Effective methods of teaching English to children. English for kids

Knowledge of foreign languages broadens your horizons and allows you to feel at home anywhere in the world. What parent doesn’t want their child to have developed intelligence and open doors everywhere? Therefore, children are increasingly being taught foreign languages from a very young age. It is believed that it is much easier for children to get used to a foreign culture than for an adult. But English for children requires a special teaching method, which we’ll talk about today. We'll tell you how to instill in your child an interest in learning and recommend ways to conduct English lessons for children easily and effectively. Let's get started!

As scientists have noted, the peculiarities of children's perception of the world help children learn foreign languages more easily. Children are open to everything new, and genuine curiosity drives them to learn more and more. The parent can only direct the child’s energy in the right direction. But the question of at what age should a child be taught English is very individual.

If we talk about the recommendations of specialists, their opinions also differ. Some scientists recommend conducting the first English lessons with a child from the age of 3. Other teachers advocate a more conscious age (5-6 years), and still others argue that before 7 you shouldn’t even think about foreign languages.

Each theory has its own arguments for and against, but we will not consider them in detail. In any case, only parents decide when to start learning English for their children. To make your choice easier, here are some tips.

You should not start learning a second language until you have confidently mastered your native speech. This also applies to insufficient vocabulary, incorrect pronunciation, and violation of logical “object-designation” connections.
If the child is not yet actively striving to explore the world, it is better to wait a while until the natural need to gain knowledge manifests itself.
If, on the contrary, the child shows excessive activity, then you should definitely pay his attention to entertaining English lessons.
Think about how psychologically you yourself should start learning English for your child. At the same time, parents must understand that their children are influenced by their own example. At a minimum, it is advisable that you know English at a beginner level or expand your knowledge with your children.

If you cannot make a decision, even after carefully weighing all the pros and cons, conduct a trial lesson with your child. If the baby doesn’t like it, then it’s not time yet. And if the child remains delighted, then all parental doubts will immediately disappear. Don't be afraid to try and don't rely too much on expert opinions. All people are individual, and it’s never too late to start learning.

Thus, we have theoretically figured out the age of young students. Now let's move on to more practical issues, and we will analyze in detail the methods and recommendations for teaching English to children of different ages.

English for children aged 3-4 years

This age is the most optimal if you decide to start learning English with your child from the cradle. During this period, children turn into active “why-whys” and they are interested in almost everything around them. At the same time, kids think in bright and simple images, which help them remember new information easily and quickly. Therefore, foreign language lessons for children aged 2.5 - 4 years old will certainly bear fruit. But it is very important to choose the right format for English classes for kids.

Where to begin

Little children are carefree and spontaneous, so there is no need to meticulously explain to them the rules of the language. English lessons for children should be held exclusively in a playful way: your child should not feel any moralizing, coercion or demands. With a forceful approach, you will not only teach your child nothing, but also, on the contrary, you will form a hateful attitude towards any foreign languages. Therefore, be very careful: it is better to have spontaneous lessons for 10-15 minutes in the form of a game than 30-minute lessons in the full sense of the word.

If we talk about where to start the process of learning English with children, then there are many options. Among them:

Alphabet;
Greeting phrases;
Designations of family members;
Numbers, colors, etc.

But again, don't expect strict and consistent training like adults. Try to offer topics that interest your child, for example, learning words about animals or colors in English together. Say a word, and let the baby repeat after you, or, for example, show a card with such a picture.

In general, the presentation of material should be very dynamic and varied. Don’t make your child get bored, let alone tired of long explanations. Try to use fun and playful methods to teach English to young children. We have listed some of them below.

Songs

Educational songs are one of the best ways to teach English to young children. Fun music quickly attracts children's attention and activates auditory memory. This is how the kids have fun and at the same time remember English vocabulary easily and quickly.

It is also very effective to include videos with songs for kids. A bright video illustrating the plot of the song will further attract attention and help to engage visual memory in the work. And after a couple of training sessions, move on to performing songs on your own with your child. You can also add fun dancing or play with the images of objects/animals that are discussed in the song.

In general, such entertaining lessons will develop the following skills in children:

Interest in learning foreign languages;
Knowledge of English words;
Ability to recognize English by ear;
Ability to speak independently (repeating memorized phrases).

And, of course, the children’s memory functioning and general development of intelligence will improve.

Fairy tales

Another effective method with which you can effectively teach English to children under 7 years old. What child doesn’t love to hear about the adventures of fairy-tale characters, especially when mom or dad talk about them.

Read fairy tales to your child as you always do, only now slowly add elements of the English language to them. First, one or two words that are familiar to the child, and later try to study with adapted versions of English fairy tales. Be sure to read the texts playfully: with changing your voice, showing scenes, gestures, etc. The brighter the images, the more interesting it is for children.

Games

And the children’s favorite pastime is outdoor games, fun and logical guessing games. All these elements also need to be actively used when teaching English to children.

The simplest thing is to tell your child English words using educational cards. You show the card and the child names it (or vice versa). Another fun game: the parent portrays a fairy-tale character, animal, bird or object, and the child must name the hidden character in English. You can also just walk outside and name the colors of surrounding objects.

There are many options, the only thing I would like to note is that we would not recommend accustoming your child to electronic games at this age. Do not leave children's education to computers, tablets and other gadgets. Only by your own positive example and participation can you impart the best knowledge and skills into your child.

