At least half of the people in the world speak more than one language, and English is being learned and used by 25% of the world population! In today’s blog article we pay particular attention to our youngest learners. If you have a child under the age of 7, keep reading!
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Why learn English
So, you already know why we learn English. Today, it isn’t about being trendy – speaking English is a must! I mean, everyone (and their Grandma) uses English. It is practically impossible to avoid it – at work, during our leisure time at home or on holiday. That being so, English is THE foreign language to learn.
Why start to learn English at an early age
How many times have you heard that children are “like sponges”, just soaking in everything in their surrounding? Sometimes that can be bad, for example, if the child picks up a bad word on the street. But when it comes to learning a new skill, this is ideal.
Many people believe that the earlier you start with the learning, the easier it is to master things such as the English language pronunciation and grammar. Several studies have confirmed this. What is more, these studies state that our ability to learn foreign languages decreases with time. It is already after puberty that our natural language learning skills start to go downhill. For that reason, it is important to start with learning foreign languages as soon as possible.
It is important to start with learning foreign languages as early as possible.
What is the best age to start to learn English?
As we all know, in the first few years of their lives, children have to learn so many things. They are at their learning ability peak. After all, EVERYTHING is new to them. This also implies that whatever they are learning, they will be open towards new ideas. A child’s preschool years are a very important period in their life. That is why the age of 3 or 4 is ideal for being exposed to a foreign language. In this period, children learn a foreign language as easily as their first one. They do it through sound and doing, without even realising that they are learning.
How to learn English at an early age
So, how to improve and get most out of your child’s natural ability to learn English?
Play in English! Sing in English! Draw in English! It is as simple as that.
First, look into what type of a learner your child is. Then, find an activity that your child enjoys.
- Do they like books and stories? Try reading to them a story they already know, but this time in English.
- Are they fond of Legos? Build a big zoo with all the wild animals they can name.
- Do they enjoy songs and chants? Play them a nursery rhyme.
- Do they love running around and doing physical activities? Play “Hide and go seek” in English.
Or maybe try all of these?
From my years of experience in working with hundreds of kindergarten children, most children LOVE mixing any of these activities. After all, they do all of this in their first language. Doing this in English is the simplest way for them to learn a new language naturally and with little effort.
Our Tip of the Day
Even though Halloween just passed, children love monsters! This was confirmed once again at our Halloween workshop on October 31. We had such a great time – check out the photos here:
Great little skeletons
Busy vampire in our Halloween Workshop
Zombie-Elsa and Zombie-Kitty
We invite you to make a monster with your child. All you need is a bunch of papers in different colours and shapes, scissors and some glue.
This activity is perfect for practising colours, shapes, body parts and numbers. For example, you can make a red, blue and purple monster out of squares and rectangles. Then add as many eyes, noses, ears and arms as you want!
Or you could check out the British Council “Make a monster” activity. Here you first choose the colour for your monster, and then different body parts you want your monster to have. You can make the monster sing, dance or even blow up!
In a nutshell
Your child doing fun stuff in English guarantees that they will achieve their maximum. The most important thing is that they are in contact with English as much as possible. So we encourage you to check out our upcoming events, workshops and playgroups, where we stimulate your child’s language, talent and curiosity.
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