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Just like everybody else, kids learn more easily when they’re playing. Games are a great way to motivate them, so keep this in mind as you look for an English class that they’ll enjoy. They’ll learn much quicker if they’re having fun.

Beyond the course, you can also help them by providing opportunities to put their knowledge into practice. Here again, games are a perfect opportunity for improving your children’s English, and, by the way, yours too!   Sneaking English games into your family’s activities will help all of you learn to speak English more naturally and less self-consciously, and your kids won’t even realize they’re learning.    

Interested? Ready? Here are 10 tips to help you and your children learn English while having fun!

Books in English

If you have young children, give them English picture books. Reading through them with your child and reading the English words that accompany the pictures will allow your child to begin to distinguish between English and their first language. The pictures help to strengthen the connection, and their English vocabulary will grow much more easily.

You can also give them some English comic books to read. Calvin & Hobbes, Garfield... They will love these cartoon characters!

learn english with Family routines

You probably are already in the habit of asking your kids questions, especially if they’re young. Add English to the mix and they will learn English quickly! At dinner, ask them what they’re eating. Is it chicken or fish? Steak or eggs? What do you do first when you get them ready for bed? Ask them to tell you in English instead. Do we brush our teeth first? Is it time for your bath? Which pajamas do you want to wear? And so on. You could do it in English sometimes, and in your native language other times. Keep it fresh and interesting; remember, your goal is for your kids to enjoy learning English.

Going on a family outing? Take the opportunity to ask them to name the places you’re visiting and what you want to do during your day in English. If they can name the souvenir they want in English, buy it for them…if it’s a key chain or a magnet!

Friendly challenges

Young people often like challenges. Why not challenge them to do some things in the language of Shakespeare? For example, dare them to address someone in English, maybe in a shop or at a hotel. Challenge them to ask a stranger for directions in English when you’re out together. It’ll be great practice for when they’re studying abroad in the UK and they’re lost!

Planning a party? Have a contest with your children and their friends: the one who names the most colors or animals in English gets the biggest piece of cake!

TV shows or movies in English

Watch family shows or movies in English. They will benefit automatically just from seeing the original versions, but to further develop their understanding, you can ask them questions afterwards and discuss what you’ve seen. Then, you can watch a second time, keeping what you’ve learned in mind.

Popular expressions, vocabulary, pronunciation, everything is there! It's a great way to learn English and have fun.

use English songs

Do your kids love to sing? Teach them simple songs in English! Here again, they will develop their vocabulary and pronunciation, while developing their sense of rhythm, which will increase their fluency.

Who knows... maybe one day one of you will be the next winner of America’s Got Talent. If Grace Vander Waal can do it, your 12-year-old daughter or son can, too!

Projects and small household jobs

You want to combine business with pleasure? Work on DIY, sewing or cooking projects in English with your children. You can also ask them to perform small jobs around the house, always speaking in English.

In this way, they will develop their everyday English vocabulary, and a few basic household tasks as well. Win-win!

Labels for the household

One of the best ways to develop your children’s vocabulary is to label objects in your home. This simple, fun task associates words with the objects your children already use and love, which allows them to apply concepts learned in their emotional, more durable memory.

play in english with Board Games

Does your family like board games? Why not choose some games in English? No matter which game you select, your family will have the opportunity to practice speaking English and have fun at the same time. Plus, when the competition gets tense, you can even get a few well-placed insults in there!

While remaining in good taste, of course!

Well-placed curiosity

Children think they know everything! Do not hesitate to test their knowledge and give them a little lesson in humility: ask them some questions or to define some vocabulary words that they probably don’t know. From then on, their curiosity will make them want to learn more.

Take the opportunity then to teach them the answer and enjoy this moment...

Don’t sweat it if you – or they - make a mistake

Very important: teach your children to laugh at their mistakes. Whenever vocabulary or pronunciation errors arise during your activities, avoid making your kids feel guilty or stupid. Never ridicule them. Laugh with them. Laughter is one of the best ways to learn.

Laughing at your mistakes also makes them far less dramatic or scary. This will help your kids to fight through their fear of failure, fight their shyness, and increase their confidence, all essential qualities for learning a language and facing life. We all fail; what’s important is what we do next. And let's not forget: the ultimate goal remains to learn English while having fun.

If you want to be sure your children make progress in English, offer them some online English classes with Global Lingua.