Being bilingual provides you with many benefits, including increasing job opportunities and raising cultural awareness. It is easier to learn a foreign language from a young age, so teaching your children a second language is a wonderful way to enrich their futures. Popular second languages for Americans include French, Spanish, and Chinese. While they are all excellent options, the French language is particularly beautiful and poetic, so it is a wonderful choice for enhancing your child’s language skills. In addition to the immersive bilingual learning environment provided at the International School of Denver, these methods can help reinforce language learning.

Start with the Basics

Proper pronunciation is critical for speaking French fluently, so if your kids are just starting with French, it is essential to start with the basics. Start with simple French words, so kids develop a solid foundation for pronunciation. Then, practice words like colors, numbers, and shapes. Children have to establish basic building blocks of language to speak it fluidly, so it is important to remember that these simple words serve as a foundation for more complex language in the future.

You also need to make sure that your child actually understands the language you are teaching. Many kids are able to repeat words correctly but have little cognitive understanding of what the words actually mean. Once kids start to repeat words, try using them interchangeably with the English counterpart to ensure the child understands the meaning in both languages.

Choose a Variety of Tools to Help with Language Building

There are dozens of tools you can use to help your children learn French. One of the most effective ways to acquire language is through immersion, so use a variety of tools to expose your kids to French. In addition to what they’re learning in the classroom, you can also use the following tools to enhance exposure.

Stories: You can find children’s books written in French and read them to your kids at bedtime every night. This is a great way to increase their knowledge of French culture while also practicing their language skills.

Movies: Movies are easy learning tools that kids love. Choose a movie your child loves and change the audio settings to French. If the child is already familiar with the story, he or she will be able to pick up a few words each time the movie plays. For older kids that can read, you may want to consider turning on English subtitles to help them match the French words to English understanding. YouTube can be another great option, with series like Caillou and Peppa Pig available in French.

Music: Studies show that music is a great way to acquire language skills because it helps with memorization and stimulates cognitive development. Find streaming music, podcasts, or songs on YouTube with French audio to help your kids acquire language. For older kids, you may opt for music from popular French artists, while younger kids may benefit more from familiar children’s songs that are translated into French.

Cultivate an Interest in Language

Kids learn best when they are interested in the material. They may not understand the importance of learning French at an early age, so it’s important to make language learning interesting to them. Some children simply want to please their parents and can be motivated by verbal praise. Others have little interest in the French language itself but are intrigued by the thought of learning about the culture. For kids with specific interests such as travel or history, you can customize the language learning to those interests to keep their attention.

Make Learning Fun

Kids are less likely to retain their language skills if they are forced to study or aren’t exposed to various learning tools. If you make French fun and interactive for kids, they will enjoy learning and are more likely to retain their language skills into adulthood.

Start by practicing French color words while drawing with your child. Put together animal-themed puzzles to learn the French names of the creatures. Cook authentic French recipes to bring the culture to your kitchen. You can even encourage older kids to make up and recite stories in French for extra practice. There are dozens of ways to make learning fun, so find activities that your child enjoys and adapt them for creative learning.

Practice Daily Repetition

Children won’t retain their new language skills if they don’t practice them each day. As your kids acquire new skills, begin to use those words and phrases interchangeably with their English counterparts throughout your daily life. For example, if your kids have recently learned the French words for different types of clothing, start using them when your children get dressed or fold laundry each day. You can talk about the family’s menu each day in French once the kids understand the language skills associated with food, and you can use the French names for animals when referring to plush toys.

Find every opportunity you can to practice repetitive language skills. If your child is climbing a set of stairs, have him or her count off each step in French. You can also teach your kids to use French whenever they use their manners, such as every time they said “please” and “thank you.” These repetitive behaviors give your kids plenty of opportunities to practice the language they are learning.

Language immersion with daily exposure and repetition is always the most effective way to learn another language.