Kanna-chan and Risei-kun
The video isIt's at the bottom 😸
Mom: Satomi
Daughter: Kanna-chan (7 years old, girl)
Son: Risei (2-year-old boy)
We started DWE when my daughter was 10 months old, and it's now been seven years.
Until I joined Besty
The way DWE was done at that time was"Just let the water flow," "As long as mom praises her child, it's fine," "Work on the assignments to get the CAP."I think that was the perception.
We made sure to provide an English-speaking environment (all the music and videos were in English) and she was able to speak English to a certain extent, but I still remember how sad I was when I looked at Instagram and saw kids younger than my daughter speaking English fluently.
Without realizing it, I was comparing my child to other children, wondering why there was such a big difference even though we were using the same teaching materials...I became depressed and wanted to give up many times.
I bought a lot of English learning materials, apps, DVDs, etc. that someone recommended to me, but they didn't interest my daughter, or the level wasn't right for her, so it was a series of failures.
I found out about Yume Mama's Instagram and joined Besty.
While I was going through these days, I found Yume Mama's account in the discovery section.
I remember that the quality of Yume Mama's posts was all very high and I used them as a great reference.
Then, as I continued to look, I saw a recruitment for Besty and, grasping at straws, decided to take the course, thinking, "I can trust this person!"
I took the course in March of this year (2024).
At the time, I was worried about the following: "I can speak, but I have a limited vocabulary and grammar (I'm barely at the green level in DWE)," "I can't speak fluently," and "I have little output."
Also, since he was in the first grade of elementary school, it was difficult to find time to study on weekdays, and he gave me specific advice on what I could do to help my child improve his English efficiently even though he was an elementary school student.
One of the things that surprised me when I actually tried it was changing the way I read ORT.
She gave me advice that I would never have thought of on my own, and as I stepped down and continued reading, her reading style clearly changed. I was very surprised to see my daughter go from reading word by word to reading fluently.
Regarding DWE, I have been letting my children participate on their own until now,Moms can join in and enjoy EnglishI think this was a common piece of advice from all three instructors.
They taught us how to link DWE to the real world, how to encourage children to output, and many specific methods that were appropriate for the children's level to draw out output from the input they had been providing for many years.
I continued to work hard, trusting the instructor.
I was worried about not having much time as an elementary school student, but I changed the way I output information efficiently even in the limited time I had, and I also reviewed all of my YouTube playlists to reassess the quality of my input.
When I wasn't sure what channel to watch, they recommended channels that my daughter would like, which saved me the trouble of searching for channels myself, which was very helpful.
Furthermore, my daughter had never had any friends who spoke English, and of course I had almost no interaction with other mothers.
Until now, our home English has been limited to just the inside of the house,Go out and actively participate in eventsI also made bold changes to my everyday behavior.
On my days off, I participate in English-related events, and since joining Besty, I have also taken part in online lessons and social gatherings.The people I interact with, not only my child but myself, have changed dramatically, and I'm glad I took action.
What's good about joining Besty?
I've been practicing English at home for a long time,It had become "just doing it"Now I think that's true.
I learned from Besty how to "actually teach English at home," including how to choose the right learning materials for my daughter, how to select the right audio sources for input, and how to output English.I think so.
When I become unsure about the direction I'm heading in and wonder, "Is this really the right thing for me?", I'm in an environment where I can immediately ask questions, which also helps to keep me calm.
I used to do "Home English" alone, but now I have the support of Besty's instructors and other members, and when something happens we all support and encourage each other, which has changed me a lot through Besty.
Until now, I had spent many years without a clear idea of how to teach English at home. I told Yume Mama many times directly, "If only I had met you sooner..." lol
That's how much I need to learn English at home.It is very important to base your study on "selecting reliable information" and "creating an environment" where you can continue to study English at home.I feel that way.
Time that has passed can never come back, so I would like to continue working with the children with the feeling that I am trying to make up for the time I have lost.
My son is now two years old, and the English he uses at home is completely different from when my daughter was two years old.
I talk to Besty about my son's output situation, and he gives me accurate advice that suits my son's level, so I think he's gaining an advantage in English.
I was able to make full use of DWE with my son, which I had not been able to make use of at all with my sister, and it made me realize once again how good DWE is.
Depending on how you use it, I think DWE can be a great ally for English at home.
To be honest, I didn't realize how good it was until now, but from now on, I'll have Besty at my fingertips when I'm in doubt, and I now understand how to use it much better than before, so I'm really looking forward to my son's future English at home!
I would like to continue to enjoy learning English at home not just as a study, but as a tool to deepen the bond between parent and child.
My older sister, who is in elementary school, is also gradually becoming able to speak more and more, so I'm not going to give up and will keep trying my best.
Now, when my sister and I play together, we basically play in English, something I never even dreamed of doing a few years ago. I'm glad I didn't give up.
I want children to realize that learning another language, English, opens up new possibilities for the future.I plan to continue enjoying English at home, without rushing and going at my children's pace.