English for children 5-7 years old

Preschoolers have not yet lost their childish interest in the world around them, but they are already more serious than three- and four-year-olds. Therefore, many parents believe that this is the best age to start learning English. Lessons for preschool children are also conducted in a playful way and do not take much time, but the methods of learning English for preschool children are, naturally, slightly different.

Vocabulary

English lessons for children over 5 years old are always mostly about learning new words. English grammar is still too difficult for this age, and the letters are too simple. So this period is ideal for developing an active vocabulary in a child.

It is better for preschoolers to study vocabulary on certain topics. It would be good if these were vocabulary cards with bright pictures that reveal the meaning of the word. Firstly, a beautiful design in itself will attract children's attention, and secondly, with a picture the word is simply easier to remember. In addition, you can play exciting educational games with cards, but more on that later.

Vocabulary is also mastered in the process of studying children's rhymes, songs, and fairy tales.

Dialogues

To prevent your child from forgetting the vocabulary he has learned, add more English phrases to your conversations. For example, instead of good morning, say “ Goodmorningmyson (mydaughter)”, provoking the child to also answer in English. Of course, you shouldn’t go too far and constantly communicate in a foreign language. It is enough to use several popular phrases per day.

Also, English lessons for children 6 years old and older can be conducted by acting out small scenes. For example, you can use hand puppets and repeat the lines of characters from your favorite fairy tales. Or just play with dolls, making up a simple conversation:

-Hello!
-Hi!
-Mynameis… etc.

It is advisable for the parent to say the line first, and the child to repeat after him, substituting the characteristics of his character.

Cartoons

First of all, foreign language classes should be interesting to the children themselves. And educational English cartoons will perfectly help parents in developing interest in learning in their preschoolers.

Play small colorful videos and watch them with your baby. Fortunately, today on the Internet you can easily find educational videos in English for children of any age. At the same time, it is not at all necessary to explain to the child in detail that we are not just watching a cartoon, but learning a new language. Give your child time, and he will become involved in the process and will be able to understand the simplest lines of the characters. Then it’s the parent’s job to do a short discussion after watching and consolidate the vocabulary heard.

With the right approach, such entertaining English lessons for children five to six years old are simply irreplaceable. After all, such activities arouse interest in the baby and help develop all the necessary speech skills:

A set of new vocabulary;
Understanding English by ear;
Speaking (repetition of phrases + discussion with parents);
Correct pronunciation.

In addition, this technique is very useful for general development, because cartoons reveal everyday moments and explain important life principles to children in an accessible form.

Games

As with small children, English for children 5 or 6 years old is always taught in a playful way. Therefore, organize various mini-games, contests or competitions more often.

So, with the help of cards you can play “ guess the odd one out": 3 cards on one theme are laid out, and a fourth is added from another deck. The child’s task is to remove the unnecessary card. There is an interesting variation of this memory game: 3-4 cards are laid out in a row, then the child closes his eyes, and the parents remove 1 card. The child must name exactly which card was removed.

You can also play with preschoolers in " who knows more words», « guess quickly», « sea figure freeze», « crocodile" and so on. The main thing is not to forget that victory and parental praise are very important for children. Therefore, speak kindly to your child more often, encourage him if he loses, and admire his successes when the baby wins. A warm attitude and interesting games, and even more so victories in them, motivate the child to study English more and more often.

This is how they teach English for children 7 years old. In fact, in preschool age children are just getting acquainted with the language, getting used to its sound and new words. But the role of such an easy game is very important: it liberates the children, and subsequently they will not have a language barrier, i.e. fear of speaking a foreign language. On the contrary, the second language will be perceived as a natural and necessary thing.

English for younger students

And finally, the final period of childhood refers to elementary school. Here the parent’s task is to engage more with the child, explaining points that have not been considered in the school curriculum. At school, the teacher often does not have time to explain the lesson clearly, and a 1st grade student is not always able to concentrate and understand the material. Therefore, carefully monitor your child’s school progress and help him understand the curriculum.

In general, English for children aged 7-10 years is also partly taught in the format of a game, but with the active introduction of serious grammatical points. At this age, the conscious formation of language skills begins, so classes should be aimed at the comprehensive development of the child.

Reading

In our first English classes at school, we, of course, learn letters and their pronunciation. This level is necessary because not all children studied a foreign language before entering first grade. Then, according to the curriculum, there are reading rules, but in fact they are taught very crumpled, and children do not have time to fully master such an important topic. Therefore, this moment is filled in at home.

Carry out the training gradually, mastering no more than 1-2 rules per lesson with your child. Such small loads will not become an unbearable burden and, taking into account regular repetitions, will significantly improve the child’s English skills. On weekends, improve your reading skills with short, adapted texts for primary school-aged children. They will help you consolidate the rules you’ve learned and get acquainted with new vocabulary.

Dialogues

It's no secret that a language was created to be spoken. Therefore, foreign speech must be constantly practiced in conversation.

Of course, for first-graders such a task will be too difficult, but for 2nd grade students, perhaps, they are already able to independently compose a sentence from several words. But remember that classes should not be forced: English for children aged 8 is still the same game. Therefore, just occasionally, depending on the child’s mood, exchange a few general phrases with him or play “ name/describe the object" For this game, knowledge of the simplest constructions is enough:

Itisabanana. Thisbananaisyellow. Ilikeitverymuch. And what is it? —This is a banana. This banana is yellow. I really like him. What is it?

