Parent guide · Sprouts, ages 7–10
My child (7–10) understands English but won’t speak it. What can I do?
It is very common for a child aged 7 to 10 to understand English well and still answer in Hindi or another home language, or not answer at all. Understanding usually grows ahead of speaking, and speaking needs three things: practice, a reason to talk and a listener who waits. At home, the most useful steps are to talk with your child rather than to them, give short daily chances to speak about things they enjoy, and praise the try, not the grammar.
Key takeaways
- Understanding English before speaking it is a normal stage, not a problem to fix.
- Children start speaking when they have a reason, a routine and a patient listener.
- Back-and-forth conversation matters more than how many English words a child hears.
- A short daily English chat about your child’s interests works better than long correction sessions.
- Recast mistakes instead of correcting them, and accept mixing languages at first.
Why does my child understand English but not speak it?
Understanding a sentence only needs your child to recognise words. Speaking needs them to find the words, build a sentence and risk a mistake in front of someone, all in a few seconds. Many children hear plenty of English at school but get very few turns to say it out loud, so their speaking stays behind their listening. That gap is normal, and it closes with practice.
Researchers who study young children learning a second language describe a “nonverbal” or silent period: children listen and take in the new language before they start using it, and this can last from a few weeks to several months.2 Older children can show a similar pattern when they feel unsure of themselves.
“They study English for years but rarely get a real chance to use their voice.”Krashanu Garg, Founder, Little Lingos
Is it normal for a 7 to 10 year old to understand English but not speak it?
Yes, especially when English is not the main language at home. Good signs are that your child follows English instructions, enjoys English shows or books, and answers you correctly, even if they answer in another language. That shows the English is going in. What usually needs to change is the number of relaxed, low-pressure chances they get to say it.
If your child also finds it hard to understand or speak their home language, or you are worried about their speech in general, talk to your paediatrician or a speech-language therapist. That is a different question from learning English.
How do I get my child to start speaking English at home?
Start small and make English talk part of something your child already enjoys. Pick one or two of these ideas and keep them going for a few weeks before adding more.
- Talk with your child, not to them. Ask open questions (“What was the funniest thing today?”) and wait at least five seconds for an answer. In a 2018 MIT study of children aged 4 to 6, the number of back-and-forth conversational turns with adults was more strongly linked to language-related brain activity than the number of words the children heard.1
- Set a short English window. Ten minutes at dinner, in the car or at bedtime, every day, is easier to keep than a long weekly session.
- Let your child teach you. Ask them to explain a game, a cartoon or a school project in English. Being the expert makes speaking feel safe.
- Accept mixing. If your child answers in Hindi, say the same idea back in English and carry on talking. Do not ask them to repeat it.
- Give sentence starters. “I think… because…”, “My favourite part was…” and “Can I have…?” give your child a ready-made first step.
- Play shop, doctor or restaurant. Role-play gives your child a script and a reason to speak.
- Read together and ask “What happens next?” Short guesses count as speaking.
Should I correct my child’s English mistakes?
Correct by example, not by stopping them. If your child says “I goed to the park”, reply “Oh, you went to the park! What did you do there?” This is called recasting. Your child hears the right form and keeps talking. Stopping them in the middle of a sentence teaches them that speaking is risky, which is exactly what makes a quiet child go quiet again. Save any explanations for later, and keep them short.
How long does it take a child to start speaking English confidently?
There is no fixed timeline, because it depends on how much English your child hears, how often they speak it and how they feel about trying. Instead of counting weeks, watch for steps: one-word answers, then short phrases, then full sentences, then sentences joined with “and”, “but” and “because”. Each step is progress. Tell your child when you notice it.
How do Little Lingos classes help a quiet child speak?
In Sprouts, our stage for ages 7 to 10, classes are 40 minutes in a group of 3 to 6 children or one-on-one. About twelve minutes of every class are set aside for speaking: pair talk, role-play or show-and-tell, so every child gets turns, not just the confident ones. Trainers wait for an answer instead of filling the silence, and your Friday WhatsApp update tells you what your child said that week. See also our spoken English classes.
Questions parents ask
Questions parents ask
My child answers in Hindi when I speak English. Should I insist on English?
No. Insisting can turn English into a test. Accept the Hindi answer, say the same idea back in English and keep the conversation going. Over time, add gentle invitations such as “How would you say that in English?” during your daily English window, and praise any attempt, even a single word.
Will watching English cartoons make my child speak English?
Cartoons help with listening and vocabulary, but speaking needs turns. Watch together sometimes and talk about the show in English: ask who their favourite character is and why, or what might happen next. That turns screen time into conversation practice, which is what builds speaking.
Can a shy child do well in an online English class?
Yes. Many shy children find a small online group less stressful than a full classroom, because there are only a few faces and the trainer can give each child a turn. What matters is class size, a trainer who waits patiently for answers, and activities where every child speaks, not just the most confident.
Is a group class or one-on-one better for a child who won’t speak?
Both can work. One-on-one gives the most speaking time and suits a child who freezes in front of others. A small group of 3 to 6 adds friends to talk to and real reasons to speak, which many children enjoy once they settle. A free demo class is a good way to see which suits your child.
How many minutes a day should we practise speaking English at home?
There is no magic number, but about ten minutes of relaxed English talk every day is a realistic start for most families. Regular short practice is easier to keep up than long sessions, and it gives your child a predictable time when speaking English is normal and nobody is marking mistakes.
Sources
- Romeo, R. R., et al. (2018). “Beyond the 30-Million-Word Gap: Children’s Conversational Exposure Is Associated With Language-Related Brain Function.” Psychological Science. Summary: MIT News, 14 February 2018.
- Tabors, P. O. (2008). One Child, Two Languages: A Guide for Early Childhood Educators of Children Learning English as a Second Language (2nd ed.). Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
Sources checked 24 October 2026. This guide is general information for parents, not medical or speech-therapy advice.
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