Do you want to help your child become a more confident and fluent English speaker? One of the most effective ways to do so is by promoting speaking at home. In this blog post, we will explore three practical and proven ways to encourage your child to speak more English, ultimately helping them improve their language proficiency and communication skills. Get ready to learn some valuable strategies to promote your child's speaking skills at home!
Unlocking Your Child's English Language Potential: Providing the Right Key to Open the Door of Expression
Just like a key unlocks a door, providing high-quality input is the key to unlocking your child's ability to express themselves confidently in English. By selecting engaging topics and relevant grammar structures, you can find the right key that fits the lock of your child's language learning needs. With the right key, you can swing open the door of expression and help your child communicate effectively in English!
Research has consistently shown that in order for English Language Learners (ELLs) to speak more freely and confidently, they need to be exposed to high-quality input (Gass & Selinker, 2008; Krashen, 1985).
In other words, the more rich and diverse English content a child is exposed to, the better they will be able to express themselves in the language.
According to Stephen Krashen's Input Hypothesis, language learners acquire new linguistic skills when they are exposed to input that is slightly beyond their current level of comprehension, known as "i+1" (Krashen, 1985). This means that parents should aim to provide their children with English materials that are challenging, yet still understandable. To achieve this, consider what topics or grammar structures you want your child to practice speaking about, and then provide them with input that incorporates these elements.
Furthermore, it's important to remember that language acquisition is not a passive process; students need time to process and internalize the input they receive before they can effectively produce output (Swain, 1995).
As a parent, it's crucial to allow your child time to listen to and engage with the content before expecting them to participate in output or speaking activities.
In this section, we'll explore four strategies to achieve this, including watching English-language content, reading together, and maintaining a journal.
Watching English-language TV shows, movies, and YouTube videos (with subtitles) can be a fun and engaging way to improve your child's listening skills and vocabulary. After watching an episode or a short video clip, encourage your child to summarize what they've seen in their own words. You can also ask open-ended questions about the content to prompt them to think critically and express their opinions. For example, if you watched a documentary on wildlife, you might ask, "What did you find most interesting about the animals we saw?" or "Why do you think it's important to protect their habitat?"
Reading English books, magazines, and news articles together is another excellent way to develop your child's reading and comprehension skills. While reading, you can pause and ask your child to explain the meaning of a word, a phrase, or the main idea of a passage. After finishing a chapter or an article, engage in a conversation about the content, discussing new words and expressions. You can model sentences using the newly learned vocabulary, and encourage your child to do the same. For instance, after reading an article about environmental conservation, you could say, "We need to reduce our carbon footprint to protect the environment," and then ask your child to form their own sentence using "carbon footprint."
Encourage your child to express their understanding of the content they've listened to or read through creative activities such as drawing a picture or writing in a journal. Ask them to draw a scene from a story they've read, or to create a visual representation of an idea from a video. Then tell them to explain their picture to you.
This will help your child internalize the content and allow them to communicate their understanding in a different way. While discussing their artwork, ask questions like, "What inspired you to draw this scene?" or "How do the characters feel in this situation?"
Maintaining a journal or diary in English is an excellent way for your child to practice writing and self-expression. After listening to or reading a piece of content, ask your child to write a short reflection, summarizing their thoughts, feelings, and any questions they may have. This will help them process and retain the information better while improving their writing skills. To elicit more speaking from your child, have them share their journal entries with you and discuss their thoughts and ideas further.
By incorporating these activities into your child's English learning routine, you will not only expose them to a rich variety of English input, but also create opportunities for them to express their understanding and thoughts, ultimately helping them become more confident and fluent speakers.
Choosing Relevant Topics and Grammar Structures for English Input and Output
When selecting topics and grammar structures for your child's English input and output, it's essential to consider their interests, everyday conversation needs, and areas where they may need improvement.
Focusing on engaging topics and relevant language structures will help maintain your child's motivation and ensure that they are learning practical skills for real-life communication.
Start by observing what topics your child enjoys discussing in their native language. Think about the subjects that spark their curiosity or hold their attention. You can also directly ask your child what topics they are interested in or would like to explore. Some questions to help gauge their interests could include:
- "What's your favorite subject at school and why?"
- "What hobbies or activities do you enjoy the most?"
- "If you could learn about anything, what would it be?"
- "What topics do you find the most interesting in books or movies?"
In addition to their interests, consider incorporating topics that are frequently used in everyday conversation. These might include family, friends, school, hobbies, sports, food, travel, or current events. You can find materials such as news articles, podcasts, or YouTube videos that cover these subjects to provide diverse input opportunities.
When selecting grammar structures to focus on, consider your child's current language proficiency level and the areas where they may need improvement. You can consult their English teacher or a language assessment tool to help identify specific grammar points to target. Additionally, you can concentrate on the language structures commonly used in the topics you've chosen. For instance, if you've picked a topic about planning a trip, you could focus on grammar structures related to making suggestions, asking for and giving directions, or expressing preferences.
By carefully choosing topics and grammar structures that align with your child's interests and needs, you'll be able to provide them with meaningful input that encourages natural and engaging output, ultimately helping them become more confident and fluent English speakers.
