Speaking English with your child

Speaking
to suppo English
rt your c
For the
most pa
hild
children r t, it is pa
to speak rents wh
their ho o teach
the first me lang their yo
two yea u a ung
her spec rs of life, it g e. Through
ial way o is often out
young c f talking the moth
hildren a , called ‘p er’s voic
bout lan arentese e and
g u a g ’, that tea
Parents, e and how ches
even wit to talk.
can suc h a basic
cessfully knowled
English support ge of En
by re-us th eir youn glish,
parente ing and g child le
se techn a djusting arning
iques. many of
these sa
Parents me
may wo
children rr y a bout the
have a r ir accen
to matc emarkab t in Engli
h the En le ability sh. Youn
glish of to alter the g
need to th e ir surrou ir accent
feel ‘I ca ndings.
and the n speak Young c
ir paren English’ hildren
ts’ supp a nd ‘I lik
from the ort can e English’
ir first le h e lp them ac
ssons. hieve th
is
 t What is parentese language?
Why parents’ help is bes
, spending some
 can focus on their child
• P arents
m.
one-to-one time with the
sessions into any part
of their
• Parents can fit English
d themselves.
day to suit their child an
ssion
length of an English se
•Parents can regulate the
fit their child’s needs, int
ere sts
and select activities to
and ability to concentra
te.
ively
intimately and can intuit
• Parents know their child
sh talking suitable for the
ir
judge the type of Engli
g up language.
individual ways of pickin
and
ret their child’s moods
• Parents can best interp
ren have days when the
y an activity by:
respond to them. Child y find
eagerly absorb languag
e and others when the
te.
it difficult to concentra
more fun, as they are wo
rking
• Parents can introduce
a class.
with an individual, not
• Parents can introduce
English culture into fam
ily life,
anding
ild’s outlook and underst
so broadening their ch
well as things English.
of their own culture as
that tunes into and adjusts to
‘Parentese’ is a form of talking
a young child’s language, provid
ing dialogue with the child
next level of competence.
and shepherding them to their
Women appear to be innate use
rs of parentese; some men
ess they can centre their talk
seem to find it more difficult unl
ture book or a game. Howeve
r,
around specific objects – a pic
d male role models as men
children – especially boys – nee
tend to take a more technical
use language differently. Men
approach to using language and
‘chatter’ less.
voice and simpler language,
Parents, using a softer, caring
unconsciously shepherd their
young child through
ud) on what
• aisrun ning commentary (talking alo
going on: ‘Let’s put it here.’ ‘The
re.’ ‘Look.
one do you like?’
I’ve put it on the table.’ ‘Which
[pause] ‘Oh, I like this one.’ ‘The
red one’
re often than in
• repeating useful language mo
adult talk: repetition introduced
naturally helps
are picking up – it is
the child to confirm what they
if it is for the parent
not boring for the child, even
has said and enlarging it:
• reflecting back what their child
Child: ‘Yellow’; Parent: ‘You like
the yellow one.’ ‘Here it is.’
. yellow, red and here’s the
‘Here’s the yellow one.’ ‘Let’s see
, do you?’ [pause]
brown one.’ ‘I like the brown one
g new words naturally
• talking more slowly and stressin
without altering the melody of
the language. ‘Which rhyme
.’ [pause for child to select]
shall we say today?’ ‘ You choose

• using the same phrases each time to manage English
sessions as well as ac
tivities and games. As
understanding increas children’s
es, these basic phras
enlarged: ‘Let’s play Sim
on says.’ ‘Stand there
es
.’
are
‘In front of me.’ ‘That’
s right.’ ‘Are you read
y?’
• adding facial expressio
n and gesture to aid
understanding
Using English
By using simple Engli
sh with plenty of re
help their child to be petition, parents
gin thinking in Engli
where they feel secu sh during activities
happen, like games
re and can predict wh
or ‘rhyme times’.
at is going to
Young children want
to be able to talk in
English about:
• themselves and wh
at they like: ‘I like; I do
n’t like… yuk’
• what they have done
: ‘I went to; I saw…; I
• how they and others
feel: ‘I am sad; she’s
ate…’

