FROM BILINGUAL TO MULTILINGUAL
Unique to Singapore: A Trilingual Class of Excellence in French, English and Mandarin
For the past 10 years, La Petite Ecole has been offering bilingual teaching of the official French curriculum in French and in English. Since 2018, La Petite Ecole has introduced an initiation to Mandarin for all students from 3 years old, an initiative much welcomed by parents.
Always striving to be at the forefront of innovation in terms of educational offer, La Petite Ecole is opening a fully trilingual class in French, English, and Mandarin, starting in January 2023 with the 3-4 years age group. All pre-school levels will be opened progressively to allow the students to carry on learning in all 3 languages for the duration of French system cycle 1 (N2 to K2).
“This is an ambitious project we have been working on”, says School Principal Florian Cossa. “Our team is highly motivated. We are experienced in co-teaching and in organising the alternance of languages. Moreover, Odyssey’s expertise and resources are a great asset to support us in implementing pluralistic approaches.”
A WHOLE WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE FUTURE
Singapore’s multicultural and multiethnic scene provides the ideal environment for this unique offer to take root. In an increasingly competitive market, being able to speak multiple languages and understand other cultures opens doors to personal and professional opportunities. Learning three languages from such an early age may seem daunting to parents who have grown up in a monolingual environment. However, studies have indicated that children who grow up in a supportive environment speaking more than one language are more perceptive, and multilingualism practices enhance both intellectual flexibility and creativity. Moreover, it has been proven time and again that the child’s brain is most receptive to the construction of the multilingual skill - la compétence plurilingue - before the age of 7. The preschool cycle therefore constitutes the ideal time frame to introduce more than one language to your developing child.
