How to quickly learn English for a child. Learning English with a child at an early age

And so we taught our child, with the help of fun lessons (games, flashcards, videos, cartoons, songs), to speak simple English. He is already 6-7 years old, he can read and write in Russian and firmly knows Russian letters. Now is the time to start learning to read English and master the first rules. Of course, the abilities of children are different: for some, the optimal age for learning may be 8 years old, and for others, 5. Parents themselves should identify the abilities of their children and in no case try to forcefully mold them into child prodigies just because the neighbor a child is already a polyglot at three years old.

Teaching children to read in English should begin in two stages.

First: we learn the English alphabet, and it is possible not in alphabetical order, but starting with the letters used in words that the child has already learned and learned to pronounce well. For example, the words:

table, dog, cat, apple, water, tiger, lion, car, house, etc.

It is very important to start learning with understandable and familiar words: knowing the pronunciation and seeing the word itself, the brain learns to make analogies, and the child’s brain works intuitively and twice as fast as an adult.

How to teach the English alphabet

It is easier to teach the alphabet using a card, which additionally provides a transcription of the sound of each letter.

How to remember the alphabet:

We learn several letters a day and use them in words
We note that the phonetic sound of a letter in the alphabet and a word can be completely different
We reinforce the letters we have learned with fun lessons:
kids can learn with this fun “pig” family.

I think they will enjoy the lesson below:

Older children can have fun with entire songs composed for each letter of the alphabet. Such dynamic and entertaining learning gives an amazing effect in memorizing the alphabet and reading the first words

Children learning the rules of English phonetics

The second stage begins at the very beginning of learning to read and runs parallel to it all the way. Children will learn the following rules:

the same letters and letter combinations in words can be pronounced differently
some letters are written but not readable
one letter can be read with two sounds, and vice versa: a letter combination can have 2-3 letters read with one sound

All this is called phonetics, and in order to master it, you need to master the rules of transcription and know:

What's happened long vowels sounds:
these are the ones that are pronounced drawlingly

What's happened short vowels sounds:
pronounced briefly, sometimes their sound corresponds to the Russian sound, and sometimes to a special, so-called neutral, intermediate between two neighboring (-o and -a, -a and -e) sounds

What are diphthongs and triphthongs:
these are sounds consisting of two or three elements

What are voiced and voiceless consonants:
English voiced ones are pronounced more energetically than Russian ones and are not stunned at the end

Reinforcement techniques for learning to read

To explain phonetic rules, it is advisable to have cards with transcriptions of sounds in these categories.
By showing the card, we learn the rules of pronunciation of each sound, in accordance with Russian sounds. If there is no Russian equivalent, then the pronunciation of the sound is described in detail, indicating the location of the tongue or the location of a similar sound

For example, this rule for pronouncing the sound [θ]:

When pronouncing the sound [θ], you need to position your tongue as if you were going to pronounce the sound “s”, only place the tip between your teeth.

Or the following rule for pronouncing the sound [ə]:

The sound [ə] is pronounced as a mean between -o and -a, or unstressed -o and -a in the words “water” and “room”.

In the process of teaching phonetics, we reinforce the rules of reading using examples of words.

Such not very interesting lessons can be diversified with visual videos:

I can’t help but remind you of the wonderful technology of color reading, which greatly simplifies children’s intuitive memorization of the rules of phonetics in practice.

Check out this very informative and useful lesson on English reading lessons:

Many modern parents are wondering how to explain English to their child. Indeed, this is a very pressing problem, because everyone knows how important it is in our world to speak foreign languages - often, their knowledge helps a person to significantly succeed in life, make a good career and move to a new level of well-being. And the best time to learn English is in childhood, when a person’s mind is as flexible and receptive to new information as possible. But how can we begin to solve this important task? How can parents help their child learn new information? You can succeed if you listen to the advice of experts.

Of course, the best person to explain English to a child is a specialist. Enroll your little one in courses so that an experienced teacher can work with him. After all, mom and dad themselves, even if they are fluent in a foreign language, are unlikely to be able to pass on their knowledge to the child - for this you need to be, first of all, a teacher.

