Unlocking the Potential: Motivating Children to Learn English

Introduction

Young children possess an innate ability to acquire languages, learning naturally and unconsciously. Unlike adolescents and adults, they are self-motivated to pick up language without conscious learning. This article explores the various factors that influence how young children learn English, aiming to provide insights for parents and educators to foster a positive and effective language learning environment.

The Advantages of Early Language Acquisition

Natural Language Acquisition Strategies

Young children are still using their individual, innate language-learning strategies to acquire their home language and soon find they can also use these strategies to pick up English. They have the ability to imitate pronunciation and work out the rules for themselves. Any idea that learning to talk in English is difficult does not occur to them unless it’s suggested by adults, who themselves probably learned English academically at a later age through grammar-based text books.

Time and Play-Based Learning

Young children have time to learn through play-like activities. They pick up language by taking part in an activity shared with an adult. They firstly make sense of the activity and then get meaning from the adult’s shared language. School programs tend to be informal, and children's minds are not yet cluttered with facts to be stored and tested. They may have little or no homework and are less stressed by having to achieve set standards.

Long-Term Benefits

Children who have the opportunity to pick up a second language while they are still young appear to use the same innate language-learning strategies throughout life when learning other languages. Picking up third, fourth, or even more languages is easier than picking up a second.

Pronunciation and Cultural Understanding

Young children who acquire language rather than consciously learn it, as older children and adults have to, are more likely to have better pronunciation and feel for the language and culture. When monolingual children reach puberty and become more self-conscious, their ability to pick up language diminishes and they feel they have to consciously study English through grammar-based programs. The age at which this change occurs depends greatly on the individual child’s developmental levels as well as the expectations of their society.

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Stages in Picking Up English

The Silent Period

When babies learn their home language, there is a ‘silent period’, when they look and listen and communicate through facial expression or gestures before they begin to speak. When young children learn English, there may be a similar ‘silent period’ when communication and understanding may take place before they actually speak any English words. During this time parents should not force children to take part in spoken dialogue by making them repeat words. Spoken dialogues should be one-sided, the adult’s talk providing useful opportunities for the child to pick up language. Where the adult uses parentese (an adjusted form of speech) to facilitate learning, the child may use many of the same strategies they used in learning their home language.

Beginning to Talk

After some time, depending on the frequency of English sessions, each child begins to say single words (‘cat’, ‘house’) or ready-made short phrases (‘What’s that?’, ‘It’s my book’, ‘I can’t’, ‘That’s a car’, ‘Time to go home’) in dialogues or as unexpected statements. The child has memorised them, imitating the pronunciation exactly without realising that some may consist of more than one word. This stage continues for some time as they child picks up more language using it as a short cut to dialogue before they are ready to create their own phrases.

Building Up English Language

Gradually children build up phrases consisting of a single memorised word to which they add words from their vocabulary (‘a dog’, ‘a brown dog’, ‘a brown and black dog’) or a single memorised language to which they add their own input (‘That’s my chair’, ‘Time to play’). Depending on the frequency of exposure to English and the quality of experience, children gradually begin to create whole sentences.

Understanding

Understanding is always greater than speaking and young children’s ability to comprehend should not be underestimated, as they are used to understanding their home language from a variety of context clues. Though they may not understand everything they hear in their home language, children grasp the gist - that is they understand a few important words and decipher the rest using different clues to interpret the meaning. With encouragement they soon transfer their ‘gist’ understanding skills to interpret meaning in English.

Overcoming Frustration

After the initial novelty of English sessions, some young children become frustrated by their inability to express their thoughts in English. Others want to speak quickly in English as they can in their home language. Frustration can often be overcome by providing children with ‘performance’ pieces like ‘I can count to 12 in English’ or very simple rhymes, which consist of ready-made phrases.

Correcting Mistakes Positively

Children should not be told they have made a mistake because any correction immediately demotivates. Mistakes may be part of the process of working out grammar rules of English or they may be a fault in pronunciation. ‘I goed’ soon becomes ‘went’ if the child hears the adult repeat back ‘yes, you went’; or if the adult hears ‘zee bus’ and repeats ‘the bus’. As in learning their home language, if children have an opportunity to hear the adult repeat the same piece of language correctly, they will self-correct in their own time.

