15 Ways to Teach English to Kids in 2024 [Updated]

Some great Ways to Teach English to Kids in 2020

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Teaching English to kids is a tough job. Kids, children and teens are considered as young learners. Many schools in Europe and Asia put a greater emphasis on English language learning. So, the English teachers are in high demand. There are some exciting ways by which teaching English to kids becomes easier.

What is a Young Learner?

A Young learner is a student under the age of 18. In this large group, you will find tiny learners like preschool kids or kindergarten, children who are under 12 years, and after that, students around 13-18 years. As all these students come from different age groups, all are different and have distinct characteristics. So, we have to teach according to them. Knowing how to teach English to these students and having a certification in teaching young learners will be a significant boost to your career. Teaching English to Kids is refreshing compared to teens and children.

Where Will I Teach the Kids?

Children and teenagers can be found all around the globe. In some regions, it is common for foreign TEFL teachers to teach or to assist the students. In certain areas, TEFL teachers also work with the students after class. This way, you can teach English to Kids.

1. Teaching Kids in Europe 

One region where teaching kids is quite popular in Europe. There are a lot of teaching opportunities and job vacancies in Europe. Another accessible job opportunity in Europe is teaching kids in summer camps. These camps are for a short period, and it’s more focused on the English language. Many European countries have programs run by the government like France’s TAPIF program, which allows you to teach you in public schools with renewable contracts. Some countries also give a lot of facilities to the teachers teaching kids. They even provide you with housing expenses and offer opportunities to live with a family. Europe is one of the best places to teach English to kids.

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2. Teaching Kids in Asia 

Another place where teaching is prevalent in Asia. Asian countries have put a lot of emphasis on teaching English. In Asia, there is a huge demand for TEFL teachers and a lot of job opportunities are there. There are a lot of programs run by the government within the public school systems, the EPIK teacher recruitment Program in South Korea, and the JET program in Japan are some excellent examples. There are a lot of requirements for the teachers, both online and classroom. Asia is growing as one of the best places to teach English to Kids.

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3. Teaching Kids Online

The online teaching market is emerging very fast. So, there are a lot of job opportunities available. Especially during COVID -19 outbreak, online teaching is even growing very fast. This is an excellent source of income for those who love traveling. On average, the online companies generally pay $9 -$26 / hour and you will also have a flexible schedule. The important things you need to have is a good internet connection and some basic equipment.

4. Online Companies 

There are many online companies based in China. They have companies like VIPKID, Magic Ears, and Qkids, although some online companies teach all around the globe. For ESL teachers who live in America, teaching for a Chinese online company can be beneficial because of the time difference you can teach in the early morning or late at night. You can also work as a second job. This is also one of the best ways to teach English to Kids.

Teaching Online vs. Teaching in a Classroom

There are a lot of differences between teaching in a classroom and teaching online. Online education mainly focuses on one to one tutoring or a small virtual class of 4-5 students. The classroom session includes 15-25 students on average. There are a lot of different activities for both. In online courses, teachers use video clips, online games, and music clips to keep the students engaged. While in classrooms, teachers use a lot of activities done in a group and which requires movements.

Another difference is that in online teaching, either you will be teaching the same students repeatedly, or you will have a difference each time, resulting in a very different student-teacher relationship just as in class.

Qualifying for Online Teaching Jobs

There is a lot of competition for online teaching jobs, but luckily a lot of job opportunities are there. Teaching kids online is an excellent job for you, then you can have a TEFL certificate for teaching online, and you should thoroughly prepare yourself for online jobs. You should also read various articles that are available online.

Certificate Required for Teaching Kids

Most of the online teaching jobs will require 100 hours of TEFL Online certification. This course includes TEFL theory and teaching methods, English grammar, and some also basic introductions. Teachers who are interested in teaching young learners should do a course like a specialized certificate in Teaching English to Young Learners. The topics include how to make lesson plans, manage your class, process of evaluation for each class. These kinds of candidates qualify for more jobs and become attractive candidates.

How Do I Start Teaching English for Beginners?

It’s challenging for beginners to teach English as they don’t know how to speak the language. For TEFL teachers, they are assigned with some work. With the help of this technique, you can teach English to kids.

Some basic techniques for teaching English to kids

Teaching English to kids is not an easy job. It requires a lot of engagement and creativity in the class. 

When you are working with young children or kids, a lot of techniques are required. It is best to incorporate games, songs, videos, props, and other fun elements. Keep the kids always moving and engaged. Kids love to be active. Another critical idea or technique for teaching kids is to maintain a structured and predictable class routine.

 To maintain the interest of students in the class, both calm and noisy tasks should be introduced so that the students experience both quiet and loud periods.

