You don't know English? How are you going to help your kids at home? 4 ideas to do the impossible

Miss Marilena
Jan 11, 2023
4 min read

How do we help our children at home with their English homework when we don't even know the language? In this post I will guide you with simple ideas how to make an impossible job possible and maybe a little easier. I hope by the end of this list you will find ideas and solutions that suit you.

1. Communication is KEY

Frequent communication with your child's English teacher is essential. Whether a parent knows the English language well or not, communication with the teacher is key not only for you but also for the teacher herself. As a parent you want to know how your child is doing and at the same time as a teacher it would be good to know if there are any things you have noticed at home that I may have missed. Working together as a team, parent and teacher, with frequent regular discussions can change the entire learning experience of the child from better to the best.

However, when the parent has difficulty with the language, then communication with the teacher is even more important. Personally, I am always available for the parents of my students as they can contact me either through applications such as VIBER or directly by phone. The reason for a good relationship between you and your English teacher is also the opportunity to ask what exactly an exercise is all about without any shame and criticism. As teachers we are here to help your children as much as possible, so when you find it difficult to explain what the exercise is about, it is our duty and our pleasure to help. Give us a call so we can explain it to you.

In my experience, parents of my students who do not speak English well demonstrate a greater motivation to help their children learn English so that they never feel what they themselves went through. It's not a nice feeling to feel like you're behind in something and it's completely normal not to want your child to go through the same thing. By trying to learn and overcome your own difficulties, you set the bar high and set the best example.

The secret of learning English

We as teachers, should be by your side, to make your work at home easier.

2. Translate

Luckily there is Google Translate and now anyone can translate anything in a matter of minutes. Take advantage of the app and translate from your native language to English whatever it is that a difficult exercise asks, any keywords or even whole text. Don't rely too much on this translation, since sometimes it may not be 100% accurate, but at least you can get a general idea.

Be careful to translate away from the student. It is important for your child to know that when you are struggling, you are trying to help. But they do not need to know how easy this process is and rely on it, while they can rely on what he already knows and will learn. Normally they should know how to continue the exercise afterwards without any help, since all information from an exercise we ask to be completed at home has been taught in class..

Once again you should talk to your child's English teacher. If even after your help the child does not know how to solve the exercise and is really struggling. Then the best and only solution is to solve the exercise with their teacher in class. As long as you have of course informed the teacher in advance about the child's difficulty. Many times my experience has shown me that when something has been taught and there is a difficulty at home with it, it most likely happening not only to you but also to other students in the class. The most logical explanation is that the given information was complex and needs further explanation and practice.

3. Cheat list

I have used this method many times in the past with parents who were struggling with homework. Leaving the lesson, children are usually ready to solve their exercises on their own as they have already learned what they have to do. The few times they ask for your help are with exercises that really need guidance. The solution to this problem came to me years ago when the father of one of my students really wanted to help his kid but knew no English at all. So together we came up with the idea of the cheat list. I sent him the answers but also I noted next to each answer the reason. In this way father and daughter were able to solve the exercise together, but also my student could realize why some answers were right and some were wrong.

The solution for this problem came to me years ago.

4. Get backup

You may not be able to help, but someone else in the family always will. Many of my students have someone who knows enough English to help them out. Many times this is not even one of the parents. It can be an older sibling, a cousin, an aunt, or even a grandparent. Enlist whoever you can to help the child understand the exercise. And as always if they understand the subject of the exercise then logically they should be able to solve the exercise without further help.

You are doing the best you can and trying to handle an impossible situation. Don't be so hard on yourself. Many adults struggle with the use of English and rightly so since growing up you were not properly motivated to love the language. But now, you know how important it is to know and speak a foreign language, and you are doing your best for your children. Well done. We as teachers should be by your side to make your learning experience even at home easier.

By trying to learn and overcome your own difficulties, you set the bar high and set the best example.

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