"We need to make the language a friend." How best to teach a child to English

Text: Anna Vorobyova Partnership Material

The experts of the study of English Cambly Kids told “such matters” as to motivate the child to learn the language, when and how best to start, how to evaluate progress and help with homework if parents themselves do not speak English.

Photo: Jessica Lewis / Unsplash.com

According to a scientific work published by a group of scientists of Lunda University in Sweden, people who study foreign languages ​​are literally more than the rest. The MRI research specialists showed that those who know more than one language have increased hippocamp-a department that is responsible for turning short-term memory into long-term. White substance also increases, maintaining neural connections, and the brain remains healthy longer. Children who teach foreign languages ​​are better speaks their native - it is easier for them to absorb information, remember new ones, their vocabulary is richer. An alien language makes it more sensitive to listen to intonations, more thoroughly selecting words - this is how emotional intelligence and empathy develop. A foreign language trains cognitive abilities - researchers call it a study by one of the methods of Alzheimer's disease prevention.

English is the most common language in the world. It speaks 1.8 billion people - more than in Chinese, taking into account 1.5 billion those for which it is not native. Harvard University calls the English language of world business, and people who own it can earn 48% more than everyone else. In English , 28% of all books in the world, 90% of online content, 50% of scientific works are published .

In order for English or any other foreign language to really affect the brain, they need to be used actively and constantly, that is, practice. And it is almost impossible to persuade the child to engage in English, giving “adults” arguments about good memory and future career growth.

At what age is it best to start learning English?

Svetlana Gracheva, marketer Cambly Kids

“If you plan to move to a English -speaking country or already live there, then, of course, the more, the better. But if you live in a Russian -speaking (or other non -ang -speaking) environment, then it is advisable to wait until the child has a native language, that is, it will reach a stage at which this child can speak not only with relatives, but also with other adults, this usually happens in four years.

At the same time, you can include cartoons in English from early childhood - both original and training. There are studies that show that in this way the children's brain gets used to the sounds of a foreign language and later it is easier for such children to master it. ”

How to motivate a child to engage in English? What arguments act on children best and which do not work?

Alexey Shelestenko, Director of Cambly in Russia

“For the child, arguments about the successful future, career, work are empty words. We, adults, live long -term plans - we think about an increase in a couple of months, about moving in a year. In the child, the planning horizon is the nearest school holidays, the end of the school year. Therefore, children need motivation either “here and now” or in the immediate future.

You need to know what motivates the child, what or who is an authority for the child.

Children at 10 years old will hardly tell mom or dad: “Write me for English courses”

They, as a rule, do not have this need, it begins to arise gradually. Now children are more and more engaged in games, yutyub or tiktok, they are interested in understanding what peers are doing from the other end of the planet, they need simple English. With one child, this may work: “Look, you liked this yutub channel, and to find and watch other bloggers, you need to speak English.” With another child, you can try to appeal to a sense of pride or rivalry: “There is a boy in another class who knows English and communicates much more with his team in the online game.” There are children who are more competitive. One child can be captivated by a language group, for another to talk in English in a group is a shock and fear. Each person has his own buttons. Only the parent knows that he works with his child in terms of motivation. You can sort out different reasons with the child to learn the language, for two, for example, he will not react, but to the third he will say: “Yes, I agree”.

What definitely does not need to be done so as not to repel the child to learn a foreign language?

Alexey Shelestenko

“Criticism and ridicule should be avoided. This is not only in children, but also in adults, it repels the desire to do something, because none of us wants to look stupid. A positive encouragement works: “You are well done, something did not work out today, but next time it will definitely work out.” Some children are very sensitive to criticism, and if they criticize them or allow a mockery of their mental abilities, the child can be offended seriously and for a long time. Therefore, there is only positive here. ”

Svetlana Gracheva

“It is definitely not worth teaching children in the same way as adults, that is, put at the desk, teach with support on the text and explanations of grammar. Children learn in the game, in practice, in interaction. If you spend time searching for a good teacher, then it will pay off a hundredfold - your child will be able to use the tongue as a tool for developing and achieving goals. Do not force the child if he does not want to, think what he would be interested in doing in the language: watch cartoons about dinosaurs, play Among US or build locks from Lego.

Many make a mistake, focusing precisely on the “learning of the language”, while the language should make a friend and the way to master some new skills. And once again I want to emphasize the importance of taking into account age and development, as well as the characteristics of a particular child. ”

Why is it better to start training?

Svetlana Gracheva

“At four, it is useless to teach grammar - logical thinking has not yet been formed. Children need visibility and the ability to immediately apply something, so games, songs, toys are used.

Accordingly, the materials at this age are excluded by books and other activity based on the text, because at four years there is few people who can read even in his own language. The development of a language at this age goes verbally. If you can organize an immersion on Wednesday-a bilingual kindergarten, a carrier teacher, then by the time of admission to school, your child will speak no worse than bilingual.

When I was four years old, my mother found a teacher, agreed with a neighbor - she had a daughter of about five - and we went to study together. The teacher explained to mom that it is better: children involved in together, interact more, compete, they have better results. Mom did not control me very much, and this is good - she often annoys children when parents are present in the lesson.

We sang songs, taught poetry and watched Muzzy in Gondoland. This is a wonderful training cartoon with very simple vocabulary. At the same time, there is a plot, there are interesting heroes, there is a beautiful princess and a gardener who is in love with her and with whom she runs away. I was interested. He is divided into very short segments, it was convenient to look at the lesson. And I was always interested to see what's next. Not only is there a simple language and an understandable plot, there is still a lot of things - almost everything they say is duplicated visually. ”

Can a parent who does not know the language, start learning a child?