Such a dialogue, with the proper level of preparation, is possible even for a 5-year-old child, let alone second graders. By the age of ten, children will be able to form common sentences and use basic English tenses.

Grammar

Learning the rules of grammar is the very moment when English for schoolchildren ceases to be an entertaining game. Most children find grammar difficult, which is due to short school lessons and not always clear explanations from teachers. Therefore, grammatical topics need to be intensively studied in home classes.

English grammar for children 7-9 years old is taught in a semi-game form. The basic rule is briefly explained and then reinforced by reading short stories, speaking dialogues and doing exercises. At the same time, the material is presented in the most simplified form: children do not need to know exceptions and special cases at the initial stage, because unnecessary information will only confuse the child.

It is also recommended to use electronic materials to study grammar. These could be presentations, training videos, mini-games and tests. The more diverse the presentation of the topic, the more parts of the brain are involved in the work, and, accordingly, the material is easier for children to assimilate. The main thing to remember is that any rule must not only be learned, but also be able to be used in speech.

Tests

Junior schoolchildren also cannot do without tests to check the topics they have studied.

Children in grades 1-2 are usually given a short oral survey, which is not much different from a dialogue game. The guys also solve very easy tests. For children 9-10 years old, they give more difficult work: correct specially made mistakes, answer a question, make a proposal on their own. Tests are becoming more diverse; now tasks require not just choosing an answer, but supplementing it with your own words.

But starting from the age of 12 or even 11, when tenses and irregular verbs are actively being mastered, almost every lesson ends with tests. And this is the right approach, because... Every detail of theory learned must be practiced.

Children, of course, perceive checks without enthusiasm. But the parents’ task is to convince the child that he can easily cope with the tasks because he is smart and capable. Praise more often and be less strict with mistakes made. It is better to calmly explain where the child was wrong and do the work again later than to yell and develop a hatred of learning in children.

Games and websites

Everyone loves to have fun, so the gaming method is effective for children as young as 3 years old, as young as 9 years old, and even as young as 15-16. For younger groups, it is recommended to conduct more outdoor and oral games, and English for children from 10 years old can be diversified with the help of electronic games and applications. However, in moderation, a computer will not harm children.

Services and programs for learning English with children
Name	Age	Description
English Conversation for Kids	from 4 years old	Mobile application with a convenient catalog of training videos on YouTube.
LearnEnglish Kids	from 5 years old	A site with educational materials for children and their caring parents. There are mini-games, videos, flashcards, quizzes, etc.
Lingualeo	from 6 years old	A popular English learning service for adults and children. Here you will find collections of vocabulary, educational videos and songs with subtitles, exercises for grammar and memorizing words. Children are invited to undergo training with a special course " for the little ones».
InternetUrok.ru	from 8 years old	A site with video lessons, notes, exercises and tests according to the school curriculum.
Duolingo	from 8 years old	The service will teach you popular vocabulary and help you understand how to construct sentences from words.
Quizlet	from 10 years old	Program for learning words. Doesn't let you get bored, because... Various memorization techniques are used.

2017-06-07

Hello to one and all! My dears, I continue to provide useful information and materials in such an important area for many as English for children. And there’s already a lot... So I decided to collect everything in an organized warehouse! (Or maybe a treasure :-)), so that everyone can look there and find what they need for themselves and their children.

This page of my website is the address of the location of this warehouse. It contains (and continues to collect) all the necessary materials on the English language that will be useful to the smallest representatives of the human race)) (2-7 years old, and even older), their parents or teachers. Here are my materials, and there are those that I found on the Internet, chose the best and present to you here. English can be interesting, free and accessible to every child!

By the way, be sure to voice your questions or suggestions for materials in the comments. Let's improve the treasure together!

Content:

Remember that the basic principles of teaching “young students” are brightness, interest and only playful form! So here everything is exactly like that - memorable and fascinating video English lessons, bright educational cartoons, game ideas, cards and pictures, songs and rhymes - everything that will allow you to plunge into the world of English with your baby!

By the way, many materials are suitable not only for those who are starting to plunge into the world of language from scratch, but also for those who are older! Such children can even use materials independently, listening, watching and repeating.

Always seek emotional involvement on your part and then the child’s passion for the subject will not take long to occur.

My tips and recommendations

One very serious mother once asked me a question: “Tell me, how can I teach English to my 3-year-old son? What’s the best way to structure a lesson... and in general, where to start?” I answered her: “Start with this - forget the word “teach”, “lesson” and the like! And remember the words "games, fun and bright pictures"!

Books and textbooks

There are some parents who believe that in the age of modern technology, a book can be replaced with various convenient devices. And I say - no! A book is something that will never go out of style and will forever remain every child's best friend! Especially when it comes to learning a new language.

If your child is already 4 years old and you want him to learn English not only with the help of songs and cartoons, it’s time to buy a good book that will help him the best assistant and guide to the world of language . I talk about good options for books and textbooks for children here:

Numbers and numbers (1-10, 11-20)

One spoon... two spoons... three spoons! How familiar this is to our children! After all, they hear numbers almost from birth. This is probably why this topic is especially easy for kids!

Numbers and numbers...What a broad topic! But very young students don’t need to know all the numbers—they only need to learn 10 numbers! It's so easy - after all, there are 10 fingers on your hands! On your feet too! And in general, you can count anything around you - toys, books, adults and even seconds...

But if you want more, you can go up to 20!