• using eye contact in

one-to-one exchange
s to reassure Parents can help by
sharing picture book
cross …’
and also to encourag s or making
e a hesitant child to sp their own books us
eak
• pausing for a longer
time as children need
to think about Young children learn
ing drawings or phot
ographs.
what they hear befor ing their home langu
e they are ready to re age become
speaking is still limite ply. When skilled in transferring
d, exaggerated paus a little language to
es can add fun ‘All gone.’ If adults tra m any situations:
or hold interest in a ga nsfer English phrase
me. s in the same
way, young children
Some parents find it soon copy them.
embarrassing to dram
parentese. However, atise and use When children need
for the child, it makes to practise school En
pic king up English phrases like ‘What’s glish, use
easier as they are fam your name?’ ‘How old
iliar with these natural ar e you?’
their home language. ‘mini-lessons’ in ‘What’s this?’ ‘That’s
Once young children a pencil.’ Parents ca
be gin to speak, fun activity by using n turn this into a
parents innately feel a toy that speaks on
less need to use pare ly English,
introducing new langu ntese, except when asking it the questio
age or activities. ns and pretending to
make it answer.
 mpetent
n become more co
As young childre their home
ke rs , they m ay include a word in
spea e’s eating
English phrase ‘H
language within an the English
)’ be ca us e they do not yet know
a (… se back using
word. If the adult
repeats the phra
e English English sessions
gl ish, the ch ild can pick up th
only En m just a few
a plum.’ ‘A plum.’ English sessions may last fro
word. ‘He’s eating can take
minutes up to about ten and
depending on
place once or twice a day,
quently English
circumstances. The more fre
When to translate is used, the quicker it is abs
orbed.
nd should
ability to understa During English sessions par
ents need to focus
Young children’s much
ed ; they understand rruptions. Young
not be un de rest im at
their on their child without any inte
n say in English. In children come to love English
sessions, because
more than they ca used to
ung children are for them English is a specia
l time with their
home language yo rds they hear
ly some of the wo parent’s undivided attentio
n.
understanding on r’s body
st from the speake
and filling in the re get meaning. kers: they
s around them to Young children are logical thin
language and clue transfer aking English,
re nt es e is us ed, they appear to need to have a reason for spe
Where pa ents can speak
ning in English. since both they and their par
rking out the mea
these skills to wo
nguage are the home language.
bo th ne w co ncepts and new la
W he n cessary switch from their
d at th e sa m e time, it may be ne They may find it difficult to
introduce ing a whisper, , so it is important
qu ic k tra nslation once, us home language into English
to give a utes we are going
translation to set the scene: ‘In three min
by the English. If
followed directly following ting the scene
or e th an once and again in to have our English time.’ Set
give n m e moving to a
is waiting for the for English time might involv
may get used to
sessions, a child r own clues to t’s sit on the
n inst ea d of using his or he special place in the room: ‘Le
trans latio .’ Warming up
glish. sofa. Now, let’s talk in English
understand the En ing a familiar
in English by counting or say
into English
rhyme also helps to switch
new activity.
before introducing some
 Childre
n pick u
in which p langu
they ar age wh
e physic en the
introdu ally invo talk is b
ced to ased ar
conten th e a ctivity in lve d. If they h ound a
t, they fe a n activit
th eir home v e already y
and pic el more language be en
king up secure and und
the acc and can
ompan concen erstood
Where y ing Eng tra te on u the
session lish. ndersta
since c s a re in only n ding
hildren’s English
languag attentio , activit
e. Liste n span ies nee
ning on is gene d to be
ly to En rally no shorter
glish ca t as lon
n be tir g a s in the
ing. home
Encoura
gement
Young c and pra
and kno
hildren
look for th
eir p
ise
w they ar arents’
suppor e makin praise.
t, encou g progr They ne
as well r a g ement e ss in E ed to fe
as the e and pra n g lish. Con el good
x tended is e from tin uous po ,
motivat family, h both m sitive
e. In the e lps to b o th er and
importa early st uild up father,
nt and ages of self-con
‘I like th p r aise for le a rn ing, enc fidence
at.’ ‘Well any sm ourage and
done!’ all succ ment is
ess mo es pe cially
Starting tivates.
off in En ‘That’s g
suppor g lish is th o o d.’
t the m e time w
have m o s t. Once hen youn
emorise they ar g childr
d s o e able t en need
intensiv me stor o speak parents
e. By th ie s , the su , re cite rhy ’
to have is stage p p o m e
been p , Englis rt need s and
layfully h phras no long
be bon transfe es, rhym er be so
ding an rre d e s a n d
lifelong d is likely to in to family sto ries are
attitude stay. Th life. In-f likely
accepte s to Eng is can b amily E
d that li lis h and o e th e begin ng lish can
before felong a ther cu ning of
the age ttitudes ltures. It positive
of eight are laid is now g
or nine down in enerally
To find . early ch
out mo ildhood
re, visit
www.br
itishcou
ncil.org
/parent
s
One of a series of booklets commissioned by the British Council to support parents.
Written by Opal Dunn, Author and Educational Consultant from the UK

The United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland).