We took ours to after school French club and it really opened their ears [and mind] to other languages. I think it's actually part of the primary curriculum now so they will get to learn another language from a young age.
I wouldn't mind doing stuff like that, or football, swimming etc, but they're all so expensive. Especially when there are two soon to be three of them! Saying that, they have to do basic French at infant school onwards now anyway
Yes they get it for free now whereas we had to pay - not much as I remember but joking aside it is really good for them. Studies have shown the better they take to languages, the better their all round reading skills/general intelligence develops as well.
Not much for free around here, especially after the concession and local authority budget cuts etc. Nobody has money to fund these things and what funding there is towards training tends to be focused on out of work adults (this is part of my work). If I could then I'd put them in for Spanish lessons. **** the French!
There's loads of stuff you can get for free like youtubes teaching young kids foreign languages. We have this but in Italian - http://www.early-advantage.co.uk/ it's the one they used in school. It's a good laugh even for adults.
I was originally talking about after school clubs because interaction with other kids is great in itself but as you say with a young family there's a limit to what you can fork out on. Online stuff is free and videos like that Muzzy one I linked, can be played over and over, they love knowing stuff their friends don't and something as simple as singing a little song in a foreign language gives them a real sense of achievement.
Bloody peanuts. This shower of a government build 2 aircraft carriers that won't be able to land any aircraft for at least 2 years after they are launched. Not only that but they then had to spend a fortune re-vamping the plans when they changed their minds about the type of aircraft that would eventually use the carriers. Don't know what the full costs will be of building 2 useless carriers but it will make the French cock-up look like spending pocket money!
The French train order was in BILLIONS Dave. The UK carrier cock up has meant the timescale and the price has rocketed, but they'll still get built and it's less than half of the cost the trains
. No it's not that's what this gov. would like you to think. Firstly, as far as I know, they have never truly costed the systems and physical changes required to meet the spec of the new aircraft. Secondly, the new aircraft lacks the same level of capability as the original (Eurofighter) offered. Thirdly, the adaptation costs of the Eurofighter have been 'lost' in a separate budget. Fourthly, the Navy's operational plans were predicated upon having at least one aircraft carrier opperational at any one time. Hence there is a bloody great hole in our defence strategy. Try costing that!! As for the French. The BILLIONS relate to the train order. The bill for the platforms is about 50 - 60 MILLION Euros. Hence the cock-up cost is considerably less than ours. Plus they will end up with fit for purpose platforms.
England under 17's have just won the European championship on penalties, never missed one. Is this an omen for the World Cup.
