French for the very young: Elisabeth Palmer outlines her approach to teaching French to young children

Learning French can be great fun for young children if the methods used are suitable for the age and ability of the child. As in a nursery school, where children learn fundamental principles such as colour, shape, animals, objects, etc. the basics of a foreign language can easily be picked up. The simple act of colouring a picture of, for example, a house when relating it to the French word for 'house' can give a child the understanding of a foreign word while having fun. The children will not even realise they are being taught. To them it is just enjoying themselves with a kind lady they see once a week!

The lessons are not just for 'bright' children, they can be adapted to suit children of all abilities. The aim is not to produce child prodigies or to push children beyond their capabilities but to familiarise them with French. Language learning blocks can appear at puberty and learning early gives children enough time to acquire a limited use of structures and vocabulary.

When I first starting teaching French, I taught children at home on a one-to-one basis but I now teach exclusively in nurseries. I teach a small group of four to six children for a quarter of an hour. It is quite possible to conduct the lesson entirely in French. The activities are varied and include discussions, for instance, about the weather chart or colouring and gluing activities to learn the colours. I follow a monthly theme. Simple personal questions are asked and the children respond in French. We play with toys and puppets and I often read French stories to them. Role play and of course, singing all add to the children's enjoyment.

I do not expect young children to speak French fluently. This would be an unrealistic expectation. However, the children take easily to the language and there is no confusion between French and English. Parents must not expect children at the age of three or four to produce much in the way of spoken French. The ability to express themselves in the spoken word appears to lag well behind their capacity to comprehend. A child asked a question in French may well at first reply in English but this does show that he has understood. Later he will start to give spontaneous answers in French.

A positive attitude is encouraged and through the creation of a relaxed and happy environment effective learning takes place. This is a positive step in an area that is still largely ignored in mainstream primary education.

For further details about Elisabeth Palmer's French teaching call 01732 357772.

Although this article is about learning French, the ideas and concepts would equally apply to learning other foreign languages.