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The Wonderful World of Language Games for Families learning English Hello, language enthusiasts! Today, we are diving into the exciting world of language games and challenges you can easily play with your family. Learning a new language can be a thrilling adventure, but it also comes with its fair share of hurdles and obstacles. In this post I am going to suggest five amazing English games and challenges you and your family can play and challenge each other in your free time. If you like this post don't forget to   register in my email list  so you can get a notification every time I post new tips and free resources. Now, let's explore some fun and interesting challenges that families learning English can do together to practice their English. Challenge 1: Tongue Twisters This is a classic challenge for English language learners is mastering tongue twisters. From " She sells seashells by the seashore " to " Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers " these tricky phrases can twist your tongue in knots! Have a competition within your family to see who can say these tongue twisters the fastest and most accurately. Tongue twisters can also help learners with their pronunciation as well as brain-muscle connections. In general, tongue twisters make your speaking and brain better. Other examples: Zebras zig and zebras zag Proper copper coffee pot A big black bear sat on a big black rug. If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?   Tongue twisters make your speaking and brain better. Challenge 2: Homophones and Homonyms Hunt Homophones and homonyms are words that sound alike but have different meanings or spellings. For example, the words eight and ate are homophones because they sound the same. The words bar (a metal stick) and bar (a place that serves drinks) are homonyms because they have the same spelling and the same pronunciation. Challenge your family to find examples of these confusing words in everyday conversations or texts. It's a great way to improve vocabulary and comprehension skills while having fun! A great way to improve vocabulary and comprehension skills is to hunt for homophones and homonyms in everyday language Challenge 3: Cultural Exchange Buffet Language is deeply connected with culture. Why not organize a cultural exchange buffet one night? On this linguistic event each family member presents a youtuber or Tik-Toker creator and their native country and share the story behind them, all in English! This challenge not only boosts language skills but also encourages a sense of community and understanding within the family. A great way to enhance presentation and speaking skills . Challenge 4: Word of the Day Challenge Today the word of the day is ' pond ' so let's see what we can say with that. ' I see a frog in a pond ' or ' This small pond in our backyard is beautiful '. This challenge is amazing for families with busy schedules. Make online a list of funny or interesting words and put that list on your fridge . Then every morning select a "Word of the Day" and challenge each family member to use it in a sentence throughout the day at least once. Such a fun and interactive challenge that encourages everyone to expand their vocabulary and experiment with new words in everyday conversations. Challenge 5: Storytelling Chain Gather around for a storytelling chain where each family member takes turns sharing a small sentence or paragraph in English. This could give us a long funny story that everyone participates in! This challenge not only improves language fluency but also strengthens public speaking skills and boosts creativity. How it works? It's pretty easy . Dad starts with a sentence such as ' One cold day, Oliver a little English boy was getting ready for bed ', then mum continues with ' As Oliver was brushing his teeth, his mum was helping his little brother get ready for bed too '. The child's turn comes up and they can add to the story whatever they want, such as ' Oliver got into bed and mum turned off the lights when suddenly... ' That is all! Embrace these language challenges with enthusiasm and a sense of adventure . Remember, learning a new language is a journey filled with discovery and growth. So, gather your family, embark on these challenges together, and watch as your English language skills soar to new heights! If you found these tips helpful, don’t forget to register for my email list to stay updated with more educational tips and advice. Check out my other posts for more insights and resources. I hope you have the most amazing adventures in your English learning journey. Toodaloo! Are you looking for more amazing resources for some fun and easy practice? Check out these these posts in my blog with free handouts and fantastic tips. Did you know that I have created my own Activity Books for children? It's the best workbook for practicing writing and getting ready for the new school year. Perfect for summer practice! Check them out here in my shop 👇 Don't forget to   register in my email list  so you can get a notification every time I post a new post and free resources.

