1. What is the best way to teach kids English?

Answer 1

Based on my knowledge of language acquisition, it is important to teach English in a strategic manner. It really depends on what you are trying to teach, here are some strategies:

Conversational: immersion, watch English television, have basic conversations, listen to books (with visuals) in English

Reading/ writing: Begin with phonics & teach the basic structure of the English language.

Answer 2

For young children, the best way is total immersion, just begin using English in the household. Studies show that when adults learn a new language, it is stored in a separate area of the brain. But when children learn a new language, it is stored in the same area of the brain as their first language, indicating that their brain treats the new (second) language as just an extension of their original language. Children's brains are geared to pick up new ideas and information just from being exposed to it and just from participating in it on a day-to-day basis, no special instruction required. Sending the children to an English language school and enrolling them in English language activities and sports groups also stimulates their learning of English because children quickly pick up new information and behaviors from each other during play activities and social interaction.

Answer 3

The short and sweet answer is reading English books and novels. The more they hear and see the language being used, the easier it is for them to pick it up and understand how to formulate complete sentences, etc.

Answer 4

Hi Mikhail: The best two ways to learn English are by listening to it spoken and reading books in English. If you are in the States, the children will get a lot of exposure to the language from other kids and will pick up the conversational part of the language very quickly.

If you are not in an English speaking country, it would be good to have the children either go to an International School where they will speak English with other children or at the very least, set up a study/play time where the children can work with a tutor and speak English for about 30 minutes a day.

They can have a tutor twice a week and then practice together with books to read in English and maybe a good English speaking television show. Sesame Street is one. However, you do need to know that conversational ability is not the same as academic ability. The reading and writing part of the language should be done with the help of a teacher so that it covers all the important points of learning and is done in proper stages. Thanks! Courtney W., MA

Answer 5

Hi Mikhail,

It depends on what the setting is. Children's minds are open to new ideas and respond well to meaningful exposure. Teachers of young children are trained at least for a couple of years in strategies and techniques of teaching so they can provide this exposure systematically, gradually and strategically. They learn about how kids' brains work and how they move through different stages of development, so they know how to gradually introduce materials. But in general, a broad exposure to both print and other media in English prepares their brains to move to the next level smoothly. Keeping in view the same basic principles, at home, children can be exposed to English by reading to them, talking to them and having them watch age appropriate TV programs. As a parent, I noticed that talking to my daughter about what she just read or watched on TV stimulated her brain to use the new words and concepts she had just learned. When mu daughter was under 4, I used to get her wordless picture stories and then I would ask her to tell me the story as she saw it in the book.

Answer 6

Hi Mikhail,

Vocabulary is very key to developing a command of the English language, especially for kids. The more ways in which you can show students different rules and patterns for spelling words, while highlighting their parallel prefixes, suffixes, roots, and corresponding definitions as terms, the more recognizable words in the English language will become for children (and people of any age for that matter).

Secondly: learning how to form solid sentences with correct grammar usage, it is essential to strengthen one’s underlying understanding of parts of speech and their respective purposes in the process. This is where singular, plural, singular-possessive, plural-possessive, past, present, and future tense of nouns and verbs all come together in different ways literarily.

Good luck with carrying out your English instruction! Please let me know if you have any additional questions.