There is a wonderful sensitive period to all language in young children. At about four years of age little boys will often know the names of all the different types of aircraft and astonish their parents.
Four and five year olds will join in the recitation of the long poem, ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’ and although they don’t know the meaning of the word ‘runcible’ that occurs in this poem, they will enjoy saying it!
At this very sensitive stage to language a young child can learn another language other than his own and have no trace of poor accent at all. This is the sensitive period to the rhythm and the intonation of the language. I remember taking my own daughter at the age of four to Italy. She was there for three weeks. By the end of one week she was talking to her doli in an exact imitation of the rhythm and the lilt of the language. It was only on listening more closely that we could hear that they were all made up words!
At this age we should allow the children in our nurseries the opportunity of listening to cassettes and video tapes in another language. You will be amazed that by just listening, how perfectly they will pick up the pronunciation and the intonation. We should not intrude at this stage with translations. Instead we should see that the cassette or video is self explanatory. If there is a native speaker of the language they can hear it in person. But do not speak the language to the children yourself if your accent is not perfect as they will mimic you exactly – The ear is so acute at this stage.
Get someone with a perfect accent (that is a native of the country) to put on to a cassette, simple commands like ‘sit down’, ‘stand up’, ‘run’, ‘jump’, etc. The children do what is said. Now let the children take turns to be the person calling out the commands – and the other children obey.
The language teaching should follow the natural way that a young child learns its own language. This can be done and the vocabulary built up by the sensorial material.
Use the farm, the garage, etc.
When the oral vocabulary is really good then introduce the written language in the same way as the Montessori development of reading and writing, with all the same materials, but now in the second language. You will be amazed at the results!
Remember that the cassettes are there (with earphones) for the children to go to listen whenever they wish. It is this repetition of listening which is so necessary before spontaneous speech will arise.