An experienced specialist is able to interest the baby. In addition, it is important that the child will gain knowledge surrounded by his peers, and learning together is much easier and more interesting. So a professional English kindergarten, for example, will be an ideal option for you. In such conditions, a child will be able to master a foreign language no worse than if he lived in a state where everyone communicates in it.

However, it also happens that parents have to work with their son or daughter on their own. And then the question of how to interest a child in English becomes very relevant. Note that the easiest and most convenient way to do this is by playing. Use bright, beautiful, interesting books, cubes, toys, pictures with English letters or words. The more the child likes them, the faster and easier he will master new knowledge.

The method of collaborative learning is also very effective. In this case, the child and his parents (or at least one of them) learn a foreign language together. Moreover, mom or dad must make sure that everything is absolutely clear to the child, that he receives an answer to every question, and that he is not left with any blank spots. Remember, even if some element of grammar or figure of colloquial speech seems insignificant to you, the little student should receive an explanation in any case. After all, it is impossible to master English if “blank spots” remain in the process of mastering it. Remember that you can become the best teacher for your son or daughter - the main thing is to try hard.

Here in Russia they like to say: “He (she) speaks the language perfectly.” There is no such concept in the “Common European Framework for Assessment of Foreign Languages” - language proficiency is determined by six levels (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2, with A1 being the lowest and C2 the highest).

These levels roughly correspond to the names of adult textbooks (Starter, Elementary A1, Pre-Intermediate - A2, Intermediate - B1, and so on).

The vast majority of materials for ages 6-11 years (marked Primary) are at level A1-A2. That is, if you spent 5-10 years struggling with English at school, college, or in courses, then the lexical and grammatical material in a children’s textbook will be within your power (moreover, you will be able to explain it to your child). Vocabulary and grammar at the Upper-Intermediate and Advanced levels will not be actively used any time soon (let's just say: by the time of the final exam in a foreign language, it would be nice for a teenager to have an Upper-Intermediate level).

You have time to improve your own English - “go one step ahead of the child.”

With other skills the situation may be more complicated.

Pronunciation

Children will copy your pronunciation. If it is imperfect, it is necessary to actively use audio and video materials and strive to copy the speech of the announcers yourself.

It is worth understanding the “Runglish” errors in your own speech and eliminating them before the child has time to adopt them.

Runglish speakers do not differentiate between open/closed and short/long vowel sounds. For example, they pronounce /i/ (heat) and /ɪ/ (hit), /ɔ/ (port) and /ɒ/ (pot), /ɑ/ (heart) and /ʌ/ (hut), etc. in the same way. d.

In Runglish, the sound /æ/ (bad) sounds like /ɛ/ (bed).

At the end of a word, voiced consonants are pronounced as voiceless, so it is impossible to distinguish the word dog from dock, hard from heart, etc.

The absence of sounds /ð/ and /θ/ in Russian leads to the fact that, for example, the word thing can be pronounced as sing, and then pronounced as zen.

Remember the transcription icons and pay attention to the transcription of those words that you will learn with your child. Please note: the transcription symbols in British dictionaries and textbooks differ from those we are used to seeing in Russian textbooks (not by much, don’t be alarmed). Teaching a child to read (let alone write down) transcription at this level is inappropriate. It saddens me to learn from parents that in the first or second grade, having barely mastered the first English words, children began to study transcription. Parents should know this! And the child can use a talking dictionary (Lingvo, for example).

Copy the pronunciation of phrases that you encounter in audio and video courses.

Learn a few expressions of approval in English and try to use them. Well done! Good job! You're good at it! Excellent! (praise often, but honestly). Listen to the intonation with which native speakers pronounce these phrases.

Listening

It often turns out that skills are not equally developed. Some students speak well, read well, do grammar exercises flawlessly - and can barely distinguish speech by ear. Which is not surprising if you remember what kind of tape recorders were in classrooms in the 90s and what they listened to on them. But these days, when English-language DVD films, youtube.com (where you can find lectures for adults in English on any topic, including grammar, vocabulary and phonetics), and radio stations broadcast on the Internet are at hand, a parent can improve your knowledge in between.

