French Immersion
Early immersion in a foreign language lays the foundation for bilingualism and opens a child’s mind to a broader understanding of the world. At the FIAF Preschool, our goal is for your child to be bilingual in French after two years with us. Our teaching methods integrate both English-speaking children and those with a connection to French at home. We use a variety of individual and group activities to meet the pace of each child.
During the first year, children begin to absorb and understand the language through daily routines, the use of visuals, and gestures. If a child speaks in English, teachers answer by rephrasing the question in French. At this early stage, while they might not say much in class, children sing the songs they’ve learned and use some new vocabulary at home.
Quickly, children master broader vocabulary, start responding in French, and begin to form simple sentences. Whether your child continues on to an American or French school, these years in preschool are a pivotal foundation for mastery of the language and lifelong love of French.
Read more about the benefits of language immersion:
Bilingual Education: 6 Potential Brain Benefits
NPR, Anya Kamenetz
Highlighting the Benefits of Being Bilingual
Edutopia, Christine Boatman
Bilingual Education Is America’s Future
UCLA School fo Education and Information Studies, John McDonald
Bilingualism: Consequences for Mind and Brain
PubMed Central, NIH, Ellen Bialystok, Fergus I.M. Craik, and Gigi Luk
Bilingualism May Stave Off Dementia, Study Suggests
The New York Times, Jaya Padmanabhan
Opinion | The Benefits of Bilingualism
The New York Times, Yudhijit Bhattacharjee
How Useful Is It to Be Multilingual?
The New York Times, Nicole Daniels
Raising a Truly Bilingual Child
The New York Times, Perri Klass, MD