Nursery World - Bonjour, mes enfants!

The ideal time to be introduced to a foreign language is in the early years, says Opal Dunn, and the popularity and success of French programmes shows why Learning a foreign language in the early years is growing in popularity, providing a good selling point for nurseries, a draw for parents and a source of fun for more and more nursery-age children.

Learning a foreign language in the early years is growing in popularity, providing a good selling point for nurseries, a draw for parents and a source of fun for more and more nursery-age children.

Teaching materials, and teachers, are often provided by language clubs, large and small, while some settings organise their own language programmes and recruit their own teacher (see More Information).

French is usually the language of choice, with nurseries across the country reporting 'French time' the highlight of children's week. 'They lap it up and learn so quickly - we are surprised and so are their parents,' says Teresa Scibor, director of Le Club Tricolore.

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