Why very young children learn fast.

Have you ever observed how children learn? I have and One of the things I noticed is their lack of self-consciousness that helps them to learn things so very fast.

Children are good are imitation; imitating the actions and sounds made by almost anything in their environment. And they are never afraid of who is watching and what others might think of them and their actions. Of course, this changes if adults were to spoil it for them by telling them, indirectly teaching them to be conscious of what others might think of them. Once that is drilled into them, they understand that others observe them and so they start observing the adults and find that that is true. Then adults would put the thought in their little minds that adults might laugh at them and their behaviours, might think them mad or .... and laugh at them. That puts them on guard and they stop learning in that spontaneous playful way.

Knowing that, adults ought to be careful with their comments and not put useless adult thinking into their innocent little minds. Then the adults can notice that that little mind can absorb a lot through repetitions of words, phrases, clauses and sentences without the consciousness that they could be making pronunciation and grammar mistakes. Through such repetitions and frequent listening to good speech, language is learned. Then, through the provision of good language on radio, television or conversation among people, the child will eventually correct his/her mistakes automatically. Of course, good language must be available much more often than poor language in order for the child to get his language right.

A child who is encouraged to sing and talk about things with words that had seeped into the brain gradually will learn faster than the child who is not given the opportunity listen to language and make use of whatever he could have acquired.

Thus, the opportunity to learn which must be made available by the parents and the chance to practice uttering the words to himself/herself and to others without being self conscious of whatever mistakes that are bound to be made in the process of learning are certainly necessary for learning.

This learning is also possible if adults can overcome their self-consciousness, something which is more difficult as there is always the fear of being laughed at for the mistakes made.

One of the ways adult can counter that fear is to talk to oneself in the privacy of the room. I learned my Bahasa Malaysia, Malaysia's National Language by starting with books from primary one. I would write down sentences with words I do not understand, find the meaning, repeat the words and sentences often in my room, even the bathroom, and talk to friends in the language using whatever I had learned. Initially there was a lot of laughter at my pronunciation but eventually the Language Institute people helped me be a winner by changing the way some words are pronounce with the 'Bakul' method; a method in which words are pronounced according to its spelling. Besides that I improved fast as I listened and use the language everyday. So opportunity to listen and practice is of utmost importance. And if self-consciousness is no impediment to practice, progress will be fast.

Let not the child learn too many languages at the start.

Yesterday, while I was at my Friday Kriya, a breathing technique, practice, a friend and parent of three children told me her experience when it comes to language learning for children.

She went through the national language medium school which uses the Malay Language. So, she was good at the Malay Language. So, when her first child came, she spoke to him in the Malay Language; while the husband, who was from the Chinese medium school, spoke to the child in Mandarin and the grandpa who went through the English Language medium school spoke in English while the grandma spoke in Hockien which is a Chinese dialect.

The child seemed to understand what they said. However, he could never reply to any of their questions. From his actions in response to their words, he obviously could hear and understand them. The parents became worried. Was he mute?

Consulting a friend who was also a doctor, they were directed to a pediatrician in a hospital in Penang. As a result, it was discovered that the parents and relatives were using too many languages all at once on the child. The child should be allowed to concentrate on one or at the most two languages only at that early stage. That, of course, solved the problem.

Well, it looks like language learning, just like every other thing in our world, should neither be too little or too much. Be moderate. Later, after the child has been able to handle one language fairly well, we can include another language. It ought not to be taught all together at the same time, especially when they are for the first time introduced to languages.

Of course, there are exceptions. Such exceptions cannot be many. You see, I know this parent and her children. All of them are obviously quite intelligent. If intelligent children such as them cannot cope with four or five languages or dialects simultanuously at this first stage of their lives, it has given us the clue that when it comes to languages, too many is too much for beginners to handle and can bring undesirable effects. So, we ought to learn from this experience and benefit from it.

Curiosity is the way to knowledge.

"Look! Look, mummy! These are so red!" the little boy of approximately four years of age attracted his mother's attention to the fish in the aquarium.
"Yes, they're beautiful, aren't they?" the mother confirmed.

The curious little boy and the numerous questions he had for his mummy at the KW Aquarium in Penang caught my attention. Watching him and his attentive mother, I could not help but note that here was a little guy who would eventually do well in the academic world as well as in life, if he continues his desire to understand and know more at the present rate.

In fact, I could not help but remark to the mother that she had a most curious guy with a lot of question in tow.
"Yes, but he asks too many questions," the proud mother replied.
"True but then, that's good for he will learn a lot this way," I told the mother.

