My child doesn’t speak Slovak: how will they cope at a Slovak kindergarten?

A child who does not speak Slovak will cope at a Slovak kindergarten. In the first weeks they communicate with gestures, pictures and what they see around them, and they start picking up Slovak from everyday situations: playing, eating and getting dressed. At home, speak to them in the language that comes most naturally to you. A strong home language makes learning Slovak easier. In this article we explain what your child goes through in the first weeks, why it is normal for them to be silent at first, how you can help at home and when it is a good idea to talk to a specialist.

We are writing for families who have moved to Slovakia from Ukraine, from English-speaking countries and from elsewhere. Your worry is understandable. You may be picturing your child standing among children they cannot understand, with nobody understanding them. But the experience of kindergartens and of children’s speech specialists is reassuring: young children learn a new language differently from adults, and among children of their own age they learn it very naturally.

What a child goes through when they don’t understand

Starting kindergarten is a big change for every child. They say goodbye to you and get used to new people, a new routine and new food. A child from another country also cannot understand what the teacher is saying. So in the first days they often stay on the sidelines, watch and listen more than they speak.

That is natural. First your child works out how the day at kindergarten works: when they wash their hands, when they go outside, where they sit at lunch. The routine repeats every day, and that repetition gives them security. Even if they do not understand the words, they understand what they see. When the other children put their shoes on, they know it is time to go out.

Some children are more tired during this period and more tearful at home. All day they concentrate on a new place and a new language, and in the evening it comes out. If you see this in your child, our article Why is my child grumpy at home after kindergarten? may help.

The silent period: why children go quiet at first

Many children hardly speak in the new language for the first weeks. Parents find this worrying, although it is a normal step. A child first listens to the new language, sorts out its sounds and words, and only then tries to say them. Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals in England put it simply in their information for parents: don’t worry if your child is quiet after starting nursery, this is common when learning a new language.

Nobody can say in advance how long the silent period will last. Every child is different. It depends on their personality, their age and how much Slovak they hear outside kindergarten. What matters is that your child is not standing still during this time. They understand more and more, even if they do not say it out loud yet.

The first Slovak words are usually the ones a child needs every day: ‘piť’ (drink), ‘ešte’ (more), ‘von’ (outside), ‘moje’ (mine) and their friends’ names. You often hear them first at home, when your child is playing at being at kindergarten. Praise them then and keep playing. Your child finds out that the new language can be tried without fear, and next time they will speak up in class too.

At home, speak the language closest to you

Many parents decide to speak Slovak at home to help their child. Specialists advise the opposite. Speech and language therapists from the NHS write that the home language is the most important one for a child, and that adults communicate best with children in the language that is natural for them.

The reason is practical. When you speak to your child in the language you know best, they hear rich sentences, precise words and correct pronunciation from you. You tell them stories, explain the world and name feelings. Every further language is then built on this foundation. According to the NHS, children who have a good grasp of their home language find it easier to learn another one.

The home language also connects your child with the family: with grandparents, with the stories you know from your own childhood, with bedtime songs. If you keep it alive at home, your child will not lose it while learning Slovak.

Mixing languages is normal

After a while your child will start combining words from two languages in one sentence. For example, they say a sentence in your language and add a Slovak word they learnt at kindergarten. Parents sometimes worry that the languages are getting muddled. Specialists see it differently. According to the speech therapists in Newcastle, switching between languages shows that a child knows both.

Your child simply borrows the word that is closest to hand. If you want to correct them, do not treat it as a mistake. Just repeat the whole sentence in your language. You can read more about mixing languages in Bilingual kindergarten: will my child mix up the languages?

How your child communicates at kindergarten in the first weeks

Young children can understand each other even without a shared language. In play it is enough to point at a toy, hand over a spade or laugh together. Friends are the best Slovak teachers a child can have, because your child wants to listen to them and play with them.

The teacher helps by speaking slowly and adding a gesture to her words or showing what she means. When she says ‘umývame ruky’ (we’re washing our hands), she goes to the basin with your child. When she says ‘obliekame sa’ (we’re getting dressed), she hands them their coat. Your child links the word with the activity, and within a few days understands it without being shown.

Pictures help a great deal. A picture of a cup, a toilet or a bed lets your child say what they need even if they do not know the word yet. It gives them the security that someone will understand when they are thirsty or need the toilet.

How to help your child before they start and at home

You do not need to teach Slovak at home like a school subject. It helps more to prepare your child for the new language calmly and playfully.

