Training English conversation with children, besides being important, is brilliant, as the children’s world and all its color provides better use of situations to develop the practice of English in a fun way.
As with everything we are going to do in our lives, conversation in English with children is also a process. So be aware of the possibilities and insert the little ones into this practice whenever possible.
Why is it important to practice speaking English with children?
We can learn at all stages of our lives, but childhood is a period of the remarkable development of language skills.
Considering the remarkable ability that children have to absorb information and transform it into knowledge, inserting English at this stage allows the learning of the new language by methods similar to those used to learn the mother tongue so that the child will learn the two languages at the same time.
In this way, conversation in English allows children to begin to associate the sound of words with the images they know and this facilitates the language learning process.
Conversation in English should be developed with children through the use of simple everyday words, where pronunciation will be improved.
How to start a conversation in English with children?
Conversation in English with children seems like a mystery to many people. One of the major concerns is to think about how they will learn a new language if they have not yet mastered reading and writing.
The answer to this question is remarkable with the child’s development in learning the mother tongue with unquestionable ease, and the same modus operandi can be applied to the teaching and conversation of the English language. Gradually, the child develops the ability to associate objects with the pronunciation of their names, to consolidate linguistic knowledge.
Check out 8 valuable tips to stimulate English conversation with children!
1. Games to stimulate conversation in English
We are not only talking about online games, but also board games, and figurines, among other forms of games that can be used both by parents at home to compose the children’s routine and by teachers in classrooms.
The use of handling games by the children themselves within the classroom awakens skills aimed at socialization through interaction with their peers and teachers. In addition, it also awakens the development of speech skills, body expression, motor development, and clear communication. All these ways of expressing yourself can be done through conversation in English, and improving language practice with children.
When we are talking about online games, there are a plethora of games available on digital platforms, in cellphone and tablet applications that allow children to follow up and have contact with the English language in a fun and creative way.
Observing such applications, websites, and blogs with this proposal, we can highlight some that fulfill this role of conversation in English very well. Let’s see:
There are still some other options that can be incorporated into the routine of older children for conversation or that can be used by the whole family, transforming the moment of learning English into a fun family interaction.
Among the most popular applications and websites we find Duolingo and Pili Pop, for older children, between 6 and 10 years old.
Please, note on these sites there is a variety of content that involves storytelling, games, music, and other activities. Furthermore, parents and teachers have the possibility of printing activities that will awaken children’s imagination and creativity, materializing the digital experience and contributing to the conversation in English.
2. Use small English expressions in everyday life
Routine is an important ally to care for and educate children on healthy habits. Inserting a simple conversation in English into these habits, with expressions that are already used daily, helps a lot in the development of language learning.
Thus, greetings in English, and expressions of affection for children in English, can be part of this learning process.
3. Storytelling
Reading with children is an activity that does not need to demonstrate the benefits generated, therefore, including conversation in English in this moment of children’s routine will surprise you by the ability and speed they show to learn things.
For this, buying part of the children’s storybooks in English helps in learning the language. But buying books is not enough to develop the habit of reading and, consequently, of conversation in English.
So, it is necessary to have a moment in the routine for telling these stories to the children, as well as the possibility for them to tell the stories in their way or to enjoy their books according to the possibilities of their age.
Children’s imaginations are vibrant when listening to a story, and they will surely love contact with stories in English and will absorb everything possible.
Books should be age-appropriate for children as, in addition to contributing to development in general, they help with conversation in English.
From this perspective of the child’s contact with the English language and the development of conversation in English, we can list some books, such as:
- Things that go (Baby Touch and Feel)
- Bouncing babies (Helen Oxenbury)
- The Tiger Who Came to Tea (Judith Kerr)
- Hush Little Polar Bear (Jeff Mack)
- Oh Dear: A lift- the-flap book (Rod Campbell)
- My first Words Let’s get talking! (Dawn Sirett)
- My first Colours Let’s Leanr Them all! (Dawn Sirett)
4. At play time
Playtime is the peak time for children of any age. They make it up games and jokes about unusual objects and situations.
With that in mind, when playing with children, encourage conversation by pronouncing words or expressions that are already known in English and adding new words. Surely, children will love it, especially if it’s about something they do, like their favorite games.
5. Study English with children
Among all the tips, studying English with children is necessary not only in the school environment but at home, even if for a more flexible period, from simple help with school activities.
In these moments, the routine is improved and allows an increase in the children’s vocabulary for conversation, so important for learning a new language.
6. Access children’s videos in English
Videos are part of our daily lives and today we use the internet and use videos on various platforms to help learn about a subject, for entertainment, among other needs.
From digital tools, children quickly learn to handle their devices and find various animated videos. These videos can be used by parents and teachers as a tool to stimulate conversation in English, because, as in books, children will learn using their imagination and visualizing objects and sounds.
7. Watch movies in English with kids
Watching movies with the family is an important moment, which adds emotional value beyond the screen and the film’s story.
Thinking about the satisfaction that these moments bring, especially for children, watching movies in English, as well as the video tip, can be a window for creative conversation with them.
We can often think that children have difficulty understanding the content presented in the story, especially younger children, as they still do not master reading and writing. However, this can be an opportunity for them to use their imagination and learn, especially if the family chooses a movie that the child already knows in their mother tongue, as this will help with the content of the story and the interpretation of facts already known from of the English language.
8. English with music!
Music is certainly a way of learning that conquers all people and with children this is unquestionable.
Their excitement when singing the songs, they learn at school or even interpreting and gesturing about the subjects of the songs makes the excitement and learning overflow.
Songs are fundamental allies in the children’s development process and the conversation in English should take advantage of this fun partnership to insert and improve the practice of the English language with children.
One of the factors that allow them to learn children’s songs with ease is repetition. Therefore, considering that the little ones still don’t read or write, but are moving towards this process, learning with music, that is, by listening, is a fantastic tip.
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