Is it impossible to teach a 4 year old ENGLISH, especially as a SECOND LANGUAGE?

Question

Hey all,

I'm a 17 year old girl. I've been assigned to teach a 4 year old Chinese girl (she's actually 3.5 years old, goes to Pre-school) English.

As the parents are paying me to do this, I feel extremely stressed and nervous. They've asked me to teach her English at a beginners level.

I was thinking I could read her books, play games, etc, do some arts and crafts...

Any other ideas? And, I'm nervous about this because I dont think I'm that great with kids..

Kids at 4 years old have short attention span---any ideas how I can teach her effectively and keep her attracted???

THANKS!

Answer 1

just let the child be itself when she looks at something say and repeat until she know how to say it like for example if she looking at book you say to the child ''book book '' then if the child looks at something else say what it is do all day she will get it because she\he is so young she\he like sponge she\he absorbs knowledge and will start learning

Answer 2

Most kids DO learn languages very easily.  Someone mentioned going outside...you bet!  Go to the park...if you can.  Point to the object...say it in her language (if you can) and then in English and have her repeat it.  Speaking to her in English as much as possible will benefit immensely.  

Do you know Chinese?  Read a book one sentence at a time and repeat in English.  Or very minimally point to the pictures in the book and say them in English.  Go to the library and check out books that are "picture" books....with lots of objects in them...usually for toddlers learning to talk.  These make it nice for the child.

Play memory games- make a set of card or puchase a memory game.  Be sure to use English during this time and encourage her to as well.

Singing simple songs in English will help as well.

At meal time/snack time---and if you aren't around her at that time...use pretend food and etc... set the table- say everything in English... pass the food--- have her ask in English.  Etc.

Good luck.  If you search the internet for ESL preschool I'm sure you find many games for you to play!

Answer 3

She can still learn the language or english effortlessly because she is still in the sensitive period in learning language.

Just keep on talking to her in English and try to name first all the things in her environment. You may also do some action when you introduce her action words. As the vocabulary increases, she may learn to talk in phrases and simple sentences.

Answer 4

simply integrating the language into her everyday activities will help her grasp the language, toddlers are at their prime age for language acquisition. Read, talk, play, sing (head shoulders knees and toes is a good one!) and go about the day in english. Any tv she watches should be english (baby einstein is a good selection because it shows a subject picture or object and then says the word, very simple). Read her favorite stories in english, this way she already knows the story in her language and can now learn to translate by hearing it in another.

simply play with her, that is how children learn.

Answer 5

I have had several children who are learning english as a second language in my preschool. They learn a lot from the other kids.  One boy in particular... his Mom bought a bunch of children's cds in english for him, and this was a great help. Teach it like you would a toddler. When you give her a snack, you tell her what each thing is in english.  Reading books is a great idea.  Games might be hard for her if she has a hard time understanding english.  Music is a great way to have fun with it.  Simple songs like head shoulders knees and toes can be really helpful.

Answer 6

My mum is a pre school teacher and she says that teaching a 2nd language and maths at children of this age is really really good for them. I teach english to a 8yr old (as a 2nd language) and when i started i had to do it the way you said: lots of pictures, songs, painting etc.... its stressing but after the 2nd lesson you will enjoy it as well! dont worry

Answer 7

use flash cards with pictures

my kid loves that and is bilingual at 3

we go around hte park and neighbourhood and point out words- i draw them on a notepad

Answer 8

You have lots of great ideas! I have had children in my preschool class, both threes and fours, that did not speak English. They learned quickly. You might even try to arrange a play group with other children and their mom's or nanny to let the child learn from other children. Enjoy this experience!

Answer 9

talk to her only in english, using gestures etc. kids love music, animals. so maybe you can watch disney cartoons with her. as someone before said, she will pick it up in no time!

Answer 10

Children are primed to learn language.   I have bi lingual children in my program.  If we can teach some severely developementally delayed children a second language (English)  I am sure you will be able to teach her.  The more you verbally submerse a child into a language, the more the will pick it up.  You are a 17 y/o girl...do what you do best...KEEP TALKING!

Answer 11

You've already been given some great ideas. I'd like to add the possibility of taking her somewhere to play with kids her own age. They are often the best teachers. Try a nearby park or, even better, see if you can find one child you can arrange a play date with.

Answer 12

That reminds me of a saying of mine... "Never try to teach a pig to sing... it only frustrates YOU and it aggravates the pig"...

Pardon the metaphor... but I think you are faced with the same frustrating effort.  A 4 year old only has a vocabulary of a few hundred words in any language and, unless you can figure out some way to make it FUN to learn English.. you are going to fail because a 4 year old lacks the life experience to learn a second language.

I grew up in a household where BOTH English AND French were spoken with about the same frequency and I was about 5 years old before the English made any sense because my Mother only spoke French to me when my father wasn't around.

Answer 13

Just relax!!  You already have some great ideas and remember that kids that age learn language very easily.  Even if she has a short attention span, if you keep things interesting and more like play she will learn very quickly.

Answer 14

Take haer outside somewhere interesting (theme parks, arcade, etc.) and as you go by objects tell her what they are and stuff. You getme right. okay good luck.