Creating Effective Language-Learning Environments

The Importance of 'Parentese'

Young children find it more difficult to pick up English if they are not provided with the right type of experiences, accompanied by adult support using ‘parentese’ techniques. Young children need to feel secure and know that there is some obvious reason for using English.

Linking Activities to Everyday Life

Activities need to be linked to some interesting everyday activities about which they already know, e.g., sharing an English picture book, saying a rhyme in English, having an ‘English’ snack. Activities are accompanied by adult language giving a running commentary about what is going on and dialogues using adjusted parentese language.

Fun and Engaging Sessions

English sessions are fun and interesting, concentrating on concepts children have already understood in their home language. In this way children are not learning two things, a new concept as well as new language, but merely learning the English to talk about something they already know. Activities are backed up by specific objects, where possible, as this helps understanding and increases general interest.

Reading and Decoding

Children who can already read in their home language generally want to find out how to read in English. They already know how to decode words in their home language to get meaning from text and, if not helped to decode in English, may transfer their home language-decoding techniques and end up reading English with the home language accent. Before they can decode English, young children need to know the 26 alphabet letter names and sounds. As English has 26 letters but on average 44 sounds (in standard English), introducing the remaining sounds is better left until children have more experience in using language and reading, Beginning reading in English goes easily if young children already know the language they are trying to read. Many children work out by themselves how to read in English if they have shared picture books with adults or learned rhymes, as they are likely to have memorised the language. Reading what they know by heart is an important step in learning to read as it gives children opportunities to work out how to decode simple words by themselves. Once children have built up a bank of words they can read, they feel confident and are then ready for a more structured approach.

Parental Support: A Cornerstone of Success

Encouragement and Praise

Children need to feel that they are making progress. They need continual encouragement as well as praise for good performance, as any success motivates. Parents are in an ideal position to motivate and so help their children learn, even if they have only basic English themselves and are learning alongside their young children. By sharing, parents can not only bring their child’s language and activities into family life, but can also influence their young children’s attitudes to language learning and other cultures. As a parent, you may not realize how much you can do to support your children in learning English.

Practical Tips for Parents

Read English versions of their favorite books: A remarkable number of popular favorites have been translated, and it may well be that their favorite book was actually written in English originally.
Learn a language alongside them: It can be helpful to learn a different language, so you’re learning at the same rate - or your child ends up out-pacing you, which can be gratifying for them.
Do easy tasks in English: Use English for really straightforward things. For instance, basic instructions that don’t require a response, or only need a yes or no answer, can be communicated in English.
Don’t discourage them from learning other languages: Learning other languages as well can actually be beneficial for your child’s English.
Set technology to English: Switching mobile apps to English is a good place to start.
Don’t worry too much about their mistakes: The best way to make your child never want to speak English again is to tell them every mistake that they make.
Focus on vocabulary, not grammar: Learning grammar helps you communicate better, but learning vocabulary helps you communicate more.
Don’t be afraid to mix English with their first language: Blending languages together can be a lot of fun and can make learning them easier.
Watch English-language TV and films with them: Watching films and TV in English is a great way to learn while also enjoying yourself, and that applies especially to teenagers.
Send them to a summer school: This can also be a relaxed and enjoyable way to learn English.

External and Internal Motivation

External Motivators

Discussing external motivators is more appropriate for older children and teenagers. As your children grow up, you can have a conversation about the practical advantages of learning English in life.

Share your experience: You can tell them about your own experience of learning English.
Access to information: A motivator for older children is to tell them that most of the internet is in English, and that by learning the language they will have access to so much more information and knowledge about their interests and hobbies.
Media: Tell your children that by learning English, they will be able to understand the lyrics to their favourite songs and dialogues in their favourite TV shows and films.

External Motivators for Young Children

Praise: It is important to positively reinforce your child’s learning. Parents should smile and say things like: I love the way you pronounced that word or You did a great job with your vocabulary today.
Rewards: It is a good idea to create a “rewards system”. Start by making a reward chart with objectives and put stickers on the board when each objective is completed.

