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Many children in India now study a language at school that nobody at home speaks well. Maybe it is Sanskrit in a Bengaluru flat, Tamil in a Delhi transfer posting, or Odia in a family that speaks Hindi at home. The good news is that the early stages of a third language need a lot of listening, speaking and noticing. A parent who does not speak the language can still help with all three.
What does the school actually expect in a third language?
In a circular dated 9 April 2026, CBSE told its affiliated schools to start teaching R3, the third language, from Class 6 in 2026-27. It said only the R3 languages a school introduces in Class 6 will be available as options in Classes 9 and 10 at that school. It also noted that NCFSE-2023 recommends teaching two native Indian languages under the R1, R2, R3 model.
The competencies attached to that circular are modest and practical. They include making conversations that fit the context, listening to stories, poems and conversations and summarising the core ideas, giving short oral presentations, reading stories and passages with accuracy and fluency, understanding stories, posters and instructions, and writing a paragraph. Your child does not need to read novels in the new language this year. They need to hear it, say it and recognise it often. If your family is still choosing the language, read our guide to choosing a third language in Class 6 first.
How can you help if you don't speak the language?
Change your role from teacher to curious learner. Ask your child to teach you one word or line from class each evening. Explaining a word to you makes your child recall it, and your being a beginner takes away the fear of getting it wrong. Many of the same moves work for Hindi homework too; our post on helping with Hindi homework when you don't speak Hindi has more.
A script you can use tonight:
"What is one new word you learnt today? Say it slowly, I'll copy you."
"How would you say 'water' or 'thank you' in it? Write it on a sticky note for the fridge."
"I got it wrong. How should I say it?"
If your child mixes the new language with English or your home language in one sentence, that is normal. Our explainer on why bilingual children mix languages covers why.
Do songs really help children learn a new language?
There is some evidence that singing can help you remember exact phrases. In a study published in Memory & Cognition, Karen Ludke, Fernanda Ferreira and Katie Overy randomly assigned 60 adults to learn Hungarian phrases by speaking, rhythmic speaking or singing for 15 minutes. The singing group did better overall, and the difference was significant on the two tests where people had to produce the Hungarian phrases word for word. The participants were adults, not children, and it was one short study, so treat it as a strong hint rather than a promise.
In practice: find two or three children's songs or prayers in the language, play them in the car or while cooking, and sing along badly. Ask the school teacher which songs the class is learning so home and school repeat each other.
How do signboards and simple reading build the language?
Many railway stations and government offices put up signs in the state language, Hindi and English, one under the other. Try a signboard game on any outing: your child reads the English line, then finds the same word in the other script. Take a photo and add the word to a small notebook.
At home, label five objects (door, fan, water, book, shoes) in the new script. Swap the labels each week. For simple reading, ask the teacher for the class reader and have your child read one short page aloud to you. You do not need to understand it. Listen for smooth reading and ask, "What happened in that bit?" in your own language.
Where can you find free audio in the new language?
The Ministry of Education's Bhasha Sangam app, launched on 1 November 2021, started with 100 everyday sentences in 22 Indian languages. Each sentence is given in Roman script and in the language's own script, with audio. A school version on DIKSHA and ePathshala adds translations into Hindi and English. Playing one sentence a day and repeating it together gives your child the listening and speaking practice that the school competencies describe.
Keep it short and light. If your child becomes very anxious about language tests, talk to the class teacher first; for wider worries about stress or mood, the government's free Tele MANAS mental health helpline is 14416.
The same short, regular habit works for other subjects too. If a science idea is the next sticking point, the Fermi Concept Library has a lesson for every concept in physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and computing.
Start tonight with one word your child teaches you.
