AD – this is a sponsored collaboration.
Having more than one language is a distinct advantage in life. Whether it helps you when you’re travelling or when you’re applying for jobs, there’s no doubt that those who are bilingual are more advantaged than those who are not.
There’s also the fact that learning one language makes it easier to learn another to consider. Once your brain speaks and understands two languages, it’s far more receptive to the next. Meaning you can pick up more and more languages as you go.
Many parents want their child to speak more languages than their own and so here are some top tips for helping your child learn a second language.
- Singing songs – whatever their age, learning songs in their language of choice is a great way to begin to pick up another language with ease. Small children will love counting rhymes and nursery rhymes as well as pop songs.
- Reading books – simple books in another language offer a gateway in and with pictures to add to their understanding, foreign language books could soon become your child’s book of choice at bedtime.
- Travelling abroad – not always possible obviously but when it is, there’s nothing to beat immersing oneself in the culture. Visiting shops, restaurants and cafes can improve spoken language quickly and more effectively than practising with non-natives.
- Establish a routine – help your child to learn more effectively by encouraging them to practice at the same time daily.
- Watching films and TV – films, cartoons and comedy shows in your child’s chosen language will help them stay entertained as they learn.
At the end of the day, a second language offers children a real opportunity so it’s worth pushing them that extra mile as this independent school in Chiswick does.
