English for kids. Where to start teaching English to little ones

At three years old, little fidgets learn about the world around them with genuine interest. And the more interesting things there are in this world, the better. Likewise, English for 3-year-old children will be an exciting adventure. Young “researchers” are keenly interested in the new and unknown, and the unique possibilities of natural knowledge of things will help them perceive a foreign language literally subconscious level. In today's article we will tell you how to properly conduct English language training sessions with children three or four years old.

Every parent who worries about the future of their child asks a similar question. Heated discussions and differences of opinion are also common among teachers: some advocate learning English “from the cradle,” while others believe that it is more rational to get acquainted with a foreign language before entering school.

Without going into the details of this controversy, we will highlight its core. The root of the problem lies in excessive workload and “depriving children of their childhood.” But the secret of success is precisely that English lessons for preschool children are conducted exclusively in a playful way. The method of teaching English for little ones is not memorization, but an exciting game that fits organically into children's fun.

You can start learning English with a one-year-old baby, with a 2-year-old child, and with children aged 3 years and older. The main thing is to develop in students a sincere interest in learning English. Young children are open and very inquisitive on their own, so it’s not difficult to get them interested in a new activity. Moreover, the natural needs of cognition involve as much as possible all the capabilities of the brain. This gives children aged 2 to 4 years the following benefits:

• easy perception of new information;
• quick memorization;
• natural imitation of foreign pronunciation;
• lack of fear of speaking.

Learning foreign languages ​​in adulthood will no longer be accompanied by these favorable factors. That's why it's worth striking while the iron is hot. However, in order for English lessons for children 3-4 years old to be truly successful, several nuances of child psychology should be taken into account before starting them.

How to explain English to 3-year-old children - practical recommendations

So, you have decided to teach your child to speak English, but you don’t yet know where to start with the first lessons. It’s easy to start teaching children, the main thing is to remember the secret already said - no coercion, only play!

Instilling interest

Children aged 1 year and older actively explore the world, being interested in every unknown part of it. The parent's task is in this case– to pick up this natural interest and develop it into an exciting game “activity”. While playing with your child with toys, tell him about English language using the names of these items as an example. But do not immediately demand mandatory memorization and repetition: if the child is interested, then later he himself will demonstrate the acquired knowledge.

Use any everyday situations to teach English. What do three-year-olds do most often? They ask questions. Answer them by adding English words to the sentences and explaining their meanings visually, i.e. showing objects. A child learns about the world through his eyes and sensations, so you should not make long verbal explanations, which will quickly bore and confuse the baby.

Let's not get bored

The main principle by which English is taught to children from 3 years old is no violence. Your classes should not be even remotely similar to school lessons. No “sit down and learn.” We play English with the children, and we don’t play just any exact time day, but in any suitable situation.

For example, invite your child to learn colors in English during a walk. Let the little one on all objects containing green color, Green shouts joyfully! Or you can compete with your child to see who can find the most green objects around. The reward for the game will again be a green delicacy: an apple, a pear, and a sweet watermelon is also suitable for the summer period.

Such simple games provide excitement and positive emotions, develop a thirst for new knowledge and make it easy to master and memorize new vocabulary.

We encourage success

Praise and good words They are pleasant even for serious adults, let alone children who are susceptible to affection and are only 3 or 4 years old.

Notice even small improvements in your baby’s knowledge. React to every correctly spoken phrase, inspiring and motivating your child to use English words more often in his speech and build whole sentences from them.

Expressing praise should not be dry and formal. Show more emotions, hug, kiss, spin, throw the baby, etc. Kids acutely sense falsehood, so the expression of delight must be sincere. In addition to Russian praises, it’s a good idea to actively use English vocabulary. We suggest using the expressions from the table below.

Lead by example

Often parents want to give their child something they didn’t have, or teach them something they themselves couldn’t learn at one time. If this is the situation you have with regard to English, then get ready to start by changing your knowledge first.

If we teach a child a foreign language, then we ourselves must know it sufficiently. To do this, you need to allocate time and effort: sign up for a course, take online lessons, or independently study materials for classes with your child. Not everyone is ready to take such a step, but remember that the education of your children depends on you. If you yourself do not develop and take an interest in English, then your child, looking at the example of his parents, will consider learning foreign languages ​​a boring and unnecessary matter.

We have listed the basic principles according to which English is taught to preschool children. Now, taking into account the above recommendations, we will select ways to present the material.

Training methods

For modern education, instilling in a child an interest in learning is a priority. Therefore, many teaching methods and methods have been developed for both children who are only one year old and for children over three years old. The parent's job is to try. various ways training and track the baby’s reaction to them.

Cards

Card sets provide an opportunity to master thematic vocabulary with your child. Small cardboards are easy to use, and colorful drawings make them not only attractive and interesting, but also easy to understand for children. In addition, with cards you can come up with a lot of fun activities that allow you to check how much your child has learned the information.

