Online English lessons for children in Moldova: Romanian spelling, several languages and reading English

When do children in Moldova start English at school?

English is taught in schools in Moldova, usually from primary school. Starting years, weekly hours and topics can vary, so your child's school is the best source for what their class covers and how it is assessed.

Class lessons build vocabulary and grammar, but with many pupils each child has little time to speak. Extra lessons are most worthwhile when they give your child the chance to use the English they already know, out loud, every week.

How does Romanian shape the way a child learns English?

The official language, Romanian, is written in the Latin alphabet with a few extra letters: ă, â, î, ș and ț. Its spelling is regular, so once children know the letters they can read most words as they are written. Two of those letters map neatly onto English spellings:

Grammar brings a bigger surprise. Romanian puts the definite article on the end of the noun: băiat is boy and băiatul is the boy. English uses a separate word in front, the boy, and also has a for something mentioned for the first time. Children often drop these little words at first and say I see boy. Hearing them in many real sentences is what makes them stick.

English also has many vowel sounds, so pairs like bit and beat need listening practice, and word endings such as -s and -ed change the meaning, as in one book, two books.

Is it a problem if we speak more than one language at home?

Not at all. Many families in Moldova speak more than one language at home, and children can learn two or more languages side by side. Mixing words from different languages for a while is normal and fades with time.

If English becomes your child's third language, simply keep each language in its own routine: perhaps one language with grandparents, another at school and English in lessons and bedtime books. Children are very good at sorting languages by person and place.

How can a child keep Romanian and English spelling apart?

Reading Romanian well is a real advantage: your child already knows that letters stand for sounds and how to blend them into words. The challenge is that English letters do not always behave the same way, and one English sound can be spelled in several ways.

Phonics teaches English sounds and spellings in a clear order, so children learn the English patterns as a separate set rather than mixing them with Romanian ones. A few very common words that don't follow the rules are learned by sight. Our guides to sight words and phonics and spelling and dictation at home explain how the two fit together.

Where do the CEFR and Cambridge young learners exams fit in?

The CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) is used across Europe to describe language levels. For young learners, the first levels are Pre-A1, A1 and A2. CEFR Pre-A1, A1 and A2 correspond to the Cambridge English Young Learners levels Starters, Movers and Flyers. CurioKids is not affiliated with or endorsed by Cambridge University Press and Assessment. These exams are optional, and many children make good progress without ever sitting one. A level is still useful as a shared language between you, your child and their teacher.

How can I support English at home if my own English is basic?

• Put on English songs during car journeys or while cooking, and sing along together.
• Choose a short English picture book for bedtime once or twice a week.
• Label a few things at home in English, such as door, window and table.
• Ask your child to be the teacher and show you what they learned.

You don't need perfect pronunciation. Your interest and the routine matter much more than your accent.

When in the week is a good time for a lesson?

A 25-minute lesson fits easily into a school afternoon or a weekend morning. Children aged 4 to 12 usually concentrate best when they are rested and have eaten, so avoid the last tired hour before bed. Whatever you choose, keep it regular: the same slot each week turns a lesson into a habit.

Before you commit, watch a first lesson with your child. Notice how much your child speaks, whether the teacher adapts when something is too easy or too hard, and how your child feels afterwards. Our guide on what to look for in a free first lesson has a fuller list.

How would CurioKids lessons work for a family in Moldova?

CurioKids gives children aged 4 to 12 live, 1-to-1 online English lessons with a real teacher, 25 minutes each, in the CurioKids online classroom with video, an interactive whiteboard, lesson slides and games. Most children start with Phonics Starter; a child who already reads can be placed straight into a CEFR-based level after the free first lesson. Phonics Starter is our 52-lesson reading course, from letter sounds to reading sentences. Teachers can't teach until our team has confirmed a background check and they have signed our teaching agreement. Lessons happen only inside the CurioKids classroom, and your child's teacher gives feedback after lessons. See our levels and safety pages for more.

For a child who reads Romanian, Phonics Starter builds English reading from letter sounds upwards, so English spelling patterns are learned as their own system.

Visit our Moldova page to see how lessons work, what your child will learn and how we keep children safe. If lessons for families in Moldova haven't opened yet, the page has a waitlist: leave your details and we'll let you know when you can book your child's free first lesson. Plans for families in Moldova are priced in euros: see the prices for Moldova.