Internal Motivation

Internal motivation is the desire to do something for personal satisfaction, not an external reward. If someone is naturally motivated, they have fun doing an activity or enjoy the challenge. It is important to develop a genuine interest in the language early and to increase internal motivation to study it.

Developing Internal Motivation

Lead by example: If your child sees you learning English, they will want to do it too.
Make English a social activity: Building relationships and socialising is something children are naturally motivated to do.
Make English fun: Fun and enjoyment are powerful motivators, so it is essential that you include them in your child’s English studies.
Connect English to your child’s existing hobbies and interests: The aim is to combine English with activities they already like, and so use their existing motivation.
Choose the right English resources: When choosing resources to motivate your child, it is important to make sure they are appropriate for them in terms of age, level and content.
Learn English at the right speed: It is important to work at your child’s natural learning speed so they have time to understand and use the language in the activity correctly.
Allow your child to choose: Giving your child the option to choose what they learn also helps motivate them.
Hire a one-to-one English tutor: One-to-one lessons with a private tutor are a great way to motivate your child to speak English more.

Effective ESL Teaching Strategies

Goal Setting

Goal setting is fundamental for keeping track of students’ progress, building students’ self-esteem and confidence, and keeping students motivated. Setting goals helps students see their progress and gives them a sense of accomplishment, which is a great motivator.

Interactive and Fun Activities

Learning a new language should be enjoyable! Incorporating interactive and fun activities into your lessons can significantly boost motivation. Activities like role-playing, language games, and storytelling not only make learning more enjoyable but also help students practice English in a practical, engaging context.

Providing Feedback

Feedback is a powerful tool for motivating students. It’s important to provide regular, constructive feedback that highlights students’ strengths while also offering guidance on areas for improvement.

Creating a Supportive Environment

A supportive and positive classroom environment can significantly impact a student’s learning motivation. Make sure to foster an atmosphere where students feel safe to make mistakes and ask questions.

Personalizing Learning

Every student has different interests, strengths, and areas for improvement. Personalizing the learning experience can go a long way in keeping students motivated.

Incorporating Technology

Technology offers endless possibilities for enhancing the learning experience and keeping students motivated. Incorporate multimedia resources like videos, podcasts, and interactive apps to make lessons more engaging.

Encouraging Autonomy

Encouraging students to take responsibility for their own learning can be highly motivating. Teach students how to set personal study goals and find resources that can help them achieve these goals outside of class.

Celebrating Achievements

Celebrating achievements, no matter how small, can be a powerful motivator. Recognize and celebrate milestones in your students’ learning journey, whether it’s mastering a new set of vocabulary words, improving pronunciation, or successfully completing a challenging assignment.

Connecting with Real-Life Scenarios

When students see how learning English can directly impact their daily lives, they are more likely to stay motivated. Incorporate real-life scenarios into your lessons, such as ordering food in a restaurant, job interviews, or travel-related conversations.

Highlighting the Benefits

Remind students of the many benefits of learning English, such as improved job prospects, the ability to travel and communicate with people from different cultures, and access to a wealth of information and entertainment.

The Ideal L2 Self and Motivation

Understanding the Ideal L2 Self

The ideal second/foreign language (L2) self, a concept in second-language acquisition theory, is a learner’s future vision about their language ability. Research on the ideal L2 self is important for finding ways to improve motivation for learning a new language, foreign language teaching strategies, and personalization of instruction for individuals with different backgrounds and aspirations.

Factors Influencing the Ideal L2 Self

Studies have shown that the ideal L2 self is associated with motivated behavior, which in turn is associated with English proficiency. Thus, investing in the optimal development of an ideal L2 self could help establish an effective second language learning environment. External influences (e.g., parents, teachers, peer groups) and instructional materials are related to students’ motivation to learn an L2. These studies have indicated that motivation to learn and develop possible L2 selves can be influenced by external factors such as encouragement and the presence of important role models in students’ lives.

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