The principle of teaching using cards is simple: the parent shows the card and says the word, and the child looks at the picture and repeats what was said. It is important to note that translation is not taught! With the help of a drawing, the child independently understands the meaning of the word and puts it in his memory. To check what you have learned, use mini-games: guess the card by description, name the odd one in a row, find the missing one, etc.

For children under 3 years old, you can buy or make large cards yourself, so that the child can stand on them. A path is made from such cards and the child is led along it, calling with each step new card. After the child remembers the vocabulary, the track is, on the contrary, divided into separate “islands”. Now the parent calls out the word, and the baby’s task is to quickly jump onto the correct card.

Poems and songs

Another universal method that is suitable for children of any age. For one-year-old babies, their mother will carefully sing songs, and by the age of two, children are able to independently memorize the simplest lines.

Well, the English language for children 4 and 5 years old is inextricably linked with learning poems and songs by heart, because this method helps to replenish lexicon and improve your pronunciation. Also, an undoubted advantage of rhyming lines is that entire phrases and contexts are studied, rather than individual words.

It is important to note how to teach poetry in English with children. This should be done in stages.

1. Preliminarily select the words that are key to understanding the poem and teach them to your child.
2. Read the verse expressively, helping the child navigate the pronunciation of the lines.
3. Look at the pictures for the poem or draw your own drawings with your child that reveal the content of the poem.
4. Learning lines by heart.
5. Periodic repetition of what has been learned.

Naturally, such a volume of work is not completed in one day. Several lessons are spent on one poem.

As for the songs, everything is much simpler here. The main thing is that the child likes the music, and the motive and words of the song will become attached by themselves. Today on the Internet you can find hundreds of educational songs for children, with which kids can quickly and funly learn popular English words and expressions on various topics.

Fairy tales

Learning a language through fairy tales also brings benefits. Of course, if the little one is just entering his second year, then it will be difficult for him to perceive a large amount of information. But children over 3 years old are already able to work in this form.

For classes it is necessary to select either very short stories, or a foreign translation of Russian fairy tales already familiar to children. Working with a foreign version of a Russian fairy tale, the children learn to compare english names characters, their words and actions with their Russian counterparts, settled in children's memory. It is important that the fairy tale is accompanied by interesting illustrations, then the child will better understand the text or simply be able to take a little break from working with words.

Don't forget about the possibility of using audio versions of fairy tales. By the age of three, a child can listen carefully and subconsciously remember the information he hears.

There are several fairy tales on our website that you can listen to and watch:

If you first work with the text, and then start listening to the characters’ remarks in audio, then the child will probably be able to name the speaking character and understand his speech a little. Thus, children develop listening comprehension. In addition, repeating the characters' lines improves pronunciation and helps to replenish the active vocabulary.

Videos

In the digital age, it is no longer possible to imagine teaching English to preschoolers without the use of videos. Colorful animation instantly attracts the attention of both kids and adults. Even the songs we have already reviewed learn much faster if they are supplemented with a fascinating video sequence that clearly shows the meaning sounding words.

It is with simple songs that you should start learning English from videos. Here are all the factors that contribute to successful learning:

• visual presentation of material;
• work on auditory perception;
• imitating correct pronunciation;
• entertainment part (you can jump, do exercises, dance, play to the music).

In addition, songs for children in English tend to “sink” into memory even against one’s will, which contributes to the subconscious memorization of words and expressions.

After practicing with songs, start working with educational cartoons and fairy tales. Children will love following the new adventures of their favorite characters, which means that English classes will definitely become welcome and long-awaited.

Games

And although English for children 3 or 4 years old is always a form of play, we will highlight the description of games as a separate paragraph.

In fact, learning a foreign language can be combined with any game. If your baby is fidgety, then we recommend playing edible-inedible in English, hide and seek (with English counting), counting tables in English, card islands, or simply naming objects encountered on a walk.

Calm and measured kids should buy cards and Board games in English. Intelligent kids will enjoy activities such as guessing games, bingo, letter rearrangement and word spelling.

Separately, we note computer and mobile applications. Educational computer games carefully thought out: there is a colorful design, clear voice acting, accessible explanations, and automated knowledge testing. In addition, most games contain a cross-cutting plot, which further motivates children to learn English and complete tasks.

Possibilities mobile applications more modest. With them, the child can learn and repeat new words by listening to their pronunciation and comparing them with pictures. Some programs contain additional mini-games and videos, but these must be paid for separately.

In any case, when working with interactive digital applications, the parent must be close to the child and help him complete the tasks. If you simply give your child a laptop or smartphone and leave him to play alone, then you will not achieve effective learning results. Remember that the child follows the example of his parents, and it is you who develop a responsible attitude towards learning English.

