Teaching kids English as a foreign language (TEFL) is so satisfying, but we can promise you: it’ll be demanding. You’re teaching foreign kids with no concept of the language everything there is to know about the language. And when you really think about that, it’s a lot. Well, you’re the TEFL, you’ll know.

So, in case you haven’t guessed it, it’s not easy. 

Read on for 3 tips that’ll make teaching English as a foreign language to kids easier.

Make It Fun

It should be a given. Make. It. Fun.

Kids won’t absorb any information if you don’t make it fun. Even from a young age, the way kids learn is because they’re having fun. Whether listening to you talk to them in a silly voice as a baby or if they’re watching an animated TV show, they’re learning because they’re having fun. And there’s no excuse. There are so many interactive games to learn English online.

Children can definitely stay focused and enjoy activities like games, songs, and arts and crafts. You could use flashcards to introduce vocabulary and make it even more fun by incorporating a game of Simon Says. Or, sing jingles in English they can associate with words – like colors, animals, etc.

Don’t Go Too Difficult and Use Repetition

There’s no point in going too difficult. Kids are never going to learn English as a foreign language if it’s tricky – it has to be the most simple version of it. Don’t go in there guns blazing trying to teach 5-year-olds English grammar. Instead, focus on basic vocabulary and phrases. 

Children have just begun the process of vocabulary building, so giving them straightforward and clear directions and speeches is essential. You can generally tell how tricky it is to make lessons based on how old they are and how much English they know already. Most foreign schools begin teaching kids English from an early age.

Repetition is yet another critical strategy. Studies have found you must repeat something between five and seven times before the information is absorbed. And don’t just repeat words, make it exciting and fun. If you’re teaching them the word apple, for example, tell a story, play an animation, sing a song, etc – repeat it in multiple ways.

Include Cultural Content and Narratives

Cultural content and narratives are essential. Placing kids in real-life situations related to the language makes it so easy to learn. The word of the story is nothing. It lasts for seconds. What children want is a tale that you construct within the frames of an English story, a fantastic story, or even a cartoon.

Integrating components from English-speaking cultures into the lessons can also enable the children to relate to the language more. For example, tell them about holidays like Easter and Halloween, traditions, or food.

It is one thing to know English, and it is another thing to teach English as a second language, especially to kids. It’s slightly easier because kids have minds like sponges, but the lessons still must be interactive and fun.