Of course not. Your child spent many months listening to the sound of your voice, watching you interact with others around them, and naturally making meaning of what he or she heard before uttering that first (much praised) word.

Now, think about your own life. Think back to the last time you joined a new friend or work group and stumbled across a new term or phrase being thrown around. Almost inevitably, you found yourself using the word regularly within a week — without anyone explaining the meaning or the grammatical principles that govern its usage.

Both examples speak to how natural learning languages through immersion is. Parents looking to teach their kids a new language intuitively understand that kids won’t learn through rote memorization. Instead, they naturally learn through immersive experiences: by watching, hearing, and imitating vocabulary and sentence structure. That, in a nutshell, is the crux of the language immersion theory. In order to effectively learn a language, students need to use it in a real and meaningful way throughout their day.

Immersion programs are defined as those where students spend at least 50 percent of their time interacting in a language other than their native one. As the research has been more widely circulated and accepted, an increasing number of these schools have popped up. Ideally, all students would benefit from this kind of language education. But for parents attempting to encourage bilingualism in their kids without enrolling them in formal language lessons, there are a host of ways you can implement the practice at home.

The easiest of these techniques is employing a tested and proven interactive learning series. To be effective, the series you choose should follow a logical and research-driven curriculum, revolve around music, be conducted almost entirely in your child’s target language, and involve characters and storylines that are emotionally-engaging and relevant to your child’s day to day life. By listening to the music, dancing along with their favorite characters, and participating in fun call and response activities, kids get excited about the material and language development begins naturally.

Unsure where to begin your search? Professor Toto and his animated friends know just the place and your can begin your exploration into immersion learning with a free week of unlimited access to the series’ educational songs, videos, and activities.

The post Understanding the Theory Behind Immersion Learning first appeared on Professor Toto.

The answer might be simpler than you think. Does teaching your child French or Spanish feel like just another task on a seemingly endless list of things you need to do to successfully prepare your little one for adulthood? Therein may lie the problem.

All too often parents are apprehensive about what they believe will go into second language instruction. From private lessons to homework in a language they might not understand, parents are understandably – especially during these chaotic times – reluctant to embark on another “project.” But, if you’re not excited about the prospect, how can you expect your kids to get excited?

Here’s the good news: teaching your child a second language isn’t nearly as stressful or labor intensive as you might think. Why? The answer lies in the difference between how adults learn versus how young children learn.

As adults, we’re primed with a need to intellectually understand everything we’re learning. To grasp a second language, we require explanations about grammatical structures, variances in vocabulary usages, and cultural etiquette. Our brains have been programmed to need to understand the “why” before tackling the “how.”

Kids learn in a completely different manner. For them, the “how” comes before the “why.” Teaching a young child a second language involves little more than immersing themselves in an emotionally-engaging storyline (in their target language), inviting them to sing and dance, and encouraging them to dive into the world of their target language. The more fun they have, the less self-conscious they are, and the more they learn – without even realizing it. That’s why animated videos, interactive learning games, and sing-alongs work so well with little kids.

By taking language lessons off of kids list of “things mom and dad say I have to do” and making them a fun reward after a day of navigating a big world filled with big feelings, you’re transforming learning from chore-time to playtime.

Overwhelmed by all the options available to you? Check out the only animated language learning series developed by a practicing specialist – Professor Toto! Try it today and register for free.

The post Move Language Lessons off the ToDo List first appeared on Professor Toto.