Hello and welcome back to another post full of ideas and free handouts! This season of Halloween was another great hit in our English class. I have noticed that my students learn easier when I introduce something new in the context of a holiday or through a game. That's why I believe the best thing to do for you is to put everything we did the last three years for our Halloween party lessons in one post. Here is everything I prepare for my English learners for our Halloween party. If you are a teacher or a student you can find these ideas, handouts and presentation helpful for your own teaching or learning. And if you find these kind of posts and handouts useful, don't forget to register in my email list and never miss another post from me. 1. Spooky Ghost experiment Let's kick off the Halloween party with a 'Spooky Ghost Experiment.' This experiment is fun and easy. A few hours before the party I take some baking soda and a few drops of water and I form some balls with my hands. Then I shape those balls into ghosts and put them in the freezer on a parchment paper lined tray. Before the lesson starts I take them out and add with a black marker two eyes and a mouth so it really looks like a ghost. I also prepare some vinegar mixed with a bit of red food colouring in a small bowl. I bought some drippers off of Amazon but a spoon can work too. Once the experiment begins I ask the kids what do they think will happen to the ghosts? Will they change colour because of the 'bloody' vinegar? Will they melt? Will they fuzz? Will they get bigger? I use basic vocabulary with younger students and many many gestures. It's always fun to see everyone's expression when the ghosts come into contact with the vinegar! They are always awed and shocked. Level : Easy Loved it! 100% Amazing and easy Halloween themed craft. Duration: It will only take 10 minutes maximum to complete from start to finish during your lesson with some minimum prep effort. 2. Creepy Halloween Cooking This Halloween whip up some 'Creepy Halloween Cooking' where students get to practice their cooking skills but also their English vocabulary . Through the years we have explored many different recipes. We have made cakes, cupcakes, cookies and many more. It's safe to say that cooking is always a great hit with kids. Even if sometimes things don't turn out as expected kids always have fun and laugh about it . For example last Halloween our cupcake recipe asked for sugar and some of my students confused sugar with salt (I always have extra ingredients on the desk for word recognition practice). Needless to say our cupcakes turn out really really salty!!! Not the best flavor to be honest... Kids have no problem making mistakes as long as the process is great fun and guided. It's important to have recipes printed for them and talk them through the steps. Guiding kids through cooking not only makes them feel safe but also practices their English skills in a natural way. Level : Difficult Loved it!  Amazing, kids love it and we end up with snacks and treats Duration:  takes a bit of time to prep, takes 15 minutes to mix in class and 30 minutes to fully cook your recipes. Pro Tip : have some of your recipes pre-cooked the day before for backup or for limited time 3. Pumpkin Decoration This is such a cute detail you can make ahead of Halloween for your class or at home. Using small round pumpkins and some black markers we draw faces on them and learn vocabulary such as pumpkins, trick or treat or spooky night. Pumpkins also make great conversation starter for teens who are ready to learn all about the old Halloween scary movies that they haven't watched yet and probably shouldn't. 😂 If you like this post so far don't forget to put your email in my email list and I promise to send you only things you will love! Level : Easy Loved it!  Kids love to decorate pumpkins Duration:  takes maximum five minutes from your lesson 4. Mystery Word Masquerade All this new Halloween vocabulary can seem difficult at the beginning. That's why I'm always using my easy vocabulary presentation and then my Halloween handout. They are the perfect combination for vocabulary building and speaking practice. You can get my handout for free by clicking on the icon below. You can also use this video presentation in your class for introducing Halloween themed vocabulary. Level : Easy Loved it!  They love love love presentations that look like games Duration:  takes around 15 minutes for both presentation and handout 5. Haunted House Vocabulary Search Do you want to surprise your students with an amazing haunted activity ? Make this easy vocabulary activity and you won't regret it. All you need is an empty file and a black A4 paper. On the file write as many Halloween themed words as possible and draw things such as bats, castles, witches and pumpkins. You can also make your own DIY easy torch by cutting out some black paper and a yellow paper circle. When you enter the torch under the file and on the black paper, Halloween themed words are revealed. This activity has always been a hit with m students. After finding all the words they can write them in their classwork or just talk with you about them. 6. Spooky Crafts Make your own paper Halloween puppets with this easy craft. The idea is to have a long rectangle strip of paper where you draw a pumpkin on it or a Frankenstein monster. The trick is to fold your paper in a way that the top piece and the bottom piece touch in the middle leaving hidden the middle part. Once you draw a pumpkin or a monster you open the piece of paper and trace a huge mouth with a tongue inside. Once you colour and decorate your craft it's a ready to use paper Halloween puppet! Enjoy! In conclusion, a Halloween themed lesson can provide many opportunities for engaging and immersive learning for both teachers and parents who try to teach English to their kids. By infusing lessons with creative Halloween-themed activities, teachers can spark students' passion for language learning, making teaching an enchanting adventure that goes beyond the ordinary classroom experience. So, grab your broomsticks, put on your wizard hats, and embark on this thrilling language-learning journey with me this Halloween season! If you liked this post don't forget to register in my email list so you never miss a post from me again. I will see you in the next one. Toodaloo!!! 🎃Happy Halloween🎃 Did you know that I have my own English books? My new book ' Ollie needs a new body ' helps students practice face and body vocabulary , have got and can in a fun and engaging way! If you liked this post you might love my Easter themed post and my Christmas themed post! Check them out right here.