You know, I have always encouraged children to ask questions for it is only when there are questions that answers lead to better understanding of things yet unknown.
Sometimes, I even find adult too timid or uncertain of whether it would be alright to ask questions when faced with the unknown or unlearned.

Let us put it this way. If we ask the wrong people or at the wrong time or place, the worst we can ever get is a no reply. But then, at least we know it is difficult to get such answers at such places or from such people. We, in a way, have a better understanding of circumstances such as this. But, then, we may be able to open the torrent of knowledge that is waiting just to be released with a question. Imagine the wealth of knowledge we may obtain, the wonderful rewards that are ours merely by opening our mouth to enquire.

So, let us encourage children to question and quench their thirst for knowledge as well as encourage them to know more besides learning to find out more.

Just as the Christians would say: Ask and it shall be given. Of course, it may not be hundred percent true but the chances for us to receive some kind of feedback is always there even when there is no feedback. Do you get that point?

Thus, when in doubt, ask.

No unnecessary stress, please.

Yesterday evening, I had this talk with a young teacher who was very passionate about her teaching. It is because of her passion that she felt very sad about the Malaysian schools of the day.

"The headmaster demands that teachers must produce 'A' students. Most parents agree with that. Teachers go into class pressuring the students to produce nothing less than an 'A'. Do you see that? Headmasters put pressure on the teachers, the stressed teachers put pressure on the pupils and pupils end up with all that stress at such a young age. Frankly, I would certainly not want to be a child in such circumstances. No wonder, I read somewhere young school children are committing suicide.

Hell! When everyone thinks results are more important that you and your health, is there anything left to live for? None, my dear friend! nothing!

These so called educationists who are willing to stress our children just to create a name for their school are no better than slave-drivers. And what is the purpose? For that, we have to take a look at education and its main purpose.

What is education? It ought to be a system in which a child is taught to learn. Yes, taught to learn. To be able to learn, to gather information for himself/herself and his/her career, that child should to be systematically introduced to listening, reading and writing. With the basics mastered to the best of the child's ability, education ought to show the child how to use the basics learned to enjoy, understand and be able to manage the tasks of gathering information or knowledge, recording and conveying such information as well as use the acquired knowledge for everyday living and to have a career.

The potential for such development is an individual thing, some being able to achieve more than others, some less. however, with the basics mastered, life can be lived to the full and opportunities for work will be there.

Some children may not achieve high academic levels as they may not be academically inclined. But not everybody needs to be academically inclined. There have been successful people in this world who are not academically inclined. Thus, it does not, in any way, mean that the child who does not do so well academically is in any way inferior to those who can do better.

Why do I say that? As everyone knows, everyone is an individual. As individuals, each has his/her own potentials and abilities. He/She may not be good at memory work but excellent at imagination and foresight, thus capable of planning well.

And that is the reason why I have always said that being only mediocre academically does not a failure make. Success can be found in many fields. And, as I have said, there are sufficient examples of academically not proficient people becoming successful in business. A very simple example is the man who built up the Honda business in Malaysia. There are many more, and those whom I have known personally, I have written about them in this blog.

So, everyone has his/her place on this planet. All can find his/her niche. With that we can have happier and better people in this world. Happier people can never come from pressured, stressed or depressed children.

Stress can lead to many problems affecting health. Stress can take a person to an early death. So, let us find ways to overcome stress, not add on to it. Let us, as parents, release some of the stress building up in our children. Schools are giving our children sufficient pressure, as it is.

Someone could be thinking: That's easy for you to say that. Well, I do not just say it. I never made my children go for tuition. I just ensured that they had the basics through reading and enjoying story-books. I merely encouraged them with lots of praise. I did that with my nephew too. I talked to them often on all the topics I found essential for their growth. Through story-books, they learned language. Ability to understand the teachers was the first step. Then, I ensured that they had enough sleep so as not to have a tired brain unable to stay attentive to what was taught. Nutritious food was, of course, just as important.

Those were the happy, enjoyable process of learning my children went through; definitely without unnecessary stress. Of course, there is a little stress from tests, examinations, homework and the competitive spirit. However, that is healthy stress which is essential for growth.

A head start begins with the parents.

The other day I saw this fourteen month old happily pushing his roller-wheeled walking toy around the living room, then head towards one of the rooms, went to one of the drawers at the side and tried to pull them open. Finding them too heavy to get to reveal their contents, he ventured on to other things.

Then, as he began to tire, the mother came with a bowl of soft baby food in a bowl; put him up into a pushchair and wheeled him towards the table for his lunch. On the table was a disc player which the mother turned on and the living room was filled with children’s songs and the child’s own laughter which the mother had recorded.
After his lunch, his parents put him through some language learning flash cards.

