Conquering the English language is a laborious process that requires perseverance, effort and homework. And if adults cope with the organization of their classes, then the process of learning in children is a completely different story. Parents usually want their child to start learning a language as early as possible.
Since psychologists say that at the age of 1.5 to 9 years, children remember information better and easier in a playful way. But there is still no consensus on the appropriate age. This makes the process of teaching preschoolers creative, as each age has its own hobbies.
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A good teacher knows that the main engine of progress in the language is curiosity and interest. What do kids love the most? In addition to ice cream and other joys, they can be carried away by fun games, songs and colorful pictures. Online games in English combine all this. But how to choose the right service, and what should be considered when choosing?
Pay attention to:
- the plot and the main characters, they must correspond to age interests;
- clear voice acting of words and phrases so that the child can easily repeat them;
- ease of use of the service;
- lack of frightening elements and scenes.
Below you can find a selection of easy-to-use websites and apps for kids of all ages and English levels.
British Council Games
The LearnEnglish Kids kids games, songs and exercise videos, and a user-friendly interface. Choose the skill you will be working on, for example, vocabulary and clothes, or grammar and Present Simple, and you will have a whole interactive lesson with different tasks to practice. You can use it on a computer for free, without registration and without restrictions on content. The site is suitable for children from 6 to 11 years old with a level from Beginner to Pre-intermediate.
LearnEnglish Kids: Playtime
For those who are used to using gadgets such as tablets and phones, the British Council has an app. It is also aimed at children from 6 to 11 years old, contains videos and tasks for famous cartoons, and activities such as reading, listening, speaking and grammar. The application has only a paid version from 249 to 849 rubles, the cost depends on the tariff, but there is a trial period. Easy to use for kids without parental control. Available for Android and IOS systems.
Learning Chocolate
A very accessible interface for learning and reviewing vocabulary and grammar. But the exercises are the same. You can choose a topic in which there will be 4 tasks: compare visually and by ear, fill in the gaps and dictation. Simple graphics and characters. Free unlimited use through the site. Suitable for preschool children from 6 to 11 years old.
Uchi.ru
It is a portal for learning all school subjects as well as English. Suitable for all children from 1st to 11th grade. Good graphics, clear tasks and the constant addition of new topics. Focuses on practicing reading, grammar and memorizing words in an interactive way. There are 10 free lessons per day. You can purchase an annual subscription at a discount.
Poptropica
The service is designed for children with a level above the average, as this is a real game in English. You can pause to clarify new words, as well as work on vocabulary, grammar and listening. There are paid and free content. Creates a complete immersion in the language environment, since all actions in the task affect the further plot of the game. Suitable for children from 7 to 13 years old and computer use.
ESL games+
A site with a wide variety of tasks, but a slightly complicated interface. In order not to get confused, choose topics in the topics. For each topic, you will find at least 5 different activities to work on vocabulary, listening comprehension and grammar. Interactive games like board games, only here you need to throw a virtual die and answer questions on each cell. This will greatly help develop listening comprehension of interrogative structures and work out speaking. The content is free to use, registration is optional, but it is better to use it from a computer. Can be used in lessons with children from 5 years old and adapt tasks for them.
Look at English
Simple but colorful graphics of this service is one of its main advantages. A limited set of topics that look like "units" from the textbook are great for the youngest students, starting at 3 years old. Topics are interestingly combined with each other, which allows you to repeat the previous one in conjunction with the new one. For example, topics, work and animals, where the student can develop listening and compare it with pictures, while learning new vocabulary. Suitable for beginners and has free content without mandatory registration.
word wall
A multifunctional service that meets all the requirements for learning English. The library has already loaded online games for children on such skills as: listening, reading, vocabulary. Convenient selection of materials through the search by topic or level. Ideal in two directions at once. Suitable for children of any age, starting from 3 years old, as it has a simple interface and different tasks. And allows teachers to have a huge resource with exercises for all the "topics" of the English language. And if you want to add something on the topic, then this is not a problem. Teachers can create their own exercises and add them to the library. For students, the resource is free, although you can only use it through a browser. Teachers have a choice, if it is often necessary to create new exercises for children, then there is a paid tariff from 180 rubles per month, where you can create an unlimited amount of new material. For the basic plan, content creation is severely limited.
Kahoot
This online service is convenient in that it has 2 versions of use: a website and an application for IOS and Android. Here teachers can perfectly enter assignments for repetition. There is a system of tests or quizzes. The main thing is that all participants join the quiz, which fits perfectly even in a group lesson with children. The teacher sees who answers correctly and who does not. Kids love the bright colors, sounds and graphics here. And the simple interface of participating in the quiz is suitable for any child aged 5 years and older. An absolute plus for teachers is that the main functions of the service and the use of the test library are free, and there is also the possibility of creating personal content.
Lingokids
This application is impressive because it was developed by teachers on the basis of Oxford University Press. Ideal for the youngest users from 3 years old. There is also a section for parents where they can select tasks and track their child's progress. There are paid and free versions. The free version is small and includes 3 games, 3 songs and 3 videos. The convenience is that there is a tariff offering offline use. The cost starts from $15 per month. Supported by both IOS and Android systems.
Fixies
26 thematic games based on the animated series "Fixies" will be able to captivate the child in the classroom, as well as make homework enjoyable and interesting. Suitable for elementary school students aged 5 to 11. There is an offline mode, some lessons are available for free for review. A full subscription to all tasks costs 460 rubles. Works on Android and IOS.
Fun English
An application that will captivate young students to study English at home. Suitable for children from 3 to 8 years old. Interactive games and songs help practice spelling, listening and speaking. American or British version of the voice - to choose from. The application can be used free of charge only for 7 days, then the subscription price starts from $10 per month, depending on the tariff. Supported on Android and IOS.
Is it possible to learn English through games?
Funny and colorful games will undoubtedly dilute the standard lesson and add mood to the students. However, it is important to understand that such activities are needed in order to stir up interest in learning, to show that English is not as difficult as it seems. But such entertainment cannot replace classes with a teacher. Only a teacher will be able to build the right program for learning English, adjusting the exercises for the smallest students and paying attention to them in the lesson.
Conclusion
Thus, this list of services and applications significantly narrows the abundance of activities suitable for children according to certain parameters, and also reduces the search time.
We will distribute applications by age categories for your convenience.
Age 3+:
- Look at English.
- Wordwall.
- Fun english.
- Lingokids.
Age 5+:
- Kahoot.
- ESL games+.
- Fixies.
Age 6+:
- British council.
- LearnEnglish Kids: Playtime.
- Learning Chocolate.
- Uchi.ru.
- Poptropica.
By learning English using computer games, children get used to the existence of another language and perceive it with ease and interest. We'd love to hear your feedback on our selection of interactive games for kids in the comments.
We hope that everyone who has read this article has discovered new opportunities for learning English. And if you plan to become a teacher or want to improve your competence, then the TEFL / TESOL certificate will help you improve your knowledge of teaching English to students of different ages, as well as give you the opportunity to work online from anywhere in the world.
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