- Is it sensible for children to learn English in kindergarten and then not have any English for 1 or 2 years until they have English classes in school?
Yes, the time window for learning a foreign language is in kindergarten age. If this time is missed, it is more difficult and less natural to learn a foreign language. This is all due to neurobiological reasons. The language a child learns, remains with him or her - in the same way as learning a musical instrument - even if the child does not play music for a long time. Or it is like skiing - even after a break of several years, the child or person will still be able to ski. There is always a recall of the skilled learned in early childhood. This also applies to language skills. Everything a child learns about English in kindergarten age can be reactivated even after a long period of time.
- Won't a child get bored in school if it has already learnt English in kindergarten?
Does a child get bored in school if you speak a lot of German to it, read to it or teach it language skills? No, it is simply good to be within the general linguistic diversity and it will draw benefits from it. The same goes for English. Even if certain topics are repeated, what the child learns is repeated and can be exercised. This provides the child with different ways of achievement than if a new topic is tackled. This increases language skills and the joy of speaking in general. The consequences are self-confidence and assurance in learning foreign languages.
- My child is already bilingual. Is it sensible to add a third language?
Yes. According to brain researchers, a child is capable of learning several languages at the same time without any stress. A child which is brought up to in a bilingual environment is used to integrating foreign sounds. Its intuitive understanding receives special training in this way. It assimilates additional languages with much less effort and more naturally than children of its own age who are brought up in a monolingual environment. Even short-term language delays are negligible compared with the life-long advantages of several languages. According to scientific research, bilingual children have a greater intelligence since the interconnections in the brain are more intensive from birth onwards. For many years, we have experience that multilingual children pick up the learning contents faster in English lessons and can use the language actively. They are generally more spontaneous in using the language actively.
- My child doesn't want to learn English / doesn't want to go to English lessons. Why?
It is natural for children to handle foreign sound and love repeated what they have heard. If they receive the right encouragement, the child will always have fun learning English and will be happy to go to English lessons. Please check whether there are other reasons for their refusal: mother-child relationship, fear of separation, teacher-child relationship, disturbing social interactions within the group, uncertainly, attention deficiency.
- My child has a speech impairment and receives speech therapy. Can my child still learn English?
All children can learn a foreign language! This is no reason why a child with a speech impairment should be excluded. Learning another language will strengthen the child's self-confidence and it will have a positive effect on its language development. Good articulation and phonological exercises during English lessons encourage sound perception. The same principle applies to a child with a speech impediment. The child will be able to repeat everything the child hears enough times. It sores the vocabulary, intonation, syntax and understands!
- In my area there is only an advanced group which has already been learning English for a long time. Can my child still join such a group?
Yes. In every lesson, the group learns a new topic which is demonstrated in concrete play situations. Your child will understand what is demonstrated just as well as the advanced children. It will store the new words and will intensify their meanings in practical speaking exercises. Even a baby perceives its mother tongue at different levels and grows quite naturally into the language.