More than words

Learning a new language is more than just memorizing vocabulary and figuring out tricky grammar situations. German does not make it easy, but to insist on nominative, genitive, accusative  or dative couldn't be more frustrating - at any age.

To avoid or loosen up the frustration, the teacher should be prepared with lots of different learning materials that fit the learners interests. Current pop songs, classical music, art, cooking, travel info, fairy tales, magazines, articles, horoscopes, letters, games etc make a lesson fun and stimulate different  interests.

Considering we are learning a language we also learn about a culture and culture consists of history as well as current events, which can be included for every age.

(girl first drawing the city of Berlin, now building a wall with marshmallows)

(boy dividing the city of Berlin with a wall out of marshmallows)

A good teacher is also a good story teller, who catches the student's interests with stories evolving around events. Although you might think switching into the English Language to tell a story or report and event, it helps to bond with your students as well as to catch their interest.

                                 Know your audience - and everything is possible!

Everybody loves a good fairy tale and just like in the times way back then, they help us remember routines and facts. To teach about German geography, I like to introduce the myth of the Lorelei (depending on the maturity of the audience it is going to be more or less detailed). Even if the story is told in English, all my learners remember (and memorize) the longest river running through Germany ... 

Do you know?

It is never too early nor too late!

Everybody agrees: The younger a student is, the easier he/ she will pick up a foreign language. Why is that? Children do not care if it is Spanish, German or Chinese they are learning. They do not want to compete in the world economy at this point. The young learner memorizes words and phrases because they are having a good time, they want to participate in the game, they love the rhythm of the song and it is always fun to be silly. As an adult we are too shy to open ourselves to new pronunciations and new ways of thinking. At an older age we have to overcome the fear of making a mistake and saying things wrong. It is not the age that makes it easier or harder to learn a foreign language, it is the reason and purpose. Each

Visiting toddlers in either day cares or private home settings, makes some of my friends and future clients shake their heads: "Those children are not saying anything in English yet, how do you teach German?!"

My answer to that: "Never underestimate a curious learner!" During my very first class with learners that young, I was not afraid of getting down on the floor with them and teach/ learn through playing. After each section, we cleaned up our toys and materials. For every item that was put away in the right bin or container I highly exclaimed a German "danke schön" (thank you). I left the class knowing that everybody had a good time, but was delighted to hear that one girl at her home that night cleaned up her toys, lined up her stuffed animals and told every single one of them: "Danke schön". Be aware that even that you do not get a reaction of your student right away, it sticks to them and comes out when you least expect it.

The great thing about children from birth to age 7 is, that they do not learn from books. They need to experience the matter with all their senses and build a connection. You want to know why we never forget how to ride a bike? I bet nobody achieved that skill from reading. Way back then, we sat in the saddle, our caretakers might have held the balance for a bit, but actually we were on our own pushing the paddles. And that is the same with languages.

One of my favorite teaching supply in a toddler class is a sensory experience:

Either a table like in a daycare setting of large deep bins in a home, children love to touch and feel. Picking safe materials invites youngsters to let the material run through their hands, to smell them, to feel them and to work with them.. The picture about is a snap shot of our spring table. Filled with Easter grass, real flowers, paper flowers and toy trees. Observing the toddlers picking different items I hesitate to take it out of their hands, instead I am chanting sentences using the vocabulary and encourage them to be silly.

Adding a sensory experience to your lesson keeps toddlers interested in learning as well as creates a bond between student and teacher.

When learning an instrument, instructors use the term of muscle memory, which means you practice scales over and over again that your body memorizes what to do without you even thinking about it. It is the same with languages: No matter what age, do not refer to simple flash cards - no matter how fancy they are - use complete sentences, combine the language with at least one different interest area of yours like cooking, music, games or arts to make it more interesting and to keep the frustration and failure out of languages.