Although he had just taken his meal, he was interested and watched the pictures flashed before his eyes as well as listened to the accompanying words in English repeated twice. When he asked for more of the flash-cards when the mother stopped after approximately fifteen minutes, the father took over with Mandarin words as the cards were flashed very quickly before his eyes.

These parents certainly were aiming for the best for their first child. They were providing him with the best possible nutrition, giving suitable baby food, speaking often to the child in English as well as Mandarin, providing proper toddler walking toys for good exercise, building strength in his legs as he walks around, exploring the house with the parents or the maid constantly supervising his every move to ensure safety and right actions; preventing pulling things that may come crashing down on his little head.

With children songs and flash-cards together with names of things, the parents are going the right path to put the child in the position to acquire language sounds and understanding, the beginning of the journey to knowledge and communication, both very essential items for progress in our world.

Books with lots of pictures have also become a constant companion of this child through their introduction by the parents. This child is indeed lucky as the environment is obviously the best possible for his best possible growth and development.

All things are possible for those who plan their future of their children.

New Rapid Fire method to Language Learning.

“Boy, look and listen.”

“Banana, banana, banana, apple, apple, apple, pear, pear, pear, orange, orange……………”

As she rattled off the names of the fruits, the mother flipped the cards one after another, showing the pictures of the fruits to her fourteen month old.

After the fruits, she went on to other things which are commonly seen by the child. As she did so, I was amazed at the attention of the child. He looked at the pictures flashed in front of him so attentively. I lasted for approximately twenty minutes. And was I surprised when the child asked for more of the same when the mother stopped. As the mother had to attend to some chores, the father took over and the child continued to listen and watch as the cards are flashed quickly in front of him.
Obviously, such a method of language learning is effective in getting the full attention of the child. This child has been given the same dose of ‘listen while you look’ for more than a week. And each day, he asked for it. Besides, he wanted it to last for until he was satisfied.

Any observer would question why the parents of this child flipped the cards and say the names of the things given on the cards so quickly. Would the child be able to follow? Would the child have the opportunity to hear what was pronounced?

The mother is one who is very concerned about the progress and development of her child. According to her, this is one of the latest methods for introducing language to the child. After all, if the child were to learn language in his natural environment, he hears sounds spoken rapidly in conversations around him. He see things move at speed. With such speed, perhaps that is the reason for the hundred percent attention the child gives to the learning process.

If you have a baby starting to learn a language such as Mandarin or English, why not add this method to whatever methods you are currently using?

Let our children be prepared. Language a must.

Opportunities abound. It’s everywhere. From time to time they emerge in newspapers, magazines and places of study as well as promotions. Be aware of all such venues where opportunities pop out from time to time. However, just being aware of these opportunities is not enough. Are we prepared to take them on?

Perhaps, one day, we see ‘Application for Asian Scholarships’ in the media. Our children are at the right age or level of studies to apply for such a scholarship which gives our children financial aid and free education up to university level. The opportunity has appeared. Are our children ready for it?

Having knowledge that such scholarships are available, parents should work towards not just this scholarship but also other possible opportunities that we may not yet be aware of. It is not merely preparation for one particular scholarship. Rather, it should be thought of as a preparation for life.

The whole world is ours to play, live and work in. We should never limit ourselves to one small particular place. To live well, we ought to equip our precious children and us with language abilities to take on whatever comes. Language is of utmost importance as without it, there can be no communication or understanding of the written word. Without language, a lot of opportunities are not within our reach.
Without a minimum language proficiency, we cannot understand what the television news and documentary are delivering to our brain. What we cannot understand, we cannot act upon. Even when a great opportunity is staring at us, we do not know it.

Without a minimum language proficiency, we are unable to benefit from the experiences of others. We are unable to appreciate the thoughts and feelings of writers. We are unable because we cannot read bout them in books and magazines. Without an understanding of what is in the written words, we miss the chance to try out recipes, improve ourselves by practising the many countries’ arts and crafts, learn of tourist spots, understand how certain problems can be overcome, enjoy the wit and humour of so many throughout the world, sharpen our intelligence and have a better understanding of the cultures and religions of people we may never get to meet.

The three most important languages, no matter where we live are English, the national language of our country, and our own mother tongue. Master at least one of them. English is important because it is an international language. With it, we can communicate with a huge portion of the world. Mandarin is next as the Chinese are adventurous and had ventured far and wide, taking along with them the language. Besides, China is gradually but surely emerging as a prominent nation in the world of trade. The Chinese market is so big that businesses are thinking of trade with China. Communication being a tool for understanding negotiations, it is inevitable that Mandarin will rise to become a language of trade and commerce. In the meantime, not to be left behind, china is fast improving its peoples’ proficiency in the English Language.

