Discover how very young children learn English as an additional language and how you can help them progress.
Who is the course for?
This course will be of interest to you if you are: a parent of young children who wishes to support their child learning an additional language; an English teacher or an early childhood practitioner; or someone who is interested in the area of child development and language acquisition.
If English is not your first language please be reassured that this course is suitable for those who have learnt English to around intermediate level (approximately B1 on the CEFR).
The principles of learning an additional language during early childhood apply to all languages, so if you are a parent, teacher or practitioner interested in teaching languages other than English, you will find plenty of relevant methods in the course.
Why join the course?
How do very young children best learn English as an additional language while they’re still learning their mother tongue? How and why do children learn best through play? What can parents and practitioners do to enable children to get the most out of a learning experience?
This free online course for parents and practitioners will explore how young children learn English and investigate many more aspects of early childhood learning and development.
Create the best environment for young children to learn English
British Council educators will share their insights and experiences, so that you can learn how to best talk to young children; how to create the best environment for them to learn English as an additional language; and how to monitor their progress most effectively.
Through articles, videos and live events you will hear from early childhood experts and parents, and see for yourself how young children learn inside the early years classroom. At every stage, you will be offered tips, advice and downloadable resources.
You will join discussions about child development and early childhood English language learning, so that you have the opportunity to interact live with our experienced educators. Here you will also be able to share your opinions, ideas and questions with other participants.
Draw on the British Council’s English teaching expertise
This free online course draws on the British Council’s expertise in teaching English to learners of all ages including very young children. It also benefits from our experience of creating Learning Time with Shaun & Timmy learning centres, where children aged two to six learn English through play, and a series of educational apps.