English" is on the Karusel TV channel . Kids at this time simply cannot be torn off the screen. Education takes place in the form of a game that captures the attention of the baby from the first seconds.

The facilitator uses visual, auditory and sound methods of transmitting information to memorize. Kids learn lessons very quickly and after a few programs they surprise adults with their knowledge.

N. Zaitsev's method

Many mothers are familiar with Zaitsev's methods of teaching reading and counting. When learning English, he uses the same technique, only Latin letters are written on the cubes and cards.

You can memorize the alphabet and learn a certain number of English words using the game method with your baby. Zaitsev's cubes help the child to master English grammar in an accessible form.

However, at the age of three, it is difficult for a baby to learn the rules for constructing a sentence in English. Therefore, it is better to use Zaitsev's cubes and tables when the child grows up a little. Usually classes start at the age of 5.

Glenn Doman Method

Young mothers try to use the most modern or popular methods for raising and educating a baby, including the Doman method, which has long been known and enjoyed success in the West. Undoubtedly, he has proven himself well and raised more than one generation of kids. But, if we take a closer look at the methodology, we will see that it combines the game form of teaching English and the Zaitsev method, that is, books, cartoons plus cards.

Conclusion: in order for the kid to quickly master a new science, you need not force him to study, but build them so that the child himself wants to learn. When the baby learns the first foreign words, talk to him in English as often as possible - on a walk, before going to bed or while swimming. Do not forget to encourage the baby and praise for the results achieved.

Didactic material for learning English with kids

Your child has started learning English - at school, with a tutor, in courses. You feel that he needs to be helped, but you don’t know how - you yourself have never learned English. It's time to start doing it together! We will tell you how to effectively learn words, where you can listen to English speech and what books to read.

Parents often turn to me with the question: how to help their child learn English? This is especially worrisome for parents who have not studied the language themselves.

So, the first rule is to stop being afraid of an unfamiliar language, since this fear is transmitted to children. The second rule is to believe in yourself and turn even short joint lessons into an exciting game. The main thing is that classes bring pleasure. I am sure that any parent, even those who do not speak a foreign language, can help their child learn the language, giving it no more than half an hour on a working day and about an hour on a weekend.

Let's look at the language learning scheme in blocks, which is used in preparation for international English, as well as in preparation for the Unified State Examination. Knowledge in the exams is tested in 4 skills: speaking, listening (listening), reading and writing.

Ability to speak English

I believe that the most important thing in the ability to speak is vocabulary. Even without knowing the grammatical rules, but having a large vocabulary, you can convey your idea to the interlocutor. Therefore, first of all it is necessary learn words. To study words, I recommend making special cards. The list of words can be taken from a school textbook or, for example, on the website of the Cambridge University Examination Board, in the section corresponding to the current level. The very first level, for which children aged 8-11 can already take an exam, is called Young Learner Starters.

If you do not have much time, then you can make cards by writing a word in Russian on one side, and in English on the other. But if you allocate at least an hour a week and approach the issue creatively, you can turn the process of making cards into an element of learning and an interesting activity. How to do it?

For each word from the list, together with the student, find a picture on the Internet. Then you print out the finished sheet, and while you cut it into cards, ask the child to write an English word on the back of each picture. While you are preparing this manual together, he already memorizes a large number of words.

This training is best done on one of the weekends. For a week you will need 20-30 words, that is, it will take no more than an hour to make cards. You will need to deal with them 2-3 times a week.

There are a few things to keep in mind when learning words with flashcards. First, you do not need to "cram" the words. You lay out the cards with pictures (or Russian text) up. If the student remembers the word and calls it correctly, you turn the card upside down in English. If he doesn’t call, then turn it over too, but put it in another pile. Then you do the same in the other direction (translating from English into Russian) until all the words in both directions are pronounced correctly.

The next time you learn words (in a few days), you add 10 more to the old cards, thereby repeating previously learned words and mastering new ones. Gradually, well-learned words can be put aside and returned to them in 2-3 months.

Another option is make lotto. Create several playing fields with pictures (say, 8 pictures per field) and cards with words in English. You can play this lotto together. Thus, in one game you can learn up to 16 words.

If you do not know English and are not sure that the child pronounces the words correctly, then at the time of checking, you can sit down at the computer, open an online translator and listen to how the desired word sounds.

