On one hand, there’s the so-called tiger mums, dads, guardians and staff. They’re prepared to do whatever it takes to give their children competitive edge. And on the other are those who feel language classes at nursery schools are a bit too much too soon.

Each to their own opinions.

But there are many and varied reasons pre-school is the prime time for baby steps towards learning a language.

Children between ages three – five are soaking up the world around them like tiny, enthusiastic sponges, after all.

They’re building confidence, mastering motor skills, and finding their voices. So, why not add another language into the mix?

National Preschooler’s Day, every 11^th March, spotlights this vital stage of development, alongside the case for language classes at nursery schools.

Why Start So Young?

 Research consistently shows the earlier children start learning a language, the more naturally they pick it up.

This is especially the case at pre-school age, when they:

• Have a brilliant ear for sound and accent
• Mimic pronunciation without the self-consciousness that comes over time
• Absorb vocabulary through play, song and repetition
• Build confidence in communication from day one

And truthfully, there’s nothing cuter than a class of nursery children singing in French or Spanish.

How Leading Language Classes at Nursery Schools Make Learning a Joy

 Engaging, age-appropriate fun is key to teaching languages to small children, without any pressure or worksheets. These will follow soon enough in the school system.

Here’s how it works when nurseries work in partnership with award-winning language school la Academia in Manchester:

• An early years qualified French or Spanish teacher visits weekly or fortnightly
• Sessions last 45 minutes
• All songs, games, stories and resources are provided
• Other languages are available on request

This method meets children where they are, with the daily activities they already love. And it introduces language learning to them in a playful and exciting way.

Give Them a Lasting Head Start

Primary schools now teach a second language as standard. For this reason, language classes at nursery schools set up pre-schoolies beautifully for future learning.

At la Academia, we believe starting early makes all the difference when it comes to learning languages.

Get in touch if you’d like to explore a FREE introductory language session for your nursery to try for fit. We’d love to help.

So, let’s explore the compelling reasons why bilingualism is transformational for your little ones.

1. Brain Power Boost

Think of bilingualism as a mental gym for your child’s brain! Studies show how learning more than one language increases grey matter, leading to better problem-solving and decision-making skills. It’s like giving their brain a superpower, with quicker thinking, multi-tasking abilities, and greater creativity.

2. Cultural Awareness

Bilingualism opens a whole new world of cultural experiences. This is why bilingual kids are better equipped to engage with diverse communities, from connecting with family members to immersion in different traditions. Furthermore, it’s personally empowering for them to understand and celebrate their heritage at a deeper level.

3. Long-Term Health Benefits

Bilingualism’s cognitive workout helps keep their brain sharp as they age, delaying symptoms of Alzheimer’s by up to five years. Talk about a lifelong investment!

4. Academic Advantage

According to research, bilingual children tend to perform better academically, because of improved focus, mental jugging, and memory. Plus, being bilingual gives them a leg up in a highly competitive and increasingly global employment-scape.

5. Bigger, Brighter Future

The ability to speak multiple languages is a massive advantage as the world becomes a smaller place. So, your bilingual child will have the world at their feet, from travel to educational and career opportunities.

But it can be easier said than done to get your youngsters on board with the idea.

Isabelle Gerretsen has the answer in her ‘A wonderful opportunity’: The adventure of raising bilingual children article for BBC Future:  “the strategy that works best is the one that makes learning enjoyable and not a chore”—so why not make it fun?”

At la Academia, we’re 100% here for it, with entertaining and engaging teaching methods that are anything but tedious. Get in touch about classes and 1:1 tuition options to ensure your child benefits optimally from bilingualism.

From Argentina with Love

“My name is Silvi, and yes, I’m a proud Argentinian!” Silvi kicks off our chat with a bright smile. “As a native Spanish speaker, teaching at la Academia feels like sharing a piece of home with each of my students.”

Her psychology degree gives her a distinct edge in the classroom. “It’s amazing how understanding the mind helps me connect better with my students, whether they’re kids or adults. Building those relationships is the cornerstone of effective teaching.”

Silvi’s Secret Sauce for Teaching Spanish Lessons

Silvi’s teaching mantra? Fun! “If you’re not enjoying the process, you’re not really learning,” she insists. And it shows. Her classes are always filled with laughter and energy.

Quickfire Q&A with Silvi

We threw some fun questions Silvi’s way to get to know her a little better:

• What’s your favorite food?
  • “Empanadas! They’re these delicious Latin American pastries that I could eat every day.”

• What’s your go-to activity?
  • “I love going for long walks with my husband, our dog Bella, and friends. And, of course, travelling and soaking up different cultures.”

