New book teaches Gaelic for toddlers
The Gaelic Pre-School Council (CNSA) has developed a new manual to help under-threes learn Gaelic and hopes that 70 per cent of children in some areas of Scotland could become bilingual by primary school age within the next ten years. The CNSA said its manual, Immersion Language Learning for Pre-3s, could reduce the time it takes a two-year-old from a non-Gaelic speaking home to become fluent from 2,000 to 400 hours.
The CNSA said its manual, Immersion Language Learning for Pre-3s, could reduce the time it takes a two-year-old from a non-Gaelic speaking home to become fluent from 2,000 to 400 hours.
CNSA chief executive Finlay Macleoid said the manual stresses that under-threes are willing to work closely with a carer or parent, providing great opportunities for quickly grasping a new language. Learning a new language at four years of age was 'far harder because they are then more reliant on friends,' he added.
The CNSA approach involves 'a very wide range of language-centred activities, including games, songs and the use of puppets', he said. It is primarily designed for use by parents and in Gaelic-speaking playgroups.
In a statement, the council said it had the 'highest expectation' that the development of this new manual could mean that 'within ten years around 70 per cent of all children in the Western Isles, Argyll and Highland Council areas can be Gaelic speaking by the time they reach primary school age'.
It said, 'This particular aspect of CNSA's work grows ever more pressing as more and more parents are seeking Gaelic-medium pre-school education for their children.'
Finlay Macleoid said the methodology underpinning teaching the under-threes involved 'developing the child's internal motivation to speak Gaelic'. He added, 'It is very much a case of building up the child's self-confidence and recognising the opportunities for fast language learning which this younger age group presents.'
The CNSA already has a manual for children aged three to five, entitled Immersion Language Learning, published in 2000.
More information about immersion language learning for the under-threes is available from the CNSA on 01463 225469.