So, let's summarize all of the above, highlighting the strong points.

1. It is possible, and even necessary, to teach children foreign languages ​​from an early age if you do not want to miss the chance given by nature to quickly and naturally master new information.
2. Classes are always conducted in a playful way. Only the child’s interest and passion give effective results and achievement of success.
3. All nuances of child psychology are taken into account. Children should be encouraged more often, not focus too much on mistakes, and increase motivation to practice by example.
4. Parents choose the teaching method on their own, but if necessary, adjust it, monitoring the baby’s reaction and the success of the task.
5. Lessons are not fixed in time. The duration of the lesson depends on the mood and abilities of the baby.

By following these tips, you will competently structure the educational process and instill in your child an interest in foreign languages, without in any way infringing on his rights to a happy and carefree childhood. Good luck in your endeavors and see you again!

English for children from 1 year old is not very similar to a lesson in the usual sense. English classes for children are mostly English-language “dramatizations” with a short plot, poetic stories, English songs, funny pictures and interesting drawings and crafts. At the same time, none, including new ones, foreign words They are not translated into Russian for children. The child should become interested in a language that is incomprehensible to him and, immersing himself in an English-speaking environment, listen and absorb. Often very young students at first just listen, listen, listen English speech teacher, and then they start giving out whole constructions.

In order for the child to immediately get involved in the process of the educational game, the child can be accompanied by a parent at the Polyglot Center. As soon as the student finds contact with the teacher and stops losing his mom or dad, he can independently remain in English lessons for the little ones.

Age characteristics

English language courses for kids are divided into several subtypes. Teachers work with children from one to two years old in the presence of parents. In addition to learning foreign languages, special attention is paid to early development. In his work, the teacher uses finger games, outdoor tasks that encourage children to act, and learns short poems and songs with his students. One of the available and effective ways presenting information watching cartoons in English. The main task of the teacher is to interest children, to make them want to learn the language and develop. The teacher works to prepare the child for a more intensive course, teaching him to recognize and understand foreign speech on an intuitive level.

The English language program for children from 2 years old is aimed at ensuring that the child speaks as early as possible. With regular attendance at classes, children develop perfect pronunciation and lack grammatical errors. This level combines tasks for the little ones and is the basis for regular learning. The teacher still devotes a lot of time to games, but the children are already more at the table, carrying out creative assignments. A competent approach allows you to increase your child’s vocabulary several times over the course of a year. The structure of classes includes songs, dances, short poems and nursery rhymes.

It's no secret that any parent enjoys watching their baby grow and learn. the world. During this period, young researchers find it especially easy to memorize new words, sounds and objects. Therefore, learning English can and should begin at such a young age. You should not be afraid that English for 3-year-old children will in any way interfere with familiarization with their native language - the peculiarities of cognitive development of this period will allow the child to easily separate “mother” from “mother”. Right now your baby can easily master several languages ​​at once!

Is it difficult to learn English at 3 years old?

Of course, it is simply impossible to take a three-year-old child and sit him down with textbooks and force him to memorize anything. The baby would rather prefer educational fun game or communication with peers. Plus, now it is important for children to compare the word they hear with this or that object. Mortimer English Club knows this and therefore offers a playful form of learning English for children 3 years old. In our classes, which are held only in a foreign language, children will memorize the names of pictures, play with water, sand, and even learn their first rhymes and songs in English!

English courses for children 3 years old

To make the English for Minis course more productive, we recruit small groups of up to 6 people and conduct 45-minute lessons. In our club, children will remember about 300 English words, get to know the knight Morty and his friends, and also study topics such as body parts, transport, toys, animals, colors, etc. Parents will be provided with a package of manuals, CDs and bright books on learning English for little fidgets. With them, the English course for 3-year-old children will become even more vibrant and effective!

Vera Mashko

“ I wanted my child to start learning English, because at the age of 3-5 years the main process of developing language skills occurs, and for children this is the best and most effective period for forming the foundation for 2 languages ​​- Russian and English. The main criteria that guided me when choosing a school were a foreign teacher and group learning. A native speaker teacher allows you to immerse your child in a language environment through regular communication only in English language. Studying in a group allows the child to talk a lot and communicate with other children in English. I saw all this at Windsor, which is why I chose this school. The teacher conducts classes in a playful and interesting way for the child, without overloading him with a large amount of information in English. And although at first I expected that the child would be given more information in the lessons, I now understand that the approach when the child is not overloaded is more effective at this age, since he really likes the classes and wants to attend them.”