• How do you unwind after a busy day?
  • “Cooking is my therapy. And if I’m not in the kitchen, you’ll find me lost in an audiobook.”

• What’s your favourite thing about teaching?
  • “Sharing my passion for languages and seeing my students reach their goals. It’s the best feeling!”

• Tell us a fun fact about you!
  • (Laughs) “When I talk fast or get angry, I slip into Spanglish. And trust me, you’ll know I’m serious if I start swearing in Spanish!”

Silvi’s zest for teaching Spanish lessons at la Academia or in schools and nurseries is infectious. Her enthusiasm lights up the room. So, what are you waiting for if you haven’t had the pleasure of Spanish lessons with Silvi yet? Get in touch, sign up for one of her classes, and experience the joy of learning Spanish with a generous sprinkling of enjoyment!

Are there Benefits of Language Skills at Such a Young Age?

Did you know children’s speech evolves through countless hours of engaging with adults?

• By age 1: They recognise about 50 words.
• By age 3: Their vocabulary blooms to around 1,000 words.
• By age 5: They can understand an impressive 10,000 words!

A Department of Education Exploring Languages  article explains: “Having a large vocabulary helps children learn more. Words allow them to make sense of the world around them. Communication and language is… one of the important building blocks for all the other areas. If it’s not developed early it’s difficult to achieve later”.

It’s clear strong language skills are vital for speech development, while also setting the scene for literacy, comprehension, and even critical thinking.

But, why Spanish?

Why Spanish Language Lessons?

Brilliant question! Here’s just a few answers:

• Cognitive Boost – Learning a second language enhances problem-solving skills and creativity. It’s like a workout for their tiny, developing minds!

• Widely spoken – Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world. Learning it opens doors to new cultures and communities.

• Cultural Richness – Spanish language classes introduce children to a colourful world of stories, songs, and rhymes. Think flamenco, fiesta, and fun!

Ultimately, younger children thrive when they’re supported in a language-rich environment. This means your little linguist will be well on their way to success with the right tools and a sprinkle of Spanish flair.

At la Academia, we’re committed to helping your child’s potential soar, with a new season of Reception and Year 1 Spanish language classes starting in September:

When?            Thursday 19^th September 2024
Where?           la Academia, Cheadle
Time?              5.00-6.00pm
Teacher?         Mercedes

Get in touch and sign up your child for enhanced vocabulary, cognitive skills, and cultural awareness.

Here’s the thing. Converging athletes, coaches, managers and media from all over the globe are creating a melting pot of languages. But far from everyone is fluent in English, despite the fact it’s the lingua franca, often serving as common ground for communication in elite sports – or French, the local tongue.

The language of sport prevails on the track, field or in the pool. But what about communicating and understanding everything else going on around you?

This is when language services can save the day (and the Games!).

Why do Language Services Matter for Sportspeople?

There’s a broad range of language solutions tailored to the unique needs of sports professionals. And here are some telltale signs you need them:

• Lack of team spirit – Feel like the team work isn’t making the dream work? It’s no wonder if there isn’t a unified language across your club or team. Fully customisable language lessons can put this right for everyone who needs them, in turn nurturing a stronger team spirit and smoother communication.

• Feel need for speed – Need a crash course ahead of training in another country or attending a major overseas event like the Olympics? It’s a guaranteed way to perfect your chosen language, with ongoing support available if you need it.

• Pass Home Office exams with flying colours – Hoping to continue your career in the UK? Leading-edge language services offer specialised coaching to help you ace the Home Office exams, ensuring you can stay, compete and play hitch-free.

• Study for high school and college qualifications – This one’s for apprentices, younger athletes and players, and the children of athletes and players. Prime languages services also provide GCSE and A-Level tuition in English, Maths, MFL and Science.

At la Academia, our market-leading language services ensure language barriers don’t stand in the way of sporting excellence. We’re here to assist every step of the way, from beginners language lessons to interpreting for media engagements.

Get in touch, whether you’re an athlete, coach, or part of the support team. Together, we can cultivate gold standard communication!

• Boosted Problem-Solving and Critical-Thinking

Early language learning encourages children to think analytically. They’re challenged to decipher meaning, make connections, and communicate effectively when engaging with vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. This linguistic puzzle-solving fosters critical-thinking abilities. In turn, they’re likely to develop a more logical and structured approach to tackling challenges, both in and out of the classroom.

• Enhanced Creativity and Listening

Active listening is integral to language learning. To this end, language immersion at nursery accustoms children to listen attentively, to understand not only words and phrases, but also context and tone of voice. What’s more, early language learners often exhibit greater creativity, due to alternative means of expressing their thoughts and ideas in the framework of another language.

