Ronny is a dad from Germany who took his two young children on a four-month trip through Malaysia and Australia, and made sure his daughter could communicate before they arrived. What happened next surprised even him. Research shows that children who use a second language in real social situations develop stronger motivation and deeper fluency than those who only learn in structured settings. Here’s what Ronny learned about raising kids who can connect with the world.
Key takeaways
- Children who use a second language in real-world situations develop stronger cross-cultural confidence than those who only practice in structured settings
- Informal exposure to a foreign language — hearing words paired with images, in a low-pressure context — creates genuine vocabulary gains, even without deliberate study
- A few key words learned before a trip, a visit, or any real-life encounter can make the difference between connection and frustration
- Ronny’s daughter ordered ice cream alone, in English, at age seven — vocabulary she had built through Studycat English learning games
Why this dad wanted his kids speaking English before they left home
Ronny didn’t plan the trip as a language lesson. He planned it as a lesson in life.
Back in Germany, his children were growing up watching refugee children arrive from Syria, Ukraine, and other places, unable to speak the language, unfamiliar with the food, the culture, the cold. Ronny wanted his kids to understand that experience from the inside. So the family flew to Malaysia first. “Once in Malaysia they have seen what it means to be unable to talk, to don’t like the food, a different culture,” he says.
Then came Australia: ten weeks, a camper van, national parks, and a coastline from Sydney to Cairns. Before the trip, Ronny had been using Studycat English with his daughter. He wanted her to have just enough words to make contact. “Without these words they cannot communicate with others,” he explains, “and it’s so frustrating for them to enter, to get any friends just for the day.”
What happens when a child uses their English in real life
In Australia, Ronny handed his daughter $2 and pointed her toward a shop. She was seven years old. She walked in alone, said “hello,” asked for one ice cream, said “thank you,” and came back out.
“She went in there very self-confident,” Ronny says. “This is what connects people. She understood that even if they live on the other side of the world, it’s basically the same.”
Later at a pool, she spotted another girl and asked her dad one question: “What does diving mean?” He told her. She walked over, asked if they could dive together, and the two of them played for two hours.
These moments, small and unscripted, are exactly what research on language and empathy points to. A2023 meta-analysis by Xia and Haas found that children who use a second language in genuine social situations, not just practice exercises, develop stronger cross-cultural understanding and social confidence than those who only encounter it in structured settings. Research also shows that multicultural language experience builds children’s empathy and openness to others across cultural boundaries (Dewaele & Van Oudenhoven, 2009).
How a language learning app for kids helped Ronny prepare for the trip
Ronny is a scientist. He thinks in terms of conditions and outcomes. He wanted the right preparation, not just any preparation. “The first impression of Studycat was this playful thing,” he says. “The right amount of play. Learning and play — from first moment I liked it a lot.”
That instinct maps to what we know about how language sticks. Research shows that informal exposure to a foreign language (hearing words paired with images, in a low-pressure context) creates real vocabulary gains, even without deliberate study (Bisson et al., 2013). Studycat English works on exactly that principle. The words Ronny’s daughter encountered in the back of the car, on a tablet, through learning games, were ready when she needed them.
Try it at home:
Before a holiday, a visit from native-speaking relatives, or even a trip to a restaurant, pick five words your child might actually need: hello, please, thank you, one of these, and a food word. Practice these together in the days before. Then let them use the words for real.
Learn more about Studycat EnglishFrequently asked questions
Can a child learn enough English to communicate with just a language app?
A few well-chosen words go a long way, especially at young ages. Ronny’s daughter didn’t need fluency to order ice cream or make a friend at the pool. She needed a handful of words she actually wanted to use.Studycat English is designed for children aged 2 to 8 and builds vocabulary through the kind of low-pressure, game-based repetition that makes words stick when they’re needed in real life.
How do I know if my child is building real vocabulary, not just memorising sounds?
The signal is in what happens away from the app. Ronny wasn’t watching for a test result. He was standing at a pool when his daughter asked what “diving” meant, then walked over and made a friend. Real vocabulary shows up in real situations, usually when you’re not expecting it. That’s the kind of learning that sticks.
How much time does my child need on the app to see results?
Regular short sessions matter more than long ones.Research on optimal study time for young children suggests that consistent daily practice, even 10 to 15 minutes, is more effective than longer, infrequent sessions. The goal is for new words to become familiar, and that happens through repetition over time, not cramming.
Scientific References & Further Reading
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Bisson, M-J., van Heuven, W. J. B., Conklin, K., & Tunney, R. J. (2013). Incidental acquisition of foreign language vocabulary through brief multi-modal exposure. PLOS ONE, 8(4), e60912. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0060912
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Dewaele, J., & Van Oudenhoven, J. (2009). The effect of multilingualism/multiculturalism on personality: no gain without pain for Third Culture Kids? International Journal of Multilingualism, 6, 443–459. https://doi.org/10.1080/14790710903039906
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Xia, R., & Haas, B. (2023). The effect of bilingualism and multicultural experience on social-cognitive processing: a meta-analytic review. Journal of Cultural Cognitive Science, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41809-023-00138-y
About Studycat
Studycat creates five language learning apps — Studycat English, Spanish, French, German, and Chinese — designed to help children develop language skills through research-backed interactive learning games. With over 50,000 five-star reviews, parents trust our real learning outcomes on iOS and Android devices.