Alphabet

Some people believe that a child should be taught English exclusively starting with the alphabet. This is a big misconception when it comes to children 3-4-5 years old! Children learn a foreign language without any problems without even knowing the letters. After all, they understand Russian somehow already at 1-2 years old!))

But nevertheless, one day the moment comes when it’s worth getting acquainted with English letters. For example, before school - to be fully prepared, as they say. Or if the baby himself shows interest in them.

My daughter knew all Russian letters (by appearance and corresponding sound) at 2 years old. We were ready to learn English letters at 4!

And here different ways of approaching this insidious English alphabet come to the rescue)). I talk about these methods in my article:

There with help songs, videos, cards, sounds, games and rhymes You can learn the alphabet very quickly.

Words for children by topic

It is with words that every child’s acquaintance with the English language begins! He must hear and see them! And this - the basis at the initial stages. But seeing does not mean looking at the written word! Every new word heard should form an image and picture in the child’s head. This is how he begins to see him! And only then will the child try to pronounce the learned words himself.

I have prepared for you a selection of the most popular words for children , and small thematic collections . Each word is voiced, translated and has a picture. Besides this, you can download cards with words to print, cut them out and work. It is very convenient and practical.

Words on the topic of family

Words about animals

Words on the topic of fruits and vegetables

Words about home

Words about food

Words on the topic of clothing

Words on the topic of profession

Colors in English

Pink became an even more favorite color for my daughter when she was introduced to it in the context of the English language. After that, “pink” was heard from her lips wherever she encountered pink objects))

Colors in English are kids' favorite theme which comes very easily to them. A child is able to remember even 10 colors within 2-3 days. To do this, you need to present these bright words “on a silver platter”)). And to do this, just go here:

Cartoons

Needless to say, cartoons today are one of the favorite entertainments of all children and teenagers. Some children manage to watch them all day long, and some parents manage to allow it!

I think this type of entertainment is for a child must be strictly limited. And of course, if you watch cartoons, then they should be useful and meaningful. Do you agree? And this is especially true if we are talking about cartoons in English . They can become completely unobtrusive but at the same time extremely effective English lessons that the child will perceive as fun! He may not even realize that he is thereby learning a foreign language!

I have selected the best, in my opinion, cartoons for children. Please note that such cartoons are divided into those with Russian comments and those only in English! I recommend Children under 4 years old should watch exclusively English cartoons without a single Russian word. . They will understand everything. Watch, learn and enjoy!

Educational video lessons

Here you also need to understand that very young children (up to 3-4 years old) do not need to listen to explanations in Russian - just watch English-language videos with bright pictures - they will be able to understand everything! The main thing is that you like the video and arouse interest. Choose:

Songs and Video songs

Beautiful combination of rhyme and melody always gives a wonderful effect in the process of learning and memorizing something!

In addition to the cartoons and educational videos (which also included a lot of songs), I offer you 2 more of my notes with materials for children. In the first there are video songs, in the second there are simply songs with an attached translation into Russian:

Games

Play and learn in fact, two identical words, because nothing gives such results in learning as the game form of any classes and any activity.

I have talked about games in English for kids more than once on the pages of my blog. And this topic is far from closed. IN There is still a large amount of materials in the process of preparation, which parents and teachers will soon be able to use for their very young charges.

And now you can familiarize yourself with these.

This article was conceived by me just during the long-awaited summer holidays and holidays. “Education is hard work, and in the summer you should take a break from studying.” This is the stereotypical opinion formed by the majority.

But education, early development, and in particular, the learning of a foreign language by children under the age of three can be looked at differently. You can continue to “develop” and “learn” without weekend breaks. In any weather, at any time of the year, everywhere, on the street, at the dacha, at the resort, on the train...

My one-year-old baby and I began to master the English language we will be talking about without grueling cramming and class schedules, without tutors, while sunbathing on the beach or walking in playgrounds.

Why do children under three years old need English?

Opponents of early learning a foreign language believe that this can cause speech delay, speech therapy and other problems. Without endlessly weighing all the existing pros and cons, I will indicate two main reasons that prompted me to resolve this issue positively.

It is much easier to teach a child under three years of age a foreign language than an older child (I have verified this from personal experience).
Learning a foreign language, and even together with your baby, is incredibly interesting! The child absolutely loves it and causes a flurry of positive emotions, of course, subject to certain conditions.

Learning is not a burden, but a joy

In order not to deviate too much from the main topic, I will outline point by point the most significant provisions that help make “classes” of a foreign language as exciting and productive as possible.

Positive thinking and belief in the limitless creative and mental capabilities of man.
The absence of any violence, including in the form of coercion, rigid programs and class schedules, attempts to intrusively ask questions and “pull out” answers to check what has been learned, etc. Even skillfully veiled pressure or the intention to force one to engage can cause a long-lasting negative reaction and weaken emotional contact. This rule is almost impossible to implement in early development groups that require at least a class schedule. The smaller the child, the more unacceptable the pressure on him! Here it is reasonable to assume that if parents follow this rule one hundred percent, children will not study at all, so I will dwell in a little more detail on the next point 3.
Parental sensitivity and pedagogical insight, that is, the ability to notice what the child is currently showing interest in, respond to the child’s requests in a timely manner, and, using all your intellectual baggage, turn this seemingly fleeting manifestation of simple childish curiosity into an exciting “activity” .
The readiness and desire of the parents themselves to develop and learn. It is impossible to embrace the immensity. And yet, if you don’t know how to teach your child to draw, buy a suitable drawing textbook for the little ones. If you decide to study a foreign language with your child, enroll in the courses yourself... Look for and try different options, create, learn! Your efforts will not be in vain, because the willingness of parents to learn and develop will help today's kids grow up to be socially active and creative people.
Ability to give timely praise

Many adults are big fans of criticizing and teaching. The ability to praise is another important skill to learn. You can express your approval to your child wordlessly, with words, and in a comprehensive manner.

