What I emphasise most in my clases and in my teacher - parent meetings, is the importance of exposing children to the target language as often as possible, and of course regular practice. It is true that children learn at very high speeds, but like with many things in life, is forgotten if not practiced.
One of my favourite sayings is: "practice makes perfect". If you want your children to become bilingual, they need to practice on a regular basis to perfect their language knowledge and skills. This goes hand in hand with the amount of time that you as parents, expose your children to resources that allows them to learn and practice their vocabulary, pronunciation and comprehension.
Various studies on language acquisition confirm that children who practice for more than 15 minutes a day, learn faster and more effectively than those who don't. Now, if your question is; How do I help/support my child to learn English (or any other language)? Here I leave you with 5 ways to expose your children to a second language and how to support them in the process:
1) Play films, tv programmes, songs or any type of audio in the target language every single day
This does not mean that the children have to sit still listening or watching what is playing. It also doesn't mean that you have to put a full film/programme or play songs the whole day, just 15 minutes a day of audio exposure is enough. All that is needed, is for the audio to be background noise, whilst the children play or do any other activity they enjoy that doesn't affect their ability to listen. Many scientific studies have found that background noise in the target language helps children to identify different dialects/accents, words they already know and some grammar. This allows children to accelerate their learning by simply exposing them to implicit learning, which means they learn without needing to pay full attention.
2) Introduce your child to phonics at an early age
Many languages use phonics to teach children to read and write. Although at the beginning it is common for children to feel overwhelmed by all the different sounds in the English alphabet, it is important that they practice these sounds for them to improve their pronunciation and increase their vocabulary. Our advice is to introduce children to phonics from an early age, because as they learn to read and write in their native language, it becomes easier for them to use their knowledge of phonics to read faster in both languages. Also, as they become more independent in their reading and writing skills, they increase their self esteem and they start to grow a love of languages and literature. It is important to understand that phonics alone as a method to learn a second language is not effective. This method should always be learned whilst receiving tuition/classes.
3) Use resources to practice and learn
There are many resources available online that can help children to practice and learn a language. However, it is important to know which resources are effective and will actually help ESL children, as most resources for native speakers do not work for children learning another language. We recommend doing thorough research to find resources that have been made especially for ESL students (like Mini Bilinguals). There are many resources available, some more effective thank others, but remember that the most important thing is to keep the children practising on a regular basis to keep them learning.
Example of resources:
a) ESL Worksheets
b) Books
c) Films
d) Songs
e) Games
f) The internet – to see programmes, listen to songs, have lessons and find ESL activities
g) Apps to learn languages
4) Incorporate songs & learned vocabulary in the child's daily routine
This a very fun way for children to learn another language. Sing a song that your child knows and use it in the right context. This not only helps them practice their language skills, but also it makes them feel happy and proud to be able to connect their learning to their environment. For example: If it is raining, sing the song 'rain, rain go away' (a song about rain in English). By doing this, you are helping your child understand that what they learn within an educational setting is connected to real life. Another example is counting in the target language whilst walking (as if counting your steps) - this helps them memorise their numbers in the target language in an enjoyable, active and real way (which is very important). Nowadays it is normal for children to use technology on a regular basis, and although this is a great skill - to know how to use computers/tablets well - for language acquisition, there is nothing better than using real life and the child's environment to learn and practice.
5) Become a member of a group of parents/families who have the same purpose as you
There is nothing more effective, than motivation for children to learn, and what better way than motivating them with educational play dates? We recommend you to find social groups or friends that also want their children to learn a second language, so that the kids can practice together. By doing this, you are allowing your child to motivate themselves through their friends, learning from one another in a fun and enjoyable way. This also helps you as a parent to see what other parents/families are doing, sharing ideas and tips to make the process simpler and more gratifying - not only for you but for your kids.
I hope this information helps you find different ways to support your children in the process to becoming bilingual. Something that you must keep in mind, is that this is a long process where you need to have a lot of patience, dedication and support. Remember that languages are children's superpowers and you will be the ones to help them discover their talents, exposing them to as many resources as possible for them to practice and in the future become true world citizens!