Thus, to be prepared is a necessity. Besides languages, we ought to have our children be well prepared in various matters too. What’re the other matters parents ought to look into as preparation for success in life not only for ourselves but also for our precious children?

Thank God. We can read!

In the library on Wednesday, the 6th of May, 2009, I read in the New Straits Times of how unscrupulous some people can become through their greediness.

According to the report, a team from the Health Ministry raided a pharmacy and discovered that it had sold one thousand codeine tablets each week to a coffee shop which sells each glass of a herbal tea laced with a tablet of the drug, giving its customers a high each time. Of course, with addition, the customers will head for their herbal tea each day. The coffee shop and the pharmacy are located in Petaling Jaya, Sleangor, Malaysia.

For those people who are not literate, such knowledge may never reach them unless it can be conveyed to them through a literate friend.

Certainly, literacy is important in our society. It is even more so than experience.
Especially in the matter of drugs and its consumption, we should not wish to experience it, unless it is the only way to overcome some kind of sickness. This particular drug, codeine, is used in cough mixtures. We have read before about drug addicts buying cough mixture as a cheap form of drug-taking. Unfortunately for those people who take codeine in beverages or cough mixtures, they become addicted after some time.

Once addicted, they may have to progress to stronger drugs to have their ‘kick’. Such highs can lead to problems for their family and society. Money to support such a bad habit will empty the addict’s account. Stealing may be the only way to get sufficient funds. That’s when everyone in the addicts' locality may have to suffer for his/her addiction.

If one is not careful, fire-crackers can deprive one of a few fingers. Addiction is worse! One can lose oneself! It can deprive a person of his/her human feelings and responsibility to society. Such things are too dangerous to experience. Knowledge of such things have to come from books, magazines or newspapers.

That is one reason every country throughout the world wants one hundred percent of its people to be literate. That is why language learning must begin from the first day of life.

Creativity or nastiness?

As the head of the English Language department in a secondary school, Sekolah Menengah Kota Kual Muda, one of my duties was to encourage the use of the language.

One of the ways of accomplishing that was to label whatever could be found in the school. With that in mind, I pasted ‘Girls’ toilet’ on the door of one of the toilets.

A week later, an angry lady teacher came to see me.
“Do you know what your students have done?” she asked.
I shook my head for I was not able to understand her annoyance. “What happened?” I enquired.

She was fuming so badly that instead of answering, she dragged me by the hand to the girls’ toilet.

There, on the door was my label with the apostrophe and the letter ‘i’ whitewashed with liquid paper fluid. It was changed to ‘Girls to let’.

I wanted to smile at the creativity of the students. Yet, it would be insensitive of me to do that in front of this furious teacher. So, I restrained myself and told her our students are quite a cheeky bunch. Putting on a serious demeanour, I told her I would certainly look into the matter.

You see, as I have said before about accepting differing views, this situation calls for that kind of acceptance. For some people, they are of the opinion that such deeds indicate a lack of respect for the women. It could be consider that if the miscreants were adults. When I questioned the students, names were not given but according to those students I believe in, it was a fun thing. Some students were merely being creative with words. If you look at it positively, they were learning English. They were just playing with words. Those students meant no harm. I just accepted the explanation. To the teacher concerned, I assured her the cheeky students were apologetic.

Children can be mischievous. At such times they could merely be showing their skill at something. If that is so, should not the teacher accept their deed as praise-worthy. What do you think?

Trigger the power of imagination.

When my brother and I visited my uncle who lived near some swamps, we imagined the life of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn by building a raft with bamboo and vines to cross the swamps. Our raft was not well-built and in the midst of fighting off crocodiles, it broke apart leaving us drinking swampy water with leeches sucking off every drop of blood from our body. Play and books have certainly fired our imagination!

Play and imagination triggered by pictures or objects helps our child to be literate.
To be literate, the child remembers words and imagine their meanings. The child learns the alphabets; learns how to combine them to form meaningful words and string the words to form sentences.

Learning words needs only memory. However, without bringing in imagination through picture and play, the words are merely sounds without meanings. To have our child be able to read with understanding, he needs imagination to picture the events or sequence of thoughts. When does he start to learn imagination?

Our child learns language through imagination. Through talk, language is first used. Parents play with their child, tickle him/her and call the child ‘baby’. The child hears the words, remember them, but cannot use them until he/she is able to associate the words with the people concerned. This process requires the mind to picture the people connected with the words. The imagination process has begun!
Play is a good method to trigger a child’s imagination. In those days when girls are brought up to be housewives, parents used to buy toy stoves, frying-pans, pot and all kind of kitchen utensils for them to play with. Parents who aspire to have doctors in the family bought toy stethoscope and blood pressure measurement units for their male children. They do this to let the children imagine such roles.