Practice Makes Perfect: Daily Doses of English Expression
To help your child become a more confident and fluent English speaker, it's crucial to provide them with consistent daily practice in English conversation and language output. In this section, we'll explore several strategies to achieve this, including language exchanges, attending English-speaking events, role-playing, using flashcards, participating in online communities, and learning idioms.
Encourage your child to engage in daily English conversations with native speakers or other English learners. If possible, arrange language exchange programs with native English-speaking friends or classmates. Alternatively, you can consider enrolling your child in a local English academy or signing them up for online kid-friendly English chat platforms. These interactive environments will allow your child to practice their English speaking skills in a supportive and structured setting.
Attend English-speaking events, clubs, or workshops in your community to provide your child with real-life opportunities to practice their English conversation skills. In Korea, many cultural centers, libraries, and expat organizations offer English-speaking events or gatherings. These activities not only help your child practice their language skills but also expose them to different cultures and perspectives.
Role-playing is an excellent way for your child to practice English in various social situations. You can create scenarios based on their interests or everyday experiences, such as ordering food at a restaurant, asking for directions, or discussing a favorite book. This will help them become more comfortable and confident in using English in real-life contexts.
Utilize flashcards, games, and quizzes to help your child learn new vocabulary and practice sentence structure. There are several free English learning apps available that can make vocabulary practice engaging and fun, such as Quizlet, Anki, or Memrise. These apps often include pronunciation guides and sample sentences, helping your child understand how to use new words in context.
Teach your child English idioms, slang, and expressions to help them better understand native speakers and communicate more naturally. Introducing these elements of the language will make their conversations more engaging and help them feel more at ease when speaking English. You can find resources such as books, websites, or YouTube channels dedicated to teaching idiomatic expressions and slang to English learners.
By incorporating these activities into your child's daily routine, you'll create consistent opportunities for English conversation and language output, ultimately helping them become more confident and fluent speakers.
Remember, the key to success in language learning is regular practice and persistence, so be patient and supportive as your child continues to improve their English skills.
For more resources for daily English practice:
YouTube channels for English learning:
- Rachel's English
- Learn English with Emma [engVid]
- English with Lucy
Kid-friendly English chat forums:
- EnglishClub's "Let's Talk" Forum: While this forum is not specifically designed for kids, the "Let's Talk" section provides a safe environment for English learners of all ages to practice their conversation skills. However, parental supervision is recommended for younger children.)
Flashcards:
Idioms:
Please note that while these resources are generally reliable and reputable, it's essential to monitor your child's online activities to ensure they are engaging with age-appropriate and safe content. Always exercise caution and consider using parental controls or supervision when your child is using online resources.
Cultivating Confident Speech: Embracing Native Speaker Interaction for Accelerated English Proficiency
One of the most effective ways to help your child speak English more freely and comfortably is by providing them with opportunities to practice and learn from native speakers. Research has shown that regular interaction with native English speakers significantly improves language learners' fluency, pronunciation, and overall speaking abilities (Long, 1996; Pica, 1994).
Private tutoring or chatting with native speakers, particularly through online platforms, can be an efficient and flexible way to build your child's English speaking skills. Online native speaker teachers can provide tailored lessons that cater to your child's unique learning needs, interests, and goals. These personalized lessons can help them overcome their speaking barriers and gain confidence in their English abilities more rapidly than through traditional classroom or hagwon settings.
While learning English at home with a parent or attending a hagwon can provide some language exposure and practice, these environments may lack the essential element of direct interaction with native speakers. Native English-speaking tutors can offer your child authentic, real-world language use, which is crucial for developing natural-sounding speech patterns and improving pronunciation.
They can also provide immediate feedback and corrections, which is invaluable for reinforcing accurate language use and building confidence.
Now Speak English Online is a platform that offers tailored English lessons for students of all ages, designed to help them open up their speech quickly and feel confident in speaking English. By connecting your child with a native English-speaking tutor, they'll receive the support and guidance they need to make significant gains in their speaking abilities. With regular practice and feedback from their tutor, your child will be well on their way to speaking English more freely and comfortably.
In conclusion, engaging with native English speakers is a powerful way to accelerate your child's language learning journey. By combining the advantages of online tutoring with the expertise of native speakers, your child will receive the most effective and personalized learning experience possible, setting them up for success in their English language endeavors.
References:
- Gass, S. M., & Selinker, L. (2008). Second language acquisition: An introductory course. Routledge.
- Krashen, S. D. (1985). The input hypothesis: Issues and implications. Addison-Wesley Longman Ltd.
- Long, M. H. (1996). The role of the linguistic environment in second language acquisition. In W. C. Ritchie & T. K. Bhatia (Eds.), Handbook of second language acquisition (pp. 413-468). Academic Press.
- Pica, T. (1994). Research on negotiation: What does it reveal about second-language learning conditions, processes, and outcomes? Language Learning, 44(3), 493-527.
- Swain, M. (1995). Three functions of output in second language learning. In G. Cook & B. Seidlhofer (Eds.), Principle and practice in applied linguistics: Studies in honor of H. G. Widdowson (pp. 125-144). Oxford University Press.https://apps.ankiweb.net/
