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Speaking
to suppo English
rt your c
For the
most pa
hild
children r t, it is pa
to speak rents wh
their ho o teach
the first me lang their yo
two yea u a ung
her spec rs of life, it g e. Through
ial way o is often out
young c f talking the moth
hildren a , called ‘p er’s voic
bout lan arentese e and
g u a g ’, that tea
Parents, e and how ches
even wit to talk.
can suc h a basic
cessfully knowled
English support ge of En
by re-us th eir youn glish,
parente ing and g child le
se techn a djusting arning
iques. many of
these sa
Parents me
may wo
children rr y a bout the
have a r ir accen
to matc emarkab t in Engli
h the En le ability sh. Youn
glish of to alter the g
need to th e ir surrou ir accent
feel ‘I ca ndings.
and the n speak Young c
ir paren English’ hildren
ts’ supp a nd ‘I lik
from the ort can e English’
ir first le h e lp them ac
ssons. hieve th
is
t What is parentese language?
Why parents’ help is bes
, spending some that tunes into and adjusts to
can focus on their child ‘Parentese’ is a form of talking
• P arents
m. a young child’s language, provid
ing dialogue with the child
one-to-one time with the next level of competence.
sessions into any part
of their and shepherding them to their
• Parents can fit English
d themselves. Women appear to be innate use
rs of parentese; some men
day to suit their child an ess they can centre their talk
ssion seem to find it more difficult unl
length of an English se ture book or a game. Howeve
r,
•Parents can regulate the
fit their child’s needs, int
ere sts around specific objects – a pic
d male role models as men
and select activities to children – especially boys – nee
and ability to concentra
te. tend to take a more technical
use language differently. Men
ively
intimately and can intuit approach to using language and
‘chatter’ less.
• Parents know their child
sh talking suitable for the
ir
voice and simpler language,
judge the type of Engli Parents, using a softer, caring
g up language.
individual ways of pickin unconsciously shepherd their
young child through
and
ret their child’s moods
• Parents can best interp
ren have days when the
y an activity by:
respond to them. Child y find ud) on what
eagerly absorb languag
e and others when the
te.
• aisrun ning commentary (talking alo
going on: ‘Let’s put it here.’ ‘The
re.’ ‘Look.
it difficult to concentra
one do you like?’
more fun, as they are wo
rking I’ve put it on the table.’ ‘Which
• Parents can introduce
a class. [pause] ‘Oh, I like this one.’ ‘The
red one’
with an individual, not
re often than in
• Parents can introduce
English culture into fam
ily life,
anding
• repeating useful language mo
adult talk: repetition introduced
naturally helps
ild’s outlook and underst
so broadening their ch are picking up – it is
well as things English. the child to confirm what they
of their own culture as if it is for the parent
not boring for the child, even
has said and enlarging it:
• reflecting back what their child
Child: ‘Yellow’; Parent: ‘You like
the yellow one.’ ‘Here it is.’
. yellow, red and here’s the
‘Here’s the yellow one.’ ‘Let’s see
, do you?’ [pause]
brown one.’ ‘I like the brown one
g new words naturally
• talking more slowly and stressin
without altering the melody of
the language. ‘Which rhyme
.’ [pause for child to select]
shall we say today?’ ‘ You choose
Using English
By using simple Engli
sh with plenty of re
help their child to be petition, parents
gin thinking in Engli
where they feel secu sh during activities
• using the same phrases each time to manage English happen, like games
re and can predict wh
or ‘rhyme times’.
at is going to
sessions as well as ac Young children want
tivities and games. As to be able to talk in
understanding increas children’s English about:
es, these basic phras
enlarged: ‘Let’s play Sim
on says.’ ‘Stand there
es
.’
are
• themselves and wh
at they like: ‘I like; I do
n’t like… yuk’
‘In front of me.’ ‘That’
s right.’ ‘Are you read
y?’ • what they have done
: ‘I went to; I saw…; I
• adding facial expressio
n and gesture to aid
understanding • how they and others
feel: ‘I am sad; she’s
ate…’
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