Europe
Online English lessons for children in Serbia: two alphabets at home, a third for English
Quick answer
Children in Serbia, used to two alphabets, learn English from the early primary years, and 1-to-1 online lessons add speaking time. CurioKids teaches children aged 4 to 12 in live, 1-to-1, 25-minute online lessons with a real teacher. If lessons for families in Serbia haven't opened yet, our Serbia page has a waitlist.
Children in Serbia learn both the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets at primary school and are taught English from the early primary years. They are used to switching scripts, but English spelling is far less regular than Serbian, and a class gives each child little time to speak. Live 1-to-1 lessons online can add that speaking time. This guide explains what is new in English for Serbian speakers and how to support your child.
- By CurioKids teamHow we write our guides
- Published
- Updated
- 8 min read
Key takeaways
- Serbian is written in both Cyrillic and Latin, and children learn both at primary school; English is taught from the early primary years.
- Serbian spelling is very regular, so the many spellings of English sounds need to be taught in a clear order.
- Serbian has no articles, so a and the take time and plenty of listening to settle.
- Exams for young learners are optional; regular speaking practice is the part a class finds hardest to give.
- A few minutes of English at home most days, such as a song or a picture book, supports what your child learns in lessons.
On this page
How is English taught alongside Serbian at school?
English is taught in Serbia from the early primary years. During primary school children also learn to read and write Serbian in two alphabets, Cyrillic and Latin. That is a lot of letters for a young child, and it is worth remembering when English reading takes a little time. How many English lessons a week your child has and which topics they cover can vary, so your child's school is the best source for what their class is doing.
Whatever the school, a class has limited time for each child to talk. Listening and repeating together has its place, but building their own sentences and saying them aloud needs one-to-one attention. That is where lessons at home earn their place.
Which Cyrillic letters look like English ones but sound different?
Because your child reads Cyrillic, a few letters can play tricks. They look like English letters, but in Serbian Cyrillic they stand for other sounds. When reading quickly, a child may give an English word a Cyrillic sound.
| Cyrillic | Serbian sound | English letter it looks like | English sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Р | r | P | p, as in pig |
| В | v | B | b, as in bus |
| Н | n | H | h, as in hen |
| С | s | C | k or s, as in cup or city |
| Х | a throaty h | X | ks, as in fox |
| У | oo | y | y, as in yellow |
Children who already switch between two scripts tend to treat a third as one more code to learn. Point out these pairs once, make a game of them, and they soon stop causing trouble.
Why is English spelling a surprise after write as you speak?
Serbian spelling is very regular. The rule often summed up as "write as you speak" means a child who knows the letters can spell almost any word they can say. English does not work like that. The same sound can be spelled in several ways (see, sea, me), and the same letters can make different sounds (cow and snow).
This is not a reason to worry, just a reason to teach English spelling step by step. Phonics teaches the sounds and their common spellings in a set order. For older children, spelling and dictation at home shows how to practise spelling in short, low-pressure sessions.
Why do a and the need extra attention?
Serbian has no articles, so a Serbian speaker naturally says the equivalent of I see cat or Give me book. English needs a or the in most of these places, and choosing between them depends on whether the thing is new to the conversation or already known. Children absorb this through lots of listening, not through rules.
Expect your child to leave these words out for a while, even after they know them. A teacher who repeats the sentence back with the article in place, and then moves on, helps more than one who stops to correct every slip.
Where do the CEFR and Cambridge Starters, Movers and Flyers fit?
The CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) is the scale used across Europe to describe how well someone uses a language. 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. A test date can motivate a child who likes goals, but it is not needed to make progress. If you are curious, read Starters, Movers and Flyers explained, and see our levels page for how we describe progress.
What can I do at home between lessons?
- Keep it short. Five minutes of English most days beats an hour on Sunday.
- Read in both languages. Share English picture books and keep reading in Serbian too. A child who enjoys stories in one language brings that to the other.
- Play with sounds. Try I spy with English sounds, or rhyming games in the car.
- Let your child teach you. Ask what they learned in their lesson and let them be the teacher at the table.
What changes can I expect after a few months?
With a regular 25-minute lesson and a little English at home, children aged 4 to 12 usually show progress in this order: they understand more, they relax and join in, they start answering in words and short phrases, and later they begin to read and write simple sentences. Every child moves at their own speed, and quiet weeks are normal.
Look for growing confidence as much as new words. If your child happily says hello to their teacher and tries a sentence without being asked, the lessons are working.
How would CurioKids lessons work for a family in Serbia?
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 both Serbian alphabets, Phonics Starter gives English its own set of letter sounds, learned one at a time, so English words are read the English way.
Visit our Serbia page to see how lessons work, what your child will learn and how we keep children safe. If lessons for families in Serbia 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 Serbia are priced in euros: see the prices for Serbia.
Frequently asked questions
My child reads Cyrillic and Latin. Will English letters confuse them?
Usually not for long. A few Cyrillic letters look like English ones but sound different, such as Р and Н. Pointing out these pairs and practising English letter sounds sorts it out.
Why is English spelling so hard for my child when Serbian spelling is easy?
Serbian spelling is very regular, while English often spells the same sound in several ways. Learning English sounds and spellings in a set order makes it much more manageable.
Does my child need to take an English exam?
No. Exams for young learners are optional. Some children enjoy working towards one, but regular speaking and reading practice matters more for most children than a certificate.
My child says I see cat instead of I see a cat. Is that normal?
Yes. Serbian has no articles, so leaving out a and the is a very normal pattern. It fades with lots of listening and speaking practice.
Should my child learn to read Serbian before reading English?
It helps when Serbian reading feels secure first, but spoken English through songs and games can start earlier. English reading then builds on the reading skills your child already has.