If you teach 2 times a week for 10 words, then in a month you can master 80-100 words. Of course, these words will not immediately enter the active vocabulary, but the required minimum - 350-400 words - is quite achievable. Namely, this number of words is required for the basic vocabulary necessary for everyday communication. (For your information, it is estimated that, on average, native speakers use between 3,000 and 5,000 words.)

This exercise will require no more than 20 minutes a day(with verification in the online translator - up to 30 minutes).

Letter in English

Once a week I recommend conducting a vocabulary dictation on the words that you have learned. If you are not sure about your pronunciation, you can dictate a word in Russian and ask your child to write it in English, and then repeat the written words and check the pronunciation with a computer translator. You can also diversify the activities: invite the child to dictate words to you.

It usually takes no more than 10 minutes (20 minutes with verification).

English listening comprehension

To learn to perceive English speech, you need to listen to it. On the Internet you can find a huge number of cartoons in English. It is better to start with simple English songs (nursery rhymes songs) - for example, "Old Macdonald had a farm", "Mary had a little lamb", "London bridge is falling down" and others. You can find lyrics through a search engine, and then When viewing stories with these songs on Youtube, invite the child to sing along to the heroes, while holding the lyrics in front of him.

At the very beginning of training, it is better to master one verse at a time. Then gradually remove the text and ask the child to repeat without a piece of paper. If it doesn't work right away, you can also find the so-called ABC songs on Youtube. In these stories, the child sees and hears how individual words are pronounced, gets used to English speech. And besides, this will prepare him for reading, as it will allow him to remember what the letters are called and what sounds they convey.

This activity can be assigned 2 times a week for 30 minutes.

Reading in English

Unfortunately, many modern children have problems reading not only in English, but also in Russian. First of all, the content of the book should be interesting to the child.

It must be adapted literature. Now in bookstores there are a huge number of children's books in English for different levels of proficiency. For beginners to learn a language, this is the Easystarts level. If the child has already mastered the initial stage, you can move on to books at the Beginner level. Usually at the end of the books there are tables showing the degree of complexity of the texts.

One way that children enjoy is reading and role-playing. You can even buy a collection of simple plays. For those parents who do not speak English, the following can be suggested: have the child help translate the parental role, so that the parent can then play it.

This can be done at least 45 minutes once a week.

Thus, the daily learning process will turn into an exciting and useful joint pastime. English ceases to be something unfamiliar and incomprehensible, but becomes the language of games. In addition, parents who have never studied English before will also be able to master the initial level. It is only important that the classes are systematic.

Of course, learning English requires much more effort, but if you help your child overcome the initial stage, fall in love with English classes, this will be the key to successful learning in the future. So invent, invent and good luck to you.

So, you have decided that you will teach your child English on your own at home. So where do you start?

First, pick one that suits you, or pick a few that you'd like to try.

Secondly, determine the time and place of classes. The frequency of lessons should be at least 2 times a week, and at the very beginning it is better to deal with the child every day for 15-20 minutes.

Thirdly, prepare all the necessary materials. Our site contains 8 categories of free materials in English for children: books and, educational, and riddles, and presentations. The choice of certain materials depends primarily on the age of your child. For example, they are intended for children of primary school age. If your baby is still 2-3 years old, then it’s better to do without textbooks for the time being and try to study with cards.

Fourth, determine the topics and schedule of classes for the coming week. Read our article on how to plan an English lesson with your child. It is better to start with simple topics (Animals, Colors, Numbers, Family) and then switch to more complex ones (Body Parts, Clothing, Food, Weather).

And fifthly, while studying English with your child on your own, observe the following rules:

1. Follow the sequence, do not try to teach the child everything at once. Switch to a new topic only when you are confident in mastering the previous one.

2. Repetition is the mother of learning. During the lesson, take the time to review the material learned in previous lessons. It is better to do this at the beginning of the lesson.

3. Alternate lessons-introduction of new material with watching videos, cartoons and presentations on this topic.

4. The younger your child, the more games should be included in your classes.

5. In no case should a child be scolded for the mistakes that he will make during his education. After all, this is a completely new language for him, and he will get used to it for a long time.

6. During class, try to speak English, not Russian. Our special will help you with this. Use some key phrase to switch to English, like "Now we'll speak English" or "It's English time now".

7. Maybe not everything will go as smoothly as you would like. If your child does not like some technique, postpone the lesson for the duration of the lesson, and then try to interest him in the language in another way.