Through play children develop their imagination. I remembered putting a blanket and a pillow or bolster onto one end of the bedstead to become my saddle for a ride on my bucking bronco. The rodeo rider sometimes complete his show with the bull; no, it was no bull but my mother; chasing after me with a long cane for loosening all the bolts in her bed!

What benefits could such imagination bring? For me, it was my beloved uncle, Mr. Ong Keng Thoe, who was the headmaster of St. Xaviers Branch School in Pulau Tikus, Penang; and enthusiastic teachers such as Mr. Ramachandran of Hutchings School, Penang, who inspired me to become a teacher too. After having seen their ability to help young children develop themselves through the noble profession of imparting knowledge and skills, I imagined how I could do the same with success. Many a time, I imagined myself standing in front of a class. That was how I overcame my timidity at a young age and at twelve years, was even made a leader of a group tasked with the approaching of certain managements to enter and know the work done in certain premises in Georgetown, Penang.

I must tell you what I read about Abraham Lincoln, the well-known President of America, during his younger days. With his great imagination, this humble, backwoods boy practised giving speeches atop the stumps of cut trees near his home. He visualized himself as the successful leader he eventually became. Using his imagination, he took the courageous steps necessary for his own progress and it lead him to such great acknowledged success!

He was one of my first heroes. Like I have mentioned earlier I suffered inferiority complex as a result of poverty. Abraham Lincoln was just as poor! Yet, he became one of the greatest leaders of a great nation. With him as my hero, I struck out to improve myself and with the help of my friends, I made it!

Imagination is essential to problem solving. To solve a problem, we have to see the problem clearly. Having done that, we need to imagine various possible approaches, ways or steps to overcome it. If we cannot envisage all these, then it is difficult to solve whatever problem we or our children may encounter in life.

In some work, imagination is important. Those who are artists, draftsmen, architects, doctors, engineers and scientists certainly need imagination to picture the outcome of their work.

Finally, happiness depends upon imagination. We need beautiful dreams. We need to go back to sweet memories to brighten our darker days. Imagine how wonderful our life is with imagination; sweet dreams and beautiful memories to negate our present sadness and heighten our happy moments.

Language learning through singing.

Songs are an important aid to language learning. It is effective because it brings joy too. Through the enjoyment of the musical rhythm and the rhymes in the lyrics, words and sentences in songs are remembered easily. Good sentences in songs help your child to remember correct sentence structures; thus helping him to construct good sentences.

Today, we have karaoke video compact discs in which lyrics of songs are given. In following the lyrics, the child is reading words. If the child is encouraged to sing a variety of songs using such karaoke discs, the vocabulary expands as more words are encountered.

As singing is an enjoyable activity, with the assistance of karaoke discs, children can read and gradually remember words as they sing. The remembered words are used again and again each time the child sings. Such type of ‘homework’, remembering words in songs, is a pleasure to do and because it is so enjoyable, this remembering of words is performed so often.

Imagine the amount of benefits parents derive from this activity. Children respond willingly to such learning. The activity can take up a lot of time without the danger of boredom, giving parents time to finish their housework. Words are more easily remembered and learned. It helps the child to express themselves as songs tell stories (folk and children songs) and express love or frustrations (love songs).

And if your child happens to have good vocal cords, he/she may become a singer. Success, popularity and money can soon be on its way. You would have put your child on the road to her success, and a change in your future!

Ah! But do not do it for your future. Do it for his/hers. It is the child’s development and safety that count. Develop the child’s talent without force or haste. Let the child enjoy his/her childhood as well. Many parents fail at this point and we have singers who miss out on this part of their growth. They are forced to mature too soon. Missed forever is a part of their lives. Don't you think so?

That is not important? Well, we will never know for sure. But, I do know that there were young singers who had found fame and fortune, resorted to drugs and a few even committed suicides. Could missing that part of their lives be the cause? Had they taken on too much stress too early in their lives? You are the loving parent. So you decide.But, do think about it!

Fostering the desire to learn.

Without the desire to learn there can be no wish to obtain new knowledge. It is because of the desire to know even more knowledge than what our own limited experience can offer that we resort to watching documentary programmes, listening to others who possess knowledge that we have yet to come across and reading books and other materials that give us understanding on subjects otherwise not within our reach.

As we know the importance of the desire to learn, we would certainly like to know how we can foster such a desire? How do we gradually lead the child to want to know more?

