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Speak Global English Video Series
Part 21:
3 Ways to Encourage your Children to Speak Clearly and Confidently
If you're anything like me, you want your child to grow up to be a clear and confident communicator. Unfortunately, there are some bad habits many parents are passing onto their children without even knowing it.
Remember that children learn rhythm and pronunciation by listening to the language models around them. If you, parents, are not speaking clearly and confidently, chances are your children won't either.
Here are 3 things you can do as a parent to improve your child's speech
1. Be a good language model
Pay attention to the way YOU speak. Improve your pronunciation and speech so your children can learn from you.
2. Know the correct way to correct your child
When you correct your children, don't scold or lecture them. Simply repeat what they said incorrectly correctly.
So if your child says,
"Mommy, she don't like that."
You can respond with,
"Oh really? She doesn't like that?"
When your child catches on to what you're doing, you'll notice that they will begin to repeat your correction after you, learning more every time.
3. Read to your child
There is nothing better than reading to your children. Every evening in our house, both of my girls (ages 2 and 4) get to pick out one short story each and then we finish off with a third book -- whatever the crowd-pleasing favorite of the moment might be.
But remember, when you read to your child, really READ. Use emotion to emphasize important words, use funny voices. Ask your kids questions. Have them point out things in the pictures. You're not only helping them with their speech, but also encouraging a love of reading.
If you'd like to encourage clear and confident communication in your office as well as your home, visit http://www.HansenCommLab.com for information on training opportunities.
