Why TV and cartoons?

Educational programmes aim primarily to educate and inform viewers. These programmes are designed to make it easy for children to absorb new information. They:
– Enrich vocabulary: programmes often use a variety of words and expressions, which helps children to explore and learn new words and expressions.
– Promote correct pronunciation and grammatical structure: children listen to and repeat words and sentences that help to build correct pronunciation and grammatical structure.
– Develops listening skills: listening skills are essential for language learning, and educational programmes help children improve their ability to understand and follow stories or instructions.
– Promote interest in language: If the programme is interesting and engaging, it can stimulate children’s desire to learn the language and use it in their daily lives.
– Introduce culture and context: programmes often include cultural and contextual elements that help children understand how language is used in different situations.

Cartoons are created using drawn or computer-generated images. They are often colourful, fun and tailored to children, making them very popular with children. They include:
– Rich and repetitive language use: Cartoons often include simple, clear language that is easy for children to understand. Children hear repetitive words and phrases that help them learn and consolidate new words.
– Multisensory experiences: Cartoons use visual, auditory and emotional stimuli to help children better understand and remember language use in context.
– Stories and dialogue: stories and dialogue in cartoons help children understand how language is used in communication. They learn how to structure sentences, use different intonations and express emotions through language.
– Cultural and social values: many cartoons also provide cultural and social awareness, which is important for language learning. Children learn about different situations and how to use appropriate language in them.
– Inspire conversations: after watching, children often want to discuss what they have seen. This encourages conversation at home, which is a great way to develop language skills.
– Capture attention: the visual and narrative style of cartoons can capture children’s attention over a longer period of time, allowing them to become more immersed in the language and the story.

!!! As a reminder, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that children under 2 years of age avoid screen time and that children between 2 and 4 years of age limit screen time to one hour per day !!!