You might be wondering what extra things you can be doing at home to further support your child or indeed yourself learn English. I will be covering some really simple but effective things that you can do!
Reading
Reading is always going to be number one thing when it comes to learning a new language. If your child has the basic phonetical knowledge of the English language then reading books, magazines, newspapers and things online in English can be a great way of broadening their vocabulary knowledge!
Netflix
Most homes are now using Netflix at home as their main source of television. Watching your favourite series or movies in English with accompanying subtitles is an excellent way of learning English at home.
Music
As well as your child watching their favourite movies and TV series in English, encourage them to listen to English music as well. This is a great way for children to learn new vocabulary and phrases as people often remember things better when they hear them in a song.
Labels
For low level learners, labelling some of the everyday items that your child uses in the house with sticky labels is a great way for them to learn new vocabulary.
Phrases
English is a really difficult language to learn because within it there are so many phrases and idioms used that will make no sense at all. For example "It's raining cats and dogs" (raining very heavily) or "Don't beat around the bush" (say what you think) are very difficult phrases to understand by simply knowing the vocabulary. Challenge yourself to learn a new phrase everyday.
Changing the Language
If your child has an iPad or smartphone then change all of their language settings to English and when they're browsing online or their social media, encourage them to use English on all websites.
Writing Opportunities
Give your child the opportunity to write in English every single day. You could have a whiteboard on the fridge where they write one sentence about something they learned at school or something interesting that happened. You can try to encourage them to reflect on the things that happened in a daily journal.
Self-Reflection
Ask your child to think for themselves about the things that they want to learn about the English language and bring it to their teacher in their next tuition lesson. Our tutors are only too happy to answer any questions that their students might have been thinking about - even better, get them to write it down and bring them in!
Knowing the Best Time
Finally, monitor your child carefully and try to gauge when the best time for their learning at home is. Is it first thing in the morning during breakfast? when they first get home from school? or just before bed?
We hope that you find these methods useful. Remember that learning a new language is difficult and you must be realistic with all expectations. Remember that practice, patience and passion go a long way to mastering a new language. If you do have any further questions then don't hesitate to get in touch!