One of the goals of learning a language at this age is to create positive motivation. Lead by example. Show that you are interested in English. Let your child see that you read English articles, watch films (or educational videos for adults). Tell them that you too will learn new words and expressions. Remember interesting situations from your life related to a foreign language...

Everyday speech and classroom language

Sometimes this aspect is “forgotten” at school and university. It is easier for graduates to describe the history of England or talk about the economic situation than to remember phrases like “Nice to meet you,” “Where are you from,” and “Could you pass the salt?”

There are two options to resolve the problem:
Work through speech cliches as they appear in the children's textbook
Prepare for each lesson certain speech cliches (related to situations), and try to use them more often.

Ideally, you should strive not to switch to Russian again during class.

Tutorials

An adult textbook (even for beginners from scratch), even if very interesting, is also not worth studying with a child. The grammar and vocabulary will be the same, but the topics for discussion, skits, and projects will be completely different (age-appropriate).

Of all the diversity of the English language, the British or American version is usually chosen for study, and less often - Mid-Atlantic English (American, close to British). I recommend studying BRITISH English:
This is the option you most likely studied yourself.
Features of American English can easily be mistaken by a Russian examiner

You can use some American materials, but try to avoid confusion. Understand the question yourself (read about the differences between British and American spelling, grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary) - at least so as not to consider the American version a mistake.

So, the textbook you need is from British English Primary. This tutorial:
British
It is a training course, and not a manual for the development of individual skills (that is, it is not a book for home reading or a grammar, but basic material for classes, combining work on speaking, reading and listening, and ideally also and sections like learning to learn)
Written no more than 10-15 years ago
Intended for children of the appropriate age (sometimes it happens that a nine-year-old student can study using a teenage textbook, but not an adult textbook or a textbook for preschoolers).

I do not recommend taking textbooks by Russian authors as the main course. British textbooks are based on effective methods; they have no errors, very few typos (Russian publishing houses even manage to publish a poster with the English alphabet with errors), they reflect the current state of the language; they were piloted (i.e., groups studied using a trial version of the textbook, and after that the author took into account comments and suggestions); they are part of a large complex of well-written textbooks (that is, once you finish a textbook, you can easily move on to the next level textbook in the same series). It should be noted that some British manuals have recently been Russified - that is, Russian authors have written their own explanations and additions to popular British manuals. If you are studying according to the corresponding British manual, such a book will be very useful.

Use the textbook, but do not try to complete all the tasks as the author suggests; The teacher's book usually contains alternative solutions.

Select educational materials that match your child's level of preparation. Study guides are usually marked as A1, A2, B1 or Starter, Elementary, Pre-Intermediate.

Additional materials

It would be boring to study exclusively from a textbook, even the most interesting one. The textbook is a framework that allows you not to miss important topics, work within the existing level, and move to the next level. And beyond the boundaries of the textbook there is the language itself, alive, interesting, bright. Tell us about the culture and history of England and the USA (in Russian, if possible) - and immediately select some material in VERY SIMPLE ENGLISH to illustrate this. Use video materials - spoken speech is perceived completely differently when it is accompanied by video.

Video courses

The video courses Muzzy in Gondoland and Muzzy comes back are great for this age. This program was created twenty years ago, so you may have already seen a cartoon about a green alien who eats watches, Bob the gardener who is in love with a princess, and an insidious long-nosed villain named Corvax. I highly recommend it. The course can be found online. At the same time, we must remember that watching a cartoon, even if it is brilliant from a methodological point of view, is only a passive acquaintance with the material. After each part, use its material in games and exercises; sing songs that appeared in the cartoon (for example, you came across the question Where are you from? - ask it to everyone you can: Winnie the Pooh, Barack Obama, the hero of a Japanese cartoon... and let them answer!). The course includes interactive exercises, but it will be equally interesting to role-play the story.