You should also build interactive lesson plans based on themes.

To know more techniques and work with this age group, you should do a specialized TEFL certificate in teaching Young Learners.

What Are Some Games for Teaching English to Kids?

 

The three most popular games for kids are 

Hangman –  In this game, one student thinks of a word and draws lines to signify the spaces for each letter. The classmates have to guess the message correctly.

Bingo – For this game, you should have a Bingo sheet. You have to cut the sheet and put the squares into the box. Allow each student to do the same.

Board Race – Divide the class into two teams, and each student has to go to the board for the activity.

You should always reward them with some prizes for the right answers. 

How to Teach English to Kids:  Strategies       

1. Make it Fun:

The most important thing for teaching kids is making fun activities in class. Some people believe that kids learn best through play.

Here are some ways in which you can make learning more fun.

Games – You can also introduce games in the class, which makes the class more interactive. The games are not only competitive, but they also give some goals to accomplish. There are so many games that can be used for classroom English teaching. E.g., Simon says, Mother may I and Memory.

Be Creative – You should be creative in the class because doing the same things every day can be dull for the kids. You should be creative with your plans. This will help in teaching English to kids. Change things regularly. Rearrange the students every day so they would be happy.

Give your students a test before you give them the materials. Always ask them questions, answers. 

You can keep the same basic schedule every day. Rotate the exercises from the textbook every day. You can also have your activities and games. You can also arrange for a quiz in the class. 

Art in Class –  KIds love art classes. They like to color and draw. Every child is an artist. You can take advantage of that and include this in teaching English language. You can ask your students to do an art-based project. Then talk about their culture and different traditions. You can also ask your kids to make collages on various subjects. Colleges are secure, and the kids will enjoy making it. After completing their work, ask every child about their college work.

2. Take Your Class Outside

You should also take your class outside. You will be amazed to see because children learn very fast outside. They can explore the outer world. Here are few ideas you can start with:

Scavenger Hunt: You can send your students for a scavenger hunt. You can help them in finding the things with the letters and alphabets. You can also have them look for specific shapes too. This will also help in teaching kids English.

Treasure Hunt: You can also send your students out in the ground with some clues.they can start finding the hidden treasure.

Make Signs: You can copy the pages of the picture book into signs and ask the students about it. This will help a lot in teaching English to kids. 

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3. Make it Active: 

The kids like moving a lot. They like to be active and engaged. Dr. Maria Montessori also suggested that the kids are not able to learn until they learn to walk. The more learners move, the better, the faster they learn. The TPR ( Total Physical Response ) is a method that works really well. For example, you associate physical movements with the language instructions. Students will also learn as they follow the instructions.

Using some hands-one materials can also be useful for the kids. You can also introduce flashcards for teaching them, but they should be creative and attractive.

Small World Play: collect some animal figures that are used in the class in stories or books and tell the kids to tell the story by using those figures. These little things make the class enjoyable.

Mystery Bags: In this teaching method, you can make use of a sense of touch. You can place some food items in a mystery bag, and by smelling and touching, you can tell them to find out the things.

Jenga Discussion: You should write the questions on the paper and ask the students to answer them in the blocks. These small things will help in teaching English to kids.

Don’t put pressure on your kids: You should never put pressure on your Kids, as they are very small. Instead of putting pressure on them, we should introduce such an exciting and fun way of teaching methods.

Their Natural Acquisition Process Will Require Three Simple Things :

1. Kids will recognize words and grammar when you use them. 
2. They will be able to respond when you ask them…
3. They will be able to use those instructions by themselves.

You can Avoid Putting Pressure in Kids by :

1. Not Correcting Errors they Make: Always focus on what you have taught recently, don’t always try to correct them if they are not correct grammar. The kid’s grammar doesn’t need to always be perfect.
2. Correct Language Use: When a student says something wrong or misuses the word, then correct it soon because the natural language system in the brain will notice the difference and grab the correct word.
3. Don’t Give Everything a Grade: Don’t always provide them with a grade. Don’t always correct the answers of your students.

 The language is abstract, so the kids may not be able to grab the grammar part quickly, so that’s ok. Always keep the things fun, pressure, keep them active, and moving your students will soon be fluent in no time !.

 How to Teach English to Kids 

English has become a universal language. From personal to professional scenarios, English has become very popular. It is also the official language in many countries.

1. Make It an Immersive Experience: Children have the habit of grasping things very quickly when their environment supports their learning process. This can be from conversations among phones, social media, or by watching T.V.

2. Teaching English Can be Made Musical: Most of the parents use textbooks to teach kids at home. But that can be boring. Use poems, songs, some nursery rhymes. By listening to the words and the rhythm of the rhymes, the kids can grab the language quickly. This will also help teach kids English.

