Effective Strategies for Teaching Foreign Languages to Preschoolers

Teaching foreign languages to preschoolers can feel like a challenging endeavor. The famous saying “time flies” becomes particularly relevant when working with young children, as their energy and attention spans require careful planning. Having extra activities prepared “just in case” is a must for every lesson plan.

After nearly a decade of teaching experience, I find preschool classes to be some of the most enjoyable and manageable when approached with the right strategies. Below are four essential tips for teaching foreign languages to preschoolers.

Plan Ahead and Always Have Extras

Effective planning is the backbone of a successful preschool language class. Depending on the length of your lesson, ensure you have enough activities to keep your students engaged.

Here’s an example of how a typical 30-minute preschool class might be structured:

1. Sing Songs or Chants: Use songs to review basics such as colors, numbers, and shapes. (Length: 5 minutes)
2. Introduce Content: Capture students’ attention with something engaging—use real-life objects (realia), puppets, costumes, or other fun props. (Length: 5-7 minutes)
3. Review Content: Reinforce learning through flashcards, memory games, bingo, “I spy,” or other visual and interactive activities. (Length: 10 minutes)
4. Worksheet or Group Work: Provide hands-on activities like cutting, pasting, circling, coloring, or following commands. Work alongside your students and monitor them closely. (Length: 5 minutes)
5. Extras: Have a backup activity, such as reading a book, watching a video, or playing a game, to reinforce the lesson or fill time if an earlier activity doesn’t go as planned.

Be a Little Silly and Embrace Creativity

Children respond exceptionally well to humor and playful engagement. Don’t be afraid to act a little silly during your lessons—it helps bridge the gap between teacher and student.

For example, when teaching body parts with flashcards, tape a card to the wrong part of your body (e.g., your arm or nose) and pretend you can’t figure out where it belongs. When the kids point it out, repeat the word in the target language, encouraging them to do the same. This interactive and humorous approach will keep their attention and make learning more enjoyable.

Listen to Your Students but Stay Focused

Preschoolers love sharing their stories, whether it’s about a favorite cartoon or a weekend adventure. While engaging with their stories builds rapport, it’s essential to keep the class on track.

Respond to their comments with phrases like, “That sounds amazing! Let’s talk more about it after our circle time,” or “I love that story! Maybe we can discuss it when we finish this activity.”

Following up later—during carpool, lunch, or individual work time—shows students you care. For example, you might say, “Johnny, I hope Daniel Tiger gets a new cake in the next episode!” or “Sandy, your Peppa Pig shirt is adorable!” These interactions strengthen your connection with the children without disrupting the lesson flow.

Keep Activities Short, Fun, and Fresh

Preschoolers have short attention spans, so limit activities to five minutes each. If students lose focus, it can quickly lead to classroom chaos.

To keep the atmosphere lively, include movement-based activities. Preschoolers thrive on routines but also enjoy novelty. Maintain consistency with songs and chants while introducing fresh elements when presenting new material.

If you’re using flashcards, here are some fun and interactive activities:

1. Find Your Match: Pair students—one with a label, the other with a picture—and have them find their match.
2. Left or Right: Hold a flashcard in each hand, then call out one for students to guess which hand it’s in.
3. Flyswatter Game: Display flashcards on the board. Give students flyswatters and have them “swat” the word you call out.
4. Thief in the Market: Show a small selection of flashcards (e.g., five). Have students close their eyes while one student “steals” a card. The class guesses which card is missing or who took it. This is a great way to practice phrases like “tienes” (you have) and “no tengo” (I don’t have).

Enjoy the Process

The most important tip of all is to enjoy the teaching process. Preschoolers bring immense energy and joy to the classroom. By engaging with them in meaningful and playful ways, you can create a fun and effective learning environment for everyone.

Did I miss anything? Share your tips for teaching foreign languages to preschoolers in the comments!