Tips for Teaching a Second Language to Your Child

Studies have shown that children can learn a second language and retain the information much quicker and more efficiently than adults. That’s why you’d be doing your child a great service by teaching them at least one other language while they’re still young. Here are some things you can do to ensure that your child is excited about learning that new language and will remember it throughout the rest of their life.
· Find a language that’s easy to learn. Spanish is a great choice because it’s one of the easier foreign languages and it’s the second-most dominant language spoken in the United States.
· Visit your local library or bookstore and find beginner’s guides to that specific language. You might be able to find age-specific guides to make it easier. But if you can’t, any beginner’s guide will do. Start at the beginning and study each lesson yourself before trying to teach it to your child.
· Purchase, rent or borrow some audiotapes where the speaker uses the foreign language. Depending on your child’s age, they can either follow along with the written materials or simply listen to the language and absorb it.
· Say the words slowly and enunciate well. This way, your child knows exactly how it sounds when they try to say it.
· Start slow. Begin by introducing a couple words at a time into your daily vocabulary with your child. Make sure it’s words that you would use every day, such as clothing items or food dishes, just to name a few.
· Make it fun. Children learn and retain new information best when they can associate it with something fun.
· Ask others in your life to learn some of these words so your child can speak with them in the foreign language, too.
· Use visual aids. Not only do children learn better when the material is fun, they also learn better when they can associate the material with something they see and hear rather than material they just hear.
Following these simple steps is a great way to helping your child learn a second language.