Firstly, all learning goes from the known to the unknown. Take, for example, a child’s path to literacy. The child must begin with the sounds for things in his/her environment. When he/she has understood such sounds as ‘flower’, ‘book’ and ‘ice-cream’, then only can he/she proceed to the written word. When he/she has achieved the ability to recognize and read words, he would like to show that he can do it.

When my son first knew how his name, 'Seng’ was spelt, he would point out words having his name on boards bearing the names of shops; names such as ‘ Wah Seng Doby’, ‘Lee Seng Coffee Shop’ and so on. With praise for his ability to read other words too, he would look forward to learning even more words. The desire to improve his vocabulary has begun.

As I have said before, the whole world is the parents’ audio visual aid to assist the parents to teach their children. However, unless we use these freely available aids, they are useless and meaningless. Parents have to be the teachers in this world classroom. Talk to your children. With enthusiasm, point out things the child have yet to learn, name them and tell them how wonderful the things are. If parents do not think flowers beautiful, certain fruits strange(Strange to the children), constructed buildings marvelous, views breath-taking, ponds lovely, the breeze sweeping over the water surface creating linear movement on it exhilarating and such wonders of man and nature fascinating, how can the children be aroused to realise what great, incredible beauties surround us! With such introductions to their surroundings, children can begin to take interest and see the wonders around them. With the interest aroused in them, they would want to learn more. Later when they read of them in books, there is association of the new information with knowledge already established from the actual environment by the parents. Taking children out to enjoy, see and appreciate however much it is possible for parents to offer them is taking the first step to spark the desire for knowledge.

My sons and nephew were taken to the Ipoh zoo. We had one of the most enjoyable days in our lives watching the delightful movements, the beautiful colours of the many creatures and birds, and listening to the various sounds they emit. As parents, we pointed out all these and indirectly have them listen to and imitate as well as use new words; sounds and vocabulary that would otherwise hold no meaning for them.

Then, some days later, at the library, books on animals proved to be interesting, with them pointing to animals they have seen at the zoo, delightfully expressing themselves on what they know of those animals and birds, connecting with the places they were seen. From here, they went on to animals not found in the zoo and parents could arouse curiosity with questions such as ‘Why do you think such animals are not in the zoo we went to?’ Of course, parents may have to supply the answers but that is how interesting knowledge is dispensed to the eager, curious minds. Thus, in like manner, we can introduce other things to our children and continue to sustain such interest with appropriate reading materials and pictures.

When children develop a thirst for knowledge, learning becomes a pleasure which sweeps aside even tiredness. That is the power of the desire to learn.

From here on, all our precious children need is encouragement with appropriate materials such as books, toys and, if possible, the real-life objects such as pet- birds, dogs, cats and fish.

With the care for real things, parents can cultivate a love for such things. And love is one of the most important, beautiful feelings in our world. That will have to be discussed in a future posting. Without love, where can there be purpose in life?

How the right circumstances and the need to communicate helped

I am going to tell you how a child learned English in a year’s stay in a strange place.

When I attended a one-year TESL (Teaching of English as a Secondary Language) in University Malaya, I met a married Chinese couple with their only child, a girl aged three years. They were from Penang Island. The husband was attending the same TESL course while the wife was a housewife. They decided to stay in Kuala Lumpur so that they could be with the man of the family.

They thought of a suitable place to lodge and while doing so, the idea of having their child learn English in this new place. However, they were not thinking of placing her in a kindergarten or a boarding school. They realized that their child forced by circumstances to communicate in another language would be able to take on the challenge and overcome any obstacles in her path, emerging with sufficient language skills to survive in such a situation.

With at least a parent nearby, the child would not feel neglected or lost in facing the problem of having to communicate in another language.

How can such a situation be arranged? They determined to search for an English speaking family with no Chinese Language proficiency. With some effort, they did find an Indian family who speaks mostly English with hardly any Tamil language used.
They managed to rent a room there and stayed for a year. The Chinese girl had to listen to and talk to the Indian couple and their children in English. The girl’s mother gave her child lots of opportunity to play with the Indian children.

Soon, a year was over and the little Chinese girl had mastered sufficient English Language to talk, joke, scold and complain about her friends to their parents during the various situations that arise from time to time.

The right circumstances and the need to communicate are strong motivating forces in language learning.

What if parents are not good at the chosen language?

We ought to choose carefully the language or languages we want our children to be proficient in.

An international language such as the English Language is important as the world has become global, especially in the field of trade and commerce. The mother tongue or the language of the place you are residing in is important too as communication in every sphere of life in the ciuntry is essential. Whatever language it is, it is needed to put our children in the foremost path to success. In most cases high proficiency in a particular language determines the future of our children.

