Best methods to learn Japanese: How to teach children Japanese

• Get fairy tales and storybooks in Japanese online or from your local library

Children love shared reading time and regardless of language acquisition, they will always remember the time they spent with you reading books. Try to find books with good illustrations. Look at the pictures with your child, point to things they already know in Japanese.

As you come across new words ask the child what they think it is. If it is illustrated, have them point it out on the page. Use different voices for different characters. If your child has a favorite Japanese story encourage him/her to play different characters making up the words from memory. Help your child to use his/her imagination to change the story or change the ending.

Kids love puppets and puppet play is great for motor skills. You can tell much-loved stories through puppet play, either using the whole body or make a puppet theatre from a box and use hand or finger puppets. Finger puppets are also fun when singing songs.

If you have any, look at some animal books together, then go to the zoo for the day. Ask your child the names of the animals he/she has learned and point out the new ones. This is a great place to add in adjectives and colors. When you come home, encourage your child to draw pictures of what he/she saw and talk about them together using Japanese.

Hide and seek is a great game for practicing numbers. You could start with 1 to 10 and gradually increase. When your child knows them well you could count down backward. When ‘seeking’ your child it’s a good opportunity to repeat words without it sounding repetitive.

Dice games are always good for counting and also a simple addition. Board games played with the whole family can be a time for relaxed learning. Just playing a simple board game such as snakes and ladders teaches a young child so much more than just language. They also learn rules of play, understanding goals and of course, that family games equal FUN!

• Play games by using flashcard games e.g.: Go fish, memory game

Flashcards are one of your most valuable resources in teaching language to young children. With multiples of the same cards, you can play well-known games such as Go Fish or the ‘memory game’.

Very small children may struggle to hold too many cards, so play games that have the child match one card to another. Match up a sound with a picture, or two cards that have the same sound, or two pictures that match, any way you choose.

Lay cards out on the floor or table and have your child touch the card as you call out words/sounds. Encourage your child to be the caller and you touch the cards. Keep it playful and fun.

A simple progress chart teaches your child clear goals and kids love stickers. Let your child know when he/she is approaching a goal, make a big deal of reaching the goals, be excited to get the stickers out. Praise him/her for their achievement with a ‘great job’, a hug or a ‘high five’ (or all three).

Listen to children’s songs in the Japanese whenever and wherever you can. Keep CDs in the car or put a CD on quietly in the background when you are doing something else. Add actions to the songs, this helps kids remember the words. If it suits your child’s personality, encourage them to ‘perform’ songs for you. You could have a special ‘song night’.

Teach your child some catchy pop songs that you both like. Something with suitable lyrics and a good chorus is easiest to remember. Sing it around the house as you do other things when your child tries to join in, model the language and encourage them to sing with you.

Cartoons are a great way to engage kids in the Japanese. Kids can figure out the story visually without worrying about not understanding every word. It’s easy to buy DVDs from online in almost any language or, alternatively, look for them on YouTube. Let your child guide you to which cartoons they like best. Watch them together and you will know which language to reinforce.

Make a checklist of goals or ideas of where you want to be with the language learning over a year. Break it down into monthly mini-goals.

It will help you stay focused on where you are going and also a great way to look back and see how far you and your child have come.

YouTube is a super resource. You can create playlists of Japanese teaching videos, these days people post from all over the world.

They might be short tutorials, or craft ideas you can incorporate into your language learning, or children’s songs you can sing together. Look for playlists already put together by others with the same goal.

Join some online groups to exchange ideas and information. Support is invaluable too. Teaching Japanese can hit some hurdles, it is important to be able to connect with people who are having the same difficulties or have successfully navigated these hurdles. Facebook and Twitter are great for immediate connections. Online chat groups or forums can give you a sense of community and common goals.

• Visit the website of Japan’s ministry of culture

Have a look at the website and find interesting information about Japan. Read about traditional food, dances, and costumes. Look at statistics such as population. Find some fun facts about the climate, holidays and customs. Talk about them with your child and follow their lead on which parts they are interested in. You can also get all this information and more here

• Go to public libraries and check all the available resources in Japanese

Libraries are an excellent resource. If they don’t have things in Japanese ask the librarian if it is possible to order them. Also, check out the noticeboard and see if there are any kids groups speaking Japanese in the area. You might make some new friends too.

• Make use of language learning DVDs for kids

Language DVDs come handy, especially for busy parents, as they repeat useful words and phrases in a fun and interesting way Check them out, Look for something that is specifically for kids, that uses games and songs and has well-structured levels.

