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For many children (and adults!), Maths is seen as a foreign language in itself.

So the idea of numeracy in another language and children becoming more proficient in language-based numeracy is both a challenging and an exciting opportunity. 

Integrated language and content instruction also known as content-centered or content-based language learning is an effective way for learners of other languages to develop both their second language skills and their academic skills at the same time.

In everyday life, in every language, children are confronted by numbers; from reading the time, getting on the right bus or putting coins in a meter, to buying fruit from the shop and cutting up the afternoon tea.

With our FUN teaching methods, integrating numeracy with language learning gives us an opportunity to consolidate familiar lifestyle activities and conversation with numbers.  And strenthens our little linguists’ numeracy and problem solving skills in both English and their newly acquired language.

In our language classes, our instructions, our learning outcomes, the encouragement and feedback we give are all opportunities to use numeracy examples and vocabulary and to showcase solutions to problems in the target language.

Exactly what do the kids get up to in their foreign language lessons with Fun Languages?

Although sessions may differ slightly from language to language, club to club and from week to week – depending on the lesson plan – many of the songs and games are repeated each week to consolidate the children’s memory and to build their confidence.

Each lesson builds on the previous one and our fantastic, native speaking, language teachers involve the children in many fun activities, as you’ll see below in a sample lesson outline from one of our immersion preschooler Mandarin clubs in Bendigo, Victoria.

Group storytelling, calligraphy, large dice games, tea sets, mock shops, playdough, games of hide & seek, treasure hunts, duck duck goose game, “What’s the time Mr.Wolf” game, musical cushions game, caterpillar/butterfly game, and dress ups are just some of the very engaging activities for our little linguists.  

And the kids LOVE them so much, they don’t even realise they are learning another language!

#1 Go team!

To raise a bilingual child it’s important that both parents are completely on board and committed to the idea. Talk about it, share opinions, experiences and concerns and find a solution that works for both parties. Make it a family mission!

#2 Make a plan!

Once both parents committed to the idea of raising a bilingual child, create a plan on how to do it. There are different methods depending on your family’s situation – the two most popular are the ML@H (minority language at home) – where both parents speak the minority language at home and OPOL (one parent, one language) – where one parent speaks one language to the child and the other speaks the second language. Choose the one that works best for you and stick to it even when it gets tough, (because it can). Consistency is the key!

#3 Talk, talk, talk!

Languages need exposure! And while there is “no good measure of ‘enough exposure‘ for a child to become naturally bilingual, there is no dsputing the fact that the more, the better. Make sure your child is constantly exposed to the sound of the minority language – talk to them about anything you can babble on about.

#4 Play, play, play!

Sing, dance, read and play in the target language! As much as talking is important to your child, so is having enough time to play and enjoy. Make sure you involve the minority language in games, rhymes or songs. Attending a playgroup or Fun Language club will also make languages a fun social event for your child.

Recently, Jodie, a parent from Melbourne, called us about the possibility of starting a Fun Languages club at her daughter’s school.

Like many parents in Australia, Jodie deeply regrets the fact that she did not learn her ancestral language (Italian) from her parents, who came over to Australia in the post-WWII period.

During that period. migrants were encouraged to forget their culture, replace their customs with those of Australia, suspend or revise their beliefs and adapt their attitudes to better assimilate into their newly adopted country’s culture. To learn to speak “‘Strine”!

At Fun Languages, we speak to parents like Jodie every day. Parents who want to give their children the gift of another language, of their parents’ “mother tongue”. Parents who want their kids to benefit from the many opportunities that being bilingual brings.