Wordless praise can include not only a simple pat on the head, but also applause, handshakes, kisses, twirling, hugging and tossing.

You can learn to express your delight with gestures from a boxer who wins a fight, a cyclist who wins a race, a football player who scores a goal, in general, from athletes, or, for example, from an expert from “What? Where? When?”, which gave the correct answer to a complex question.

Praise expressed in words does not have to be like a eulogy. Often they limit themselves to the words “well done” or “clever girl” and this is quite enough. In different situations, you can use other expressions and exclamations: Russian “Wow! How brave/smart you are!”, “How clever/smart you are!”, “You did well!”, “I can’t believe it!”, “Brilliant!”, “Keep it up!”, or the English “Well done!” , “Good job!”, “You're golden!”, “I knew, you could do it!”, “You're perfect!”, “You're the best!”, “You're the champion! ", "Excellent!" and a lot of others.

Complex praise refers to the simultaneous use of gestures, actions and words.

Of course, all of the above provisions relate to education and developmental education in general, but let’s move directly to the issues of learning English.

Principles of teaching English to children from 0 to 3 years old

The basic principles of training are:

maintaining the physical and mental health of children;
taking into account the characteristics of the psychological development of children under three years of age, the visual and effective nature of the thinking of children of this age (that is, knowledge of the world around them occurs in the process of real object manipulations), and the leading type of activity (which is object-manipulative play).
compliance of educational material with the level of anatomical, physiological, mental and mental development of children;
accessibility and visibility;
communication focus;
personal orientation;
interconnected/integrated training in types of speech activity, listening, speaking

Learning Objectives

The goal of teaching English to children aged 0 to 3 years is to promote the full, timely development of the child, the development of his intellectual, emotional and social spheres in the process of mastering the basics of English-language communication.

The practical goal of training is the formation of elementary English-language communicative competence. The communicative competence of a child under three years of age is formed as speech, language and sociocultural competences develop. Speech competence implies the mastery and development of listening and speaking skills. This is nothing more than the ability to use language adequately and appropriately in specific situations. Linguistic competence combines phonetic, lexical and grammatical competence. Sociocultural competence includes regional and linguistic competence.

Thus, the practical goal of teaching English to children from 0 to 3 years old involves children mastering listening and speaking skills sufficient to either adequately respond to what they hear, or enter into verbal contact with an interlocutor, maintain a conversation, receive and transmit basic information , related to the content of children's communication, finish communication, etc., and not just say some words or phrases in English.

Learning Objectives

purposefully teach communication in English within those areas of communication that are associated with the world of early childhood;
introduce children to elements of English-speaking socioculture;
develop a positive attitude towards the world around you.

Where to begin?

If you decide to study a second language with your child, which is generally foreign to your original culture, the first thing you need to do is try to artificially create a different language environment and learn to feel comfortable in it. Young children do very well without explanations of grammar or phonetics. And the only way to develop cognitive motives and interest in a foreign language in children under three years of age is the interweaving of these motives and interests into an object-manipulative game and the visually effective nature of presentations of language samples.

Teaching children under three years of age the English language begins with developing the ability to perceive English speech by ear. Listening is not only the perception of messages, but also the preparation in internal speech of a response to what is heard. Listening prepares speaking; it contributes to mastery of the sound side of the language, phonemic composition, intonation, and speech patterns.

When playing with a small child, we quite often imitate the clatter of hooves, the barking of a dog, the buzzing of a bee, etc. In exactly the same way, you can try to “present” the sounds of the English language (there are 44 sounds, 20 vowels and 24 consonants in the English language). The number of sounds and the duration of the “presentation” itself should be chosen based on the principle of parental sensitivity; you should see whether the child likes it or not. In this way, the child’s phonetic competence will gradually develop. If you are not sure of pronunciation, or are not at all familiar with the sound composition of the language you are learning, take as many lessons from a specialist as you need.

The child should often hear English spoken, children's songs, rhymes, and fairy tales in English.

What materials should I use?

Any, if they come from the country whose language you are studying, and if they are connected with the world of childhood. These are toy books, fairy tales, alphabet books, music CDs, CDs with cartoons or films, and other video or audio resources from the Internet.

When selecting materials, take into account the age of the child - English nursery rhymes and simple English songs are more suitable for infants, and video materials can be offered to older children.

Many rhyming poems are ready-made finger, gesture or other active educational games. They can be found on English-language sites, or, for example, on YouTube. Just type in any search engine the name of the poem/song you are looking for and choose any option you like.

Work on the poem is carried out in several stages:

preliminary study of lexical and grammatical material (performed by the parent);
working on words that are difficult to pronounce, intonation, rhythm (performed by the parent)
expressive reading of the rhyme out loud (performed by the parent);
initial listening to the rhyme by the child, with visual and effective support, for example, on a drawing or visual actions;
consolidate understanding of the content;
memorize the poem;
show the child a finger or gesture game based on the content of this rhyme, and periodically invite the child to play it, but, I will not tire of repeating, in appropriate situations or when the child himself wants to play it; Depending on the age, the listed actions can be performed by the parent or the child himself.
repeat the rhyme in real life situations

Modern collections such as Mother Goose Books include more than 700 children's poems, songs, counting rhymes, riddles and tongue twisters.