The modern, dynamically developing world dictates its own rules - mastering English from the age of 4 onwards allows the child to optimally fit into the surrounding space and not experience communication barriers. Our English courses in St. Petersburg will help you with this.

How to teach English to children of different ages

The effectiveness of learning a foreign language at this age depends on how to teach english to kids. The use of classical methods for teaching school-age children, used in general education institutions, can form a stable aversion to the subject. And the selection of individual programs, the use of author's methods, taking into account the physiological characteristics and interests of the child allow us to achieve amazing results in a fairly short time.

Each child has a certain type of memory - someone can easily memorize sounds, words and expressions by ear, and someone will certainly need to write them down, someone cannot remember a word without demonstrating the corresponding image. Determining the abilities, preferences and interests of the child about the subject, the first step is to determine what the student is like - what type of memory and perception he has. The effectiveness of the entire educational process depends on this. And then the most interesting and main thing begins - we awaken interest in the subject!

Let's play English!

We did not accidentally use this word - "play". It is the game that can captivate, inspire excitement and arouse genuine interest in its essence. Teaching English to children aged 4 to 6 years is built precisely in the form of a game.

The maximum of interactive materials, pictures, songs, rhymes, fairy tales, role-playing games, the use of toys to form language situations - all this is perceived by the child as a fun game, during which counting rhymes, songs, fairy tales, words and expressions in English are simply remembered. We have done everything to ensure that the EF Small Stars course is a way for your child to make new friends, discover a new type of communication and gain an extra advantage over their peers (there will be something to show off in the yard).

At this stage, we introduce only common vocabulary, words that occur daily in everyday speech - the names of products, animals, flowers, greetings, names of household appliances, furniture, etc. That is, everything that a child sees every day at home and knows how it sounds in Russian. Trying at this age to explain what “English weather” and other more complex concepts are is not worth it. You still have time. Our task at this stage is to arouse a steady interest in learning the language, learning the names of things and objects, as well as the desire to learn how to read English fairy tales.

EF High Flyers Advanced Course

Schoolchildren of younger age - from 7 to 9 years old - already have more adult needs. Back and forth and learning modern English online will become your child's favorite pastime. The task of the teacher at this stage is to make English an alternative means of communication for them.

In general, at this age, children's games have already faded into the background, and serious perseverance has not yet come. Our teachers work taking into account the peculiarities of the behavior of younger students. In the learning process, the focus is on finding an equal partner with whom it is interesting to talk and learn his opinion.

The form of teaching is somewhat different from working with the youngest group, but still remains playful. They just change the themes of game situations for more age-appropriate ones. Everything will also have to be interspersed with explanations with game moments, musical pauses. But the whole process is aimed at awakening the desire to communicate and not just communicate, but in English. And for this, more words are already needed, and the basic rules of grammar will have to be remembered. Here you can't do without interactive materials and original, colorful textbooks.

Does your child enjoy watching cartoons and films in English and trying to understand everything himself? Then we are waiting for you on the course for teenagers - EF Trailblazers!

Modern parents, who care about the bright future of their children, more and more often come up with the following question: when, how and where to start learning English with a child?

And not without reason, because knowledge of a foreign language, especially English, makes dreams of such a future closer.

English: when to start?

You can start learning a language at any age, but the most favorable period is the age from 1.5 to 9-10 years. In this rather wide time period, the involuntary memory of the child is best developed. He is able to memorize everything “on the fly”, as they say, on an intuitive level, without making any special efforts.

There are techniques that allow you to start learning from the cradle, even when the baby does not speak his native language. It is proved that any early study of foreign languages ​​bears fruit. Psychologists believe that such a child is really ahead of his peers in his mental development. But not in an emotional way, so in an effort to raise a genius, do not forget that every kid needs a carefree and joyful childhood, and he needs lively communication and a smile than perfect knowledge of the English alphabet at 2 years old.

Children's language abilities

Does the child have the ability to learn languages? Will time and effort be wasted? Imagine: the baby is already drawing a little with pencils. Will he be able to draw with a brush and paints? Naturally! After all, he is already painting. So it is with language. The kid is already starting to communicate in his native language, which means that there is an ability for languages! Of course, for the perfect command of a foreign speech, specific talents are needed, as in any other field of science and art. But when it comes to learning a language to broaden your general horizons in order to have a solid foundation for the further development of language skills and abilities, any kid can do it.

What skills should a child have to start learning English?

