How to help your child to enjoy learning English

How it starts

At some point in time, your child may complain about studying English. They might say things like “This is a waste of time” or “I don’t get it.” And when you hear this, you might feel the same way or be unsure of how to help if you’re not confident with your English skills. But you’re not alone in feeling this way. Many kids around the world have to learn another language, including me! In Canada, we had to learn French in school, and it was tough. We can talk more about why learning another language is important later, but for now, let’s focus on how to help your child enjoy learning English. The good news is that it’s definitely possible even from home!

About Us

As language teachers from different countries, my wife and I have raised our bilingual child in Japan. For those looking for further insight, you can read our recommended article, which is underlined here. During my 20 years of teaching English in Japan, parents have frequently sought counsel on creating an effective English learning environment for their children. To better help you, I have compiled the advice I have given to these parents over the years. I am sure that some of these techniques will help you convince your child that studying another language can be fun.

W.B. Yeats: ” Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

Imagine a time when you saw or encountered something unique and interesting. You became curious, wanting to learn more about it. You asked questions, read articles, watched videos, and listened to podcasts. Those feelings of curiosity, wonderment, and excitement stem from being introduced to it. For example, I never tried Indian cuisine until I came to Japan. It is not that there weren’t any Indian restaurants in Toronto; there are many. I just never thought to try it. My wife suggested we try Indian cuisine because she enjoyed it very much, and I said yes to make her happy (I am a dutiful husband). I was surprised. It was delicious! Years later, I learned more about Indian culture, the Taj Mahal, the religion, the people, and more… all stemming from something that I was introduced to it. This same kind of curiosity can be ignited in your child. Let’s start the fire your child’s curiosity and help them enjoy learning English.

Introducing Authentic Foreign Elements

It is important to understand that children’s cognitive development is heavily influenced by their immediate environment and present experiences. Due to this, it is common for young ones to have a limited perspective confined to their home country and community. Introducing children to foreign elements tangibly broadens their perspectives. Formal education does teach about the world outside of Japan, but the internalization and appreciation process may not happen until the child matures, which could be too late. This may even lead to the child harboring resentment towards other cultures, resulting in an unwillingness to learn new languages and engage with diverse communities. Therefore, it is necessary to incorporate authentic foreign elements in various forms, such as literature, music, and language, into their daily routines to broaden their horizons, diversify their worldview, and foster an appreciation for cultural variations. Let us focus on the easiest ways to introduce our children to these.

Entertainment

Watching cartoons and movies (on DVD) can introduce you and your child to authentic foreign elements. Some popular examples include Disney, SpongeBob, and Harry Potter. Although you may have already seen them, have you ever watched any of these movies without dubbing? Relying solely on subtitles may be bothersome for some, but it has its benefits. Passive listening allows you and your child to experience natural spoken English in its purest form. Even if you do not understand the language being spoken, you can passively absorb the pitch, pauses, tones, etc., while simultaneously enjoying the visual and textual aspects of the entertainment.

It may take some time to get used to subtitles, but with a few tries, it can become second nature. Incorporating subtitle viewing into language learning routines at home can be an easy and enjoyable way to enhance language proficiency. For instance, we used subtitles in English and Japanese for almost everything, including YouTube, resulting in our child’s reading abilities in both languages being on par with those of native speakers as she grew older.

If you’re looking to develop an English routine with your child, I have a few recommendations based on their age. For very young children (3-6) (Maisy Mouse, Spot, Tom & Jerry), simplistic 2-dimensional cartoons with only one or two voices that speak moderately are ideal. Breakfast time for 30+ mins isn’t too difficult, is it? For children between 5-8, simplistic and minimal cartoons like the ones referenced earlier may work, but short programs with deeper storylines and better visual appearance are better suited (Sesame Street, Curious George, Dora the Explorer, Little Einsteins, etc.). Lastly, children from 7-10 can handle anything, as they don’t suffer from sensory overload as much as younger children. I recommend some time in the lazy Sunday morning if their schedule permits.

As a final note, understanding what a child needs to learn another language at an early age can be challenging but not impossible. By asking yourself questions concerning Japanese kids programs like, “When are cartoons/programs broadcast?” “What is the type of communication and words of wisdom the program trying to convey?,” you can mimic that same pattern with English cartoons, programs, and movies. Also, you should state to the child that this is an English program, announcing as such validates it. I will follow up with another article with what visual entertainment I used with my daughter, the timing, purpose, and reasoning at a future date.

