Thinking of getting 2.5yo DD in some kind of language lessons...

[LissyGlitter]

I'm considering getting DD some kind of lessons in a language of some kind. She just seems so keen to learn about everything in the world, and she really loves her dancing lessons, and I have heard that the earlier a child learns something, the better it goes in. I'm not expecting her to be a child genius or anything, but I am absolutely rubbish at languages, so some kind of weekly session of singing songs or such would be much better than me trying and failing to teach her at home!

She is so curious about school and learning, I want to use the enthusiasm!

DP wants her to learn latin, on the basis that once she knows latin, she will find other languages much easier, but I personally feel that French or Spanish would have more things for a toddler to do. Latin is useful, but maybe later on in life.

If only I was bilingual, I could just casually chat away to her and she would pick it up-she already knows several signs, through a combination of me knowing basic BSL and Mr Tumble

LOL, I forgot to put my question!

What do you lot think? Is she too young? Any tips?

One word

Dora

Sorry, but Latin is not a good idea. You want her to have some kind of fun learning a language, to be able to use her language skills at some point. She is unlikely to meet to speak to another Latin speaking toddler on holiday. Even if you could find a school that would teach latin to toddlers.

I used to teach English to small children in Germany and found it was great for them.

No, she will not be fluent in Spanish or French but she will have a first positive experience with a foreign language, if the school does it well.

Look for a teacher who does the immersion method, ie. only speaks the foreign language in class, no tranlations. Ideally she should have a CD for your DD to listen to at home once or twice a day.

And it has to be FUN - lots of games, singing and laughter.

Good luck with it.

Ds(3) does a weekly french lesson at nursery, and he really likes it. The children all seem to find it fun, and he has remembered all the words well.

I think you'd have most luck finding a french or spanish session though - latin may be a bit poncey

Play with her - she is 2.5 yrs old FFS!

Madame I would obviously only send her to "play" type lessons. I just think that she would really enjoy it.

Could you not get some cds or DVDs and try her with these first ?- they're like little sponges, I'm not sure formal lessons are necessary.

I'm just not confident myself, so don't want to pass on my bad habits- apparently I speak Spanish with a broad Lancashire accent!

The DC that I taught had a lot of fun, it is only an hour a week. You have plenty time to play wiht her outwith lessons.

Tbh, I used to advise the parents to tell their friends/parents that they were taking their DC to a playgroup where the playgroup leader was a English native speaker and they sang songs in English. A lot of them had negative reactions to the thought of them going to formal language lessons.

That's the kind of thing I am after - a playgroup that just happens to be in a foreign language.

la jolie ronde do pre school classes in french and spanish from aged 3.

Not used them but I gather they are fun singing based classes at that age.

They come into DD's nursery once she reaches the top room

The ability to use Latin for other languages will only apply if you have learned Latin as an analysing adult or older child: i.e. if you have been able to take in the explanations. The magic lies in the explanations, not in the Latin per se. And you just can't teach a toddler that way.

French or Spanish sounds the way to go.

I have tried to tell DP this! He is adamant that he got a brilliant education that schools nowadays just don't provide because he played cricket and chess and learned latin, and didn't do PHSE or IT. I did try to point out that most schools play cricket and chess, and that we can always get her latin lessons when she is older, and that IT and PHSE are pretty vital, but he is stuck in his ways, bless him

LOL at your DP! Did he play cricket and chess and do latin when he was 2.5??!! perhaps save those things for when your dd is a leetle bit older?! but the French / Spanish singing etc classes sound like they could be fun.

I found him trying to discuss the lead story in the guardian with her when she was one - she tried to eat the paper

The other day she told me she IS Barack Obama though, so some of his politics lessons have gone in somewhere!

Re. the lessons - as MmeLindt says, it totally depends how it's done. DD (2.5) went to Czech lessons for a couple of months in a small group, but although the teacher was very good with 2-3 year olds and obviously spent a lot of time preparing, the only way she knew how to teach was to ask them endless questions - can you say this? who knows that?

There was no way that I was going to let learning Czech be a stressful experience, given that it's our community language, so we ditched the classes. However, at the Czech preschool she now goes to (and where she's picking up a ton of Czech in a natural environment) they have an English class once a week that from what I can gather is taught in a much more fun and effective way.

BTW, Czechs are all mad keen for children to learn English at preschool - almost every preschool has an English lesson once a week! - so no one here would think 3 or so was too young.

I recommend buy toddler books in whatever language you choose. we read to DD every night in hebrew, starting at 18 months(read in hebrew and then translated, required me poring over dictionary before i started) we had around 10-15 books and by the time she was 3 she knew all the words in all the books!