How to Motivate a Child Who Doesn’t Want to Learn English?

Sometimes it’s simply just kids being kids, but sometimes there is a more solid reason behind their reluctance. 

It could be because they are not interested or they don’t get the language. Alternatively, it could be because they are having difficulty at school with their English classes. Their learning needs or style could be different from what the school offers to them, and therefore, they could have a prejudice against learning English. 

The reasons can vary, but how to motivate children to learn English is still a valid question. To start, ask your kid or student what bothers them about learning English. Then, ask what sources they enjoy using English. Is it the games, comics, or cartoons? Detecting the root of the problem is always a good start to figure out the next steps. 

Of course it’s not new or surprising to anybody, but still it’s worth mentioning the fact that children love games. Luckily, there are millions of English games for English learners for about every topic and level. Using fun English games will change young learners’ approach to learning English. 

With games, children will feel relieved from the stress of a lesson and give their full attention to figuring out how to play the game, and of course, winning. This competition can be a strong motivator to practice what they have learnt or known. 

What fun English games work the best for kids? While it depends on the type of lesson, student’s level and learning type, or learning environment, here are some of the most popular English games preferred while learning English: 

• Simon says
• Memory cards
• Scattergories
• Online games / quizzes
• Tabboo 
• Charades
• Interactive reading games
• AI-generated games

You can incorporate these game ideas in your lesson with your child or students to change their approach to learning English for the better. The key is, make sure they find it not only enjoyable but also contributing to their learning! 

When it comes to young learners, learning English should be an enjoyable and satisfying experience. Keeping this fact in mind, you need to encourage them to learn English with what they like. 

To start, English series for learning English can be a good encouragement for kids who enjoy watching cartoons, tv series, or movies. These material sources are especially better if students feel demotivated using English textbooks. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that most non-native English speakers learn English with TV series they have watched. In the simplest way, your child will not even understand he or she is practicing English when you are watching English cartoons for learning English.

Alternatively, there are numerous methods to incorporate media materials in language learning. You can use your child’s favorite comics for English learning as a vocabulary source, communication pattern, a reading material, or even a role playing activity.  

If accessible, you can benefit from various English learning TV shows or Youtube channels to spend a useful but at the same time enjoyable session with your child or student. This is especially motivating for preschool learners since the content is often designed to draw their attention. 

Some kids are not visual learners; they rather prefer listening. Therefore, podcasts for learning English can be a fun and effective way for them to stay motivated while learning English. 

There are various podcasts for various topics and language levels such as telling fairytales, stories, simple conversations, etc. 

To make your child or student more focused while listening, you can give them side tasks such as: 

• toys,
• puzzles,
• lEGO,
• picture cards 

to make them feel relaxed and focused in a natural conversation setting without the pressure of a classroom environment. 

I know it’s said above, but it’s worth repeating the fact that you need to have a strong understanding of what your child likes to use English for/with; it is their biggest motivation to learn English. 

What makes learning English different from other subjects like Mathematics or Science is that without solid motivation and determination, children will find no real reason to keep practicing their English skills. Thus, talk to your child, get to know their interests, skills, strengths, and weaknesses to discover what techniques can best increase their motivation to learn English.