By the way, there is nothing wrong with watching children’s programs as an adult to learn a language. It’s done all the time. Simple is best when learning a language.

 

Listening and/or Singing MUSIC together

Another form of entertainment that can broaden one’s horizons is music! Singing some English songs together with your child during early childhood education encourages them to participate and enjoy themselves. The experience also enhances their pronunciation and listening skills. The ABC song is, of course, a “mainstay” for many teachers and parents, but there are plenty of others that are not too difficult. I recommend this YouTube series as an example (Busy Beavers). These children’s songs not only helped my child with listening skills but also aided her reading abilities because of the subtitles. They also made our long car rides enjoyable! Learning English can be fun!

For older children, playing more Western music while you are doing the dishes or driving can be beneficial. There is sure to be something to your taste. The point is, introducing your child to foreign music, even passively, promotes an English environment which in turn brings about the eventual appreciation for things outside of Japan.

Playing Board and Card Games Together

Five to ten years ago, I would not have given this recommendation lightly. There weren’t enough games available for purchase in the Japanese market at that time. Nowadays, the sheer number and variety of games have greatly increased in Japan and there is better availability through other sources like Amazon. Board games are now trending and for a very good reason, they are intelligent and fun! The typical board game in the past was very limited, but now they are quite the opposite, and any genre can be replicated. There are games specifically made to promote English learning, too! The upfront cost of board games can be intimidating, but when you think of how many times you will use them in the future, the price becomes negligible. They are great for trips and rainy days. We don’t play them often enough! (I am a board game nerd after all), but when we do play, we use English as much as possible (except for Karuta). It’s a simple process. 

Instead of using Japanese to say the number of a card or the number of pips on the dice, we use the English equivalent. For example, when playing Uno, we use the English names for the colors and numbers of the cards. This is an easy way to have fun and help children get used to using a different language. There are many board and card games that families can play to practice their English skills. Although I do have a YouTube channel with some videos about Board games for ESL, I’ll follow up with more of these games in another article. An English expressions we have is: “A family that plays together, stays together”.

Reading English Books Together

Another foreign element that you could easily implement is reading English books. For younger children, you can implement a loose schedule for introducing books during bedtime or even bath time rituals. I made it a point to read English books with my child before bed. I was very proactive in getting her to tell me about what I had read, and to eventually have her read things on her own.

My child loved learning about different topics, especially animals, and we talked afterwards, satisfying her many questions and arousing her desire to learn more. Thankfully, there are readers available for many books and some of them are interactive. Khan Academy Kids is an excellent resource for kids of all ages and caters well to education. When my daughter started elementary school, our family read both English and Japanese literature before bedtime, sometimes even using the same bilingual book.

As our child grew older, bedtime stories became irrelevant. So, as a replacement, we set aside some time in our busy daily lives. We read different books together in the same room, usually after dinner for about 30 minutes, at least once or twice a week. After the 30-40 minutes are up, each of us talks about what we read. My aim is to ensure that my daughter understands what she is reading, to help her feel comfortable expressing herself in English, and to allow her to see us do the same. It was quite unnerving to initially turn off our computers, tablets, YouTube, and video games for those 30 minutes. However, just like subtitles, we grew accustomed to it and accepted it. We cannot do this every day, but it has become a bonding experience and it is always good to spend time together regardless of our busy lives.

Reading English with your child will help them to enjoy learning English, too!

Environment

Going to Foreign Restaurants Together

Although food isn’t necessarily considered “entertainment”, the experience of going out with family is. We intentionally exposed my daughter to various cultural cuisines, such as Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, and more, to broaden her horizons. These cuisines offered her new and exciting flavors and aromas, some of which her younger tastes have not fully appreciated yet. The other benefit was to introduce her to a new environment. Some of these restaurants and food fairs are lavishly decorated, creating a whole new dining experience and much interesting dialogue. While she didn’t develop a liking for Indian cuisine, she absolutely loves Vietnamese food. This exposure to different cuisines sparked her curiosity, and she even took the initiative to learn about Vietnam. We firmly believe in giving our child a glimpse of the world beyond Japan, even if she ultimately will be immersed in Japanese culture while she is at school.

