X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

How to Encourage Good English Pronunciation at Home

It is possible for children to learn perfect native pronunciation even if their parents are not native English speakers.

Pronunciation is hard.

Children make their first efforts to communicate verbally when they are around six months old. The sounds a child makes at that age might sound like baby-talk to you and me, but the child is actually mimicking the sounds that he or she has heard from Mum and Dad. That means that children begin to learn accents from their parents when they are six months old.

By the age of five, most children have thousands of words in their vocabulary. By the age of six, most children will have learned to pronounce sounds the same way that their parents do.

The critical period hypothesis helps us understand the problem.

This hypothesis suggests that the language centers in the human brain are most receptive to new memory and information between six months and five years of age. After six years of age there is a gradual tapering of a child’s ability to learn a new language, and after puberty, language acquisition becomes even more difficult (Hu Ryan, 2016).

Active Language Learning for Kids

product imageLearn Now!

how to improve english accent and pronunciation

A case study of immigrants coming to the United States found that only those immigrants who had arrived in the US before they were eight-years old were able to master native pronunciation. Those who were older on arriving were rarely able to do so. (Johnson and Newport, 1989). Thus, ideally, children should begin to pronounce sounds in a second language at the same age that they still perfecting pronunciation in their native language.

Can native English pronunciation be taught at home?

Yes. It is very possible for you to help your child learn a native accent at home, even though you speak English differently. There are only two things that you have to keep in mind:

  1. Start early. Your child will absorb sound and language quickest when they are still small.
  2. Expose your child to the sound of a native English speaker, speaking or singing in English.

(This is really a very easy thing to do!)

Your child will love these

Movies, Cartoons, and Videos.

English language movies and cartoons are still a fine way to expose your child to the standard American or British accent, even after all these years. Movies and cartoons are fun, and fun is important because what’s fun keeps your child’s attention.

These days, all the best old cartoons and movie clips are there on YouTube any time your child wants to watch them. In addition to the traditional movies and cartoons, platforms like Youtube have plenty of new videos narrated by native English speakers.

how to improve english accent and pronunciation

Songs

Listening to songs in English is another very effective way to acquire language. Songs teach the rhythm of speech and cadence that is necessary for native pronunciation. Songs are also repetitive, which makes it easier for your child to sing along and practice the sounds the way a native English speaker would make them.

Games on phones and tablets

Children love playing games on new technology, and a lot of work has been done to create games that are fun for your child while teaching them to speak English. Some of these games are designed just to teach correct pronunciation.

An excellent example of a language program that uses games to teach standard American and British accents is Fun English, by Studycat. The app incorporates lots of animated games and songs to keep your child interested in English. It has been very well received by parents – over 10 million downloads to date. Good luck and have fun!

This article was first published on StudyCat.
 
Also READ: 8 FUN ways to teach your Singapore pre-schooler to read and write!
Editor's note: The product links provided here are aimed to help simplify product searches for our readers. Purchase the items at your own discretion. We do not take liability for any transaction issues and dispute. If you purchase an item from this post, theAsianparent may receive a small cut. Each item and price is up to date at the time of publication; however, an item may be sold out or the price may be different at a later date.
img

Written by

studycat

Share this article

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. DownloadtheAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

  • Lorna Whiston School - a leader in English language education for students of all ages

    Lorna Whiston School - a leader in English language education for students of all ages

  • Tips and education resources for parents

    Tips and education resources for parents

  • Neighbour Complains Of Crying Baby, Mum Hits Back With A Witty Letter

    Neighbour Complains Of Crying Baby, Mum Hits Back With A Witty Letter

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

  • Lorna Whiston School - a leader in English language education for students of all ages

    Lorna Whiston School - a leader in English language education for students of all ages

  • Tips and education resources for parents

    Tips and education resources for parents

  • Neighbour Complains Of Crying Baby, Mum Hits Back With A Witty Letter

    Neighbour Complains Of Crying Baby, Mum Hits Back With A Witty Letter

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and lifestyle updates.