Unfortunately, not every parent is proficient in the necessary language. Well, if the language required is English, most probably that parent will not be able to reach this knowledge. However, since the aim of this blog is to help as many parents as possible, I hope those who understand or know this blog can help others to overcome their problems.

Let me tell you a true story about an aunt who helped her grandson learn English.
The parents of this child were very busy with earning a living and this grandma took on the job of caring for her grandchild.

During those days, we had 'Sesame Street' with words taught in an enjoyable way. There were also VCDs for teaching the alphabets with an alphabet song for the child to sing along with. There are so many teaching programmes on discs. On such programmes are big beautiful pictures with somebody pronouncing the names of the things shown.

This grandma would put the child in front of the television with the video player and allow the child to follow the entertaining programme. However, not every programme is good or entertaining. So, grandma got someone good in English to pick the programmes for her.

What are the criteria of a good programme?
1. Such a programme must be entertaining for young children.
2. It must show some kind of suitable activity.
3. There must be some music or appropraite sounds.
4. It has to be colourful.
5. It is good if there are songs for children to follow or sing along with.
6. The language used has to be correct and suitable to the level of the
targeted audience or children.
7. Are the words sufficiently big and clear for a very young child?
8. The pronunciation must be clear and sufficiently loud.

As the child grew, grandma looked for more suitable programmes with more songs, nursery rhymes and cartoon adventures; everyone of them with big subtitles so that the child can follow them. I visited this aunt and found her grandson improving at a tremendous speed.

For parents who are not proficient in the language, there is the kindergarten where teachers help the children with their language learning while there is an opportunity for children to mix and communicate with their peers.

I have seen the excellent language level of a grandson under the care of a grandma who had hardly any proficiently at all accomplishing her task of preparing her grandchild for life in the literate world, just with the aid of a television, a video player, suitable discs, books and the teachers at a kindergarten.

During and after the kindergarten phase, suitable entertaining storybooks were purchased for the child to enjoy and improve.With such aids, children can move one step nearer to success.

(Perhaps, what has been given is not comprehensive enough. Anyone with other means of tackling this problem is invited to put whatever he/she knows his/her comments so that many can benefit from his/her experience. Thank you.)

The role of television in language learning.

Usually, when we think of modern day distractions for children, what comes to mind are television and the computer.

In almost every household, a television is placed right in the living room where children often sit and watch cartoons and films as well as commercials. Actually, cartoons, films and commercials have their roles to play in teaching children how to use language. Although there is no reading involved, there is a lot of vocabulary to be learned or remembered through their usage.

When my children were very young, I showed them 'The Sound of Music', 'Little Orphan Annie' and other films from discs and video cassettes. They were children's favourites. The films mentioned here are loaded with songs which they enjoyed singing. When children are interested in a film, they can watch those same films again and again.My children were not interested in the adult-type stories usually shown on television. Usually such films are not suitable for children. In the mornings, there are suitable cartoons to help the children learn through entertainment.

What about the attractive commercials with their catchy tunes and beautiful rythmic language? They do teach children some vocabulary and how to use language to attract attention to things.

With oral language skills improved through cartoons, films and advertisement, television cannot actually be termed as a distraction at this early stage of a child's life.

However, there will come a time when there ought to be more reading than watching and listening.When the time arrives, how do you shift their attention to books and other reading materials?

If the parents have introduced them to beautiful pictures and big-sized words in books, the pictures in them will atttact the attention of the children. Thus, suitable attractive materials in books is the first answer.

Next is the pride and ego of a child who knows he/she can read. Together with praise for his ability from the parents, the pride, confidence and ego of the child leads him/her to greater interest in the ability to read even more words.Later on, in kindergarten and the first year of formal education, his ability to read can boost his/her confidence to excel in class. Success breeds success; so with his good performance in class, he yearns to be even better.

Third is the excellent selection of children's stories to entertain and keep his/her eyes glued to the stories in the books.Parents must be careful in the selection of suitable entertaining stories.

Parents must sacrifice by not watching so much television. Remember that parents are always in control of situations. Do not turn on the television without a good reason. Do not distract your child from the wonderful stories in books.

As such the television and the disc player have their roles in furthering the language skills of our precious children.

Let your child be familiar with books.

Words cannot become a part of your child’s vocabulary unless there is usage by your child. If you hear your child using correctly the words you have spoken to him/her, then you can be assured that the words have been understood and learned.
Once your child is able to pronounce the words and speak to you with whatever language you have been teaching him/her, it is time to have your precious child become familiar with one of the most important things in his life, books. Let him/her be familiar with books and the pictures, colours as well as the words in them.