You can watch some video courses to reinforce what you have learned. For example, Wizadora! - video course just for this age; this is the story of a witch who doesn’t always succeed in conjuring what she planned (available on torrents.ru)/

There are 4 interesting discs from the Oxford English Video series (listed from simple to complex): Three Billy-Goats; Goldilocks and the Three Bears; The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse; Aladdin. Of these fairy tales, “The Three Bears” and “Aladdin” are well known to Russian children. Each story has four songs that you can learn. The age range of 5-9 years is very arbitrary. Not all nine-year-olds will be enthusiastic about learning from the story; some eleven-year-olds may find it interesting. But the tasks in the application are quite complex.

You don't have to learn English while sitting still! Many well-known games (for example, the edible-inedible ball game) can be used to review English words (and also to exercise and relieve stress). There is an exercise based on the rhyme Humpty Dumpty: sit on the floor, pressing your knees to your chest and clasping them with your arms. When you reach the words “Humpty Dumpty had a great fall,” roll onto your back. Continuing to recite the poem and still holding your knees with your hands, try again moving to a sitting position. The one who succeeds first wins.

You can repeat vocabulary using cards with pictures. At first you just name the pictures, then, when the words are already familiar, you play What’s missing? , or, for example, you put a card (without showing it) in an envelope with a small hole, and from a small fragment of the image the child tries to guess what is shown on the card. There are a huge variety of games with cards.

Nursery Rhymes - nursery rhymes, sometimes very old ones. Therefore, they may contain, for example, outdated grammatical forms. But this is not a reason to refuse them. Many of these poems are usually sung to a specific tune, and sometimes the poems are accompanied by gestures or games. It's worth watching how the American TV presenter shows them
Cullen

The wheels on the bus
Old McDonald had a farm
Miss Polly had a dolly
Head, shoulders, knees and toes
If you"re happy and you know it

Adapted books

This is where there are cases when compliance with level and age does not play such an important role, and you can take a book that is a little more complex than a “framework” textbook. Select reading materials related to your child’s hobbies and life. When working with books for reading, I do not recommend getting carried away with translation - there are many other ways to check your understanding of the text (which also help to consolidate new vocabulary).

One of the many “picture dictionaries” (sometimes accompanied by books of exercises) will come in handy. It’s a good idea to start mastering electronic dictionaries at this stage.

Methodology

Try to look at language not as a set of rules that need to be mastered and then find application for them, but as a set of situations, to each of which certain structures and vocabulary are “attached”. Let’s say, not “explain the Present Simple, do exercises on it and try to use it in speech,” but try to imagine what grammatical structures will be needed for the story “Our Family,” analyze an example of such a story, and then give the child the opportunity to compose based on speech patterns your own story (in this case, the term Present Simple itself will be in the background).

It is important that classes do not turn into exclusively reading and solving grammar “problems”. A lesson in a textbook can be devoted to reading, listening, even writing - but in every lesson the student must speak. Naturally, in the language you are learning - so don’t forget about the classroom language.

Those who have a classroom at home are very lucky: there are many more objects and actions with them that can be discussed in English (remember what you can DO in a school classroom: open a book, go to the blackboard, take chalk, wipe the blackboard... in in general, not so much). At the initial stage there may be a silent period - only you speak, and the child shows a picture or performs an action that you named in English. The names of food products can be learned using edible material.

Put down your textbook!

The sounded word must appear before the written word. Depending on how much earlier, they talk about the oral basis of learning, oral advance or oral presentation of educational material. In British textbooks for this age, level 1 often does not contain ANY text to read - only speech and songs on a disk, and in the book - illustrations for sound stories, exercises in pictures, coloring books (this is how colors are taught), paper figures with which you can play skits. This is the “oral basis of learning.” At the next stage, the text appears, but new words are still spoken first, and only then appear in written form. This partially solves the problem of reading rules: the child already pronounces the word correctly, all that remains is to correlate the pronunciation with the spelling.