In the first three years of life, it is quite possible to master 100 or more of these rhymes or songs. With frequent listening, singing or reading, these rhymes and songs are easy to memorize and use at appropriate times.

For example, when you put your child to bed, you can rock him in your arms and read a rhyme/sing the song Rock-a-bye, Baby, and with the final words Down will come baby, cradle and all - imitate a smooth fall and lower the child into the crib. When your baby is jumping in his crib, you can read Three Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. When you feed the ducks in the pond, you might think of the rhyme Bread for the Ducks. While playing catch, repeat the rhyme “Here’s a Ball for Baby.” And you can count your toes with the rhyme Five Little Pigs / This Little Pig Went to Market, etc.

Here is a short list of resources that may be useful for children under three years of age:

Blue's Clues
Dr. Seuss's ABC book/DVD
Postman Pat
Dora the Explorer
www.kneebouncers.com
www.mingoville.com (an interactive online educational game that can be very useful for parents who are not confident in their English)
www.storynory.com (audio books for children are read by professional speakers, native speakers, useful for introducing children to the melody of English speech, intonation, pronunciation)

Simple, interesting and well-illustrated material, children under three years of age swallow, digest and assimilate at an incredibly high speed and demand more and more! And if we want a child to master a foreign language fluently, it is necessary to speak to him in this language.

What should I say?

Say only what you know for sure. The main language functions at the initial stage are greeting (Hello/Hi!), in the morning (Good morning!), good night wishes (Good night!), farewell (Bye-bye/Goodbye/See you/See you later), which you you can say it while going somewhere; declaration of love (I love you); the ability to ask for something (Give me, please), the ability to name an object, perform an action, etc. That is, it is necessary to constantly introduce children to speech patterns, but always in suitable situations.

Never learn individual words. Learn phrases. For example, don’t just teach your child the word rattle, but say This is a rattle or Shake this rattle, Give me, please, rat yourtle. your rattle”, What a wonderful rattle! / “What a wonderful rattle!”, Where's your rattle? / “Where is your rattle?” etc.

There is no great need for the formation of a clear vocabulary and strictly thematic presentation of material when teaching English to children under three years of age. “Study” the names of food products while eating or going to the food market, the names of animals - where you meet them, that is, at home, on the street, in the zoo, in the village; names of plants - at flower stalls, in a square, park, botanical garden; clothes and shoes - while changing clothes; bath accessories - in the bathroom or pool; dishes - in the kitchen, etc.

Most quickly, children “learn” family members and the names of body parts (they are always with us).

Taking into account the visually active nature of the thinking of children of this age, “study” the English verbs crawl - when you crawl, hug - when you hug a child, tickle - when you tickle a baby, swing - when you swing with him on a swing, read - when you you read something, sing - when you sing, walk - when you walk, etc. How to use these verbs? Children under three years of age are not burdened with the burden of past years and thoughts about the past and future. They live in the present moment. Therefore, the Present Continuous is ideal for our purposes: Oh, my! You’re humming/smiling/dancing/talking! (Just think! You're humming/smiling/dancing/talking something!)

Add variety to your speech by using the imperative mood: Look out!/ Be careful!, Wake up!/ Wake up!, Don't touch it!/ Don't touch it!, Look at me!/ Look at me!, Let's go out!/ Let's go for a walk!, Let's read your favorite book!/Let's read your favorite book!, Let him pass!/Let him pass!, Put it on!/Put it on!, Take it off/Take it off! and etc.

You can introduce into speech the modal verb can/be able, be able to: You can walk/ run/ speak/You can walk/run/speak... and interrogative and longer affirmative sentences: Are you hungry/ thirsty?/Do you want to eat/drink?, What are you doing?/What are you doing?, You're clapping your hands/ stamping your feet/riding a pony/ kicking the ball!/You clap your hands/stomp your feet/ride a pony/kick a ball...

Later, learn to give more detailed explanations of the “studied” words, objects and actions: A dog is an animal with four legs, fur and a tail. For this purpose, you can use English children's explanatory dictionaries.

What is important in this case is not the number of foreign words and speech samples. The child needs to see with his own eyes, touch or even chew all the “studied” nouns with adjectives, and the verbs, phrases and cliches used in conversation must exactly correspond to each specific situation.

Preschoolers aged 5-6 years have long counted all their fingers and toes, learned and touched a lot, gained experience and even complexes. Arousing interest and motivation in them is much more difficult than in children under three years of age, when everything happens, occurs and is learned spontaneously and for the first time. This is one of the main advantages of early learning a foreign language.

The role of music in learning a foreign language

The role of music in learning a foreign language is invaluable. Music and singing attract the child’s attention, develop his listening ability, sense of rhythm, and auditory-motor coordination.

Listen to children's English music CDs as often as possible. Learn each song step by step, just like a rhyme (read the previous chapter). Over two years of regularly listening to different melodies and lyrics, you will learn to sing them yourself in appropriate situations:

Deedle, Deedle, Dumpling - when your child, without undressing or taking off his shoes, tries to fall asleep in the crib;
I’m a Little Tea-Pot – when you have a kettle boiling in your kitchen;
Happy Birthday – during birthday celebrations;
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star - while contemplating the starry sky;

Many of the English children's songs are also sign or other motor games and can be easily dramatized. Working with such songs helps develop speech skills, polishes pronunciation, improves expressiveness of speech, or simply improves mood and develops motor activity.

