How to Encourage Your Child to Use English in Common Situations
By Les Huysmans
Incorporating language learning into everyday activities is an effective approach to help children develop their language skills in a natural and engaging way. By integrating language learning into their daily routines and experiences, children can expand their vocabulary, improve their pronunciation, and gain confidence in using the English language. In this post, we will explore a range of activities that can be seamlessly integrated into a childâs daily life, allowing them to learn while engaging in familiar tasks and situations. Some of these activities will be more convenient for you than others. Just choose the ones which work best for your situation.
But first, I would like to address a question which many parents have asked me: âWhat if I do not speak perfect English to my child, since my English is not so good and my accent isnât either?â Please do not worry about this. It is more important that your child sees that English is something that is useful, that mum and dad also use it, and that it can help us. If your child hears you speak English, it will more readily speak English too. As your child grows older, there will be more than enough time to work on small mistakes it may have picked up. The most important factor is that your child sees languages as just another convenient thing to learn along the way, like swimming, riding a bike, playing a musical instrument, etcâŚ, and that it does not see languages as something difficult, an obstacle which just needs to be passed and then ignored.
Morning Routine
Start the day off by enabling your child during their morning routine. Create an English list with daily tasks before school, like brushing their teeth or getting dressed. Adjust the list to your childâs level. Beginners can use one word next to a picture, and as they advance, you can remove the picture and eventually create full sentences. Incorporating English vocabulary into their morning activities sets a positive tone for language learning from the start. There are many lists readily available online. Just google âdaily task list morning kidsâ, choose âimagesâ and select the one you like best, or simply make your own in MS Word.
Mealtime
Make mealtime an opportunity for language practice by labelling different food items with their English names. Encourage your child to use those words when requesting or talking about their meals. This not only enhances their vocabulary but also promotes effective communication around food choices and preferences.
Chores
Assigning simple household tasks to your child provides an opportunity to use English instructions and vocabulary. Whether itâs setting the table or organizing their toys, guiding them through these tasks in English helps them associate language with practical actions and fosters a sense of responsibility. Chores can also be included in the âmorning routineâ list, mentioned above.
Grocery Shopping
Take your child along to the grocery store and engage them in identifying and naming different items in English. Encourage them to read product labels or practice counting items, turning a routine shopping trip into an interactive language learning experience.
Playtime
Engage your child in imaginative play using English vocabulary. Encourage them to describe their play actions, use simple phrases, or ask questions related to their play. This not only enhances their language skills but also nurtures their creativity and problem-solving abilities.
Outdoor Activities
Incorporate English words and phrases during outdoor activities such as going for a walk, playing at the park, or exploring nature. Teach them words related to nature, weather, and objects they encounter, providing a linguistic context for their outdoor experiences.
Storytime
Reading English storybooks aloud to your child opens up opportunities for language exploration. Discuss the characters, events, and settings with them, encouraging them to retell the story in their own words or act out scenes using simple English phrases. This promotes language comprehension, storytelling skills, and sparks their imagination.
Arts and Crafts
Engage your child in arts and crafts activities that involve vocabulary practice. Encourage them to make collages with labelled pictures or create flashcards with words and corresponding drawings. This hands-on approach combines creativity with language learning, making it a fun and interactive experience.
Family Time
Encourage your child to share their experiences and feelings with family members using simple English sentences. Facilitate conversations around daily events and encourage active listening and response, creating a supportive language-rich environment within the family.
Field Trips
Plan educational outings to museums, zoos, or other places of interest where your child can learn new vocabulary and engage in English conversations with guides or other visitors. This provides them with real-life language contexts and enriches their knowledge and understanding of the world.
Technology Usage
Select age-appropriate English learning apps, websites, or educational videos to supplement your childâs language learning. Encourage them to use these resources under your supervision, providing them with interactive and engaging language learning opportunities.
Daily Reflections
Set aside a few minutes each day for your child to reflect on their learning and share one thing they learned or experienced in English. If they can write already, encourage them to express themselves using simple sentences, fostering their language development and encouraging self-reflection. If they are still learning to write, keep it simple and ask them to draw a picture of something they did today and then add stars to show how much they liked it. For examples of daily reflections pages, please see here.
Language Games
Integrate language learning through fun games like âI Spy,â word association games, or memory games that focus on vocabulary retention and recall. These games promote active engagement, vocabulary expansion, and cognitive development.
Song and Dance
Incorporate English songs and dance routines into your childâs daily activities. Use songs with repetitive lyrics or actions to reinforce vocabulary and pronunciation. Encourage your child to sing along and follow the dance routines, making language learning an enjoyable and interactive experience.
Language Journal
Similar to the Daily Reflections activity, but a little more advanced, is the Language Journal. This can also be simple, with mostly pictures, or with mostly text. Provide your child with a personal language journal where they can write or draw about their daily experiences, observations, or newly learned words and phrases. This journal serves as a creative outlet for self-expression and allows them to reflect on their language learning journey.
Integrating language learning into everyday tasks, situations, and habits is a fantastic way to support your childâs language development. By incorporating English into their morning routine, mealtimes, chores, outdoor activities, and other daily experiences, you create a rich language-learning environment that fosters their language skills while having fun. And do not worry if your own English or your childâs is not perfect. We are not aiming for perfection, just getting better, little by little.
Remember, language learning doesnât have to be confined to formal lessons. Embrace the opportunities presented by everyday moments to engage your child in meaningful language use. With consistency, patience, and a supportive approach, you can help your child build a strong foundation in English while nurturing their curiosity, creativity, and love for learning.
If this sparked anything â questions, rants, good old curiosity â come say hi via the About Les page.