Join free to immediately receive your first games and tips by email.  You'll want to add games@teachingenglishgames.com to your whitelist / address book to be sure to actually receive the free game emails.

Just enter your name and email in the box at the top left of this page.

Watch the video above to see just how much fun teaching your child English can be – for you and for the child! 

To feel even more inspired, check out the fun teaching tips further down this page.

Many parents want their children to speak English as a second or foreign language but do not know how to go about it.  Even teachers can be at a loss on how to make a one to one lesson fun.  Well look no further because you really have got the answer here!

I already have several teaching books under my belt for groups and classrooms of all ages, but this website is devoted to the ambitious parent who wants his or her child to have every chance in life and learn the vital skill in today's world that is speaking English.

My sister-in-law inadvertently inspired me to create this website when I witnessed the total lack of progress of her own child in learning English in the school system, even though my sister-in-law is one hundred percent bilingual!!!

What a waste!  With a totally bilingual mother and bilingual grandparents in the next-door house, the daughter is now struggling in the secondary school system and if her mother had known what to do and how to help her, she could be fluent by now!  

As it is Julie's mother relied on the local primary school to fill the gap, but SIX YEARS of primary school lessons and Julie never got beyond "my name is Julie"!  And please do note that Julie was top of the class for everything and quite capable of learning if only her class teachers had been capable of teaching it!  But you can't teach what you don't know, and in many primary schools in France the teachers do not speak English, yet they are required to teach it…

So whatever country you live in, you can't fix the education system overnight but you CAN take action yourself and give your child the gift of English.  Either find a private tutor and give that tutor this web page, or take matters into your own hands and do it yourself! 

You can certainly do this as a parent and you don't need any formal training as a teacher, but you do need one precious resource, and that is some time.  Twenty minutes three times a week with your child will already do wonders.  Even once a week is better than nothing. 

I've always been involved in languages in one way or another – either studying foreign languages or teaching English and I know the importance of starting young.  This can put your child streets ahead.

So let's get right down to some positive information you can use.

* DO * sign up for the free games above – these will give you concrete ways of teaching vocabulary, revising it and introducing grammar through sentences.

When you receive a free game email schedule a time to read up on that game and actually use it with your child.  It's fine if you just do 5 minutes together with one game – that's some quality time you spent together that helped your child learn something.

We are all so busy these days if you don't "just do it" then it may never happen.  So grab that game and try it at the next opportunity.

If you are a teacher of course you'll have to wait till your next class – so be sure to include it in the next class – the games can be used to teach anything so it does not matter what topic you are currently on.

* DO * watch the video examples on this site of games in action.

That will give you confidence as you'll see that's it is not rocket science - just good fun and very easy, once you know what to do.

* Consider * getting my full One to One teaching resource.  

You may want to wait until you have tried out some free games to get your feet wet.  Or if you are ready to plunge right in then go ahead and get it today – you'll see more about it lower down.

* NEVER * criticize your child, make fun of his or her accent or insinuate that he or she is not very good at English or is slow learning.

You may be ambitious for your child to become fluent and feel frustrated that he or she keeps forgetting things.  That's quite normal!  How do you expect your child to instantly remember a lot of strange sounds that he never hears outside of your lessons?

The method here will show you how to help the child remember through constant repetition using fun language games, role-plays, stories and songs.

* ALWAYS * be encouraging, smile and praise the child, whatever the outcome of a lesson.  

Scowling at your child because he has forgotten last week's words will not help him remember them!  In fact very likely it will put him off wanting to learn English totally, because your negative reaction will make him think he is no good at it.

* NEVER * use competition between siblings.  

This can have a destructive effect on the relationship between the children, causing jealousy and feelings of inadequacy if there are winners and losers.

* DO * practise regularly.  

Progress will be far quicker with frequent short sessions rather than one long one every now and then.  For example three sessions of twenty minutes will yield better results than one session of an hour.

This is because children need constant repetition in order to remember vocabulary.  In a situation where a child is learning English as a foreign language he or she may not hear a word of English outside of the time you spend together.  Therefore if you do a lesson and then forget about it the vocabulary you covered will go in one ear and out the other.

* DO * revise constantly.

Using games allows you to revise large amounts of vocabulary quickly so every lesson make sure you include a mix of revision and new themes.

* There's no need * to get bogged down in grammar.

Teach grammar through using sentences in games rather than explaining rules.  Of course adults like to learn about rules but with children it's not necessarily helpful – it's better to spend the time practising with games so that the structures are learned naturally, the way a native speaker learns – just through hearing and using the language.  After all when you learned to speak your own language you did not first sit down to a grammar lesson did you?

If you are a teacher and you are brilliant at teaching grammar then why not!  There's nothing wrong with it at all.  It's just important for parents to know that grammar can be "absorbed" as well as "taught".  For example your eight-year-old daughter does not need to know the ins and outs of the conditional tense in order to say; "I would like some water please."

So parents, take heart – you really can teach your child English, even if you don't understand English grammar yourself.  And that brings me to…

OK you may be worrying about whether your own English is good enough to teach. 

Included:

Downloadable Book of 143 language games written up for teaching your child one to one

Use these games from age three up to age twelve – for beginners to lower intermediate – learning and practising vocabulary and sentences.

Two and a quarter hours of video!!

Video of two full lessons in action – one with a six year old and one with a twelve year old – both beginners and learning English as a foreign language.  PLUS one hour of games in the book demonstrated.

See the steps from start to finish – introducing new language, practising it together in fun ways until the child can speak it alone!

This resource will allow you to teach your child English and spend fun time together.  It can only help you become even more popular with your child too because he or she will love the attention and learning with you.

The games book and videos are 25 USD or 19 euros or 17 GBP all included.  Click on the order button below in the currency of your choice.  That will take you through to secure ordering.

Ignore the right hand side of the page, which is for people who have a paypal account and would like to use that to pay. 

Instead look for the "Click to Continue" link on the left hand side and then follow through until the order is completed.  You'll be returned to the download page and will receive your username and password to unlock your book by email right away.

She is not like the other teachers;
she teaches us
while playing.
It's really fun
and you can remember it better.

Julie Gambade, age 10, Grenoble, France

Enjoyment guaranteed!

My compliments for the book! I used some of your games today and can safely say that my student has never enjoyed a lesson so much!

Graziella Malnati, Italy

A new dimension of ideas!

I've been able to open the book and I've started to see the videos. Just great!! This has open a whole new dimension for me as I had run out of ideas!

Ruth Braso, Spain

The videos really help!

I just love the material and how well the classes go. Thanks a lot for your superb work! The video I've watched is Anna's one. It helped me so much! I wasn't really sure how things could be during my first class.

Everything was new to me. And the video made it so easy to understand your system. I loved it. I wish I had learned English like that when I was a kid.

Ana Lucia Garcia Mendes, Brazil

This parent can't believe her children still remember vocabulary from an isolated lesson six months previously!

Six months ago, my four year old and my seven year old spent 20 minutes with Shelley using these techniques to learn colours; 

I was amazed to find that they still remember them all today!

Julie O’Devlin, Salisbury, UK

Your pupils will remember you forever!

We are both missing you a lot. Victoria's French is really keeping her ahead in school and she’s getting As all the time, and it's helping me as well because lots of French people come into my class at school! 

The French people say to count up to 20 and it is really easy as I can count up to 60! Wish you were here, love from Hannah.

Hannah Watson, Canterbury, UK

The games are fun and adaptable

Your games are such great fun and adaptable for all ages. The kids enjoy them immensely. They are the perfect fit for my students and my style of teaching.

Dominique Guihenneuc Italy, 2007