Q&A for How to Teach Your Children a Second Language

It’s wonderful that you are teaching Konstadinos a second language! It sounds like Konstadinos is a kinesthetic learner and likes to move a lot. You can use his affinity for movement to try to get him more engaged with learning the new language by playing a game using verbs in the second language. The games “Simon says” or “charades” are great ways to begin playing with words in a new language. Be sure to incorporate a lot of movement into your lessons, such as singing songs with movement, perhaps rolling a ball to knock down paper towel ‘bowling pins’ with words written on them, or any other game that you two create together that involves the secondary language. Be sure to avoid long periods of sitting, listening, reading or writing to best keep Konstadinos interested in the new material.

No. That is fairly standard and a good amount of time.

Speak in your native language at certain times of the day and the other language at different times. Using a routine will make it clear which language is appropriate.

Alphabet, It will be easier in the long run and will be a good start for the child.

The biggest advantage of having a native speaker is that they can make conversation with the children in the target language, helping the children to exercise their skills and naturally absorb rules like grammar and word usage in the same way they do in their first language. The best use of time in this situation would be to have the children study new vocabulary on their own or with someone other than the native speaker, and then spend the time with the native speaker actually speaking the language out loud - having conversation, reading picture books together in the target language, etc.