England 21/03/2013 – In an increasingly global world, speaking a second language is a big advantage. As a result, most parents now want their children to learn at least one other language.
When it comes to finding a language school for children there is a lot more choice than their once was. Increasingly, private schools and tutors are catering specifically for children. In the past, most parents had little choice but to send their children to language schools that catered primarily for adults.
This was far from ideal, it often meant waiting until children were in their teens and mature enough to sit in a class made up mostly of adults. Understandably, this learning environment was not one that most teenagers enjoyed or wanted to be in. In addition, having to wait until they were old enough meant wasting their child’s most productive language learning years. Studies show that the younger a child is when they start learning a language the more successful they are at learning that language. Parents were crying out for language schools to provide classes that met the needs of children rather than adults. Today, such courses and language schools do exist, and are growing in popularity.
What the new generation of language schools offer
The most innovative children’s language courses use play or popular sports to help children to become familiar with their new language and expand their vocabulary. Children, who already enjoy and understand an activity like football, will happily take instruction from a coach in a second language. They learn far more naturally this way. Day trips and time spent with families who speak the language are other ways the best children’s language schools use to speed up the learning process.
Language schools like Dolphin Languages is one of the language schools that has responded to demand for language courses specifically designed for children. They offer a range of courses for children aged from eight to eighteen. Residential courses for children from abroad who want to learn or improve their English are available. For UK based children who want to learn French, German and Spanish both day and residential courses are available. Demand for their classes is growing as more and more parents seek ways of advancing their children’s language education.