• Levelled Up Memory, Concentration, and Multi-Tasking
  

Learning a language takes memorising vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structures. In other words, it’s a process of repetition. And it bolsters memory retention and concentration. Consequently, children who engage in early language learning often display improved cognitive abilities and attention span. Plus, juggling multiple language components simultaneously develops their multitasking skills, which are vital for thriving academically, and in the outside world.

• Kickstarted Academic Achievement
  

The benefits of early language learning extend beyond linguistic competency. In addition, studies have shown that children exposed to a second language at nursery age often excel in other academic areas. It’s an inspiring opportunity to lay a solid foundation for future academic achievements and opportunities.

At La Academia, we’d love to send one of our qualified early years Spanish, French or Mandarin teachers to your nursery. Classes last around 30 to 40 minutes, on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, including all the resources, songs, and activities. And if you have more than one nursery, we can put you on a discounted carousel scheme, for rotated lessons between your sites.

Get in touch for a chat about our early years language learning services for nurseries. And together, let’s empower your little students to thrive in an increasingly interconnected and diverse world.

• Their parents’ native language or languages
• The English language
• Other languages spoken by friends, carers, etc

Let’s first understand the difference between multilingualism and plurilingualism -–

• Multilingualism is the ability to speak in multiple languages

• Plurilingualism is the ability to switch between multiple languages during the course of a conversation. For example, a plurilingual child might compute and answer a question in a different language than the one used by the asker

And know you know how and why plurilingualism is on the rise, you can imagine the raft of benefits that accompany this “linguistic variation in superdiverse societies”. Let’s take a look at some of them…

How Plurilingualism Equips Children with Lifelong Competitive Edge

The cognitive benefits of plurilingualism are many and varied, including –

• Broadened outlook – Greater likelihood of growing up with innate empathy resulting from the multi-faceted lenses they see the world through.

• Boosted mental capacity – A more finely honed ability to concentrate, make plans, multitask and retain information.

• Expanded learning capabilities – Communicating and understanding in multiple languages can physically enlarge areas of the brain that control the ableness to learn and retain information.

• Reduced stroke damage – A 2017 study at Edinburgh University revealed that multilingual or plurilingual stroke victims are significantly more likely to retain normal cognitive functions upon recovery, compared to their monolingual counterparts.

• Improved health benefits in senior years – Both multilingualism and plurilingualism are credited as being contributory factors to reduced dementia risk in old age, and overall healthier mental ageing.

At La Academia, we offer many and varied options for children and adults across all different stages of their language learning journeys, no matter what language you want and require. Get in touch for a chat about the best suited options for your needs. 

Source
Britain’s multilingual children: ‘We speak whatever language gets the job done’, Eleanor Morgan, The Guardian

Teresa Tinsley and Kathryn Board said in the British Council’s Voices magazine, “At last, we are seeing a new language become a normal part of children’s learning from the beginning of their primary education – while they are confident and curious – rather than a challenging new subject associated with the pressures of starting secondary school”. 

So, nursery school language lessons take best practice a step further and put the icing on the cake.

Additionally, nursery school language lessons are child’s play to implement, whilst delivering tremendous benefits.

Here’s how. 

Nursery School Language Lessons are Failproof Pre-School Prep

In case you’re wondering, nursery school language lessons don’t involve trying to push little one too hard, or failing to capture them, due to content that’s too old for them engage with.

On the contrary, regular 45-minute interactive classes with singing and gamified learning inspire their highly receptive imaginations. Plus, it’s a powerful pre-starting point for future academic achievement.

To this end, take a look at what these nursery school teachers had to say about the language lessons provided by La Academia –

• “The children really enjoy Silvi’s visits and are always eager to learn new words/phrases and take part in all the lovely activities that Silvi has planned.
  We could not recommend La Academia enough and we look forward to working with them for many more years to come.”

Theresa Culley, Honeybear Nursery 

• “Our children love the Spanish lessons delivered by Silvi. The sessions are fun, exciting and engaging, and it’s so lovely to hear our children singing and talking in Spanish.”

Footprints Family Day Nursery

At La Academia, we specialise in providing unrivalled on-site nursery school language lessons that are purpose-designed for maximum fun and effectiveness. Get in touch for a chat about a complimentary trial session. 

Source
Compulsory languages in primary schools: does it work? Teresa Tinsley, Kathryn Board, British Council Voices Magazine

So, there’s no better time than World Teachers Day on 5^th October to give them a ginormous shout out. After all, it’s a day of celebration that’s especially apt for our amazing team members. They come from all over the world. They teach students from all over the world. And they give the gift of languages from all over the world.