Elena Bychkova

“ All my friends sent their children to learn the language from the age of 3. Now, several years later, they speak English well, no worse than Russian. Therefore, a year ago, guided by their experience, I decided to send my child to such courses. The first reason we chose Windsor was the price and monthly payment option. The second is a native speaker teacher. The third reason is that the lesson here lasts 1 hour 20 minutes (and not 40 minutes, as in most schools). And finally, the fourth reason is proximity to home and the metro. Since my child already had a minimum base before starting classes, the main goal for us was regular communication with an English-speaking teacher so that the child could get used to natural speech in a foreign language. My child began to speak English more and better, he really liked the teacher. We were pleased with the result, so at the beginning of this school year we went to a trial lesson with a new teacher, we liked him, and we continued studying at school.”

Natalya Netvay

“ My daughter has been attending school for the second year now; she is 4 years old. I believe that this is the best age when a child can effectively learn English. We chose a school that was close to home, since the child needs to be regularly taken from home to classes. I also wanted the classes to be intensive and take place in a playful format. In my opinion, English needs to be learned regularly and intensively, only then will there be results. At Windsor, classes were held 3-5 days a week for 2 academic hours. And the game form arouses great interest and motivation for a child of this age to attend classes. Another important requirement- This is a native speaker teacher. When the teacher does not speak Russian, the child does not have the opportunity to receive a Russian translation and is forced to adapt to the situation. Windsor School met all of the above criteria. My expectations from the 1st year of school were met; my child learned to speak and understand many English words and expressions related, for example, to the name color range, animals, clothes, learned to count. She loves listening to children's songs in English on her tablet and learning them. And since I see a concrete result, we decided to continue our studies at the Windsor school.”

Studying foreign language in junior preschool age possible, but fundamentally different from the methods used in schools. English in kindergarten or at home for children 3 years old should not be taught, but gradually introduced into everyday life. Practice shows that the most optimal approach is when a 3-4 year old child learns a foreign language according to the bilingual principle - that is, as a second native language.

The necessary conditions

For successful study a foreigner with a young child must comply with the following conditions.

• At least one family member speaks English fluently. As a last resort, you can hire an English-speaking nanny, but this may later be fraught with psychological problems for the child - he will be at a loss if mom or dad does not understand him when he tries to speak with them in English.
• Do not mix languages ​​- if a child pronounces a phrase in English, then you also need to answer him in English. Under no circumstances should you include words or combinations thereof in another language into sentences in one language.
• Create a language environment whenever possible, at least at home - often turn on television channels in English, watch cartoons, place posters at home with the alphabets of both languages, use inscriptions and signed pictures. This will help the child develop language abilities, master the melody of English, and form correct pronunciation and the perception of fluent listening speech. Under no circumstances should English remain a strange means of communication for a child only with his mother or nanny.

You should not be overzealous with songs and music - a child at this age has difficulty perceiving words when singing in any language. The only exception is playful children's songs.

How to develop the most significant areas for a child in 20-30 minutes a day

• Three ready-made scripts comprehensive developmental classes in pdf format;
• Video recommendations on how to conduct complex games and how to create them yourself;
• A plan for creating such activities at home

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How to learn English with a baby?

English for children in younger age uncomplicated and easy to digest. The main rule for parents to remember is that your child will have two native languages. Accordingly, English should enter the daily life of the family. There is no need to organize special classes or set aside separate time for learning songs and looking at pictures. The child should hear the background sound of the language as often as possible, for which family members should ideally speak it periodically. You can find friends who are learning or knowing English and turn on the speakerphone during Skype conversations. There are special online services for communicating with native speakers, where people from different countries They help each other improve their language skills for free. But it's all about the atmosphere that will help the child learn new knowledge. He himself will not speak English if you don’t study with him.

The main methodological techniques for achieving results are as follows.

• Learn children's play songs, for example “Left and right”, “Head, shoulders, knees and toes”, “Fingers` family” and others. You can do exercises with your baby by singing these songs.
• Read simple stories from picture books to him, showing the characters and their actions. At the same time, it is worth emphasizing the names of the characters and their actions: “This is a mouse. A mouse runs to the hole. This is a cat. Cat runs, he wants to catch a mouse." At the same time, it is possible and necessary to show the child what “run” and “catch” are with the help of gestures and pictures.
• New words can be entered in large quantities, but choosing those that are often used in Russian. These will be the names of animals living in the house, toys, furniture, clothes, favorite things and activities of the child. You definitely need to show the object, name it, then after a couple of minutes ask to bring it, find it, wash it, put it away, or do something else. This way, words will be organically added to the vocabulary and easier to remember.
• It is very useful to watch cartoons in English. But before showing the cartoon to your child, watch it yourself, analyze what new words are found there, and before watching it together, unobtrusively introduce them to your child. Heroes and their names can be studied with the help of pictures, their actions and feelings can be taught in a playful way.

It is worth considering that children are very sensitive to the state of adults, and if you yourself speak English with tension, having difficulty finding words, the kids will not feel comfortable and may refuse to learn the language altogether.

Learning a foreign language with a child aged 3 is a great way for parents to improve their level of knowledge and gain language practice.