How To Teach Your Five Year-old French

Young children are so curious that learning another language for them can be quite easy. Teaching your child French is definitely something you can do with some planning and a fun attitude. The key to keeping your child engaged in the language learning process is to make it fun, and to consistently provide input in the other language. Here are some ideas to help you teach your five year-old French.

1.) Sing songs. Teaching your child songs in French is a sure-fire way to get him to participate in learning the language. Most five year-olds love to sing, dance, and move around. Sing songs that incorporate everyday vocabulary, such as nursery rhymes, or songs about the body, numbers, different kinds of food, the weather, etc. Add in some hand movements, changes in volume here and there to liven it up, and your child will be asking you to learn new songs in French.

2.) Play active games. Teach your child how to follow basic commands in French by playing games with plenty of physical movement. For example, say the word, Sit in French, and then sit down yourself. Then quickly stand up, saying the command for that. Repeat the movements, inviting your child to join in. Then add in some more fun movements, such as walking, running, jumping, etc., saying the command each time you do the movement. Your child will learn to associate the command with the action and will remember the word by imitating your actions. Vary this game up by having your child be the leader when she has mastered some commands, and you follow her orders.

3.) Use pictures. Read your child books in French with lots of easy-to-understand illustrations. Point to new vocabulary you re reading in the book and then in the picture. Use simple vocabulary flash cards to teach your child new words of common objects, such as types of clothing. Make games out of learning with the flash cards. For example, hide the different ones your child is learning, and have him search for them, calling out the name of the picture in French when he finds one.

4.) Expose and immerse. The best way to teach your child French is to expose her to the language as often as possible. Immerse her in it by having play dates with French-speaking children or enrolling her in a bilingual French school or academic program. Speak French with her as often as possible.