Top Tips for Helping Your Child Learn a New Language

24th October 2021 Family

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Learning a new language can do many things for your child. Impress colleges, make connecting with those across the world easier, open the door for a career abroad and even protect the brain from dementia later on in life. 

A private sixth form in Reigate shares their top tips for helping your child learn a new language.

Introduce Foreign TV Programmes

Pretty unconventional as far as learning resources go but watching a TV programme in another language can help your child to simultaneously pick up the language too. Switch on the subtitles and slowly your child will begin to form connections with particular words to form their own mental dictionary. Unlike adults, children find it easier to learn new concepts and where this may seem taxing for an adult, is great fun for children.

A Holiday Abroad

A trip to a beautiful country is always the perfect fix. This way you can also help your child to get plenty of practice when talking to locals. Alternatively, you might want to send your child to study abroad where they can fully integrate into the culture during the holidays and take part in language classes.

Speak in Your Mother Tongue

If English isn’t your first language, why not speak to your child in your mother tongue from an early age? This will help your child to pick up the language easier as our brains can absorb new information better at a younger age. Also talking in another language around the house will give your child plenty of practice and opportunity to perfect their pronunciation and grammar.

A Tutor

Getting a tutor for your child may help them to pick up a language faster. Tutors can pay more attention to your child’s educational needs and create a safe space where your child is able to ask questions more freely. This is particularly beneficial when learning a new language as grammatical issues can be rectified easily and parents lack the knowledge needed to help.