How To Teach Your Child A Foreign Language At Home
Good news, parents: you don’t have to be fluent or even know a word in a foreign language to teach your child at home—though it certainly helps. The key is staying engaged and integrating it into your family’s daily life.
Below are the tips I’ve found that work best for me and my family. I have two daughters, aged 3 and 5. Their first language is Russian (my mother tongue); their second is English (my husband speaks only English); and French is their third language because I’m teaching them out of love for languages!
For me, French is my fourth language (I speak Russian and English, some Spanish, and German). I learned these entirely on my own—no classes, no one to practice with, nothing formal—through books, CDs, music, TV, and audiobooks.
As you can see, it’s very achievable if you set your mind to it!
So let’s jump into the tips and take French as an example, although these tips apply to any language.
1. Start them young: If possible, introduce a foreign language before your children can even speak! This applies to parents to know some of the foreign language. Pick up a French book, magazine, or any text, and just read out loud to your baby/toddler. Play French music while you cook meals or drive the car with your kids. Expose them early!
If your children are older, no worries. Their brains are still sponges and absorb everything at the speed of light.
2. Start with one word at a time: Look up everyday common words in the online dictionary, or just ask AI for a list, and start naming the objects in a foreign language. Table, chair, carrot, milk, bed, book, pants, etc. Build your vocab together.
I recommend buying books with pictures and words written in a foreign language beside each picture. See the picture below on the left. Bonus points if that is also an audiobook. A child can just touch each word and hear the book say it.
You can also write one word on a Post-it note and attach it to the words you want to learn and teach them. That’s assuming your child can read, or if you yourself need a reminder.
3. Listen to French children’s songs and nursery rhymes: Our favourite children’s French artists are Alain Le Lait and Carmen Campagne, easily accessible on the Spotify app or YouTube. We listen to so many French songs every day. My kids can sing them, dance to them, and ask questions about them. Amazing!
4. Instructional YouTube videos: Your children can learn numbers, colours, body parts, clothes, and pretty much anything, with YouTube’s learn-a-language songs, such as this one. All while you’re cooking dinner. Memorize and sing the songs together for added benefit.
5. Cartoons: Find cartoons in French on YouTube, such as Caillou, or choose any children’s show on Netflix and switch the language. Start with younger audience shows, such as Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, or Octonauts, because of their slower pronunciation. I “practiced” my French by watching cartoons as an adult. It was easier to understand what was going on as opposed to watching adult movies/shows.
6. Move on to phrases: Once you have some good vocab, or even as you are still building it, start introducing simple, everyday phrases. “Good morning.” “It’s breakfast time.” “What would you like to eat?” “Let’s go outside to the park” … you are probably saying this every day, so why not say it in French?
You can look these phrases up online or buy a book, such as below, that would give you the phrases, vocab, and ideas. It also comes with a CD so that you can hear the pronunciation. There are tons of books like these out there.
7. Make it a lifestyle, not a task: There is no point in doing this for a few weeks—you have to commit to making the language part of your everyday life. I aim to say at least a few things in French to my children each day; the rest can be all in English. But it makes a HUGE difference! If you are in a rush, having a bad day, or need to explain something complicated, don’t worry, feel free to use English.
However, you’ll find that daily opportunities to practice with your children add up, and your French neurons will keep firing for both you and your child. Your biggest obstacle will often simply be forgetting to switch languages. But remember, all you need is a few phrases and a few words per day, and those French neurons will keep firing in your and your child’s brains.
8. Duo-Lingo books: These books show text in English and French, side by side. How convenient is that? There are tons of books like that out there. For example, Amazon’s Jojo’s Playful Day.
9. Online resources: A popular choice for children and adults is, of course, duolingo.com. Adults can also enjoy learning a foreign language through News In Slow French (or Spanish).
10. Language playdate or teenage tutor: If you can, find someone in your area who speaks your second language, and set up a playdate. If you can’t, post an ad in your local mommy Facebook group and see if there is a teenager who is interested in speaking French to your child. Many teenagers would love this opportunity, and they only charge $20/hr, unlike professional tutors. Lastly, try online resources with live speakers, such as Camp De Tournesol.
11. Popular TV show books: Once your children find a show that they like to watch in French, such as Peppa Pig, Caillou, Paw Patrol etc., find a short story book of these shows, such as this one. My daughters love Peppa Pig, so I got them Peppa Cochon storybooks in French, and we love reading them.
12. Take your language for a “walk”. Now incorporate words and phrases into your everyday routines. “Il est l’heure de se réveiller” (time to wake up), or “Regarde, un tamia!” (Look, a chipmunk!). You get the idea. Do this as often as you can throughout the day! And if you don’t know how to say something, chances are, wherever you are, you have your iPhone and can easily check! 😉
13. Help them read. Struggling to motivate your child to read in French? Try playing theater in French. Pick a play (story to act out) that your child already knows, such as Three Little Pigs. Find a play transcript for it online (see Resources below for more info), or ask AI to create one, and your child will be reading (and acting it out) in no time. For more info, check out my French Theater blog.
14. Be creative and make it fun! There are so many other ways to learn and teach a language, but the above work really well for my family. Please share your tips with me and I can share them with the world. Bonne chance!
A Note on 3rd Foreign Language: When I started speaking two foreign languages with my children (from birth), I was worried that they would be confused. But, rest assured, I observed none of the confusion. Sometimes, at the early beginnings, my daughters could mix up a word or two here and there but they always know what language is being spoken to them no problem. It’s amazing!
Additional Resources For Learning French Language (for Kids)
BOUKILI.CA: This is an amazing resource for reading and listening to books. And the best part, it’s FREE!
WORKSHEETS: The following worksheet-type series: Je Lis (encourages literacy), Par ecrit (encourages writing), Pas de Probleme (logic/math). You can find these on Amazon for many Grade Levels (starting Grade 1)
READING COMPREHENSION: Cahier d’exercises comprehension a la lecture, or equivalent, are also very good to encourage reading and understanding. Available on Amazon.
MONDE DES TITOUNIS. A great resource for learning French through songs (with lyrics) and stories (through cartoons and written text). And it’s FREE.
TEACHERS PAY TEACHERS. So many excellent resources and materials in French here for just a few bucks. I got my theater play transcripts and reading comprehension materials here. Amazing!
Resources for Adults
Try News In Slow French, mentinoed above. I’m currently listening to News In Slow Spanish and I’m loving it! You get current international news updates in foreign language and there is a lot of translation (by hovering over words) and everything is narrated as well, so you can read and listen at the same time. Love it!
I’ll be updating this page as I find more amazing resources! Come back and visit 🙂