Experiencing new things together as a family heightens the sense of curiosity within a child, developing richer and deeper dialogue, leading to a mutual affirmation, understanding, acceptance, and ultimately, enjoyment. Entertainment plays a key role in embracing new cultures! If you were to ask me, I would say, introduce these foreign elements into your lives more often, and state what they are and where they are from. You may be amazed at how exuberant your child may become about it. 

Schooling

There is much to talk about concerning the differences between language learning in Japan and that of Canada, I will follow up on that in the future. For now, let’s talk about alternative schooling. It would be remiss of me not to mention private schooling, juku, private tutors, and eikaiwa. Sadly, I don’t know enough about private schooling to give you an honest and worthwhile opinion. From my understanding, it is a very expensive option in which my family opted not to go to. However, having worked at a juku and many eikaiwa, I can give you some advice. Let’s start with juku.

Juku

The juku, in my opinion, appears to function as an extra element of the traditional public education system. Its main focus is on achieving positive outcomes in exams. The predominant presence of Japanese instructors and the juku competitive nature would only heighten the “sense of perfection” (mistakes are considered shameful which hinders the language learning process). While your child may benefit in terms of grammar and listening skills, the initial joy of “fun language learning” may quickly fade, turning it into just another obligation on their already hectic schedule.

Eikaiwa

I highly recommend considering eikaiwa as an extracurricular form of schooling for your child’s English language learning. With my years of experience as an eikaiwa teacher, I have witnessed the benefits it offers. Eikaiwa provides a valuable introduction to the English language. Compared to regular school classes, eikaiwa classes tend to have smaller class sizes, creating a more conducive language learning environment. Additionally, the atmosphere in eikaiwa classes is often more accommodating, with foreign teachers prioritizing entertainment and fun in their teaching approach. Mistakes are allowed.

When everything goes well, children come home satisfied and eager to share their experiences and the knowledge they have gained. Hopefully, through eikaiwa, children can learn not only English, but also about different cultures and people beyond Japan. As a teacher-trainer, I always emphasized to the other teachers that we are ambassadors of our own country, and it’s important to promote cross-cultural understanding whenever possible. This curiosity gained by the students fosters a genuine appreciation for the learning experience, acceptance of cultural differences, and ultimately, enjoyment of the language acquisition process.

However, it is important to acknowledge that eikaiwa does have its limitations. One significant drawback is the cost, as eikaiwa classes tend to be quite expensive. Moreover, being a profit-oriented business, eikaiwa often aims to maximize its class sizes, disregarding individual differences in language abilities, unless parents are willing to pay a premium. In such cases, the curriculum may lack the necessary customization to cater to each child’s specific needs at any given time. Furthermore, eikaiwa teachers are often unskilled and may not possess the qualifications required to effectively guide your child’s development in the long term.

Simply put, the eikaiwa may not always live up to its potential beyond being a conversational school, unless you are lucky enough to find that “perfect” class or an exceptional teacher. This can often require a lot of research and trial and error, which can be quite costly. It’s understandable that this can be frustrating and discouraging at times.

Private Teacher/Tutor

And lastly, the costliest option would involve seeking out a skilled private teacher or tutor who possesses the necessary knowledge to cater to your child’s specific needs. Ideally, the private instructor would be capable of addressing all aspects, including mentorship, and integrating them seamlessly into a comprehensive program, while still emphasizing the importance of fun. There is the potential to learn with your child in this option if it fits within the boundaries of the private teachers range which could be very beneficial and fun! It is worth noting that these types of instructors can be quite expensive, difficult to locate, and may require extensive research to find the right fit. 

In Conclusion

In the end, there are wonderful ways to assist your child in discovering joy while learning and studying English as a second language. The most important takeaway from this article is that you possess the ability to initiate the process of enjoyment right from your home without too much difficulty. The entire family can have a fun time together. The introduction of foreign elements fosters curiosity, which then leads to acceptance, ultimately culminating in a state of enjoyment! The joy of acquiring another language serves as a powerful motivator for your child to strive for more and achieve greatness. If you have any comments or questions, please don’t hesitate to share them, and I’ll respond to you as soon as possible. Stay positive and keep up the excellent work!