International bilingual kindergartens

123 mon école: international schools with a bilingual approach to education

123 mon école welcomes children of all nationalities, and this international setting encourages their openness to the world!

Every fall, 123 mon école welcomes more than thirty different nationalities, and this diversity is celebrated on "International Day".

Children who wish to do so bring elements of their own culture and language to class.

Parents can also come and share a moment in class around these fascinating subjects.

English is
all day long

Language transmission is rooted in everyday situations, in the garden, during lunch, in the classroom, etc.

Language learning is accompanied by gestures and facial expressions, which give meaning to words that are still unknown. Vocabulary enrichment in both languages takes place on a daily basis.

The educators have mastered the art of repetition, and the children, these geniuses of learning, never cease to impress their parents with their progress.

Learning materials
adapted to both languages

Every classroom is equipped with reading andwriting materials in both English and French.

And all other Montessori activities - mathematics, practical life, sensory and world discovery - are carried out in both languages.

English and French : dtwo languages and simultaneous learning

Linguists agree that some languages, like English and French, are better suited to simultaneous learning than others.

Their sound systems are far enough apart not to create learning conflicts.

Two teachers per class:
one English-speaking and one French-speaking

Throughout the day, the children are supervised by two educators, one of whom speaks English and the other French.

There is no assistant at 123 mon école. The two educators are teachers who are able to pass on their mastery of Montessori pedagogy and English language teaching.

It also creates a spirit of fairness within our teams.

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One language, one person

According to linguists, it's important for a child to identify an adult with a language, if the transmission of a foreign language is to be optimal.

For example, at 123 mon école, teachers keep their own language throughout the day. The children quickly understand the function of each.

If your child speaks French to an English-speaking teacher, the teacher will respond in English. The same is true of the French-speaking teacher, who will respond in French if the child speaks to her in English.

This systemavoids confusion for children and makes it easier to identify the system of each language.

0-6 years, a key age for language learning

Linguists believe that exposure to foreign languages from an early age is a real opportunity for children.

Young children have aunique ability to learn sounds, thanks to their marvellous cerebral plasticity.

Babies as young as 4 weeks old can identify their mother's voice.

Children can differentiate between different languages until about 10 months of age, when they gradually begin to specialize in one language.

Throughout their growth, with a particularly favourable window of opportunity between the ages of 0 and 6, children possess great learning capacities, and not just for languages.

Questions parents have about bilingualism

Who sends their children to 123 mon école ?

Expatriate families looking to teach their children the French language, while continuing to learn English.

French families returning from expatriation, looking to continue the wonderful experience of immersion in the English language, while retaining the richness of an international environment.

French families who want to immerse their children in a bilingual, multicultural environment.

What if my child doesn't speak English?

This is common at 123 mon école. Children who do not speak English may initially approach the French-speaking teacher.

French remains a part of the children's school day.

It flows freely along with English.

If my child doesn't continue learning English as assiduously in elementary school, what's left of this bilingual experience?

If your child stops learning English in elementary school, but then picks it up again, he or she will find a fertile ground. Sounds already known and stored in his memory will gradually come back to him. Like gymnastics, the memory reactivates familiar sounds, facilitating pronunciation and overall understanding of the language.

Would you like to know more about simultaneous language acquisition?

Find out more by tuning in to our webinar on bilingualism, hosted by a linguist.

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