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teaching a foreign language to small children

32 replies

mediterraneo · 28/02/2007 16:42

do you think there would be a market for this for pre-schoolers?
what do you think?

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Blu · 28/02/2007 16:45

Yes. DS had French sessions at his nursery. It was run like a fun club, not like lessons, and the children enjoyed it a lot and learned quickly. Parents had to pay extra for the French sessions but it was extremely popular and almost all parents signed up - not a wealthy-parent sort of nursery either.

Hulababy · 28/02/2007 16:53

Yes, I think there is a market. I know there are already some classes about - aimed mainly at school age though some take younger at times. Would have loved this as a preschool activity for DD.

SenoraPostrophe · 28/02/2007 16:53

what language?

mediterraneo · 28/02/2007 18:16

italian!
i should have specified that it would be run like a club, obviously not formal lessons, not for little ones.

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Coolmama · 28/02/2007 18:18

Ds goes to an Italian toddler group once a week (he is 2) and they have a story, some activities, songs and other simple stuff - he loves it!

Califrau · 28/02/2007 18:25

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mediterraneo · 28/02/2007 18:27

coolmama can i ask you if you pay for him to attend & why do you want him to speak italian?

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Coolmama · 28/02/2007 18:34

Yes, I do pay on a term to term basis and whether he attends 1 or 2 days a week. I speak 4 languages and was keen for DS to have his "language acquisition" skills woken at an early age - once that happens, learning any language after that becomes a lot easier as the ear and brain are already attuned, as it were. The Italian was a choice as a result of the childcare choice I made - DS and I will start doing French soon.

chicaguapa · 28/02/2007 18:39

If I had access to this for my 2yo and 5yo I'd snap it up like a shot. I speak 3 foreign languages and would love for them to start learning now.

In fact I am strongly considering starting up El Club Espanol and Le Club Francais as an after school club at DD's school. The head's up for it but it's whether I've got enough drive in me to add another thing to do in my life!

Califrau · 28/02/2007 18:43

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lovelymoo · 28/02/2007 19:44

I want my DD's to learn a foreign language how did you find out about clubs in your area

Muminfife · 28/02/2007 20:03

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mediterraneo · 28/02/2007 20:44

how much could we charge per session?

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HEIFER · 28/02/2007 20:58

My DD (3) has just started to learn Spanish.

A friend of mine started up a little group (only 3 -5 children) who go to her house (with mums) and have 30 mins or so playing whilst learning spanish..

DD loves it - as do I.

She is charging £4.00 per week...

Nothing too formal, they get given fruit etc and learn to say please, thank you, fruit name etc,

Ball games, where they roll and ball to each other saying hello,goodbye and name etc.

Its great - I am sure that there is a market for this kind of thing in quite a few languages.

I didn't want anything too formal for DD at 3, but the play spanish is great...

franca70 · 28/02/2007 21:01

med, I'm gutsy enough to come and sing some dodgy italian songs

mediterraneo · 28/02/2007 21:04

Heifer doesn'it turn into complete mayhem? Whenever i have 3/4 kids with mums in my flat they all started running up and down, etc.

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mediterraneo · 28/02/2007 21:05

O SOLE MIOOOOOOO

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HEIFER · 28/02/2007 21:06

no the children just sit round a mat on the floor, with the mums behind/next to them.

Have to admit the children are really well behaved - only 3 of them at the moment, (2 girls and 1 boy)...

I guess it depends on the child and how you keep them interested...

mediterraneo · 28/02/2007 21:14

Does she only in spanish to the kids then?

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mediterraneo · 28/02/2007 21:14

speak

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HEIFER · 28/02/2007 21:33

No, she does speak english to -

but one thing she doesn't do is say a word in spanish and then say what it is in english..

eg, she has a plate of fruit and points to the banana and says platano, but never says banana is platano in spanish.

When I asked her about it - she said that she was told that as children learn differntly to adults, they need to learn it naturally, so not to teach them that hello is hola, but she is saying that when we meet someone we would say hola..

hope that makes sense..

mediterraneo · 28/02/2007 21:34

Thanks heifer, she is doing it very well then. Off to buy some bananas!

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Muminfife · 28/02/2007 21:42

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HEIFER · 28/02/2007 21:43

good luck with it - I bet you have loads signed up in no time...

Coolmama · 28/02/2007 21:49

we have very strict rules in our house about who speaks what language and there is never any mixing - and also at the toddler group, there is no english at all - everything is done in Italian with showing and pointing if needed.

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