You might have read our ‘In the Staffroom’ series if you’re a regular to our newsfeed. It’s an opportunity to lift the curtain on the people behind the lessons, and to discover the impact that language has had on their lives and careers.

Here’s a few highlights if you missed them first time around.

Memorable ‘In the Staffroom’ Moments with Language Teachers at Manchester’s La Academia

• French – Elisabeth Diamantidis – “Helping people learning French and getting something from the experience, it’s so enriching. Each student is unique, not only because of their original country, but because of their experience, needs… It’s rewarding to adjust the teaching and find special solutions for each one.”

• Spanish – Silvi Hilman – “I teach Spanish to the mini ones at La Academia. I love interacting with them and teaching them through songs, puppets, stories… they absolutely love it!”

• Hebrew – Judith Romang – “I never lose my fascination for seeing how the language and customs developed in Israel itself have a ripple effect around the world. It’s a magical language, full of culture and history – a millennial language brought into modernity by everyday life.”

• Chinese –Vivien Hom – “After I became a mum, I started focusing on teaching Mandarin Chinese as my career. It’s a win:win. I really enjoy it. And I’m proud to teach the language and culture I love.”

• Arabic – Warka Ali Al Wandawi – “My career has developed in such a way that I feel obliged to spread my passion. So, I’ve adopted creative methods and I’ve even come up with my own tools to teach the Arabic language.”

• Spanish – Miryam Lora Yuste – “I have extensive experience in English and Spanish language teaching, and a genuine passion for helping other people enrich their lives with languages.”

• Japanese – Gill Hall – “Over the past 10 years or so I’ve been sharing my love of the Japanese language with La Academia students, privately, and on a one-to-one basis, mainly taking students to GSCE standard, and sometimes beyond.”

But don’t just take our word for it. Come and meet the greatest language teachers in Manchester for yourself, either in-person at the school in Cheadle, or on-screen via Zoom.

At La Academia, we’ve got brilliant teachers in ALL languages. Get in touch for a chat about the language you want to learn from scratch, or polish up to intermediate or advanced level.

The World Atlas states, “Spanish is the most spoken language of Argentina. This fact can be accredited to the history of the country as a Spanish colony and the widespread use of the language at independence. Today, the vast majority of the population, 40.9 million, speak this language.”

Argentina; famous for its tango, its fine wines, Evita and… ‘the hand of God’!!!

When we caught up with Silvi for this month’s In the Staffroom, there was plenty of reminiscing about Argentina, where she grew up speaking the Spanish language natively.

Q  Silvi, hi! It makes a change to chat with one of our Spanish teachers about a different country than Spain. We’re looking forward to you telling us more about Argentina.

A  Hola! Yes, I was born in Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina.

I’m the middle one of three sisters. Always fighting with both! Sisters! And Latin American spark! It’s a fiery combination.

As most people who leave their own country to live somewhere else, the most memorable memories are all around food. I have lovely memories of growing up in warm and sunny Buenos Aires.  My early recollections are all around “fiestas” with my massive family, or “asados ” (barbecues) with friends.

I can still recall the tastes and smells of spending new year with the family around the pool, eating watermelon and ice-cream as a child with cousins, aunties, uncles and grandparents.

Q  Do you still manage to spend any time in Argentina these days?

A  Sure. We go every couple of years. I’ve passed my love of Argentina to the next generation. Even though my children are grown now, if we decide to go back to Argentina, both my children won’t miss it. And it’s great to see the family and all our friends who are still there.

Q  We all have an attachment to our home countries. But what makes Argentina so special for you?

A  I love the weather, the sunshine. It’s very rare to have a rainy day in Argentina, and if you do have one, you just stay in. Imagine if we did the same in Manchester? We’d always be stuck inside; we’d never leave the house!

And I adore Argentinian food! The empanadas, the alfajores, de dulce de leche… I can keep going on forever…

Q  La Academia is probably best known for teaching the Spanish language. Do you have a particular field of expertise?

A  I teach Spanish to the mini ones at La Academia. I love interacting with them and teaching them through songs, puppets, stories… they absolutely love it!

I love teaching adults, too, we all become great friends. I’ll occasionally tell them about some of the pickles I got in to because of the English language when we arrived here 20 years ago. I could write a book. But some of my tales are too embarrassing to share publicly!

Q  And when school’s out, what keeps you busy?

A  I love going for long walks with my husband and the dog, seeing friends, going for meals out and I especially love travel, going on holidays to different places every time.

At La Academia, our children’s language courses are often the beginnings of lifelong love affairs with Spain, thanks to Silvi’s fun and engaging teaching methods. Get in touch for more details about course schedules and availability.

Source
What Languages Are Spoken In Argentina? Amber Pariona, World Atlas