Do I need to translate?

I once met a mother who, while showing her little child some object or thing, for example, a sock, called it in two languages at once - Russian and English (“sock/a sock”).

In all competent foreign language courses, teaching is conducted in the target language from the very beginning. Attempts to translate everything at once slow down the process of learning new words and expressions. Children under three years old do not yet distinguish languages and certainly do not need translation.

When and how much to “work out”?

We started “studying” English when my baby understood her native speech well and was already able to pronounce a few simple words like “mom”, “dad”, “lala”, “aunt”, “uncle”.

If we express in percentage terms the use of English and native languages in the process of communication, including listening and reading, then in our case Russian speech will score on average 90%, English – 10%.

The duration of stay in a “foreign” language environment ranged from one minute to 3 hours a day.

The words “study” or “practice” are deliberately placed in quotation marks. In fact, there is no need to give “lessons.” You need to live with everyday activities, and the time and topics for playing with your child should be chosen based on the principle of parental sensitivity. The duration of communication, listening, reading or video viewing should be determined by the interests and desires of the child and not harm his health.

The main thing is that this happens regularly and without long breaks, and the sounds, words, speech patterns, songs and rhymes presented to the child should be repeated often, but, I will not tire of reminding you, only in suitable situations.

results

What can a three-year-old child from a Russian family say in English? I will give several typical examples from the English speech of my three-year-old daughter, from the entries preserved in my diaries.

After another visit to the zoo, she, bending over funny, came up to me importantly and said: I’m a peacock. “I am a peacock,” and, noticing a wooden stick lying nearby, she immediately picked it up, put it behind her and quickly added: “And it’s my tail.”
In the morning he comes to my bed, wakes me up, pulls my pillow over himself with a laugh: Good morning, mummy! Get up! I want to take a shower. This pillow is not yours! It's mine! “Good morning, mommy! Get up! I want to take a shower. This is not your pillow! She is mine!".
Diving into a filled bath: One, two, three, dive! Look, I'm diving. “One, two, three, dive!” Look! I'm diving!"
About sour milk: This milk is off! Just smell it! “This milk has turned sour. Just smell it!”
Pushing a rubber mouse under the sofa: Look! The mouse is hiding in the hole. “Look, the little mouse is hiding in a hole.”
After watching the movie “Shrek” (we only watched this movie in English), puffing out our cheeks and flapping our arms like wings: Mum, let’s pretend that you’re a donkey and I’m a fire-breathing dragon. I'm going to fly. See you later! “Mom, let's imagine that you are a donkey, and I am a fire-breathing Dragon. I'm going to fly! Bye!"
I try to get her to have breakfast, she answers very decisively: I’m not hungry. I won't have breakfast. " I am not hungry. I won't have breakfast."
During a picnic, she found a secluded place in the bushes and intends to take a toy elephant there: This is my personal cave. I'll bring my elephant into my cave. (addressing the elephant) Don’t be afraid, Elephant, you’re in good hands. “This is my personal cave. I will take my elephant to the cave. Don’t be afraid, Elephant, you are in good hands.”

As can be seen from these examples, the first results of English classes with children under three years old can appear just by the age of three, if you started studying a year or earlier.

From three to six

When my daughter turned three years old, I had to graduate from university and get a job. There was less time for activities with the child, and we enrolled her in kindergarten. We just periodically found the opportunity to read English books, watch English cartoons or listen to our favorite fairy tales in English, usually before bed.

English at school

I felt the real results of our “classes” when my daughter went to school. Despite the fact that she became seriously interested in sports, and this caused some damage to her academic performance, and she did not become an excellent student (she is a stable A student), her grade in English was always excellent.

She reads well, remembers and retells texts and dialogues, and perfectly translates from English into Russian and vice versa. Excellent at composing his own stories in English. At the same time, I never resorted to the help of tutors (which saved us a lot of money), and I never helped her with school English.

Sometimes she complained that English lessons at school were boring for her, but this did not turn into a tragedy. At school English lessons, she still studied transcription signs, rules of reading and writing, in general, everything that is inappropriate to do in early preschool childhood.

At the end of the third grade, without any preparation (!), together with the fifth graders (!), she passed the Cambridge English language proficiency exam (Movers level) at a local British center. I passed it perfectly.

I hope our example will inspire many parents! I wish you good luck with all my heart!

English is not very complex languages, similar to Japanese. Therefore, it can be taught at any time without outside help. Main - the right motivation. In this article we will tell you how to learn English on your own from scratch. And the best assistant in this matter is an English language self-teacher.