• Play CDs when driving your child to school

Always play CDs in Japanese when you are in the car. It could be songs or a kids’ language learning CD, whatever your child likes. Do it consistently so your child comes to expect the Japanese in the car.

Nowadays, there are a lot of resources that help you play streaming radio through personal electronic devices and laptops, etc. All you need is a tune into one of the local radio stations and have the radio or the song list play in the background all day long. Even if your child does not understand what has been spoken or the lyrics of the songs he/she will get used to the new sounds and intonation patterns.

• Make use of worksheets for beginners

There are a great many websites offering worksheets for beginners. Many are free and some you can pay monthly or a yearly fee. Kids love worksheets. Some may be simple coloring sheets (kids LOVE coloring), or sheets that help fine motor skills through pencil manipulation. Buy some stickers and put one on each sheet your child completes.

There is no end to the fun to be had from playing games with flashcards even if your child is still too young to play a game that has structure and rules. You can make your own ‘games’ call out a card, have your child touch it/pick it up. ‘Hide’ the cards around the room and have your child find them and say what they are etc.

You can also put the flashcards up around the room. Change them each week in categories (animals/flowers/ fruit/etc. Look at them and say them often with your child. Ask them, “What’s this? / What’s that?”

Put them on your fridge with magnets or let your child do this. You call out the words and have them put them on.

A Children’s picture dictionary is a wonderful resource. Follow your child’s curiosity about it. Let him/her choose what he/she wants to know on any given day. Ask him/her more information about the words they do know. “What color is it?” “ Is it big or small? “ “Where does it live?” “What does it do?”

• Consider getting an alphabet book

Introduce your child to the shapes of letters with a simple alphabet book. This is especially useful if the Japanese alphabet is different from that of the 1st language. For young learners, get a very simple, ‘starter’ book, also great for fine motor skills and pencil control.

The research is in that kids learn best by doing (don’t we all?).

Anything that gets kids moving their bodies or their hands helps them to learn. Watch DVDs together, make up dances, put on ‘shows’, even dress up. Encourage your child’s inner artist with a sketchbook. Color, paint, draw and talk about the colors and your child’s pictures in the Japanese. Coloring in pictures is a very relaxing activity (you should do it too!) Kids tend to be very relaxed when they are coloring, a good time to make some general chitchat in Japanese.

Mix paints and talk in Japanese about how colors are made.

The very latest translation tool. A ‘reading pen’ scans and translates. The translated text appears on a small screen on the pen and can also provide an audio pronunciation of words or full sentences.

There are so many talking toys on the market these days. Try one that says greetings in Japanese (or multiple languages) or one that sings traditional songs/nursery rhymes from Japan.

• Make use of culture books prepared for little kids

Ready-made ‘culture books’ are great for learning about different countries. Read them together, ask questions and encourage your child to ask lots of questions too. After reading one, you could make a simple one together using pictures from magazines, or encourage your child to draw pictures too. Gather information together at the library or from the internet.

• Decorate your child’s room with learning posters (colors, numbers) or pictures from Japan (flag, the cities, etc.)

Get some large colorful posters to decorate your child’s room or the learning space you use. Point things out and ask questions, swap roles and have your child ask the questions too, this also helps model the pronunciation. Ask which is your child’s favorite poster and why?

Follow their lead on the things that interest them.

Use the simple syllabus prepared in your language learning system or make one yourself. Let your child know what it is so he/she can see what they will be doing. Children tend to do better when they know what is coming and what is expected of them.

• Use stickers as rewards (stickers that say congratulations, wonderful, etc. in the Japanese)

Kids love stickers! Use them liberally. Take praising your child as an opportunity to use the Japanese. If you can find stickers with words of praise in the Japanese use those and repeat the words a lot. Use a couple of words at first and add more as your child knows them.

• Get some printed items related to the Japanese: T-shirts, mugs, children’s silverware, etc.

If you have the opportunity to visit the Japanese country buy goods with the language on. T-shirts, mugs, and pens are useful as well as educational. Look for postcards, posters or bumper stickers with popular expressions on. Post these around your house.

Try to find other parents encouraging their children to learn Japanese, arrange to play together, go on picnics to the park or take a trip to a zoo or aquarium, great places to practice the language. Making new friends is of great benefit to you too!

Encourage video chat with other children you know, that speak Japanese. It’s easy using Skype or Google Hangouts or something similar. Be nearby to help the conversation along. Be encouraging and resist the temptation to correct your child’s mistakes.

Spending time with grandparents is valuable to all parties anyway but spending time with grandparents who speak Japanese is great for strengthening bonds and hearing natural language. Your child will come to associate Japanese with feelings of love and security.

