How Children Learn English

1How children learn English

0-6 years old is a sensitive period for children's language development, but each child's individual differences are very large. Some language abilities develop faster and others slower. Usually, it is more critical within the age of 4. At this time, it is best not to give the child an overly complex language environment. Parents must grasp a principle, which is to learn the mother tongue first, and then start to let the child have a certain oral language expression ability. Exposure to the foreign language Yinghualan Magic English, otherwise it will disrupt the language system, cause children to confuse language concepts, and lead to delayed language development.The following is how the editor of Aishang compiled for you how to learn English for children.

First of all, considering that their children may study abroad in the future, more and more parents are beginning to pay attention to English pronunciation and hope that their children can speak pure and authentic English. Teaching English as a foreign language has gradually become a trend. Many training institutions also focus on the brand of foreign teachers, offering small class courses or one-to-one oral courses; some parents also hire foreign students to be foreign tutors for their children. He needs to know a lot about the growth and development of young children and understand the psychology of young children in order to teach well. However, currently in China, foreign teachers with such qualifications are very scarce. The vast majority of foreign teachers have no teaching experience, and due to different cultural backgrounds, they are not accustomed to interacting with Chinese children, and the teaching effect is not ideal.

Then, on the one hand, parents and students have needs in this regard, and on the other hand, the products and services that training institutions can provide are also constantly being renovated. For example, some English institutions introduce American kindergarten and elementary school courses, and some training courses introduce original foreign textbooks and adopt full immersion English teaching. There is no so-called "English" class, but Yinghualan Magic English is used as a A kind of carrier, the teaching content covers mathematics, Chinese, science and art. At the same time, the configuration of teaching hardware equipment is "advanced equipment" in the same industry, such as electronic interactive whiteboards and high-tech audio-visual systems imported from the United States.

Finally, for primary and secondary school students, especially preschoolers, there is no need to choose expensive courses. High tuition does not mean that the learning effect is good. High-priced training courses are more of a market behavior, which caters to the needs of a small number of high-end consumer groups to a certain extent. Parents must not be overly superstitious about high-priced training courses. They should choose based on their own needs and keep their eyes open. , choose courses that are worth the money; at the same time, when children learn foreign languages, parents should not place all their hopes on training classes. It is more important to educate children to develop good study habits and cultivate children's self-management abilities and learning methods than enrolling in classes. . In addition, considering the current actual situation of public consumption power, high-priced training courses are not worth promoting.

2How can children learn English before they are three years old?

Friends often ask me how to teach English to children. Because I have worked in education before, most of my friends think that I should know English teaching methods. But in fact, there are still many differences between subjects. I don't know the effective learning method for young children to learn English as a second language. Before my child was 2 years old and 8 months old, I input some original English picture books, English children's songs or cartoons to her sporadically, mainly to guide the game according to her wishes, but I did not insist on it every day. After the age of 3 and a half, I found that it was difficult to grasp the needs and progress of children through scattered reading. So, I started looking for excellent graded reading materials.

If you can't understand, you can't speak; if you can't speak, you can't read; if you can't read, you can't write. This is a process of language learning. I did not graduate with an English major, and my English foundation is not solid. I can be said to be a novice on the road of children learning English, and I also need to learn and grow.

In addition to studying, the teacher also recommends that we watch original English cartoons with our children when we go home, listen to mother read picture books aloud, and use online resources to provide children with a three-dimensional understanding and memory of language. When children hear the same words and content repeatedly in different materials, they will deepen their understanding of words and sentences in different contexts.

The reason why I have insisted on inputting some English to my child every day since she was 3 years old and 10 months old, and I still input mainly through play, is because I think English is a tool that must be used to access various subjects, and it is something that children must learn. one of the contents. Regarding the question of whether children learning a second language will confuse their mother tongue, I have consulted experts and seen some examples around me. Children who learn a second language earlier will not only not confuse their mother tongue, but also are sensitive to language learning between the ages of 3 and 6. Expect. Children with good native language expression skills often learn English more easily.

3 English enlightenment learning methods

Parents can also use simple English to communicate with their children. As long as the child can explain the meaning clearly, do not ask whether the grammar is correct or not, let alone teach him grammar knowledge. The more he accumulated, the more he could say. Children who are too young often learn the latter and forget the earlier. You can record the difficulties and problems your child encounters in learning and communicate with the teacher in time to help your child solve the problem in time.

For children who cannot speak for a while, start by listening to more recordings. First, parents can introduce the story (or movie) in a few sentences. If there are pictures, let the children see the illustrations, so that the children will know what the text (movie) is about. Then ask some guiding questions to establish listening training goals for the children, such as "Do you know where this story takes place?" "Who are the characters?" "What specifically happened?" "What is the ending?" After asking the questions, parents Play audio or read a story, using gestures and simulated movements where possible. Children must be trained from the beginning to listen without any preparation and without an interpreter. Allow children to become accustomed to English pronunciation and understand what they hear. Parents ask their children to try to answer the questions raised to check whether they understand.

After listening to the recording, parents should encourage their children to imitate. For some parents who do not have any English foundation, learning English with their children is also a good choice. You can also choose to imitate and have a competition with your children, which is lively and interesting and stimulates your children's interest in learning English. .

4 things to note about enlightenment English

A language environment suitable for young children to learn foreign languages. This mainly includes: (1) There are qualified foreign language teachers in kindergartens to organize teaching and a carefully created bilingual environment; (2) There are adults who are proficient in foreign languages ​​at home to provide guidance and guidance, and they use bilinguals for daily language communication. Both teachers and parents must have solid and correct basic knowledge of English, have standard and fluent oral English skills, and must create a rich and diverse language environment for children to practice and use foreign languages ​​in a way that children can accept. Ways to tutor young children in foreign language learning, etc.

Be persistent and take other things into account. The process of language learning is a long-term and arduous process. The most taboo in foreign language learning is "exposure to the cold", "three days of fishing, two days of drying the net". It is better to start learning later than to give up halfway after studying for a few days. In addition, when young children learn foreign languages, they must take into account the harmonious development of physical, intellectual, moral and aesthetic education. After all, it is not the goal of preschool education for young children to learn foreign languages. Children should learn foreign languages ​​​​on the premise of not increasing the burden on children, and should not sacrifice or weaken other aspects of education.

It varies from person to person, so don’t “one size fits all.” In my country's preschool education, foreign language learning is far less universal than numeracy, music, and art. There are very few kindergartens with qualified foreign language teachers and families that can help children learn foreign languages. Therefore, foreign language learning for young children should not be universally promoted or promoted hastily, nor should it be consistent and "one size fits all". We must implement the principle that learning is voluntary and varies from person to person.

A method suitable for young children to learn foreign languages. (1) Early childhood foreign language educators (teachers, parents) must understand the laws and characteristics of children's physical and mental development, determine the purpose of teaching, select teaching content, formulate teaching plans, and organize the teaching process based on these laws and characteristics. (2) Early childhood foreign language educators should use teaching methods such as looking at pictures, talking, singing, games and performances that children like to see and hear. As much as possible, children should be allowed to listen to foreign language recordings with content suitable for their age characteristics, correct pronunciation and intonation, and create more opportunities for children to listen to foreign languages ​​and language situations that will help children understand and express in foreign languages. (3) Children’s foreign language learning is mainly to provide enlightenment education in foreign languages, cultivate children’s interest in foreign languages, and develop their listening and speaking abilities in foreign languages.

The above is all the content on how children learn English compiled by Ningbo Aishang English Training. For more selected articles, please visit the column of English Learning Network.