The English language is the undeclared global language. The link between people from different countries, cultures, businesses, professions and ethnicities. Thus, it becomes imperative to know the language well to get by and succeed in the progressing global community. English is also the medium of education in the best educational institutions globally, including India.
Raising your child to be a global citizen requires an early introduction to English. This factor will familiarise the child with the language and instil the correct usage and pronunciation, building a sound base for the language. Schools in Ahmedabad recognise the value of English, more so when they are English medium schools. The English medium schools impart education of all the subjects, except Hindi and foreign languages, in English. This reason necessitates a strong understanding of the language itself.
The best schools in Ahmedabad have well qualified and trained English teachers with a comprehensive syllabus covering all the nuances and aspects of the language. The language is taught through multiple methodologies that include both theory and activities. Recitation, debates, enactment of chapters/plays in the textbooks, storytelling, creative writing, and more are some methods for teaching English.
Best English medium school in Ahmedabad impresses on beginning the English education early, from their prep/nursery standards in school. It is better if the teaching begins earlier than this at home. Parents should ideally introduce and familiarise their tiny tots by making it a practice to make English a part of their lives. We enlist a few pointers as to how you can give an early start to your child in the English language.
• Converse in English: Include English in your day-to-day conversations. We all chatter with infants, even though they do not understand words. But what they do understand is the sound, the tone and the music. Yes, words have a musical lilt, and different languages have different tones and beats. You will notice the difference in the notes between your mother/native tongue and English. Introduce your baby to the sounds of English, beginning with easy essential words.
• Music: You can also make a conscious choice to play English rhymes and songs around your baby. Recite nursery rhymes and, if possible, lullabies in English to your baby, along with reciting in your native language.
• Storytelling: Reading is one of the best habits and joys you can instore in your child, and what better way to do so than via storytelling. Make it a ritual of reading stories to them at night. Try to show them the pictures in the book; babies find colours fascinating. The storytelling will accustom them to English but the stable tone while reading out the books also soothes them. Bonus is that they will grow up surrounded by books and reading will become a part of their routine as they watch parents enjoying reading.
• Vocabulary: As your baby grows, so does its ability to identify and absorb words. Expand the vocabulary by introducing English names of family relations, meals, toys, etc. For example – father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, aunty, sister, apple, banana, rice, etc.
• Playschool: Find a good playschool near your home and send your child to the school as soon as it turns 2, as it is a good age for the child to begin discovering the world outside its home and the company of other children. The time at preschool will be beneficial in helping the child discover their own identity away from the ever-present and protective care of their mother/parents, learning how to make friends, sharing attention, space and things with others. At the playschool, children also learn recognising alphabets and words – identifying pictures with their names and understanding sentences and instructions in English by the teachers.
Introducing to English is as important as introducing your baby to the family, home and immediate world around them. So, begin early, and make English a part of your family just as your native language is an intrinsic part. Learning a new language is always a positive accumulation. It is akin to adding a new skill set to your life. Still, with a broader and more significant impact and importance on the world, you are preparing your child to lead a happy and successful life and develop a strong personality and mind.