• Learn a few everyday words together. ‘Ahoj’ (hello), ‘ďakujem’ (thank you), ‘piť’ (drink), ‘záchod’ (toilet), ‘mama príde’ (Mummy is coming). Your child will feel more confident when they hear them on the first day.
• Tell them in advance what to expect. In your own language, explain that people at kindergarten will speak differently and that this is fine. Add that you will collect them, and when.
• Play a Slovak cartoon or song. Not so that they learn it, but so that the new language sounds familiar.
• Don’t ask every day what new words they have learnt. Your child might feel under pressure. Ask instead who they played with and what they ate.
• Praise the effort. When your child says a Slovak word at home, share their delight, even if they say it wrong.

We explain how to manage the morning goodbye when your child cries in My child cries at kindergarten drop-off.

If you speak English at home

Families who speak English at home have an advantage at a bilingual kindergarten. From the first day, your child also hears a language they understand. The English-speaking teacher can explain what is going on, and your child settles faster in the new place.

Your child will still learn Slovak just like the other children, from friends and from the teacher. English simply makes the start easier. You can see how English works during our day on the Bilingual kindergarten page.

If you have come from Ukraine

Children from Ukraine are welcome with us. We will tell you honestly how things are: nobody at Sovička speaks Ukrainian. In the first weeks we communicate with your child in English, with pictures and gestures, and gradually add Slovak.

Slovak and Ukrainian are both Slavic languages and many words sound similar, for example ‘voda’ (water) or ‘mama’. So your child will recognise some words sooner than you might expect. At home, speak to them in the language they are used to. Their home language will help them learn Slovak.

If there is anything you need explained, such as admissions, payments or meals, we will go through it all with you on a visit. The head teacher will make time for you in peace, when the kindergarten is not busy.

What to tell the teacher before your child starts

The teacher can look after your child better if she knows as much as possible about them in advance. With a language barrier, that is doubly true. In the first days your child will not be able to tell her that they are thirsty, that something hurts or that they are frightened. It helps if you tell her.

• The words your child uses most. How they say ‘drink’, ‘toilet’, ‘it hurts’ and ‘Mummy’ in your language. The teacher will write them down, and in the first days she will hear and understand them.
• What comforts them. A favourite toy, a song or the way you settle them to sleep. When they are sad, a familiar thing from home helps too.
• What they like to eat and what they don’t know. Food tastes different in another country, and your child may eat less in the first days. When the teacher knows what they like, she can encourage them more easily.
• Health information. Tell us about allergies, medication or a special diet when you apply. Your child cannot explain these themselves, so it is important that the kindergarten knows from day one.

If you do not speak Slovak yourself yet, that is fine. We can talk in English and, when needed, with the help of a translation app on the phone.

When your child will soon start a Slovak school

If your child is five or six and a Slovak primary school is coming up, kindergarten gives them a big advantage. In Slovakia, the year before primary school is compulsory pre-primary education, and children prepare for school in Slovak during that year. Your child learns to name colours, numbers and things around them, to follow instructions and to speak in front of a group. They then start the first year of primary school among children they already know, using a language they already speak. You will find details in Compulsory pre-primary education in Slovakia and Getting ready for school.

When to talk to a specialist

A silent period in Slovak is normal. It is a different situation when a child does not speak in their home language either. The speech therapists in Newcastle advise contacting a speech therapist if your child uses only a few words in their own language too. You can also talk to your paediatrician.

Pay attention too if, after a long time, your child still does not respond to their name or to simple instructions in any language. Every child develops at their own pace, but it is better to get advice early than to wait. You can read more about when to see a speech therapist in Speech therapist for children.

How we do it at Sovička

Your child can start at Sovička at any time of the year, whenever there is a free place. They will be in a class of 7 to 15 children with one teacher, who in a small group will notice your child even before they say a word. In each of our kindergartens there is also an English-speaking teacher all day.

In the first weeks we communicate with your child in English, with pictures and gestures. We add Slovak gradually during everyday activities: getting dressed, eating and playing. In the first days your child will stay for shorter periods, and we extend the time once we see they are doing well. If your child needs it, you can stay with them at the start. You can find more on our Settling in page.

Once a week, included in the monthly fee, your child also has our speech-therapy club Jazýček šikovníček. Through playful exercises the children strengthen the tongue, lips and breathing, which helps correct pronunciation in a new language too.

If you would like to see where your child would play, book a visit. You come when the kindergarten is not busy, and we go through everything calmly. The application process is described on our Admissions page.