8 Things Parents Can Do At Home To Help Children Speak With Confidence In English

The Way To Improve In A Language Is To Speak It

Malaysian children have to learn two, sometimes three languages in school. It is a wonderful opportunity for our kids naturally, yet at the same time it can cause confusion. Kids may speak Chinese at home and learn Malay in school or speak Malay at home and speak Chinese at school.

When kids have to learn several languages at school and English is not the main medium of instruction, sometimes English conversational skills get pushed into the back burner. Even if you speak English at home, if you do not make it a point to speak proper English at home, your child's oral communication skills will decline.





Oral Communication Skills Are Important For Students

Oral communication skills are important for students. To be able to communicate effectively improves confidence. The ability to express oneself well helps students to work better in teams. It projects friendliness, creates emotional connections and improves social skills.

These are skills for life and will serve the student well later on in their professional life. English is a widely spoken language in the world and the main medium of instruction in many Universities worldwide. That is why it is important for your child to be able to converse well in English when they reach young adulthood pursuing tertiary education or career.

Knowing this many parents plan ahead by making sure their young children have the necessary English speaking skills to prepare them for the future.

8 Things Parents Can Do At Home To Help Children Speak With Confidence In English

1.  Speak proper English to your child. For young children start from words, progressing to phrases and full sentences.

2. Improve their English vocabulary by encouraging them to read English story books. Try different genres to increase their vocabulary and maintain interest. Read to them aloud when they are young and encourage them to read aloud to you.

3. Let them watch cartoons and shows in English, then discuss. Ask them lots of Why, What, Who or How questions.

4. Use interactive apps for learning English conversational skills to boost their spoken language. Here are some Learn English apps with English stories, audios and videos

5. Watch and sing English songs together. You can find plenty of fun English songs for kids on YouTube

6. Listen to English audio books

7. For older kids encourage them to read English newspapers, discuss and talk about current affairs in English

8. Motivate your child by giving praise when due. "Good job! You read that really well!"
The idea is to practice, practice and practice. The Way To Improve In A Language Is To Speak It.

This post was brought to you by British Council Malaysia. British Council Malaysia runs English language courses for kids and teens from ages 5 to 17. They employ highly qualified and experienced native English speaking teachers to give your child plenty of practice to speak, read and write with more confidence.