Fact: most of us don’t know our ça vas from our salam alaykums. And no, we’re not all slow. While adults may struggle to pick up the lingo, kids seem to just grasp the myriad tongues and alphabets flooding the streets of Abu Dhabi. But we’re not complaining, this multi-cultural atmosphere makes the capital the perfect environment for kindling little ones’ interests in languages.
Language classes are a great way to keep the little minds ticking over during the long summer break, and getting children involved with a language at an early stage of their development can have strong, long-term educational benefits. Your child could become fluent if they begin their linguistic journey before adolescence, and cognitive skills acquired while learning a language can also help them achieve better in other academic areas.
Foreign language courses are available all over the city, and many institutions offer classes tailored to little ones. We spoke to Faye McComish, one of the teachers at the Berlitz Language School, to find out more.
What makes Abu Dhabi a good place to get the little ones interested in learning a new language?
When you’re learning, it’s all about immersing yourself in the language and exposing yourself to real-life material. There are so many different communities here in Abu Dhabi, and children get to meet friends from all over the world. If you want to learn French, there’s a French community; if you want to learn German, there’s a German one. The government is also doing a really great job here – Arabic lessons are compulsory for
all school children in Abu Dhabi, which is a great way to spark kids’ interests in a language.
Do you think it’s important for kids to start learning foreign languages at a young age?
Oh definitely, kids are like sponges, and they just absorb everything. In fact, children usually find it much easier to learn new languages than adults. The later you leave it, the harder it gets for them, and by about the age of 14 it seems like a little switch in their head has flicked off and it gets really difficult. It really is best to start them young: they just find it so easy.
How do you engage with the kids in the classroom? Is it hard to keep them focused?
No, not really – they love it. We use a communicative approach so you certainly won’t find kids sitting at desks doing lists of exercises. Their time in the classroom is for speaking and practising what they’re learning. We do lots of work with flashcards and songs, and we also use role play and even have dressing up clothes to make everything hands-on. The kids get really into this active approach. By doing this, they’re learning because they want to; they want to know what’s going on in the stories that we use and they want to know what’s coming next.
What can parents do to continue the learning process at home?
It’s really important for parents to get involved. Although teachers are there to give as much support to the children as possible, we’re not magic and we can’t implant the information in kids’ minds. They need to continue to be exposed to material in between lessons. In fact, one thing we always recommend to parents is to watch translated Disney movies with their kids. The language in these films is geared at children who are developing their language, and they don’t make use of slang like more adult films. My baby cousin’s favourite film is Ratatouille and she watches it over and over, so we just switched the language to French and she’s already starting to pick it up.
Berlitz Abu Dhabi offers children’s classes in Arabic on a private basis. Children’s French classes are being held July 3-27, August 2-25, Sun-Wed, 5pm-6.30pm for children aged four-14, 7pm-9pm for children aged 14 plus. Dhs1,450 (four-14), Dhs1,850 (14+). For information, visit berlitz@emirates.net.ae or call 02 667 2287.
