In the modern era, knowledge of a foreign language has its own advantages for those who master it. In addition to broad-mindedness, those who are bilingual or bilingual are also able to compete better in the world of work.
Not only beneficial for adults, the Bilingual Research Journal released research results that a bilingual child was judged to have greater cognitive abilities and usually achieved higher academic scores than other children.
The following are some tips that can be done to teach foreign languages to children so that they become bilingual. Come on, see how!
Getting used to the use of two languages at home
All learning must begin with an introduction. Although children's curiosity is very high, they prefer to learn things that are familiar rather than new things that are difficult to understand.
In this case, making the foreign language a second language at home will help your child remember vocabulary better while teaching pronunciation and spelling. Familiarizing children to hear and imitate everyday vocabulary will help their process of remembering and articulating vocabulary correctly.
Mom and Dad Divide Tasks Using Different Languages
One of the common problems faced by bilingual children is confusion in identifying language. But don't worry, Beauties. Both parents can work together to overcome it by dividing the tasks.
For example, mothers always use their mother tongue when talking to their children. On the other hand, the father who always uses English as a foreign language. In this way, it will be easier for the child to recognize the differences between the two languages and always consider the mother's words as mother tongue and father's language as English.
The more frequent interactions occur, the more skilled your child will be to remember and imitate.
Invite Children to Read and Sing in Foreign Languages
In general, children find it easier to remember things that are fun for them. Therefore, teach foreign languages to children in a fun method so that they are easy to remember.
To help children increase their vocabulary, encourage them to read more foreign language books and their meanings. Choose reading materials that present interesting illustrated stories and contain the same rhyme.
In addition, inviting children to sing is also a great method to teach children without making them bored. Singing can help them memorize vocabulary containing sequences such as numbers, top to bottom limbs, and letters more quickly.
Complete His Knowledge Through Watching Videos and Playing Games
It doesn't always have to be taught conventionally, letting children watch videos can also speed up the process of learning a foreign language, Beauties. Through various interesting video media on YouTube, children can be introduced to the culture behind the language so that children have comprehensive knowledge about other countries.
On the other hand, let the child occasionally use video games as a medium of learning. Set the language setting on the video game with the foreign language you want to learn. This will help the child understand the meaning of each feature as they play so that over time they will get used to it and memorize it.
Those are some tips for raising children with two languages. If teaching a foreign language to children independently is difficult, enrolling them in a learning institution can be an option. Even so, make sure your child consistently applies their knowledge even outside of study hours, OK!