“They understand Punjabi, but always reply in English.”
I hear this a lot from parents.
You ask your child something in Punjabi, they understand exactly what you mean, but the answer comes back in English.
And sometimes you realise you do the same thing with your own parents!
Understanding Punjabi and speaking it are different skills. When you listen, someone else is giving you the words. When you speak, you have to remember them yourself and put them into a sentence.
That’s why we spend time getting children to actually use their Punjabi in lessons.
We might do a role play, where they ask a question and listen to the answer. Or play an online game where they need to tell us what they can see. They get to practise more than repeating a word after the tutor.
At home, try giving your child a little longer to answer. It’s tempting to jump in with the Punjabi word or switch to English, but they might just need a few seconds to remember it.
And if part of their answer comes out in English, help them with the word they need and keep talking.
Our 1:1 lessons for 6 to 11 year olds combine reading and speaking, with dot to dot activities, role plays and online games.
Tuition is £40 an hour. If you’d like support helping your child use more of the Punjabi they understand, you can find out more here:
https://punjabi.nirmolakheera.com/punjabi-for-6-to-11-year-olds
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