In a multilingual world like ours, learning languages beyond one’s own native language is becoming increasingly important. In such an era, our children are growing up more connected than ever before. From school to travel to the internet, they are exposed to different languages and cultures. Learning a new language has gone far beyond just grammar rules and literary texts; it’s a gateway to various cultures, helping our kids understand the world around them and feel comfortable in it.
What are some of the best languages for kids to learn?
According to Ethnologue, there are around 7,159 languages in use today. Finding a language for your kid to learn from this extensive list can prove to be a challenge. To ease your troubled mind, we have prepared a short list of the ten most useful languages that your child can learn. Beyond their native language, they can learn
- English
- Hindi
- Spanish
- Mandarin (Chinese)
- Arabic
- French
- German
- Japanese
- Portuguese
- Russian
These are some of the most commonly spoken languages holding value in international travel and business.
How to teach a new language to your child?
We’ll be honest, learning a new language is not a piece of cake for all, but maintaining a consistent learning approach makes it easier. Here are some tips that you can employ to teach your child a new language:
Starting Early
Children have a higher grasping power than adults; especially those between the ages of 3 and 12 excel at picking up new languages. Therefore, it is important to start early. Gently encourage them to learn new languages, opening a gateway to a ton of new experiences, bonding and opportunities
Set achievable learning goals
Your child’s schedule can get hectic with schoolwork and extracurriculars, so it is important to set learning goals that are achievable and realistic. Start slow, by introducing them to the language, and urge them to study for at least for 20-30 mins every day. At Glendale Academy, one of the best International Baccalaureate schools in India, the teaching faculty has well-structured lesson plans that do not overwhelm them.
Free online resources that can help your child in this journey
- There are plenty of resources out there that can help your child through their learning journey. Platforms like YouTube, Duolingo, and Swayam are excellent places to start your learning journey.
- There are various language instructors on YouTube who upload video lessons that can be accessed for free. You can find one that your child engages with the most.
- Duolingo is a fun and interactive platform that you can use to encourage them to learn. It offers a selection of languages to learn from, and the lessons take place in a game-like format, making learning fun and not intimidating.
- Swayam (Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) is an Indian government initiative that provides free courses for learning. Students earn credits upon completing their course, which can be added to their Academic Bank of Credits.
Start with learning a few easy phrases
‘Where do I start?’ is a common question that comes into your mind when you think about learning a new language. Well, our advice would be to start by introducing them to 100 basic words and at least 20 phrases that are spoken every day. For effective retention, ask them to review these words and phrases every day. This would act as a base for their future learning.
Have plenty of conversations
When it comes to learning a new language, nothing works better than having conversations with another person. Having hours of awkward conversations and being repeatedly corrected is one of the most effective ways to learn a new language. So, always find opportunities to converse with your kid to practise their vocabulary and sentences.
Be consistent
If you keep asking the question, ‘How to learn a new language fast?’ to your AI companion, the answer would be to be consistent. Because nothing beats consistency when it comes to learning something new.
How to make language learning fun for kids?
The average attention span for a 10-year-old is 20-30 mins while for a 14-year-old it ranges from 28-42 mins. So, it becomes vital for the learning process to be engaging, to ensure that their language lessons are retained. To do so, do not limit their language exposure just to lessons or conversations. Watch a couple of movies, read and enact stories or play their favourite audiobook to keep things interesting.
How does your child benefit from learning a new language?
Benefits of learning a new language are plenty, here are five of the most important ones:
- Helps connect with their peers and form deep bonds
- Increases the scope of their career opportunities
- It opens them up to different cultural experiences
- Gives them the opportunity to adapt to unexpected situations
- Sharpens their cognitive abilities
How does Glendale Academy celebrate linguistic diversity?
Glendale Academy is well known as one of the best schools in Hyderabad for welcoming students from every sphere of life. We have regional and foreign languages as second languages to choose from. And to celebrate the diversity of languages, the language departments host one-of-a-kind cultural presentations. If you are looking for schools admission in Hyderabad, go to our website and fill out the enquiry form. We will get back to you soon!