In contact with

Self-study algorithm

Where to start learning English? Here are some important points:

First you need choose goals. Why do you need knowledge of English? The fact is that during the learning process you will have to constantly motivate yourself, devoting time to the language every day. Motivation plays a decisive role. Perhaps you need knowledge of the language to travel, study abroad, or communicate with English-speaking friends.
Get ready to work hard. You should not trust methods that are widely advertised and promise to turn a beginner into a professional who speaks fluent English in a month. There are no miracles. Really learn a language in a few months so that you can understand what you read and communicate. According to professionals, to know English like a native speaker, it will take decades.
You need to learn the language from the beginning, that is, with . The letters in the transcription are pronounced differently from how they are written. After memorizing the pronunciation of letters, you can begin to memorizing words.
Planning when learning words is extremely important. Set yourself a goal to learn, for example, five hundred words per month. Priority should be given to those words that are used in everyday life, that is in everyday speech.
Create your own dictionary by writing down the words you just learned. . You need to write by hand, because that’s how it works best motor memory. You can also use cards with Russian words written on one side and their translation on the other.
At the same time as memorizing words, study basics to build phrases. Try to repeat out loud what you learn as much as possible.
More often watch English videos With subtitles. Pause your viewing periodically to memorize the passage.
Listen to radio such as BBC to learn colloquial.
Use audiobooks, having a paper version at hand and on, in order to be able to compare the original and the translation.
Make language learning a priority by devoting it daily at least 30 minutes time for each lesson. By taking breaks and distractions, you can learn a language easily and without stress.

Independent learning of English at home.

Method for beginners

You shouldn’t count on quick results in your training, because Everyone's speed of memorization is different.. Language abilities are purely individual. It is realistic to expect some kind of breakthrough in the level of proficiency after three years from the start of study - this is what practice shows. Words in English at the level of a phrasebook can be studied in a month. These are question-and-answer structures that will come in handy if you go abroad. English for beginners is usually limited to everyday vocabulary and simple phrases.

Important! Visualization is essential in learning English. Be sure to review the topics included in the tutorials.

When studying you can use materials on DVDs, which contain both images with English words and translations for them. At the same time, the announcer pronounces the words correctly. Manuals on disks are varied: they contain everything you need for the language in a complex.

Remember that learning English is based on three areas: pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar. And it is important to combine this without compromising your psychological comfort.

A beginner must first learn the simplest grammar ( verbs, and sentence construction), learn to read in English, and only then move on to watching films. An advanced student who has mastered grammar should emphasize in speech practice. This is the only way to remove accent from speech.

Immersion in an English-speaking environment has important. To do this, you need to communicate with people who speak fluent English, listen to music with such lyrics. If, for example, you move to the country of the language you are learning, then the learning process is shortened doubled.

Don't be shy about asking those who are professionals. You can ask your foreign language teacher about which methodology to choose and which teaching materials are best.

The Internet contains a lot of information about good manuals. English teachers create their own websites they post manuals and share their experiences.

You can chat with a native speaker via Skype. There are also thematic chat rooms, which are very easy to find using the Yahoo search engine. In addition, you can correspond by e-mail, write messages on Twitter and Facebook.

Attention! The method of learning English on your own involves learning the language little by little, but every day.

Manuals and tutorials online

Using the online tutorial, you will learn in just a month read, understand content of English films on Youtube, original lyrics. But the most important thing is that you can Express your thoughts and understand your interlocutors.

To assess your level of achievement, take the test. It's not difficult as it contains about 20 questions. Tests are designed for different levels: from basic (Elementary) to high (Advanced).

Will help you understand the language better and construct phrases online lessons. Here the grammar is presented step by step, starting with the verb “to be”. This is used in constructing time structures of the past, present and future. Having additionally studied figures of speech, you can already quite speak fluently.

It should be noted that online learning is best done in interactive form, that is, through dialogue with a virtual interlocutor. This allows model communication, just like in real life.

Gadgets help turn learning English into an exciting activity. This special applications for Android and iPhone platforms. The advantage of apps is that they contain analogues of paper cards with English words. Training takes place in a couple of clicks.

English for children

Children open to everything new, and if the child has shown sincere interest, you need at learn English in a playful way. The easiest way to do this is by viewing tutorials on the Internet by typing “English for children from scratch” into a search engine.

For example, you can show your child a colorful website fairy-english.ru Such sites are created specifically for young students and taking into account their characteristics.

In addition, there are many videos posted online, filmed specifically for children by professional teachers. Lessons for beginners are presented in in a simple and clear form.

Attention! Tutorial videos help you learn a language faster and more effectively.

The basic principle in learning language in children is progression. This means we need to move forward. from simple concepts to more complex ones. The child is able to learn those words in English that he already knows in Russian. Reading the dictionary will not give you anything: it is necessary learn words from pictures. A simple example. By doing exercises in the morning, you can learn the names of body parts, and during breakfast, learn the pronunciation of the names of menus and products in English.

How to learn English with your child at home

It is important to imagine the process of learning a language as a game, but motivating that by playing it, the child will receive a prize. Knowledge will give the key to the treasure. And the child will be interested in learning and comprehending new things. Of course, you cannot deceive a child. In the form of a treasure, you can purchase a disk with cartoons in English or a book of English fairy tales in the original.

Motivation to learn a language

After a while, the child may become bored with the language and may find new entertainment. It `s naturally. To stay motivated, you need to do the following:

regularly buy bright and colorful aids (CDs, books, games);
give the child a chance perform at a competition with knowledge of the language, take part in the Olympiad, where certificates and awards are awarded;
enroll in an English speaking club, introduce you to equally enthusiastic children;
learn a language together with a child, who often follows the example of an adult.

Teaching children English in a playful way is much easier and faster.

Online tutorials for children

If the child is really interested, you can use a popular English language tutorial.

Website about a funny tiger cub who speaks English: http://lingualeo.com/ru.

Conclusion

The advantage of the independent approach is that you can choose methods, study for as many hours as your mood allows, choose the level of language to study. If you study English in courses, then the student will always limited in choice, because the teacher decides for him. Take advantage of this opportunity, because now you know how to learn English on your own at home.