3. Converse in English At Home: Small kids are not able to frame full sentences and speak. They also cannot structure their thoughts. So, we should communicate with them whatever they know in English. Starting with the easy conversations of daily activities.

4. Make English Fun: Reading books and conversation in English is not enough to learn English; on the other hand, we should make English a fun language. Introducing fun games and activities will make the work easy. This will help in teaching English to kids. Games like pictures from picture books are useful because children have the habit of grasping it faster. Dumb charades focuses on expressions and body language, which is useful for the kids.

5. Learning is fun When it is Told Through Story: Kids are extremely fond of stories. They have a vivid and visual imagination. We can use this advantage in teaching language. We all know that kids understand well when they are told stories. Always use illustrated storybooks to help them understand how words help them to understand characters and settings. This can also be a great help in teaching kids English. 

6. Grammar Can be Made Easy by Repetition: Teaching grammar to kids is a difficult job. It usually starts once the kids enter a specific Grade. To introduce them to the grammar world, you should include it in daily conversations. When they speak the wrong grammar, you should correct it immediately. With enough repetition in everyday use, kids can learn grammar fast. This will also help in Teaching English to kids. 

7. Use of Mix Games:  You should always introduce some games which are attractive because kids love games. If they enjoy puzzles and riddles, you should use English phrases and poems.

8. Use of Creative Expression: This is one of the best ways to teach the English language. When you have little time, you can give your child a task. Ask your kid to come up with a story or a poem. This will give you an idea of where your kids stand. Help them write it down even with grammatical mistakes. Let them express it in steps and correct them. This is one of the best ways to teach English to kids.

9. Learning a Language can be a Physical Exercise: Everyone knows the game, Simon says. It is not only a test of language, but also you can see how quickly your child responds to the instructions. Arrange a small quiz during weekends and call your kid’s friends. Keep a small prize for them, which will make the game exciting.

10. Watching a wonderful Film Together: Learning is fun. Kids always like fun-filled activities. Kids have the habit of quickly falling into boredom and finding something else to keep their attention. Show them some good kids in English movies with dialogues. After that, ask them the stories or tell them to story play. Slowly the kids will start learning the language.

11. Encourage active Learning by group Songs and Dances: Kids love singing and dancing. Getting them moving around and having fun is a must. For example, sing a song that covers days of a week. Sing some funny songs and keep them entertained.

12. Use Craft and Activity Sheets: For younger kids, the English lessons should be built around fun-filled activities. For example, spell out words with Craft sticks or by drawing in sand to make it a tactile experience.

13. Read stories: Kids love stories. In a classroom or at home, pick up some books of great story rhyme makers such as Sandra Boynton. Make sure you hold up the book, read it, and show the pictures.

14. Join in the Activities Instead of Just Observing Them: Don’t just teach the kids fun games but also get involved in it. Playing the games with them teaches the new games as well. This will help in teaching English to kids.

15. Connect new Teaching Material to What They Have Already Earned: When you are teaching something new in the class, then circle back and connect it to words and concepts you have already introduced. For example, if you teach kids about colors, you can join it with seven rainbow colors. This is going to help to teach English to kids. 

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Summary

English is a common language. It is widely used for conversations. From personal to a professional scenario. It is also used as an official language in most of the countries. Parents wonder how to teach them at home. Here are some tips.

1. Make it an experience: Children have the habit of grasping everything very fast. Always make such an atmosphere that they start grasping it very fast.

2. Teaching English can be made Musical: Most of the parents use textbooks to teach English to kids, but it can often get boring for them. So, you can start using rhymes, poems, songs.

3. Converse in English At Home: Always try to converse with them at home in English. Talk to them about daily activities. This will encourage them to learn the language well.

4. Use Games while teaching: Always use fun-filled activities or games for kids. Kids love games. They love to be engaged. So, use some games like Simon says, Board race, Bingo, etc.

5. Learning is fun when it is told through a story: Kids love stories. It is seen that they grasp everything very fast when something is illustrated.

6. Grammar can be easy by repetition: teaching grammar to the kids is an arduous task. The best way to introduce them to the world of grammar is to keep using the right syntax in general conversations.

7. Use creative expression: Pick a day and time and ask your kids to come up with their own stories and poems. Help them to write it down.

8. Learning a language can be a physical exercise too: Introduce some fun-filled activities to your learning sessions. This will help in learning the language well.

9. Watch a beautiful Movie together: Movies also help in learning. Learning should always be entertaining. You can watch some good kids’ movies together.

10. Use some creative Activities: Kids love drawing and coloring. You can use this in teaching as well.

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