Genki English is designed for teachers
of
languages to children, but you
can also
use many of the games, songs and ideas
to
teach your own kids at home! On this
page
I'll show you some hints and tips on
how
to get the most out of GenkiEnglish!
When the kids of today become adults, speaking
2 or 3 languages won't be considered special,
it will be considered a basic requirement.
In Japan from 2002 all schools will have
the chance to teach English, however not
all of them will take it up, either because
they don't know how to teach it or sometimes
because the older head teachers are more
interested in their reitrement than the futures
of their students!! By teaching a language
at home you not only increase their language
ability and confidence, but you are also
spending quality, fun time with your child!
First of all, don't say to your kids "Speak
English!", do this and they'll hate
it!! Instead you need to create a fun environment
where the kids think "Yeah, I want to
do more English!!"
The kids of today are the Playstation/Gameboy
generation. They want things fast, fun and
exciting! By using language games, it's easy
to make learning just as appealing to them!
Most of the games on this homepage (see the
Games Menu), have been designed for Primary School
Classrooms, but many of them can be modified
for use at home!
Here are my suggestions:
But of course, feel free to try out any of
the others!
If the kids are playing with their
parents
or siblings it increases their motivation.
Inviting a few friends over makes things
even more fun!
Music
But before you play the games, the kids have
to learn the new words! One of the best ways
is using songs. But be careful about using
traditional songs as the language contained
might not be too suitable! I created the
Genki English songs, each with it's own dance or game to teach
current, useful English!
On the website you can listen to 2 of the songs:
There are many more on the Genki English CDs - have a look at the songs page!
Real pronunciation? Use Computer Software!
But of couse you want to teach your
kids
correct English pronunciation. Hence
that's
why there is a special CDROM section
on each
Genki English CD! You can hear all
the words
and lyrics to the songs spoken by native
speakers! Plus there is a even a little
quiz
to go with each song! Have a look at
the CD page.
Plus on this website there are lots
of "talking pages" where your kids can hear some real English!!
When they are young they are at the age where
they can pick up the subtle differences in
pronunciation, and you'll probably find they
speak better than yourself!
This is probably the most difficult thing!!
One thing is for sure, don't get out your
old school books for your kids to look through!!
For kids up until the age of about 2, I think
that listening skills are the most important.
Watching native English TV or videos or listening
to CDs is great! When they reach the age
of about 3, you can start using Genki English
to get them talking!! Have a look at the Curriculum section of Genki English. Choose a topic
that you think looks fun and try teaching
that!
For parents, children are the most important
thing in the world. If you teach your child
a foreign language at an early age you will
be giving them so much. You'll not only increase
their confidence, and ability to make friends,
but will help them find jobs when they are
older and open their eyes to all the wonderful
things the World has to offer!
If you have any questions or comments, please
ask them on our discussion board, or send me an email!
Be genki,
Richard
@
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