Language learning for pre-schoolers in Hinkler

Around 540 children at 15 preschools in the Hinkler electorate will be given the opportunity to learn a second language this year, thanks to the Coalition Government’s Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) program.

Federal Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt said it was encouraging to see to see so many Hinkler preschools taking part in the program.

“We know the positive impact learning a second language can have on a child’s engagement and development,” Mr Pitt said.

“This will be the start of a life-long interest in language learning for Hinkler children while at the same time boosting their English and problem-solving skills.

The program, which is backed by $15.7 million in funding from the Coalition Government, now includes nine languages, with the introduction of Hindi and Modern Greek this year, in addition to Chinese (Mandarin), French, Indonesian, Japanese, Italian, and Spanish.

Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham said more than 80,000 children at almost 2,500 preschools across the country will take part in the program.

“The enthusiastic feedback we’ve been getting from educators and parents means this year we’ll have record numbers of children learning a second language in our preschools,” Minister Birmingham said.

“Exposure to another language and culture can have significant benefits on children from a young age – it expands their horizons and opens up exciting opportunities around the world when they reach the workforce.”

ELLA began as a small trial of 41 preschools in 2015 and is a digital, play-based program where preschool children use a series of interactive applications (apps).

It is designed for use by educators who do not have formal language training and extensive support, training and resources is provided to assist educators in the effective delivery of early language learning and cultural awareness.

The Coalition Government has also provided 1,000 support grants of $500 since 2017 to contribute towards the purchase of tablet devices to support participation by preschools in disadvantaged areas.

More details about the program can be found at www.ella.edu.au.

 

Preschool name	Language
LEAD Childcare Bargara	Japanese
LEAD Childcare Bundaberg	Spanish
Cradle to Crayons Kindergarten Program	Spanish
Eastside Little Learners Child Care	Japanese
Frogtastic Educational Kindergarten and Childcare	Japanese
Torquay Kids	Chinese (Mandarin)
Chrysalis Early Learning Centre	Japanese
Acorn Child Care	Chinese (Mandarin)
Goodstart Early Learning Dundowran	Chinese (Mandarin)
Acorn East	Italian
Bundaberg Early Learning Centre	Spanish
Goodstart Early Learning Bundaberg Takalvan St	Japanese
Condy Park Preschool and Kindergarten	Indonesian
Fraser Coast Anglican College Early Learning Centre	Chinese (Mandarin)
Burrum Kids R Us Child Care Centre	Japanese