I have been amazed lately at how well the children I teach are doing. Many of my older students often tell me learning a language is harder the older you get (though never let that put you off!). I have the privilege of teaching some quite young children and am so pleased their parents are encouraging them to learn while they are still little. At this age, they are not embarrassed and they learn through play; just as they take in knowledge about the world around them, another language adds to their education. If they can enjoy themselves and say a few words in French or Spanish, even before properly understanding where France and Spain are (or indeed other countries in the world where these languages are spoken) this will be a good foundation for them as they get older and learn a language in school. It will also help with their literacy skills and communication development in their own language. We have been told for years that children are like sponges and absorb new information so readily,
it is a great opportunity to teach them a foreign language at a stage in life when they are trying to understand more about their surroundings and the world in which they live. I can remember as a child wanting to copy the sounds people from other countries made. I was aware that not everyone spoke the same language. My passion for other languages and cultures dates back to that time, which makes me wonder what these children will be thinking 20, 30, 40 years from now…