How do you teach your kids to speak proper english?

[buds]

cherrygal:

To have your kids speak proper English, you would need to speak proper English to them from a young age. At the stage when they are still grappling with grammar in nursery or kindy, you have to say what they are trying to say in the proper way. Try to cut the baby talk.


Kid: Open door
You: You want me to open the door?
Kid: On lights
You: Switch on the lights

There is no need to reprimand or say \"no, incorrect\" to the kid. Just reinforce what's correct by saying it after them. They will soon get it.

My son does very well in his grammar as he has constantly listened to us speak. He usually chooses the correct answer even if not taught.

:hi5: Sounds like me.. :please:

There is also no need to make emphasis what they're saying is wrong..
and then get them to repeat after you kinda thing... unconsciously when
i just rephrase, \"I'm sorry, can you say that again...?\" They will automaticly
rephrase their sentence or question. :lol: They'll begin with... errr...
\"I'm sorry, i meant....\"

I agree! No baby talk puhleezz! :dowan:

[buds]

ZacK:

My wife and I are very conscious about speaking properly to our kids... I find that with my friends, I let out more ahs and lahs etc... but with my boys I tend to be more conscious...

I know watcha mean, bro! :hi5:

With our mates, we so call... let loose those aaahs, aye? :lol:

ZacK:

To the extent that sometimes DS1 speaks with an accent to make his point :roll:

When i used to get people asking how my children could speak like that
ie. accented... i just reply... it's not an accent... it's just proper English.

Reminds me of a joke from this stand-up comedian who said, \"No, it's not
an accent. I do not speak with an English accent. This is how people in
England speak English!\" :rotflmao:

ZacK:

We know for a fact that it helped that we started reading regularly to our elder boy when he was very young. We do not push him now other than to do the necessary school related work... When he has idle time, he either reads his own books or doodles on the magnetic board.

Yaah.. better read something they like better than read nothing, aye bro?

[Mamalicious Alicia]

Hi,

Reading is a good way to improve your child's language skills. As a child is reading, their mind are forming sentences which will lead to speaking proper English. Hence it is important to buy good books (not singlish comics)

Personally i think the environment plays a vital role. If you want to master a foreign language, you go to that country and stay with natives. i.e learn japanese, stay at japan for a few months. Not only will you pick up faster, you will soon self-correct as the people around you don't understand what you are saying.

It is difficult to speak proper English here as Singlish is so common here and we use it to tone down and appear more friendly to others. The media also uses it to speak to us in order to bring our guard down.

So its hard when our children's friends in school speak singlish and somehow influence them. It has to be a constant self-teaching, self-correcting and self-improving journey for our little ones. For now, here's a link which i find useful and interesting.
http://www.britishcouncil.org/parents-help-speaking-english-at-home.htm

[PowerPuff Mum]

My children are 12 and 9 years of age now. It is a challenge here to teach children to speak proper English when people generally don’t bother with grammar structure or they mish mash everything in Singlish.


As my husband are not very strong Mandarin speakers, we decided that at the very least we should ensure that our children speak proper English. I agree with all of you about starting young. To speak in complete sentences. Encouraging your child to enunciate the words properly and speak in proper grammatical structure.

We also encourage our children to read, expose them to alot reading materials and also educational softwares. We correct them as we speak on a day to day basis. It comes very naturally. We also encourage them to tell stories or describe places , emotions etc which enhance their vocabulary and confidence in public speaking. They write journals about their travels, daily experiences and fictional essays for fun.

Today we are reaping the rewards of our efforts, both of them are very eloquent speakers and are very competent in their command of the English language. They are adaptable in that they can switch mode from Singlish to proper English when situation calls for it. Most importantly, they know what proper English really means and are able to use it accordingly.

[Mamalicious Alicia]

Powerpuff Mum wrote:

We also encourage our children to read, expose them to alot reading materials and also educational softwares. We correct them as we speak on a day to day basis. It comes very naturally. We also encourage them to tell stories or describe places , emotions etc which enhance their vocabulary and confidence in public speaking. They write journals about their travels, daily experiences and fictional essays for fun.

Very good idea and stamina mummy, ICHIBAN! yes it has to be a constant effort put together by the parent and child.

Mamalicious Alicia

[csc]

The school environment the child is in plays a big part too as majority of the child's time is spent there.


Just my observation from kids of my peers. Those who are in MGS or SCGS speak well...sometimes with a 'fake' accent in fact. :lol:

They can articulate better. However, speaking well does not translate well into writing well or a distinction in English

[daniel.038046lim]

Frankly, I think some families just have it better than others.


Picture an example in which the family converses only in English because its elders have always conversed in English, read in English and watched/listened to the English media. Is the father and mother likely to converse with their children in solely in English? Will their children have an easier time learning English? Probably so.

Whatever tuition, enrichment programmes and other English language infusion courses will only get a child not in-tuned with the English language from young a little but further than what his or her ability to speak and write fluently. Consistent after-class exposure to English language literature/media (i.e. books, TV shows, radio programmes etc.) are also very important.

I think the issue is not really about speaking proper English (honestly, I don’t even know what that means given the varieties of the English language). I think the issue is really about speaking and writing fluently in English. Fluency of the language starts young as quite a number of people have agreed. The able parent has to consistently speak in grammatically correct sentences as best as one can.

But herein lies the great difficulty that quite a number of us face: how does one do that consistently if one’s basics are not stellar to begin with? Maybe the family can learn (or re-acquaint, in the case of the parents)) English together - everyone improves, everyone gains confidence in using it fluently.

My experience growing up and learning the English language was helped because of my family environment. But it also helped when I surrounded myself with as much literature/media (i.e. books, TV shows, radio programmes etc.) I could get my hands on. I’m having an open mind with my two daughters by exposing to the different ways of expressing the English language as early as possible (through books, selected children’s TV shows, Internet/computer games etc.) as I think one of the very basics of having self-confidence is being able articulate oneself.

There will always be examinations and tests and all that, but can’t learning be as exploratory and fun for a child as well?

[tamarind]

csc:

The school environment the child is in plays a big part too as majority of the child's time is spent there.


Just my observation from kids of my peers. Those who are in MGS or SCGS speak well...sometimes with a 'fake' accent in fact. :lol:

They can articulate better. However, speaking well does not translate well into writing well or a distinction in English

I believe that the reason is because a large percentage of kids in MGS or SCGS have parents who are university graduates.