Australia's present and future is multilingual.
Every child in Australia should grow up at least bilingual.
Languages education starts before school life and should continue throughout.
(Updated 28-03-2010)
Join our wonderful team!
The German Australian Playschool in Canberra is looking for a German-speaking teacher and assistant teacher to join us for 3 days a week, starting in February 2011.
Approx 20 hours per week, Wednesdays to Fridays.
Email Lisa on spielwelt@homemail.com.au
One of the presentations at last year’s seminar on raising bilingual children at Melbourne University discussed Languages Activism and the different ways in which parents can contribute to enhancing language learning in the wider community. Kimmba Bilingual Learning Playgroups are an outstanding example of such an initiative, and here is the story of the person behind its success.
Marisha Theeboom is an experienced, trained Mandarin teacher and volunteer community worker since 1987. She has worked with a variety of ages, cultures and in different continents whilst involved with a large charitable organisation that spans Taiwan, America and South Africa. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree from University of Cape Town, R.S.A.,1996.
She married an Australian Pilot in 2000, migrated to Melbourne and has three daughters. As a migrant herself, she is aware of the difficulties involved in settling within the local community. Thus she has turned her love of teaching and community work into establishing Kimmba Bilingual Learning Playgroup Inc. Kimmba has been established for migrants and local residents to be able to gather together and understand each other through a fun and loving playgroup environment. In doing so, she hopes the establishment of Kimmba Bilingual Learning Playgroup enables more migrants from differing cultures to benefit by retaining their self-identity and at the same time develop proficiency in English language skills.
Marisha has developed her own bilingual education program for young children, called Jo Jo Bilingual Education Program and started the first Mandarin bilingual learning playgroup at Taiwanese School of Melbourne in July 2006. She has further studied and obtained a Certificate in the Professional Development Program in Second Language Teaching Methodology for Teachers in Ethnic Schools (Chinese Phase I) from RMIT University November, 2006.
This year Marisha is expanding Kimmba so that more children and families can be exposed to wide range of languages and cultures. She is opening a new Center in Prahran that will be available for students ranging from 0-6 years old to come from 1 hour- 15 hours a week to learn either Mandarin, German or Spanish. The Prahran center is set up as an early learning center with two fully qualified and trained teachers in every room. This center is hopefully the first of many to come as Marisha is passionate about exposing children and families to different languages and cultures to help build positive relationships with everyone in the community.
To find out more , please visit http://www.kimmba.com.au/
UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA
Australia’s Capital University
Raising Children in More than One Language
A free seminar for parents, grandparents,
early childhood and preschool workers, teachers, and others interested in bilingual education
Sunday 21 February
International Mother Language Day
1.30-4.30pm
• Hear from parents who have raised their children in more than one language – and from the children themselves
• Discover more about the benefits of bilingual education
• Find out about opportunities for language learning and bilingual education in the ACT
Building 2, University of Canberra, Bruce
(enter from ‘The Hub’ – see map at www.canberra.edu.au/university/maps )
FREE ENTRY & REFRESHMENTS
Bookings essential: phone Marina on 6201 2483 or email Mandy.Scott@canberra.edu.au
This project was made possible by the support of the
ACT Government’s Multicultural Grants Program 2009–10
Tags: bilingual children, bilingualism seminar, Canberra, Canberra University
For those not able to attend the recent RUMACCC (University of Melbourne) seminar on raising bilingual children, the link below will take you to the handouts for the sessions on what parents can do to encourage language learning beyond the home, for their children and community alike.
This very informative article is published by Learning Links, an “Australian charity and non-profit organisation formed to help children who have learning disabilities, difficulties and developmental delays, and their families”.
Dr Mandy Scott
In an article last year I discussed the multiple benefits that young children can gain from learning a second language. These benefits include adding to communicative and intellectual skills, and laying the foundation for successful learning of further languages later in life.
This article introduces readers to a growing area of interest among parents – bilingual playgroups.
Over recent months I have visited three language-based playgroups in the ACT. All are providing a bilingual experience for children and highlighting the fact that speaking more than one language is a natural and fun thing to do.
Tags: Playgroups
The Mandarin Stars program provides immensely enjoyable Mandarin classes for children age 1 to 5 in a structured playgroup with music, movement, singing, dramatic play, art and craft, story telling, games and more in a truly multi-cultural environment!
Our Mandarin Stars develop cognitive, gross and fine motor skills whilst being immersed in the Mandarin language. It’s a playgroup with a difference and designed for families of all nationalities.
Our curriculum has been inspired by Mandarin programs already taught in private, international Pre-schools, Kindergartens and Mandarin Playgroups in Hong Kong and China. With this inspiration, we have blended the Australian ‘playgroup’ approach in delivering our program and as a result, have created stimulating, fun mandarin classes for children age 1 to 5 years.
The Languages Action Alliance is preparing an online survey for parents / guardians / care givers of children and/or parents-to-be to identify their attitudes, experiences and needs relevant to the support of language learning.
The survey will be online by Friday 5 September 2008.
