6 youtube hacks to supercharge language acquisition

​Are you ready for some Tips & Tricks that every language learner should know about???
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YouTube is an absolute gold mine for language learners!!! But not just because you can find engaging videos in so many different languages. YouTube also has a few key features that make it especially amazing....

Let's get started!

1-YouTube has a 'Playback Speed' feature that lets you slow down the video to 3/4 speed, 1/2 speed or even slower. For those with lower levels of fluency, this makes the difference between being able to understand a native speaker and not getting anything.
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2-YouTube has automated subtitles that you can turn on that allow you to read while you listen. This is especially helpful for those who already know how to read. It can be great for learning phonetics/spelling in the target language, memory as your brain remembers more with multiple types of input and it can assist in comprehension as some words are cognates (similar to their translation in another language) but sound different due to accent and dialect.
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​3-YouTube allows you to create custom playlists so kids can have the freedom to pick 'any video they want' while staying in the target language and avoiding the 'Suggested Videos' that may not be appropriate.

4-Because you can save videos, kids can watch and re-watch videos many times. Repetition is not only great for acquisition but it's necessary for acquisition.
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5-YouTube has authentic age appropriate shows and also videos specifically for language learners in most languages. You can search in the target language or search in English "cartoons for kids in (insert language here)".
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6-Authentic shows provide the target language in context which allows language acquisition to occur naturally, easily & much quicker.

We use YouTube all the time to enhance our own kids' and our students' language learning. Have you ever tried it? I'd love to know....what are you favorite YouTube shows for language learning and...what language do you use it for? Comment below to share your favorites with others :)

​P.S. Did you know that we have an entire community dedicated to helping parents and teacher just like you who are nurturing multilingual kids? If you haven't had a chance to check out our 'Nurturing Multilingual Kids' community, head on over to Facebook and join the conversation HERE. Can't wait to see you there!