Foreign Language DVD

[wannabesybil]

Please can anyone recommend a foreign language dvd for pre school?

My son is 4.1, but was using a Dutch website on the run up to Christmas (with OH) because they had some really great Christmas games, and he has picked up a few words of Dutch. I think he would really enjoy learning another language.

Any recommendations welcome. I am also posting this on the primary education, as he is nearly there.

Don't touch them with a bargepole. Sorry. (Former languages lecturer speaking here).

Is your OH Dutch, though? If so, the best thing he can do is only ever speak Dutch to your son.

No, my OH has decided to learn Dutch, so he knows the basics, and he has Dutch online buddies who recommended the Sinterclaus site for Christmas.

DS has picked up basics such as the words for bicycle. I don't want to try Muzzy as it has some bad reviews, but he has enjoyed learning letters etc watching Letterland and Jolly Phonics DVDs and I just thought he would enjoy something similar with language.

It's not a 'must eductate child' but more a 'child enjoys x, let's see if he will like y'.

Nearly thirty years ago I managed an A level in French, loved speaking and hearing it, can't remember a word of it. But I loved seeing the differences and similarities. DS may find it the same.

The dutch version of Dora the Explorer is in dutch with her learning english.

Get DH to go into the Dutch amazon site and buy Dutch languge kids DVDs.

Be careful though as loads of "Dutch" DVD are in English with subtitles, and that won't help!

Is it particularly Dutch that you want him to learn or just considering another foreign language? If the latter there are loads of resources available in French/English for young children and, of course, he will also learn French in school so plenty of incentive to keep it up.

My son loves 'Serge the Monkey' - a BBC DVD but I think it is only available in French. It is a series of 15 minute programmes broken up into 3 5-minute sketches. One of the sketches in each programme is about a comical cartoon football team (of various animal characters) and he seems to particularly like that.

He has picked up quite a bit of French from DVDs so I don't really agree with HildegardVonBlingen's comment but we have also encouraged/built on this by speaking the words to him and he attends a French pre-school class once a week.

Thank you so much for your suggestions.

I just used Dutch as the example. I would rather he had a language like Spanish, French or German. Dutch isn't really spoken much outside the Netherlands, although OH is really keen. In fact, it is just that DS loves learning, this is something he could enjoy as he has a great English vocabulary, and I am not a pushy mum, so it is ds's enjoyment that I am concerned about.

I shall look into Serge the Monkey, it sounds ideal for what I want and I may be able to revive my French and keep up with him.

Thank you.