• 22Mar

    Multilingual Picnics getting an airing at last

    9. All ages, All, Everyone, French, VIC No Comments

      This link takes you to Maria Zijlstra’s ‘Lingua Franca’ program on ABC Radio. The main topic of discussion is Camberwell Primary School, a bilingual English/French school in Melbourne – HOWEVER – the other good news is that multilingual picnics also get a mention – a general reference to the efforts of Irma Lachmund in Perth, Mandy Scott in Canberra and Philip Mahnken in Queensland, and more specifically, the Melbourne Language Picnic 2010.  

    http://www.abc.net.au/rn/linguafranca/stories/2010/2850694.htm

     

     

    Tags: , ,

  • 10Mar

    Language Learning is a Picnic in the Park!

    9. All ages, All, Arabic, Chollo, Croatian, Dutch, Events, Everyone, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Swedish, VIC, Vietnamese No Comments

    Following on from the successful Multilingual Picnic in Canberra in December last year, the first ever Melbourne Language Picnic attracted families associated with the following languages: Arabic, Chollo, Croatian, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Hungarian, Italian, Russian, Swedish and Vietnamese.

    While not everyone was able to come on the day, there was plenty of feedback and interest in supporting this kind of event in the future.

    The presence of a Japanese exchange student provided an opportunity for the children with Japanese LOTEs to try out their skills, and prompted a similar exchange for those with Italian LOTE.  A highlight of the day was some basic formalized language activity, and it was a joy to observe the enthusiasm with which all the children joined in.

    Alessandro, one of the video stars below, gave us this spontaneous vote of approval: ‘The language picnic is cool!’

    Languages PicnicSome linguistic potential who could be persuaded to pose for a photo

    Video clips:

    Language bites in

    1. Japanese 1 &  Japanese 2
    2. Italian
    3. Greek
    4. Russian

    If anyone would like to offer ideas, suggestions or become involved in organizing language-focused social events in their locality, please contact Angela or Brigitte.

    Tags: , ,

  • 19Dec

    Learning two languages – it’s child’s play!

    1. Babies, 2. Pre-schoolers, 9. All ages, ACT, Carers, Dutch, French, German, Korean, Mandarin, Parents, Resources 1 Comment

    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.

    Continue reading »

    Tags:

  • 09Dec

    AlphaTykes

    1. Babies, 2. Pre-schoolers, 3. Kindergarten, 4. Years 1-3, 5. Years 4-6, 6. Years 7-10, 7. Years 11-12, French, Italian, Parents, QLD, Resources, Spanish 3 Comments

    alphatykesAlphaTykes is an Australian company with a unique and successful Australian-created teaching concept.

    We have created a comprehensive language teaching system that is exciting and enjoyable for both children and parents. Our curriculum includes activities in all lessons such as singing, music, story-telling, games and art to capture the imagination of every child.

    We have a co-ordinated system of story books, flash cards, activity books, CDs and online access. You can actually make it as much fun at home for the kids as it is during the lessons! Your whole family will be exploring another language in no time.

    We have 3 centres across Brisbane which teach French, Spanish and Italian to children aged between 18 months – 12 years.

    www.alphatykes.com.au

  • 05Sep

    LOTE@HOME

    9. All ages, Everyone, French, German, Greek, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin, National, Resources, Spanish No Comments

    LOTE@HOME is an innovative way for parents to participate with their kids as they all learn a second language, devised by a parent who was unable to identify an approach to learning a language other than English that focused on a home, family-based setting.

    In the LOTE@HOME pack, there’s a set of 50+ laminated cards for rooms in the home. Families attach the cards to the thing they refer to – the stove, the door, the dishwasher, the cupboard, the bath, the tap and so on. There are cards for the bedroom, the bathroom, the kitchen.

    Family members use the words on the cards, mixed in with their usual language, to make sentences. So for example, a parent could say to a child “… please close ‘la porta’ when you come in …” Gradually, everyone will absorb the Italian word for ‘door’. And so it goes with all the other cards.

    Click here to go to the website

    Continue reading »

   

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