Children Learn Asian Languages in Virtual Classrooms

SYDNEY, Australia – 26 January 2017 – Despite some parental concerns that exposing young children to a second language can cause first language delay, experts have shown that children learning a second language actually enjoy improved academic performance, including better first language skills. Bilingual children also possess enhanced cognitive flexibility and a broader world view.

Learning a second language should not solely be seen as an academic pursuit. As a matter of fact, learning a second language can be a very enjoyable extracurricular activities for children that improve their experiences and creativity. For that reason, children who are not interested in learning a second language for academic reasons can attend private classes to learn useful foreign language skills. Learning through virtual classrooms is a plus for saving time on commuting and finding a language school near you.

Mastering a foreign language that greatly differs from one’s first language can only be achieved through personal coaching by a professional language teacher. Some studies on second language acquisition show that children successfully acquire a foreign language when the factor of a personal contact is present; something that is missing when children learn from recordings or language apps alone. Learning direct from a native-speaker also has the added advantage of imparting important cross-cultural skills - something that can be experienced only through meaningful interactions with people from that culture in an extended period of time.

Although European languages have remained to be popular choices for Australian children wanting to learn foreign languages, increasing number of parents have seen the value in learning Asian languages. This is indeed a smart choice to equip our children with a competitive advantage for their future.

Understanding the language learning needs of children in Australia, Asian Language School have created language programs in Chinese and Japanese for students age six to seventeen years old. Curriculum is divided for primary school children and secondary school children. The program for children age six to eleven teaches Japanese for three years and Chinese for four years from term one to term four, providing these young learners with year round exposure to the second language and clear learning objectives. Meanwhile, the program for teenage children are more flexible whereby students can enrol in any level throughout the terms. The language programs for teens are created to enable students to achieve fluency at the completion of their study, including speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Classes are taught by native-speaker teachers who are long-term Australian residents and are familiar with Australian culture. The school also enables parents to join the first few classes to accompany their children learning. Tuition fees are affordable at around $200 per term. Children learn in a virtual classroom with two to three other students under the guidance of a teacher. There are options to learn either once a week or twice a week.

To find out more about the children language program with Asian Language School, please visit https://www.asianlanguageschool.com. For media enquiries, please contact Asian Language School at +61 2 9152 8740 or via email at info@asianlanguageschool.com.