A child imitates in order to learn. You are the child’s role model. Let the child see you enjoy the stories in the books. Read to your child. Let him see your mouth form the words so that he/she can do likewise. Once he/she can read simple words, your child can go on to reading stories. Start with very short, simple stories. Such stories are easily obtainable from books from the local library.

That was how my wife and I taught my children and my nephew how to read English books. We took the children to the library, sat them down on comfortable little chairs, and introduced the pictures in the books available there. Before this, we had already talked to them, my children and my nephew, in English. By the time we took them to the library, they could talk with very simple vocabulary. My elder son could say “Water the plants,” as he walked unsteadily around the plants in our compound with a sprayer in one hand. My nephew, about two years older than my elder son, would laugh at him and tell me about what he saw in English. We would teach them the names of things by saying the words and sentences and they would repeat them. Very soon, we had them read words and very short sentences.

Once my precious children and nephew could read simple sentences, we bought the already well-known Ladybird readers. The ladybird series go from easy most often used words to more difficult once, introducing the words gradually and repeatedly use whatever vocabulary which has been introduced earlier. In this manner, a child effortlessly remembers the words.

With such a reading aid, I noticed that my children and my nephew progressed easily and the desire to read more stories in English was well established after a fairly short time, especially when they realized they could read well. My son told me, that realization itself gave him the incentive to want to read even more. Each night, just before bedtime, my sons and my nephew (whenever my nephew stayed the night at my place which was quite often) would eagerly start reading the next outing or adventure of the two children and their dog.

After being able to complete the ladybird reading series, parents ought to make available books with suitable vocabulary for the children to continue this pleasurable past-time.

From here onwards, all that are required are suitable reading materials, perhaps chosen by the children themselves, with praise of the children's capabilities whenever visitors to the house offer opportunities to do so.

And reading is obviously one of the most important ways to learn, to gain knowledge, to know other civilizations, to understand other humans on this earth and to harvest the benefits of other people’s experiences which may take too many life-times to experience personally.

Thus, I consider the ability to read and understand one of the most important ways to put our precious children on a strong footing for success in life.

You are your child's first language teacher.

One of the first voice your new born child hears is either yours, your gynaecologist's or a nurse's.

Whoever it may be, the parents are the child's first teacher. What kind of talk are you going to use with the child? Is it going to be baby talk or adult language? Is it going to be 'Ooo..Ahh....' and 'momm...mom..' or is it 'Hello, baby.' and 'Here's your milk.'

Why do we need to teach our child something which will be out-dated by the time he can talk? We should not waste precious time but go straight to good everyday words of whatever language we may want our child to learn.

That was what My wife and I did with our children and they learned to talk and increased their vocabulary very fast.

Parents should talk to their children from the first day they were born. The words our children hear at the age of one day may not come into use for many months to come but what they hear will be stored in their brain. As I had mentioned in an earlier post, researches have found that the foetus could hear and react to sounds even though it is still in the womb.So parents should talk in ordinary everyday language to their as yet unable to speak child so that they are familiar with the sounds of the language when they are ready to speak.

Another method to introduce language to our children, and that was what my wife and I did,is to read simple stories to our children. With this method, I found that my children started enjoying stories at a very young age and there was no necessity to encourage them to be interested as they already were.

After four or five months,at the time when the child is starting to crawl, books with plenty of big pictures and words naming the pictures should be introduced. Parents could teach the children how to 'mouth' the words. By 'mouthing' the words, parents show their child how the words are pronounced. The picture give meaning to the word. To do this, once the child is familiar with the words, point at the picture as the word is pronounced.

Once your child is able to talk which is somewhere between eight months to a year, talk to him/her as often as possible. After this, besides story books, the world is your child's classroom and the resources depend upon the environment and space available to you.

The world is full of audio visual aids and they are yours to use depending upon your willingness to avail such aids to your child. Take your child to the zoo and teach him/her the names of all the animals there together with their sounds and movements. This lesson continues when you return home.Daddy becomes the tiger and roars with claws stretched out to scratch him/her. Just a visit to the zoo and the child learns what a tiger is, how a tger moves, has stripes and a tail, with claws, sharp claws to scratch a little boy/girl. See the amount of vocabulary learned with just one animal at the zoo! And there all so many other animals. Repetition is important. Unlike adults who may find it boring, children find repetition useful for enhancing memory. Who is the teacher who has done this much for your child? You, the first teacher is your child's life.

What about those parents who wishes to teach their children a language in which they are not good at? Well, there is always a way if there is a will. An aunt of mine is not good at English or Mandarin but she taught her grandson both the languages. We shall go into that in a later post.