In this post I discuss the importance of playful learning and how to do it.
My little 6-year old students call me ‘darling’ because I call their mum ‘darling’. Children copy what they see and hear, and follow the examples.
Adults should do the same. Why don’t they? Because they feel silly.
The boys give me so much joy! I love teaching them. They are funny and serious at the same time. They are serious about their participation in the class and it is really sweet and funny the way they go about it. 🙂
They are Bulgarian and though they studied English before, they do not speak English. Hence the classes. One of the boys’ mum is a friend of mine whom I call ‘darling’. So, they boys assumed that this is how you call each other and when they want my attention, they call me ‘darling’. I just love it! 🙂
It is amazing to observe how quickly and easily they pick up the language just by listening to it and playing with it. They cannot read or write yet, so all we do is watching videos, making art and craft, or doing some other activity. They learn through creative play.
The reason, I believe, behind the longer time invested in learning a foreign language for an adult than for a child is that children perceive the language classes as fun and games. They don’t see it as something they have to suffer to obtain. They participate with expectancy and enthusiasm.
It seems that adults lose their ability to play as they grow up. Picasso said it well:
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”
Learning a language – learning anything – should be a fun, exciting and an awe-inspiring process. Einstein said that
“He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.”
What it means to me is that if we want our eyes (minds) to stay open to the new, we must find the way to stay in the present, enjoy what is in front of us, participate with enthusiasm and release expectations of self and others. As we allow ourselves, like children, just to be and do, we simply find that learning becomes more like play and fun rather than hard work.
If you want to ‘ lean’ English with me, get in touch by clicking on the pictures below.
