HOW CAN PARENTS HELP THEIR CHILDREN OVERCOME THE LANGUAGE BARRIER?

Language is an important factor in adapting to a new foreign environment, especially for children. Here are some tips for parents to help their child get used to a new language abroad.

Just like you, your child needs to get used to the environment.

It is recommended that you start to learn a basic set of foreign words and phrases together, such as: good afternoon, goodbye, nice to meet you, thank you, excuse me, I need help, my name is so-and-so and I'm from there, etc.

Most educational systems in EU countries have welcome programmes or preparatory courses that help children from other countries to get used to the new language and its culture faster.

For children with disabilities, just as for any other children, it is important to have learn a new language to adopt to a new circumstance. As it means requiring a new skill, this will take some time. Local authorities should advice on available educators who will support with this task, however your engagement will be crucial, especially at the initial stage.

However, parents should prepare their child for the fact that he or she may not understand not only the local language, but also the new rules of the educational process. It is worth discussing with your child all the new aspects of studying at a new school abroad.

Younger children will learn basic expressions faster and find a common language with their peers. Teenagers will have a little more difficulty, but they will cope with it over time.

The Effectiveness of Learning a New Language Abroad Depends on:

  1. The child's communication skills.

  2. How he/she adapts to their new school life.

  3. Whether he/she can ask for help from a teacher or a peer.
  4. Whether he/she can express himself/herself and explain his/her thoughts.

To develop these factors, communicate sincerely with your child so that he or she feels supported and understood. Over time, everything will work out and he will get used to the new situation. But first, the child needs you to trust them completely and help them.

How can parents learn a language with their children?

Despite the fact that it seems that children adapt quickly, they may still feel out of place in the new group, or different from everyone else. This may also be due to a lack of language skills.

For Younger Children

For younger children, interactive toys that sing or talk to the kids will be a good help in learning a foreign language. After all, a child hearing something interesting from a pleasant object can remember the expression and repeat it, and this is half the battle.

Or you can go to the library and borrow simple children's books to make it more interesting for them to remember the names of simple things like colors.

You can also use humor. You can make jokes in Ukrainian about an expression or phrase and help them remember it through associations.

There is a lot of video content nowadays translated into different languages. For younger children, you can turn on a cartoon for the very young in a foreign language. This way, they will remember simpler words, and soon they will be able to learn vocabulary of their own age.

For older children, the situation is somewhat more complicated, because their curricula already have terminology, and it is taught abroad in a foreign language that they do not yet know. Therefore, do not neglect the opportunities for your child to learn a foreign language.

For Older Children

These can be additional classes at school or lessons from non-profit organizations.

You can also watch your child's favorite TV series in a foreign language together.

You can offer them to learn a little bit of the language every day with the help of various apps and games.

Remember that your child will be more willing to learn a language if you are also doing it. If you learn it, your child will follow suit.

To sum up, experts do not recommend that parents constantly check whether their child has learnt all the foreign words they need for today, or reproach them for their performance at school or the correct pronunciation of foreign words. This will only increase your child's dislike of the new language, and thus reduce their motivation to learn it further. Remember that a child is unlikely to learn more than 7 words at a time. Support him/her, learn the language together and over time you will start to make progress.

Adapted from SPILNOINPL.ORG by UNICEF Poland.

Keeping Children Learning

Previous Next

HOW CAN PARENTS HELP THEIR CHILDREN OVERCOME THE LANGUAGE BARRIER?

How can parents learn a language with their children?

Related Articles