Don’t Turn English into a Source of Pressure

Many parents begin the bilingual journey with a beautiful expectation: to see their children become confident and expand their horizons. However, this is often accompanied by a quiet anxiety: “What if my child feels pressured?” “What if they shut down and become afraid of making mistakes?” “What if their Vietnamese weakens?” For preschool children, these are not far-fetched worries. Between the ages of 2 and 6, language is more than just “vocabulary” or “sentence structures.”

Language is how children latch onto adults to feel safe; it is how they say, “I need help,” “I’m scared,” or “I miss mommy.” If a child’s emotions are strained, language, especially a second language, will struggle to blossom naturally.

Emotions are the “Soil” of language

The children at HEI Schools Saigon Central during English class

A highly useful scientific principle to understand this comes from Vygotsky: children learn best when a task is just within their reach, supported adequately by an adult, who then gradually withdraws that support so the child can do it independently (the Zone of Proximal Development). When adults provide just the right amount of scaffolding, children gain a sense of “I can do this,” and it is precisely this feeling that paves the way for active communication, trial and error, and autonomous language learning.

Therefore, if a child is getting acquainted with English, the most realistic goal in the initial stage is not to “speak perfectly,” but to “dare to speak.” Daring to speak means the child is not afraid of being corrected, not cornered with questions, and does not feel judged.

“Language mixing” is usually a normal developmental step

Many children go through a phase of mixing two languages in their communication (code-switching). This usually reflects that the child is utilizing their entire available linguistic repertoire to express themselves as quickly as possible, rather than indicating that their language development is “broken” or “confused.” When adults react by constantly correcting them, children can easily shift into a defensive mode: speaking less, becoming hesitant to try, or only speaking when they are absolutely certain they are right.

A gentler and more effective approach is "recasting" (modeling the correct language in your response). When a child says a mixed-language sentence, the adult catches their intent and responds using a more accurate version. This way, the child feels understood while learning the correct form, without feeling like they are being "put on the spot in front of the blackboard."

Preserving Vietnamese is preserving the “language of attachment”

If you do not want your child to lose their roots, do not turn Vietnamese into a “counterweight subject” to English. Keep Vietnamese in its rightful place: the language of family, of love, of storytelling, and of emotion. When Vietnam remains a sanctuary where children are embraced with words, it is very difficult for them to drift away from it.

Te Whāriki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, places a clear emphasis on children developing a strong sense of belonging, identity, language, and culture. This reminds us that a quality curriculum does not detach learning from a child's emotional life and identity.

Learning English the “right way” means learning through play and meaningful communication

In the Vietnamese context, Circular 50/2020/TT-BGDĐT (The program for introducing English to preschool children) also emphasizes a “child-centered” approach, “learning through play, playing to learn,” within familiar and meaningful contexts. At the same time, it encourages gentle, friendly assessment to maintain children's interest.

In terms of empirical research, a paper by Ly & Ha (2022) in the VNU Journal of Foreign Studies indicates that a “learning by playing” approach can support learning motivation and child engagement when implemented appropriately. Notably, the effectiveness does not come from “increasing hours,” but from designing age-appropriate activities that make children genuinely want to step into the language.

Stable relationships are the emotional “anchor” in class

When children learn a second language, the quality of their relationships with adults in the classroom directly impacts their emotional safety. Research by Peter Elfer (2007) on the emotional life in nurseries and the role of the “key person” highlights the importance of consistent, sensitive, and responsive interactions that reassure children so they can explore and learn. Simply put: children talk the most when they feel “there is someone who understands me.” If a child’s pace is respected, and if they are waited for and supported, they will be more open to English. If they are pushed, rushed with questions, or compared to others, English can easily become an unnecessary source of stress.

The most realistic yardstick: what sentiment does the child leave the classroom with?

Parents can observe this very quickly: after an English activity, does the child feel relieved and eager to share, or are they tired and avoidant? If the child is enthusiastic, wants to sing a line of a song again, or wants to keep playing, that is a great sign. If they experience prolonged silence, fear of making mistakes, or resistance whenever they hear English, it is usually a signal to slow down and alter the approach.

Sustainable bilingualism does not need to be rushed. It needs to be right: right for the developmental pace, right in method, and right in emotion. When a child learns in peace, English can arrive as a door that opens up a wider world, without pulling them away from Vietnamese or their family roots.

Reference list

• Bergroth, M., Harju-Autti, R., & Alisaari, J. (2024). Staff self-assessment of ECEC practices in meeting language diversity in Finland. Journal of Early Childhood Education Research, 13(1), 42–67.

• Elfer, P. (2007). Nurseries and emotional well-being: Evaluating the key person approach. Early Years, 27(3), 267–279.

• Hansell, K., & Björklund, S. (2022). Developing bilingual pedagogy in early childhood education and care: Analysis of teacher interaction. Journal of Early Childhood Education Research, 11(1), 179–203.

• Ly, N. N. L., & Ha, N. T. B. (2022). Teaching English to pre-schoolers using “learning by playing” approach: Experiment, results and discussion. VNU Journal of Foreign Studies, 38(2), 76–93.

• Ministry of Education (New Zealand). (2017). Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa – Early childhood curriculum.

• Podmore, V. N. (2019). Te Whāriki, 2017: A refreshed rallying point for the early childhood curriculum? (NZCER chapter).

• Vygotsky, L. S. (1978/1980). Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Harvard University Press.

• Bộ Giáo dục và Đào tạo. (2020). Thông tư số 50/2020/TT-BGDĐT: Ban hành Chương trình làm quen với tiếng Anh dành cho trẻ em mẫu giáo.