The Language Company offers language programs for young learners in French, German, Italian and Mandarin so that your Childcare Centre or Pre-School can provide children with second language learning at the optimum age and offer the sort of high quality bilingual provision which is so sought after by parents.
- We consult with you at the implementation stage to ensure that our program is fully integrated into your provision. Our language sessions run weekly. We provide full training and support for your staff, so they are involved in the sessions and can reinforce and extend the foreign language throughout the week.
- Our teachers conduct lessons on designated days for all children aged 2 years and above. Children have a simple activity book so that your staff and parents can keep up to date with progress.
- We provide posters and notices in the foreign language, such as numbers or colour displays for all rooms. In addition, we can offer extra resources for use by your staff during story time, music, art and craft, free play and games.
- We will support you in promoting the bilingual programs to parents and we will be more than happy to attend your centre's open days and parent evenings to talk to parents.
The Language Company has the expertise and professionalism to ensure that the foreign language teaching at your centre is nothing short of exceptional. This will give your child care centre a real competitive advantage and bring significant educational benefits to your children.
How does it work?
Our most popular program is the ‘immersion’ model whereby all students in the classroom or centre benefit from the language lesson each week, supported by their teachers and assistants. This program is developed and delivered in direct partnership with the centre. We also offer an ‘extra-curricular’ program where interested parents sign up their children for the language lesson, which is delivered at a suitable time in the day in liaison with the centre. A minimum of 8 students is needed for this program. To find out more and to talk to us about a FREE trial lesson in a language of your choice for your Childcare Centre or Pre-school, please contact us by email.
Why learn young?
Research shows that the earlier a child starts learning another language, the better. A toddler's mental agility enables him or her to easily mimic, learn, and retain new knowledge. Most experts agree that the earlier a child is introduced to a second language, the greater the likelihood of achieving total proficiency in that language. Diving into another language and culture is achieved effortlessly, and with little or no accent (C. Hagège, 1996), when done at a young age.
Recent conclusions in the field of cognitive science and language-learning show that a young child does not build up his or her bilingualism by adding another language to the mother tongue, but by actively building two languages at once. According to the French linguist Gilbert Dalgalian (2000), the structures of a young brain are so flexible that one or more foreign languages can be learned very easily. Before the age of 7, the liaisons between neurons are progressively settling down and gaining stability, but the developing brain still has great plasticity. In this age range, the capacity to acquire a language is an integral part of the cognitive development of the child.
At this age, if exposure to each language is balanced, the child does not learn other languages through his mother tongue (which may be an obstacle), but as naturally as his mother tongue. The reasons are neural-cognitive: before 7, a child builds up pure language, be it English, French, Spanish, etc. all together and not languages. For example, for the young bilingual child, a foot remains a foot and performs the function of a foot, whether it is labeled a foot in English or un pied in French, ein Fuß in German or in any other language!
Broadens cultural horizons
Learning another language is a life-long commitment. An early start facilitates a deeper understanding of one's own culture, as well as an appreciation of other cultures. At the cross-cultural level, being educated in another language broadens a child’s outlook and introduces new modes of expression. Knowing more than one language enables communication with a wide spectrum of people from diverse backgrounds. Mastering a second language is an asset to your child’s education because it provides an authentic window to the cultural richness of other countries and their communities.
Enquiries & Contact Details
We would be happy to answer any queries or questions you may have about our bilingual education program for Childcare Centres and Pre-Schools.