Are you a parent wondering when to start your child's English language learning journey? Many factors come into play when deciding the best age to introduce English to young learners. In this article, we will dive into the world of ESL (English as a Second Language) classrooms and discuss the ideal age to kickstart your child's learning adventure, effective tips for teaching English to young learners, and the challenges and advantages associated with starting language lessons at different developmental stages. If you like these kind of posts register with my email list  and never miss a post from me! The Early Bird Catches the English Worm When is the right time to start English lessons for young learners? Research suggests that the earlier children are exposed to a new language, the better their linguistic abilities will develop. Introducing English to kids as early as 3-5 years old can be highly beneficial. At this age, children's brains are like sponges, eagerly absorbing new information and forming language structures that can set a strong foundation for future learning. In my personal 10 year experience in teaching English, I have noticed a pattern of amazing use and understanding of the language when children start their English lessons early. Children as young as 4-5 or even 6 who start dabbling with English for the first time have better results than children who start their English journey at 9. Remember though that these are generalizations and observations I made as a teacher throughout the years without forgetting that there were many exceptions to this rule. I have met many students who started their English journey later in life, but were still able to catch up with their fellow students, one of them being me. The best age to start learning English is 5 to 6. The latest age to start learning English should be 7 or 8 if your child's goal is to have the IELTS certificate by the time they are in high-school. The point is that the latest a student starts the more they have to catch up and keep up with their fellow classmates. Nowadays in Cyprus, high-schoolers are expected to finish with their IELTS or IGCSE certification by the first year of high-school. In order to achieve that, if we take into account the seven or eight levels they must complete before that, students should begin their ESL journey at age seven or eight. Any English lessons before that age just gives your child a better start to this long and sometimes difficult journey to their IELTS. Starting as early as 6 will give your child the option to have fun, draw and sing in English for the first two years in his Pre-Junior classes before moving on into more difficult grammar and vocabulary. Pre-Junior classes is what makes learning English fun in my opinion. Try not to skip those important years where the child gets into the world of English with the most fun way. Learning should always be fun so you need to make sure the teacher you choose has the right philosophy about that. Tips for Teaching English to Young Learners Make it Fun : Games, songs, and interactive activities keep young learners engaged and eager to learn. Visual Aids : Using colorful flashcards, storybooks, and videos to help children associate words with images. Repetition is Key : Practice makes perfect. Regular practice and repetition reinforces learning. Encourage Communication : Create a language-rich environment where children can practice speaking and listening to English daily. Help them remember common sentences used in class such as "Where is my pen?", "What? Come again?" Challenges at Different Developmental Stages Starting at a Young Age : Attention Span : Young children may have shorter attention spans, requiring more interactive and dynamic teaching methods. This is the perfect chance to make English fun and help children love learning. Pronunciation : While young learners can pick up accents easily, they may struggle with pronunciation accuracy. It is such a small setback though to the benefit of introducing the language early. Starting at a Later Age : Inhibitions : Older children or teenagers might feel self-conscious when speaking a new language. Classes with younger children on their level might feel too childish for them but at the same time difficult when it comes to proficiency. Learning Speed : It may take longer for older learners to grasp grammar rules and vocabulary compared to younger children. If you need some help with grammar or writing in English check this post with my very own personal free handouts. Benefits of Early Language Learning Cognitive Development : Learning a new language enhances cognitive abilities and problem-solving skills. In other words learning languages early helps the child's brain work even better. Cultural Understanding : Early exposure to English can foster a deeper appreciation for different cultures and perspectives. Career Opportunities : Proficiency in English opens up a world of career possibilities in an increasingly globalized job market. In Conclusion There's no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of when to start your English language learning. My recommendation is to always have English lessons as early as possible. However, each child is unique, and factors like individual interest, learning style, learning difficulties and exposure to English in daily life should be considered. Set your family priorities and decide what is best for you and your child. By incorporating engaging teaching methods, addressing age-specific challenges, and make use of the advantages of early language learning, you can set your child on a path to success from an early age. Are you ready to embark on this exciting language learning journey with your child? Remember, whether they start at 5 or 9, the key is to make the process enjoyable and rewarding. Stay enthusiastic, patient, and supportive, and watch as your child blossoms into a confident English speaker! I hope you find this article helpful. Whatever you decide remember learning English should always be fun. Toodaloo! If you found these tips helpful, don’t forget to register for my email list  to stay updated with more educational tips and advice. Check out my other posts for more insights and resources. Did you know that   I have published my own Handwriting Activity books ? You can check them out right here and of course you are welcome to ask me anything. Register in my email list so you never miss a new post from me. I promise I will send you things you will love!