Glacier's Dry Goods｜10 Super Practical Ways to Ignite Young Children's Interest in English
Interests are the “knockout” for younger students at study abroad/summer school.”
Many parents ask Court Leahy, “What should I do if my child is not interested in English and I want to send him to summer school or study abroad in the UK in the future?”
In fact, the core of early childhood English enlightenment is not “how many words to memorize”, but “let the child be willing to speak” - Courtesy of the successful cases of studying abroad at an early age, 90% children have established a good sense of English at the early childhood stage. 90% children have built up a good sense of English in the early childhood stage. Today, we share 10 practical ways to ignite your child's interest in English, based on our many years of experience in summer schools, au pairs and junior study abroad.
I. Family scenarios: being an “English partner” rather than a “supervisor”
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Parents “play” first, then children will follow the lessons
Don't turn English into a “task”! A case study of an au pair family in Courrèges shows that when parents and children watch English animations (e.g. Peppa Pig), read picture books (we recommend the Brown Bear series), or even play rock-paper-scissors in English, children will naturally think of English as a “language of play” rather than a “burden of learning”. scissors“) in English, children will naturally think of English as a ”language of play“ rather than a ”burden of learning".
Misconceptions to avoidDon't force your child to “get it right” - even if your child uses “apple” instead of “red apple! Even if your child uses ”apple“ instead of ”red apple," praise him or her with "You said it right!" Protect the courage to speak up.
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Replace boring exercises with “immersive games”.
Like the “English Scavenger Hunt” in the Gerlach Summer School: English flashcards are hidden in the corner of the living room, and the child finds them and describes the object in English (“This is a car. It's blue.”) This kind of play is a great way to learn vocabulary in the middle school. This kind of play-learning method is three times more efficient than rote memorization at home.
This can be replicated at home: for example, the “supermarket shopping” role-play - take a toy fruit, let the child say “I want a banana” in English, and the parent responds with “Here you are! ”Here you are!" to simulate a real-life scenario.
Second, interest-driven: let children actively “want to talk”
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“Customize content” to match your child's interests.”
- Girls who like princesses: Play “Princess Tea Party” with her (say “Would you like some tea?” in English);
- Boys who like cars: talk about the difference between “truck” and “bus” in English;
Gerlach TipsAu pairs will design interactions according to the child's interests - for example, if a child likes dinosaurs, the au pair will watch an English-language dinosaur documentary with the child and explain “T-Rex is big!” in simple sentences, which is personalized content that the child will be more willing to listen to.
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Let your child be a “little teacher” and get a sense of accomplishment.
In our Pre-University Program, children are encouraged to give their parents “lessons”: for example, if they have learned the word “animal”, they can teach their parents to say “cat” or “dog”. For example, if they have learned the word “animal”, they can teach their parents to say "cat" and "dog". This reversal of roles makes children feel that "I can speak English and I am good at it", which in turn makes them more motivated to learn.
It's even better for two-child families: having the oldest child read picture books in English to the second child reinforces knowledge and fosters a sense of responsibility.
III. Long-term padding: laying the foundation for summer school/study abroad
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Build up in “bits and pieces” rather than in a centralized manner“
The summer school counselors at Courtesy of Court Leahy suggest: avoid forcing English when your child is tired, and instead utilize fragments of time - for example:
- 10 minutes before bedtime: read 1 page of an English picture book;
- On the way to and from school: listen to English children's songs (Super Simple Songs series is recommended);
Effect: This “lightweight, high-frequency” input is better for developing a sense of language than a 2-hour cram class once a week.
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Breaking through “mute English” with the help of “real environments”.”
Want to get your child talking? Try our au pair program: foreign families will accompany your child to communicate in English (e.g. “Wash your hands”, “Let's go play”), and your child will be able to speak more frequently in a stress-free environment. In a stress-free environment, the child's speaking frequency will increase by 50% within 3 months.
Or join the Collegiate Summer School: on the British campus, children must communicate with classmates and teachers in English, an immersive environment that quickly breaks down the barrier of “not daring to speak”.
IV. Resource utilization: more efficient with less money
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Free resources used correctly, the effect does not lose paid lessons
Note: Control screen time - no more than 20 minutes in a single session, with “offline interaction” (e.g. after watching the animation, use the toys to reenact the plot and say the lines in English), the effect is better.
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Form an “English community” and supervise each other.
Form a WeChat group with parents in the same neighborhood/kindergarten:
- Daily punch card: audio of your child reading an English picture book;
- Weekend gatherings: play English games together (e.g. “Word Solitaire”);
Gerlach Welfare: The summer alumni group organizes regular online English interactions, where children can communicate with their buddies from all over the world, expanding their horizons and practicing their English at the same time.
V. Parental mindset: “backing” rather than “refereeing”
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Be “specific” in your praise and “gentle” in your criticism.”
- Yes: “You said ‘I want water’ in English today, and you said it very clearly!” (specific praise);
- Wrong: “Why are you wrong again?” (a blow to confidence);
The Gerlach ExperienceConfidence is more important than correctness in learning English for younger children - even if your child says “apple red” (wrong word order), praise him/her first “You know the color of apple, that's great! You know the color apple. Then correct them with ”You should say red apple“.
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Setting a “fixed time” to develop habits
Pick an “English time” with your child (e.g., 7:00 p.m. each night) that works:
- Completion of English homework for kindergarten;
- Play English games;
A little reminder from Court Leahy:Parents can read a book (even if it's not in English) to create an atmosphere of “co-learning” rather than watching their children do it.
From interest to ability, Coleridge will accompany you.
Early childhood English initiation is not a “short-term task” but a “long-term investment” - it will help your child adapt faster and communicate more confidently in the future summer school/study abroad.
If you want your child to experience an immersive English environment:
- Try the Court Leahy Summer School, a full English interactive program + outdoor activities for your child to practice English while having fun;
- Au pair program: foreign family accompaniment, real daily communication, breaking through the “dumb English”;
Act now: click on the official website [Free Consultation] to get it:
- Exclusive Offer for Summer School/Au Pair Program ($1,000 off)
- 1-to-1 English Head Start Planning Advice.