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.

First I visited the Yeppeun Byol Playgroup at Hughes, where I found a warm centre of activity and intercultural communication.  The group focuses on Korean children under school age, but includes parents of various ethnic backgrounds who have adopted children from Korea.  Food was a major part of the morning’s activities, reflecting its cultural significance and the interest of the Korean mothers in various non-Korean recipes and vice versa – The Aussie pikelets were a bit hit with the children on the day I was there!  The Korean parents take a leading role in teaching Korean songs, music, games and other activities to the children and the other parents.

The German playgroup Spiel und Spass, is held in Cook.  Again it was a busy morning, with about 20 children.  After a period of individual play and a craft activity, the group came together to sing songs from the “German songbook”, collated by and for the group over time.  Most parents have some connection with the German language, either coming from a German speaking country or having German speaking partners.

As with all playgroups, the activities allow parents to get together as well as the children.  One mother told me of her pleasure at being able to speak her native language with others.  Another, a non-German speaker, was attending to broaden her own and her child’s experience.

I also visited a Chinese playgroup, which is held in the homes of various parents.  This was less structured than the other groups, and a happy, boisterous atmosphere was the order of the day.  Again, food was an important part of the activities.

The mothers were all Chinese and obviously enjoyed being able to discuss family and life issues in Mandarin.  Not that the group does not welcome non-Chinese: others are welcome – though as with the two previous groups, culture and language maintenance was the guiding aim.

There is a place in Canberra for language-based playgroups which focus on English-only families.  These are springing up in other cities across Australia as parents realise the value to young minds of being exposed to more than one language.  Canberra is a highly educated city with a talented multilingual community – and plans are already afoot for new bilingual playgroups here.

One of the Chinese parents at the existing playgroup is thinking of starting a group which will focus on non-Chinese families, where parents and children can experience a Mandarin-speaking environment and learn Chinese songs and cultural activities together.

An experienced preschool teacher from Belgium has also just moved to Canberra and is exploring the possibility of starting sessions for teaching French or Dutch to young children.

So: watch this space!

Playgroups are ideal environments for introducing children to a new language in a fun way.  Parents can also be fully involved and can continue activities in the chosen language with their children at home if they wish.

Mandy Scott has a PhD in Linguistics, speaks several languages and is an active supporter of languages education; she can be contacted at mandy.scott@anu.edu.au This article first appeared in PlayACT, the newsletter of the ACT Playgroups Association, in 2008

Sunday 28 September 2008, 10am-5pm

Explore the many languages of the Canberra region

Enjoy music, dance and food from many cultures

Join a free workshop! Try your hand at Arabic, Greek, Korean, Indonesian, Mandarin, Spanish, or an indigenous language; explore the Cyrillic script or Japanese writing; make a podcast in another language, hear how languages can be a career asset …

Roam around the stalls and discover the world’s languages!

Find out how and where they are taught in the Canberra region

Click here to download the event poster in PDF format

Click here to download the event poster in Word format

Receive a ‘global passport’ and get it stamped for each language you know or learn about on the day.

Raising a child in more than one language?

Share your experiences with other parents, hear some success stories, and discover more about the benefits of bilingualism (11.30am−12.30pm)

Have an opinion about language education in the ACT?

Talk to the politicians and leaders who make the policies (2pm−3pm)

Free admission

Fun for all ages

WHERE? University of Canberra: Main Concourse, Building 1 and Building 2

For more details, contact Faiz on 6201 2333 or email mandy.scott@canberra.edu.au

Click here to download the event poster in PDF format

Click here to download the event poster in Word format