Hi! I’m Clea Reyes, mother of a two years old boy named Jachin (pronounced as jay-kin).

I just want to ask if you could give me some ideas on how to train my son to speak in English as early as now. You know, like most mothers out there, I also want to see my son speak in straight English.

I know that English is just our second language but I really admire those kids, who at very young ages, can speak fluent English already. I think they have the edge over other children who couldn’t.

Is it possible to train my son even if the other people in the house speak Tagalog most of the time? What steps can I possibly do? What materials should I start with? Please help me please!

Clea Reyes

Hi there Clea!

Thank you for writing in. It’s interesting that you want your son to learn more English because most of my friends are sending their kids to be tutored to learn more tagalog! I believe somehow that kids who learn Tagalog first are able to converse earlier with adults because it is the more prevalent language.

Unlike English which takes a bit of effort for all the people in the home to use and instruct the child with, Tagalog is available for the child to hear everyday, almost everywhere. So it seems like your son has got that down pat already. I say, good for him. And for you guys! Will save you a lot of tutorial expenses in the future.

I remember myself being raised in a Tagalog household. When I entered school at 5 years old (it’s only in the recent years that children start going to school at pre-school age), I barely knew how to speak in English. I was good in Tagalog though, with a bit of Bisaya thrown in courtesy of my yaya. But in a couple of years, I could speak English just as well as Tagalog. So there is always school because the mode of instruction in private schools is English so it’s inevitable that your child will learn.

However since you want your son to learn earlier, you’re on the right track thinking about books or videos for him to learn from. There are all sorts of videos now available that teaches everything from language, colors, music, counting, animals, etc. What is important is for your child to be exposed to the English language as often as possible. And I’m not saying all videos either.

There are many books available for you to acquire, and more importantly, read to him so that he will get used to the language. Check out the Adarna books available in most popular bookstores. They have books that tell pinoy stories in both English and Tagalog.

Another way for your child to be more exposed to the language is for one of the adults to speak to him in English exclusively. If you or your husband are proficient, try speaking with your child in English all the time. Don’t worry that he won’t understand you right away. It’s the same concept as going to language school. You will learn faster if your instructor speaks exclusively in the language you want to learn. Might be a bit more frustrating, but the total immersion will speed up the process.

Good luck to you mommy! If you will notice in our country, most people speak at least two languages or dialects. So just culturally speaking, your child was born to learn two languages! Just remember that practice makes perfect. Stay patient and most important of all, make learning fun! Good luck mommy!

Hello Clea,

Since Jacin is just two years old, he is pretty much open to learning language in general. At this point he is learning his first language which is as you say Tagalog. I assume he is doing this through being spoken to and communicated with rather than formal

"Language" lessons which would mean very little to him at this point. Rather than learning language and grammar rules he is simply learning by being communicated with and him communicating with the people around him. My laymans approach would be to

simply make a point to communicate with him in English as well as Tagalog so that he learns both languages in a natural way and at his own pace rather than through any formal lessons.

For older kids who want to learn a second language, "Immersion" is one approach. This is where the child spends time in an environment where only the second language is spoken. And if they are at an age where they can comprehend grammar lessons than that is another approach too and is even said to improve their understanding of their primary language at the same time.

I feel that for a young child like yours, simply making sure that someone constantly communicates with him in English will see him have a firm grasp of the language as he grows. Interestingly for our children, making sure that they have a firm understanding of Tagalog is our concern as English is primarily spoken around the house...it looks like we both have some homework ahead of us. Good Luck!