We are used to imagining a foreign language textbook as a book with texts, and the progress when working with such a book is quite obvious: first we read simple short texts, then long and complex ones. And with an oral basis of learning, the language becomes elusive, and it is more difficult for us to assess what path has already been taken. Look at the tutorial in terms of functions (eg: Introduction, Greeting and Farewell). What has the child learned to talk about?

Don't turn classes into exams. “Come on, how would it be in English...” - ask family and friends not to contact your child with such questions. If they are able to carry on a conversation in English or tell a fairy tale, that’s great, but there’s no need to give your child a translation exam (this is neither learning something new nor practicing something familiar - these are words and phrases taken out of context). How vocabulary is mastered is checked using tests inside the textbook itself; in addition, words from each topic “pop up” in the next one (this happens in a good textbook).

There is such a concept - exposure, which can be translated by the word “impact”. In order to master a language, you need to hear many, many examples of the language, and these examples must be varied, and in level - a little more complex than what we have already mastered. Ideally, I will say this again, in an English lesson you should only speak English (this will not happen right away).

Attitude towards mistakes

Don't try to fix all the mistakes. Errors are often divided into two types - errors and slips. Errors occur when a person simply does not know the correct option. Sometimes you don’t even have to talk about such a mistake (it’s impossible to master all the rules at once). Slips - errors where the student already knows the rule. It’s worth making sure he can fix them himself. For a child to learn to speak English, he needs to speak often and a lot. If you dwell on every mistake, your speech will turn into a collection of correctly pronounced words with long pauses between them.

Already at this stage, you can gradually master learning strategies (for example, how to learn words, how to use a dictionary).

When assessing the results of classes, pay attention not only to how many words have been mastered and what grammatical phrases the child has learned. There are achievements that are less “tangible”, but no less important (for example, independence in working with a topic, the ability to evaluate oneself, a creative approach to memorizing words). Together with your child, learn to come up with vivid examples for memorizing words.

Interdisciplinary connections

Language is well acquired when it turns from a goal into a means (to achieve another goal). Try printing out a description of an interesting craft and making it.

Try to find a very simple text on a topic that is interesting to the child (difficult, but doable; you can even use text from an adult textbook at Starter or Elementary levels).

So, we continue to change our child’s attitude towards the English language from indifferent or negative to positive and sincerely interested. In previous articles I have already told you how you can. It remains to answer the last question we posed at the beginning of this topic: How to make it clear to your child why learn english, Why does he need to do this homework?

First, think with your child, How knowledge of English can help him right now How is English useful for a child now? (This is the first, because, to be honest, not many children are able to set long-term goals for themselves regarding future work, etc., because it will not be soon, “then I’ll learn it,” the child thinks, not understanding which then will be much more difficult).

* for example, if you go on vacation abroad, knowledge of English Maybe help the child find friends there from almost any country (after all, English is still considered an international language)

* even if you don’t go on vacation abroad, your child can find pen pals on the Internet from any country and correspond with them in English or talk on Skype (advanced option)

Some of the methods here are consistent with those that I proposed to use. But you can simply use them for entertainment, to attract attention, or you can explain to the child what benefits he will receive if he knows English. For example,

In the following articles I will give specific examples of educational programs, cartoons, films and books for different ages and levels that you can offer your child to achieve our goals.

I wish you success in overcoming your child’s English problems at school and in life. I really hope that my simple tips will help you make your life and the life of your child at least a little better and more successful.

If you have questions related to solving problems with English in children, write in the comments, I will definitely answer and try to give you recommendations.

Do you want remain a regular reader of my site? For your convenience subscribe to my newsletter and receive personal invitations by email to the most interesting and relevant articles, literature reviews, master classes on making holiday costumes, knitting, useful for parents, ideas for children's parties and much more to help you. To do this simply

It's no secret that a child's success in school depends on his motivation to study a particular subject. When he is interested, new knowledge is absorbed by itself. A trip to Greece or to the Egyptian pyramids awakens in a little person a craving for history, a trip to the mountains - for geography. The children's construction set develops spatial thinking in the baby. The simplest experiments in natural history can inspire a passion for physics and chemistry. Children's perception is very specific. A little person enters a world where there is an overabundance of information. Therefore, from this mass he selects only that which may seem useful to him. Well, why study foreign languages if everyone around you - in the family, at school, and on the street - speaks their native language? Insufficient understanding of the benefits often leads to poor grades in this subject. In this article we will tell parents how to motivate their child to learn a foreign language.