To learn foreign languages, every kid must be able to listen, see, repeat (at least in his own way), draw, run, crawl, jump, etc. A foreign language with young children is always a game. And every child can play. Important: he must know in his native language what he has to learn in English! You should not learn colors in English if the baby does not understand them yet.

How and where to study English

You can study the language at home, together with your parents, or in a children's studio, or invite a nanny-tutor who speaks a foreign language. It makes sense to send a child to a children's studio if he is 4-5 years old or more. At this age, learning in a team will be beneficial. Small children under 3 years old, as a rule, have not yet acquired the skills of playing together, full communication with their peers, so it is better to work with them at home.

If at least one of the parents has a conversational level of language proficiency, the best option would be to communicate with the baby from birth in two languages. For example, an English-speaking father and a Russian-speaking mother. Growing up in a language environment, the child quickly acquires communication skills in a foreign language. In this case, both languages ​​will be native for the baby.

Mom and dad remember only a couple of words and phrases from the school English course, or have they studied another language before? Not scary. There are textbooks for toddlers and their parents with detailed methodological advice and pronunciation instructions. There are many Internet sites where you can absolutely free download audio recordings in English and texts for them. And parents are given a wonderful opportunity to learn English themselves and teach their child.

English from scratch for children: where do we start?

It is pointless for little children to start learning a language from the alphabet. Especially if they have not yet mastered the technique of reading in their native language. The main goal of parents should be: to instill in the child an interest and love for a foreign language, and then wait for grandiose results.

Based on this goal, you need to start with what is of interest to the baby. The theme "Animals" "Toys", "Household items" will be a great start. It is convenient to use visual aids - cards for teaching children the language. They can be bought or made with your own hands in accordance with the level of knowledge and interests of the child.

It is not bad to look at books, even if they are in Russian. The main thing is to name what is shown in the pictures in English. In addition to nouns denoting objects and animals, you need to teach the child during normal communication the most common verbs and verb phrases, such as give me, take, come to me, look at, etc. Cartoons, songs, poems in English will develop the child's language hearing .

Education should be unobtrusive and like the child. The duration of the lessons is from 5 to 15 minutes. The younger the child, the shorter the session. It is important to have time to finish your "lesson" before the baby gets tired and starts to be distracted, so that he wants to return to this type of activity again.

How to teach a child to think in English

There are different methods and different approaches to teaching children foreign languages. Some classical methods are based on a strong theoretical basis. It is described in detail in scientific papers, pedagogical monographs and works. In its purest form, the phased study of English "from words to grammar" was used in Soviet schools. Most private English courses for children and tutors adhere to this methodology. In practice, all this baggage of theory is not very effective.

English for children, especially the smallest, should be fun! It should not become a subject of study and cramming, but a full-fledged means of communication. What technique has proved to be so effective that just 3-6 months after the start, the guys not only speak fluently in a foreign language, but also think in it?

An innovative method for teaching English to children in Russia is a communicative approach. In fact, it is a practical communication with a native speaker or a teacher who is fluent in English. The focus is on speaking and listening to speech. The technique is known and successfully applied in the West. In Russia, the network of Children's Language Centers "Polyglotiki", which has existed since 2006, has become the pioneer (and monopolist) of innovative technology. This unique author's technique was first applied by the founder of the "Polyglotiki" centers in the cultural capital of St. Petersburg and was a resounding success. Today "Polyglotiki" is an international network with 60 branches in dozens of different cities in Russia and neighboring countries.

All English language courses for children offered at the Centers for learning from 2 to 12 years of age are based on a communicative methodology with elements of a classical approach. Maximum immersion in a foreign language environment naturally stimulates bilingualism in a child, and not only ... After all, he studies both the basics of the language itself and begins to easily understand mathematics, natural sciences, literature and creative tasks in English. That means it's evolving!

The main goal of the Polyglot teachers is to teach the child to perceive the language, speak, and then think in it. No mechanical repetition! Only impromptu game tasks in English, creative skits, demonstrations, musical and animated shows, colorful cards and posters, gestures, facial expressions and communication with a native speaker. So English for children develops not only memory, but also intelligence and logic! And new knowledge contributes to the development of mental abilities and successful further education of children in Russian and foreign schools.

You need to return to English lessons at least 3 times a week so that the knowledge gained is firmly entrenched. And, of course, this new “English game” for the child should bring him joy and pleasure!