Bilingual Learning

Preschool and pre-kindergarten children learn a second language through activities such as stories, arts and crafts, songs and playtime rather than formal instruction. This strategy works effectively with children’s various learning styles: visual, auditory, tactile and kinesthetic. Foreign-language books, games, posters, pictures and labels in the classrooms enhance second-language learning and cross-cultural awareness.

Preschoolers learn Spanish, starting with familiar ideas like counting to five, saying the alphabet and naming shapes, colors and everyday objects. With their teacher’s help, they explore Spanish cooking, culture and holidays while they build their conversation and comprehension skills.

The Spanish language curriculum was developed by a team of renowned applied linguists, including Professor Alison Mackey and Professor Cristina Sanz, with their graduate students Ms. Lisa Warren and Elizabeth Kissling. Between them, these Georgetown University professors have published 15 books and 100+ articles on second language learning.