At Lango Foreign Languages for Kids, we believe that every child should learn a second language. 

Our approach is through play and activities.  Children in our classes learn through music, playing games, hearing stories, role playing and doing simple art activities.  Our methodology incorporates Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Total Physical Response, Immersion, and the Rassias Method.  A child may pick up the concepts being presented in a lesson through hearing and acting out a song, through hearing and seeing the story presented to them, through playing a game, or through doing an art activity.  We offer multiple ways for children to learn in each class.  Additionally, during each session, the children go on an adventure through our storybooks.  They may go to the city for a session and "look" for Cosmo in each chapter in a different location:  the museum, the supermarket, a restaurant, the park, the zoo, etc.  Each chapter inspires new vocabulary to learn, but keeps the familiar theme of being in the city and "looking" for Cosmo.  The combination of all the methods used is called "Adventure Learning", which is the Lango Method.

The music developed for our program incorporates the methodology as well.  For example, when we sing  "Baila con tu Cuerpo" the song instructs us to move various body parts (it is actually quite a work out!), following the Total Physical Response Method.  When we use our flashcards in class, it is not to hold them up and say the word, it is to play a game like Memory Card or Go Fish.  When we read a story, we don't just read the words, we use laminated images while we are reading that we pass around when we use that vocabulary.  All the senses are being used to absorb the language rather than memorize it.

Regarding usage of the target language in classes, we use it as much as possible without frustrating the children.  If there is a behavior issue we will address it in English.  We want the kids to have fun in class - if they feel uncomfortable that the teacher is only speaking to them in another language, that is not going to be effective.  As a session progresses, we use less and less English and make a game out of figuring out what the teacher is saying, rather than forcing the issue.  Your child learned their first language through figuring out what was being said - not through translation (there isn't anything to translate to for a first language!).

We also mention the Rassias Method when describing our methodology.  While there are many aspects to this method, the principle concept taken for our classes is "over the top delivery".  Doing whatever they can for the kids to understand what they are saying without translating - this usually means they need to be very dramatic in their delivery.  When teaching a class, our teachers use a kind of game to guide them on how to teach the class:  They must imagine that they don't share a common language with the children.  They need to do everything they can to get the children to understand what is being said through their actions, tone of voice, props, imagery, etc.

In short, we want to make the learning experience fun and effective for the kids.  We encourage you to give a class a try and see if it works for your family!

Registration:

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