AyiConnect Staff, Feb 12, 2021
Every nanny strives to build a great relationship with the kids they are hired to care for and satisfy their parents' desires. However, every family comes with unique challenges, and you might have a more difficult time with some families than others.
If you are looking to work in a family where the kids don't understand your native language, you have your work cut out, especially if you are not great at speaking English, their conversational language.
Here are some things you can do to communicate effectively with the kids in your care when you can't speak your native language to them.
- Speak their Language
It goes without saying that if a child cannot speak your language, you need to understand theirs to communicate effectively. However, this can be taxing if your English speaking skills are not great.
Stick to simple English words and phrases when addressing them like 'How are you? 'Don't go there,' 'Are you hungry?' 'What do you want?' 'Stop', 'Bad', etc.
Using simple phrases ensures that you don't stress your vocabulary or communicate the wrong intent to the child.
- Use Gestures alongside words
Sometimes, it helps to gesture towards what you are telling the child about, especially if you cannot explain it perfectly in English. Your gestures and the words you rope together will make better sense to the child.
For example, if you want a child to change into his school or play attire but cannot express it appropriately, you can point towards the clothes and say 'Go change,' and they will understand.
Point towards the places and things you are talking about, gesticulate, and communicate with your body. Interestingly, kids also pick up body language and will understand you.
- Teach them your language
You can also teach the kids the basics of your language so that you can communicate with them easily.
Do this gradually and start with the simple stuff. For example, point at an object and tell the child what it is in your language. You can also teach the kid the equivalent of simple English terms in your language.
Stick to one thing until the child can understand what you mean before moving to the next one. You can use books in your language, teach them numbers, or expose them to your native media.
With the parents' permission, you can give the children a more in-depth lecture in your language. In no time, they will be able to speak your language as well as theirs. Then, communication between you will get a lot easier.
- Enlist the parent's help
If the kids' parents understand your language, they can teach you how to say the things you want to say in English. You can make a list of the common words they teach you and practice them often.
When you are all together, the parents can also serve as translators to help you and the kids better understand yourselves irrespective of the language gap.
- Use a translation dictionary/ app
One of the most convenient methods of communicating with someone who doesn't understand your language is using translators that will help you know what the kids are saying and help you understand the children better.
Many speaking and learning applications are available in Chinese, Spanish, German, and any other language you might need. Translators are a significant communication breakthrough for interrelationships amongst people who speak different languages.
- Be patient
Depending on how much English language you can speak and how well the kids understand you, the first few weeks might be difficult or frustrating. However, you need to be patient and try harder to reach a middle ground for your communication.
Avoid launching into your language because you don't know how else to communicate. Don't lose your temper if the kids don't understand you. Instead, try hard to make things work.
Who says you cannot overcome a language barrier and communicate effectively with kids even when they don't understand your native language?
The tips above will help you communicate easier with the kids under your care!
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AyiConnect is a platform to connect families with helpers who have a language specialty in addition to care. You can engage with them directly through self service or concierge service. Our concierge service can help busy families who don’t have time to search or need language assistance. Schedule a free consultation here for our concierge service, or download our app.
