Business Award

Our very own Angela Sterling is a finalist in the Star Radio Business Awards 2011 in the category of "Business Person of the Year"!

Business Person of the Year finalists have proven that their role has been instrumental in the growth and success of the company. We will find out how she did on 3rd November at a special gala dinner for finalists....fingers crossed!

Read more here.

Would you like to work for us?

Lingotot is looking to expand and is looking for fabulous franchisees. You don't need to be a qualified teacher as we train you and you don't need pots of cash as for a limited time we're offering our franchises on a "try before you buy" basis. You will need bags of enthusiasm, be fluent in French and/or Spanish and love working with kids! Please contact us to find out more.

Here at Lingotot we hear very little children say foreign language words all the time, but we thought we would share some of our recent stories with you. These have been taken from our Achievement Log which parents fill in every time their child uses or responds to some language. Their achievements are very special, especially as some of them aren't even 2 yet!

• George now says Bonjour and Au Revoir
• Amelia pointed to a picture of a bird when we asked her "où est l'oiseau?" She also responds to lots of French instruction words
• Joshua wrote some French words for the first time this week. He copied the word for rainbow.
• Miles can do sums in French
• Harvey can count to 6 in French
• Jessica told her off mum and dad for talking by saying "No mummy, no daddy, no bavardez!

We also work in schools and nurseries. Year 1 pupils at Catchgate Primary School have been learning how to describe themselves. After their usual Lingotot session, they listened very carefully to some craft activity instructions in French and then went away to make their own paper plate face. Here are some pictures of their work. I'm sure you'll agree that it's very impressive!

...so why not combine it with language learning and sing in a foreign language?!

Parents should sing to their children every day to avoid language problems developing in later life, according to a consultant. Too much emphasis in the early years is placed on reading, writing and numeracy, and not enough on the benefits of singing, according to Sally Goddard Blythe, a consultant in neuro-developmental education and director of the Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology.

Singing traditional lullabies and nursery rhymes to babies and infants before they learn to speak, is "an essential precursor to later educational success and emotional wellbeing", argues Blythe in a book. "Song is a special type of speech. Lullabies, songs and rhymes of every culture carry the 'signature' melodies and inflections of a mother tongue, preparing a child's ear, voice and brain for language."

LingoTunes CD and Songbook is the perfect way to introduce your child to such songs in French. Here's what parents are saying about the songs;
"Loooooving your CD!! lovely singing and very well sung words so we can hear them :) Too exciting to listen to and sing along to :) and the songbook is helpful to be able to look at too. Well done" Hannah, mum to Joshua
Please click here if you'd like to hear a s

Sharing foreign language books is a wonderful way to help your child learn to talk in that language. Plus it’s the ideal opportunity to share a cuddle at the same time! Here are our quick tips.

• Find a quiet place. Turn off the TV or radio so there are no distractions.
• As well as reading the story, look at the pictures together. This is a great way to share a book even if your own language skills are quite basic. Sharing a simple picture book, pointing and naming the pictures is a great way for you both to pick up new words.
• Don't put any pressure on your child to name the pictures, but if they your words, praise them and repeat the words again.
• Don’t read for too long. Young children get bored quickly so little and often is best.
• Let other grown-ups – grandparents, carers and older brothers and sisters – join in too.
• It’s good to share favourite books again and again. Repetition helps children to understand and remember the language they hear.
• Remember, you’re not teaching your child to read in the foreign language. You learn to talk a long time before you learn to read, and book sharing is a wonderful way to help your child’s language development.
• Even sharing foreign language books with babies is a good idea. It helps “tune in” their ear to the sounds of the new language.
• You can find foreign language books easily on the internet on Amazon or specialist suppliers such as Little Linguist. Don't forget you can save 10% on your purchases with Little Linguist with our exclusive discount code. Simply ask at your class for the code.
  

About Lingotot and Storytelling…

Lingotot sessions always include a story and it's surprising just how much the children enjoy it. The room is usually silent! We can help parents with their foreign language storytelling skills too! We run short courses for parents entitled “Phonics for Singing and Storytelling”. The aim is to make you more confident to share bedtime stories, silly songs and rhymes with your children. Children learn a language best when they are surrounded by people who speak that language and this is an ideal way for you to develop your skills to support their learning. Please contact us to register your interest in forthcoming courses.