Languages and children. Languages and young learners.
Language learning through connection: 5 simple ways to connect to your children or students and teach better. (young learners, multilingual environment)
First, I will share a bit about myself.
I am:
- A polyglot
- A language enthusiast
- A language learner
- A language teacher
- An author of language materials
- I was born and raised in Bulgaria and my mother tongue is Bulgarian.
- Since young age I was occasionally exposed to a foreign language.
- I intentionally started to learn a foreign language intensively at the age of 14.
- I am fluent in English, Chinese.
- I speak Japanese daily.
- I have passive knowledge of German.
- I have understanding of French.
My children:
- I have a five-year old and a nine-month old.
- They are biracial, bicultural.
- They are being raised in a trilingual home.
My experience with languages and my children`s is very different. What we have in common is the fact that languages are a big part of our life and it does feel natural to use more than one language on a daily basis.
I have been teaching children for thirteen years now. I am grateful that I have had the chance to observe how children play, grow and learn. It is a fascinating process indeed, especially when kids are allowed to follow their own pace. My observations are from teaching in conventional classrooms, intensive programs, Saturday school, summer and winter camps, one-to-one classes, conversational courses etc. I have always been inspired by kids learning languages.
Nowadays there is a lot of research on languages, learning, child development. We know for sure that children learn better when they feel connected and supported. But for us, parents, teachers, it could be really challenging at times. It is really hard for me as a parent, even as a teacher sometimes, to stay focused and calm. I have spent a lot of time learning about methods of teaching, parenting styles (positive parenting, connected parenting, conscious parenting). And here are two words I use to keep myself focused:
FREEDOM
- My own and my students’/children’s freedom, freedom of expression, freedom of movement, freedom to learn on your own pace, freedom to be, freedom to choose
FUN
- Have fun, giggle and get inspired to learn (no pressure; learning is not a chore)
Freedom and fun come under the roof of CONNECTION.
My motto is LEARN TO CONNECT AND CONNECT TO LEARN.
Today I share five simple ways to connect to your children or students to better support their learning.
- Habits: making a wish, saying a prayer or an affirmation together with your child first thing in the morning or at bedtime. For younger kids it could be a simple question: “What is your wish today?” Offering a few answers to choose from may be easier for younger kids. Also, as a reminder, consider having a printed out copy near their bed or at the dining table etc. The simple question “How do you feel?” encourages self-reflection. And in the classroom it is easy to start with a simple check-in activity/game- questions in a jar or any ask-and-answer type of activity; could be done as a pair or group activity. It could be a bilingual version.
- Let it go: We all use charts, flashcards, labels and these are great ways to encourage learning. They may work well but sometimes children may ignore them. When your child is not interested, accept it and let it be. Take the pressure off you and your child or your students. It is very easy for us, parents, to get upset when we feel rejected- try to stay calm, to keep an open mind and smile instead. You respect your child and their choices. You can try offering the activity at a later time or changing it a little (e.g. instead of looking at a routine chart, you may ask them to draw the consequent events on paper or on a whiteboard).
- A silly break: A Silly Question break or Quiz break could be a great way to involve everyone. Keeping it silly and making everyone laugh does wonders. You can also use a whiteboard, question lists, hidden questions around the room. You take part and answer the questions, too. If you use more than one language adding some interpreting is a great way to spice things up.
- Sing it out: Throughout the day try singing out what you want to say. it is a great way to attract attention, make children giggle. Or try making up simple poems. They do not need to rhyme. Word and phrase repetition is great, changing one word or one name is fun. you can include family members names or the students names and make strange combinations (e.g. family members turn into animals- grandma bear Doris; little monkey Tom etc). Singing is a great way to relief our own pressure.
- Read, read, read: The easiest may be at bedtime or the end of the lesson or why not when no one is expecting it. Make it fun and let the children choose the book. Add a number sticker to the books and choose a random number every day, let the kids find and get it. Choose a letter and let kids search for a book title or author that starts with the letter. Make book pouches for each day of the week and add the books in advance. Feb 2018