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How to Support Your Child’s English Learning Journey

By VIPKid  |  February 17, 2022

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English can be a daunting language to learn—from confusing grammar rules to tricky vocabulary, there’s so much that goes into studying this language. And as a parent, you want to do whatever you can to support your child’s English learning.

Are you looking for more ways to help? Then you’ve come to the right place! Here are some suggestions of fun and helpful resources that can help both you and your child on their learning journey.

A child holding a bunch of colorful crayons

Television Shows & Movies

Who doesn’t love watching TV? TV and movies can be a great way to engage your child in learning English. 

For new learners, start with cartoons that use simple language and sentence structures to help your child follow along easily. Popular shows like Max and Ruby and Paw Patrol are a good place to start—they’re created specifically to help younger children learn and follow along! 

For those who have a better English understanding, you can use content with more advanced vocabulary and grammar. Shows like Friends and classic movies like The Wizard of Oz and Harry Potter will keep your child engaged and help them improve their English, without even realizing it!

One more fun way to use TV and movies: pick one of your favorites that you and your child normally watch in your language, and watch it in English! They’ll be able to follow along since they already know what’s coming, and it will help create connections to English concepts. Here are some English phrases your child should know.

All in all, this is a fantastic way to make connections and transition from one language to another. 

Characters & Analysis

Doing character-related activities is a great way to engage your child in discussion practicing English. Whether it’s drawing a picture of Spider-Man or Elsa, you can ask questions and practice English vocabulary with them. 

For example, ask your child to draw a picture of their favorite character. Then, they could compare their features to their own—something like “Spider-Man wears red and blue, but I am wearing red and black.” 

Another activity using characters: themed stories and short clips on the internet. There are so many stories online in English that talk about specific characters that you can use! Encourage your child to ask questions about the pictures they see and then help them build their English vocabulary. 

Podcasts & Audio Resources

Another great way to engage your child in learning English? Podcasts! 

Learning with podcasts allows your child to learn by using their imagination to picture the topics and ask questions. You want to ensure that the podcast you choose is easy to follow and not too long, otherwise they won’t stay interested for very long. 

Since there’s nothing for your child to look at when they’re listening to a podcast, it can be difficult to keep them engaged. Try listening together in places where distractions are limited—at bedtime, in the car, or at the dinner table. 

Looking for a place to start? Try the podcast called But Why? It’s exactly what it sounds like—a podcast that asks and answers all different kinds of “why” questions!


Another great way to support your child’s English learning journey? Sign them up for online English classes!

VIPKid is giving new students a free trial lesson—sign up now!

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