How to let 2 year old kids learn German?

Three years is said to be the optimal age to start learning a second language. This is because younger kids are better at mimicking new sounds and learning new pronunciations. Language lessons can be completely informal, and can even be part of your child’s playtime.

While continuing to expose your child to German songs and music, now is a good time to allow them to start watching German cartoons and television shows. They may not understand every word that’s being said, but they will certainly enjoy laughing along with the main characters.

Children under 6 years of age learn a second language as easily as their mother tongue. This is because children at this age are highly motivated and enthusiastic about learning a language. They learn the language through songs, nursery rhymes, engaging games, cartoons and stories. Children are not worried about wrong grammar or pronunciation. They quickly pick up an accent of another language and their grammatical skills develop subconsciously. Therefore, they acquire another language naturally without any foreign accent or typical dialectal mistakes. In addition, learning a second language early in life promotes brain development and general learning skills, boosts self-confidence and helps kids develop an interest in other cultures.

Make it a family thing

The best way to learn is in an environment where everybody is learning. Even if you might already know German, make it fun and involve not just the kids but the entire family. Place post-it notes on things around the house, from plates to tables, on the window, toys, and the dog, if he lets you. Even if your child is still too young to read, picking up a note and reading the word out loud will still be helpful.

Read books

No matter what age your child is, get some picture books that are aimed at young German kids learning to read. In those you will have simple words denoting everyday objects, often in themed settings, and you can read them together. Learning a language is as much about learning to speak as it is learning to spell. Early exposure is good, even if your child is not quite ready yet.

Get fun activity magazines 

Germany has a wide variety of magazines for all age groups, many featuring animals, others filled with mostly comics. Magazines such as Olli & Molli are aimed at various age groups, from three years up. You’ll find many different themes, from joining the Kindergarten to going to the playground. They are full of pictures, puzzles, posters, and simple stories designed for learning to read.

Let them meet German children 

The more personal the exposure to a language, the easier it is to learn. Take your kids to a local playground, a dedicated indoor play area, or even an IKEA ballpark. Every largest city has indoor playgrounds where you pay an entrance fee and then have a wide choice of activities, all filled with German kids of all age groups. At first, they will probably not interact much or refuse to speak to other children. But it is amazing how open kids are, and chances are a German child will take yours under their wing and will speak to them. Their desire to play and integrate will supersede their fear and shyness. Join playgroups or parent meet-ups, but try local, not ex-pat ones, where people tend to speak English.

Flashcards 

Flashcards are the best and interactive way to teach kids German. You can easily download and print German flashcards on letter size or A4 size paper. The flashcards feature animals, colours, numbers and more. Playing German flashcard games is a proven method for studying German for kids.

Play games together

Board games not only bring the family together but can also be a good tool to learn another language. There are simple games for the younger crowd: Ludo (Mensch ärgere Dich nicht), where you can practice counting as you move your piece along; Memory, i.e. matching pairs of pictures, where you add for your kids the challenge of calling the object out in German.

For some more solid advice on learning materials and fun resources, go to the    

 Multibhashi without any delay and look under Learning German.