Alison Thomas

Ecoutez mes élèves

Times Educational Supplement (21 February 1997)
At first glance it looks like any playgroup or nursery class. Activities are carefully structured, and the children move from quiet, reflective occupations like craft work or jigsaws to more lively activities involving songs, games, mime and movement. But there's one crucial difference. Throughout the entire two-hour session, not a word of English is spoken - at least not by the adults. "Tu portes une robe rouge aujourd'hui ou bleue?" asks one of the playleaders or 'animatrices'. Three year-old Claire turns from her jigsaw to glance down at her dress. "Pink," is her succinct reply.

This is Tricolore Tots, set up two years ago by trained linguist Teresa Scibor and now running three times a week in various centres in London. The fact that the children regularly resort to English causes her no concern.

"When we play games to exploit familiar expressions, they love speaking French and there's no holding them back," she explains. "But to expect them to use it all the time would be unrealistic. On the other hand, unlike older children, toddlers don't worry if they can't understand everything. And because they hear so much French, their comprehension skills develop quite rapidly. It's the first step - C'est le premier pas."

This was evident at the two sessions I visited last summer. "Ne mets pas le crayon dans la bouche", "Va te laver les mains", "Prends du papier" - instructions of this sort, accompanied by body language and visual clues when necessary, were accepted unquestioningly.

The benefits of starting a foreign language at an early age are not disputed, yet provision in English primary schools remains patchy. Even in Scotland, the introduction of primary languages nationwide has not been an unmitigated success, due partly to the shortage of suitably qualified primary teachers. Although in-service training is provided, linguistic expertise takes years to acquire.

"It's false to assume that a smattering of French is all you need to teach beginners," maintains Teresa, who employs only fluent speakers. "One of the advantages of starting early is that young children are brilliant mimics. A poor linguist with an Anglicised accent instils bad habits that may never be lost."...