If it is possible, consider hiring a nanny/caregiver/babysitter who speaks Japanese. Even a few hours per week would make a difference (and give you a little free time!).

• Cook Japanese recipes together with your child

Kids always want to be a ‘little helper’ in the kitchen. Cook some simple dishes from Japan together. Us the Japanese for instructions, wash, cut, wipe, mix…. Name the ingredients in a natural way as you cook. Here are some Japanese recipes

• Go to community centers, cultural centers, and temples with your child

Local places of interest are stimulating for your child and cultural centers often have exhibitions or music/dance performances. Look out for anything from Japan. Community centers are a great place to meet people, look at notice boards for anything from people interested or connected in some way to, Japanese. You could even offer to do something yourself, give a talk about the country or a traditional dance etc.

• Visit Japanese supermarkets and Japanese restaurants with your child

Go around a Japanese supermarket and point out the foods from Japan. If your child is unfamiliar with them, ask questions. “How do you think it tastes?” “ Do you think this is hard/soft/crunchy/sweet/etc.?” If possible eat in ethnic restaurants. Talk about the food, how it is prepared, where it comes from.

• Have a word of the day activity

Pick a ‘word of the day’, you or your child could choose it, or have your child pick it at random from a pile of word cards. If the word is a noun, look for it around the house and when you go outside. Talk about where it might be found. If it is a verb, find ways to do the action either really or mime it, see if you can spot other people doing it? Or use adverbs and spend some time doing everything in the manner of the adverb, slowly/quickly/happily/etc.

• Play Japanese online language games (memory, click&tell, etc.) with your child

There are plenty of free online interactive language games for children. Find one that appeals to your child and encourages them to do a little every day. You can check out 3 different kinds of free Japanese online language learning games here

Many teachers are offering language lessons via Skype. Ask around and see if anyone can recommend a teacher to you. Sit in on the lesson too so you know what language to reinforce between lessons.

Books, books, books. Kids love books and stories. Read stories in Japanese before bed. Often when kids have heard a favorite story many times they know the words. Encourage your child to help tell the story.

• Play Japanese children’s games

Many children’s games are the same the world over, play kids games your child already knows in their 1st language but play it in the Japanese. Paper, rock, scissors has many variations; play it in the Japanese. Hopscotch, skipping games, clapping games etc. can all be played in any language. For more ideas have a look at the games in the different ‘countries and cultures’ at Dino Lingo (to the right of this post).

• Get comic books & children’s magazines from Japan

Ask if a friend or relative overseas can send you comics or children’s magazines in Japanese. Children’s magazines usually have lots of fun facts in them that you can talk about and further research. They also have quizzes and puzzles that are lots of fun to do.

• Go to a national parade of the target culture

You could try to find where there is a large community of people from the target culture. They will no doubt have special events to celebrate the holidays of their country of origin. Take your child to their parades and festivals.

Let your child choose the notebook at the shop and decorate it any way they want to make it special. Say words in Japanese and have them draw pictures, or even write the word or the first letter, depending on what level they are at. Go back over the pictures every few days. Talk about the pictures and praise your child’s drawing skills.

• Do local crafts

If you are a native speaker of Japanese think about the crafts you did as a child and do them with your child (think also about how happy you were doing this activity with your own mother/father or your friends). Don’t worry if you have forgotten how to look on the Internet to refresh your memory. Perhaps you could send something your child makes to grandparents or relatives overseas.

• Use chatting apps (WhatsApp, Line, etc.) to talk with friends and family who have same-aged children

Chatting apps are mobile and easy to use. Chat with friends in the Japanese who have children about the same age. Encourage your child to chat with them and their kids too. Ask their kids about themselves, their day etc. and encourage your child to talk about themselves.

Lullabies are so soothing for baby and parent. Sing some Japanese lullabies to help your baby sleep. You can buy wind-up crib music at a baby store. Play the music and sing in the Japanese. Establish is as a routine and enjoy the time to hold your baby and knowing you are soothing him/her.

More and more people are turning to homeschool these days and there are plenty of resources online. Do some research and find something that suits you and your child. Depending on the school hours where you live, it may be possible for your child to attend the local school and follow a homeschooling curriculum.

Summer camp is a great experience for children. It is often their first extended time away from home and a chance to make lots of new friends and try a variety of activities for the first time. ‘Language’ camps for kids usually incorporate study with lots of games/crafts/activities related to the Japanese culture. Look online or on the notice board in community centers and other public buildings.

• Try Japanese for kids by Dinolingo

Online Japanese language learning lessons, videos, games, books, songs, stories, worksheets and flashcards. dinolingo.com