"New Latin"

So, someone else's speech. Russian is one of the world languages. All international agreements and conventions are translated into it. But still, English is considered the language for planetary communication. Explain to your child that in the Middle Ages, every more or less educated person had to know Latin. Only with its help could a Pole and a Spaniard, a Swede and an Italian understand each other. In the modern world, Latin has replaced English. Having mastered it, you can communicate with all people on the planet - the Japanese, the Germans, the French. In many countries besides Great Britain, this language is the official language. This includes the USA and Canada, as well as South Africa, Australia, and Malta. Let your child correspond with a girl or boy from these countries. First, help him compose messages and translate replies. Very quickly your child will understand why he needs to learn English. After all, he will want to tell his foreign peer something that parents should not know about.

Trips

Nothing develops a child's mind more than a complete change of environment. Another country, new acquaintances... What a pity that among numerous peers on the playground, your child feels like a black sheep only because “the great and powerful” is not enough to communicate with them. When children are small, sign language comes to the rescue. But in order to integrate more fully into the team and make friends, you have to go further. The child himself will understand why he needs to learn languages: so that he has someone to have fun with. In addition, a minimum vocabulary will allow a child to navigate a new country and prevent him from getting lost. Fluency in the language of the country will give you the joy of communicating with local residents and will allow you to learn more about the country.

Back to basics

Perhaps your ancestors come from other countries, belong to other nationalities. Convince your child that it is a shame not to know the language his grandfathers spoke. Even if you communicate in Russian with your family, let knowledge of this dialect be your small asset. Then you will be able to freely talk about private topics in public places. And one more reason why you need to study foreign languages: your foreign relatives may come to you. It doesn’t matter whether your family emigrated from there or they left Russia. It will be great if the child greets them with greetings in their native language. In addition, if you decide to change citizenship, all family members will have to demonstrate that they are fluent in the dialect of the new country of residence. For example, a Pole's Card or a Hungarian passport can only be obtained after successfully passing a language exam.

Continuing your studies

Is your child making progress in a certain school subject and dreams of continuing his specialized education at a university? Educate him in advance that in higher educational institutions, even technical ones, the requirements for mastering a foreign language are very high. After all, all scientific achievements are first published in American journals. A foreign language at a university assumes that the student has already mastered a basic level of knowledge. If a child misses school science and does not master the subject at a sufficient level, he will not only fail the session, but will not even pass the competition for some faculties. After all, a foreign language is included in the entrance exam program for many specialties, and not only philological ones.

Career growth: why you need to study languages

Moving up the career ladder is another reason to put in the effort and spend time cramming English. If you need to send an employee to a prestigious international conference, who will the boss choose for an overseas business trip - a dumb worker or a person who can express an idea, make new and useful connections, promote his products, and conclude a lucrative contract? The answer is obvious. This is why you need to learn languages: to stand out from your colleagues. Moreover, with knowledge of English, the latest information is available to you. You can read or google what is “closed sealed” for others.

Just for fun

Even the best translation cannot compare with the original. He is like a crutch when walking. Supports, but does not allow healthy legs to enjoy running. Each language has its own sound, melody, specificity, flavor, in a word, soul. An adverb conveys the character of the people who speak it. English is very logical and structured, German is precise, Spanish is passionate, Italian and Ukrainian are the most melodic, French has come up with so many words about love like no other. Intrigue your child - why do you need to learn languages? To be able to watch films and read books in the original, so that when listening to music, you can enjoy not only the melody, but also the lyrics of the song. Join the world treasury of culture, the key to which is given only by knowledge of languages.