Alexey Shelestenko

“What is the learning process? This is when we show how to do, and we train to do the same way. If the sample is wrong, then it is he who will be absorbed and the child will simply repeat this mistake. We believe that you need to teach by the source.

The source is a native speaker. At the same time, I'm not saying that parents can do poorly

They can give the initial base, teach the child to understand words. But, for example, pronunciation may suffer. Therefore, we recommend that you give this business to professionals and carriers. ”

Svetlana Gracheva

“ It is impossible to study with the child without knowledge of the language. The child needs interaction, without it the information simply will not linger in his head, the brain is not yet ready.

The presence of the teacher will remove from the parents the need to independently select activity in the language and the procedure for mastering the material, taking into account the age and characteristics of the child. Learning without a teacher will make you solve a bunch of issues from searching for visual aids to an attempt to explain to the child why suddenly mom or dad spoke to him in the Tarabarashchina. There is no such problem with the teacher, everything is simple: at home - in Russian, with a teacher or in a group - in English. If classes are organized, then the child will accept the rules of the game. ”

How to help a child with homework in English without knowing the language?

Svetlana Gracheva

“Now there are a lot of such resources. Firstly, there are forums and chats for learning foreign languages. Plus: there are usually answers there. Cons: there are no answers always, and they need to be searched. And there are no guarantees that you will answer the question.

Secondly, you can take a small lesson with a tutor (Russian-speaking or carrier) and check the task with it. If this is a carrier, then at the same time you will tighten your English. Minus: often it costs money, although usually not as large as everyone is afraid. Plus: you do this on your conditions and at the same time teach something yourself.

In general, it seems to me the best situation when my parents do not say: “I don’t know what to do”, but they begin to learn English with the child together. After all, the language is available at any age, and its knowledge can come in handy at any time. ”

What to do if the child does not like the teacher (nitsa) of English at school and because of this he does not want to learn the language?

Alexey Shelestenko

“The likelihood of a teacher’s change is small-it is difficult with personnel in educational schools, and teachers will not change because of one student. Therefore, you need to change either the environment itself or your attitude to it. But to teach a child such an adult method as “changing your attitude” is a rather complicated option. I would make a child to not identify English with the teacher that he does not like. It is necessary to make sure that the child understands the differences between the teacher and English. And if he can learn a language somewhere else, for example with a tutor, then he can love English, and not to love teachers in his school, and this will not affect his knowledge of the language. ”

How to help the child overcome the language barrier? What to do if the child is shy or does not want to talk in English?

Alexey Shelestenko

“The language barrier arises before people from their culture. The Russian child among Russian children or parents will be so shy than if he is left alone with a foreigner. Because the level of pressure and responsibility is significantly reduced at this moment. The foreigner will not mock the child, as peers mock. Mockery from peers is the most painful for the child during the years of the formation of personality. It is easier to overcome the language barrier with the bearer, the child will be less ashamed. And when this constraint passes, the child will speak calmly and with compatriots. ”

How can a child understand the native speaker if he himself does not know English at all?

Svetlana Gracheva

“If the carrier has special training and knows how to work with children, there should be no problems with this. Such a teacher will adapt his speech to a novice student and use visualization, a lot of gestures, pictures. The carriers will not just ask, looking into the eyes of the child: “What's your name?” First, the carrier will show a finger at himself, call his name, then show his finger at the interlocutor and make a very expressive interrogative face.

In general, children, especially younger people, will be shy about an unfamiliar uncle or aunt rather than what they speak with them in an unfamiliar language. Adults also often speak an incomprehensible language. ”

Alexey Shelestenko

“It is good if the parent sits with the child in the first lessons with the carrier so that the adaptation process is easier. If the tutor says or shows something, the adult is quickly aware of the meaning than the child. Even if you do not have basic English, one head is good, and two are better. Some of you will definitely understand what the tutor wants. But, again, it is worth doing this only at the initial stage, when you need to master the language of instructions. After they are mastered, the process goes much faster.

People are afraid to go to classes with carriers, because it seems to everyone that carriers are 80th level

People think: “Here I will first find a grammar, syntax and words, and then, after five years, when I speak freely, I’ll try to talk with the carrier.” In fact, this is not so. A novice student can deal with a foreign carrier, have fun and progress very quickly. It’s not scary to deal with the carrier, but, on the contrary, is effective. Imagine that you are learning to play football and you have a choice: to train with a physical education teacher from a local sports school or Messi. I would choose Messi - let it be scary at first, because he plays a million times more, but I will learn from him much faster and better.

In general, experts agree that you can really start studying early - it is not necessary to wait for the child to go to school, for example. And it is not necessary to teach the child himself - you can entrust this to an experienced tutor who will cope well with the task. This is not as scary, expensive and useless as it seems. And the investments will definitely pay off, because the study of English is not an education for the sake of education, but an investment in the future plus a wide horizons, a whole set of new skills and pleasure from communication in the present. ”

You can find an individual language class teacher at the Cambly service -fill out a simple questionnaire in Russian, see detailed teachers' profiles and choose the one who suits the most. In the Cambly Kids section, you can watch a video on how classes are held, read about how training will be held, choose a teacher from Great Britain, USA, Australia, Canada and other countries where they speak English. There are also courses, teaching materials, lessons on specialized vocabulary for adults - you can talk with teachers about ecology, startups, films and series, raising children, prepare for a presentation or just train colloquial speech. Or sign up for a trial lesson and try to “play football with Messi” yourself.