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Articles
Translation of “10 Maneras Para Ayudar a Tus Hijos a Aprender
Inglés”
Published in Nuestra Gente Utah
Ten Ways to Help Your Child Learn English
“Quien sabe dos lenguas vale por dos.” There is a
lot of truth in this proverb. If your child can speak both English
and Spanish he or she will have twice as many opportunities for
success as a person who speaks only one language. Becoming bilingual
in English and Spanish is like having a door open to two worlds.
All parents dream of providing the brightest possible future for
their children. One way to do this is to make sure they learn a
second language. English is the most studied second language in
the world. By living in the United States, your child has a wonderful
opportunity to learn this important language. By law, if your child
does not speak English, the student has the right to participate
in English as a Second Language classes.
You may wonder how parents can help their children speak English
when they do not speak English perfectly themselves. Language skills
in English are not as important as a desire to help your child become
bilingual. Even though your child’s school provides instruction
in English, there is no guarantee of proficiency. Your child needs
your support and encouragement to develop this valuable skill. Here
are ten ways you can help your child learn English.
- Get your child a library card. They are free and your child
will be able to check out books, videos and DVDs in both English
and Spanish. Encourage your child to pick out materials in both
languages. Go often and help him or her pick out books that will
be interesting. Don’t forget to check out a book for yourself.
Children learn to be readers by watching their parents read. Libraries
are welcoming places. The Fiesta Navideña that the Provo
City Library holds in December is a good example of how your local
library can be a happy place that will encourage your child to
read. Take advantage of the free resources your local library
provides.
- Talk to your child. Taking time to share family stories, to
talk about the day’s activities and to ask about your child’s
day are important parts of language development. It might seem
boring to you to narrate where you are going and what you are
doing around the house, but children learn through repetition.
By talking with your child about everything and anything, you
are providing him or her with valuable practice. It may seem odd
that speaking Spanish to children will help them learn English.
But their Spanish abilities are a great asset. The better their
Spanish is, the better their English can become. Do try and speak
to your child in English as well. By hearing either language,
he or she is developing important skills.
- Read to your child. Reading to a child in either English or
Spanish increases his or her vocabulary and teaches about language
and the world. Children enjoy being read to. Not only do they
love hearing stories, they also love the special attention you
give them. You don’t even have to find a special book to
read. Children will listen to you read the newspaper, a magazine
or even the cereal box if they know they are getting your undivided
attention.
- Set a good example by speaking more English yourself. If you
are just beginning to learn English, there are free or low-cost
classes in most communities that can help you make progress in
a new language. The National Institute for Literacy has a hotline
(1-800-228-8813) which you may call to find out about classes
in your area. The hotline is available Monday through Friday from
7A.M. to 4 P.M. MST. You may also visit their website at www.nifl.gov
to find out about local programs. If you already have a good command
of English, work on improving them by reading, writing or speaking.
Even native speakers of a language need to polish their skills
from time to time. Children watch their parents closely. If they
see you making an effort to learn and speak English, they will
be encouraged to try harder themselves.
- Limit the amount of television your child watches. Sitting
in front of the television set is not the best use of your child’s
time. Set a certain amount of time for TV every day and stick
to it. Try and choose worthwhile programs to watch. For younger
children, “Dora the Explorer” uses a combination of
Spanish and English to promote self-esteem and independence. PBS
offers a number of programs that entertain and teach at the same
time. For older children who are already reading, be sure and
turn on the English closed-captioning when they are watching TV.
The captions were originally designed for use by the hearing impaired,
but they have great value for those who are learning English.
You can understand a lot more if you can read as well as hear
what is being said.
- Get to know your child’s teacher. Your child’s
ESL and classroom teachers want your child to succeed just as
much as you do. Don’t feel that you are bothering them by
asking them for help with your child’s English. Too often,
teachers only hear from parents when they are angry or upset.
They are usually happy to talk with parents who are interested
in helping their child get a good education. If you would like
to meet with your child’s teacher but feel that you need
a translator, let the school know ahead of time so that they can
have one ready. It’s rarely a good idea to have your child
translate for you when you are meeting with a teacher.
- Visit your child’s school. If you are invited to go to
your child’s school for an open house or a special program,
make a special effort to be there. Both teachers and students
spend a lot of time preparing for these events. Not showing up
for an open house or a play or other program sends a negative
message to both your child and to your child’s teacher.
Your effort to attend shows your child that you care about the
things he or she is learning in school. If you cannot attend because
of work schedules or illness or other obligations, be sure that
your child and your child’s teacher know that you wanted
to be there. If you can, volunteer at your child’s school.
Schools are often looking for people to help Spanish-speaking
students by reading to them or helping them with homework. It
will make a difference to your child and to other children as
well.
- Join the school’s parent-teacher organization and try
to attend all the meetings. If there isn’t a Spanish-speaking
group within the parent-teacher organization, see if you can help
set one up. You have a lot to offer your local organization. One
elementary school in Texas invited all the Spanish-speaking families
to provide tamales for a Cinco de Mayo celebration. It proved
to be the most popular of all the meetings of the year.
- Have your child teach you. Your child will enjoy sharing new
words and phrases with you and will be excited to teach you something
for a change. Children love to share what they learned at school.
Looking at your child’s school papers and having them read
to you by your child is a good way to reinforce what is being
taught at school.
- Make it fun. Children who join after-school clubs or sports
teams make friends who speak English. Learning from their peers
is one of the best ways for children to learn a new language.
Try to find other fun ways to introduce English to your child.
Your child can put bilingual labels on things in the house, play
with flashcards, go to English-speaking movies or listen to good
music. There are lots of games, workbooks and computer software
available that make learning more play than work.
Learning a new language is not something that happens overnight.
It’s a journey that lasts for many years. Your child will
need lots of help and encouragement along the way. But all the effort
you and your child put into the trip will be worth it when your
child is worth two people, one who speaks Spanish and another who
speaks English.
—Susan Denney
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