Cundletown Preschool and Long Day Care Centre will be teaching Indonesian from the start of 2018, with the Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) program.
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Up to 3000 Australian preschools and kindergartens are expected to be delivering the Australian Government’s highly successful ELLA program in the new year.
They will be fostering a love of language learning, collaboration and cultural understanding, while enriching their current programs.
Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Modern Greek and Spanish will all be available for preschools to choose from in 2018.
Preschool children in the year before school will use tablet devices to access ELLA, which includes a series of seven fun and highly interactive apps per language.
Each app focuses around a familiar experience; for example, a playground, the beach, a birthday party or park.
Professor of Early Childhood at Australian Catholic University, Susan Edwards said the program is a great way for children to learn.
“What is very exciting about the learning from the integration of technology and play-based learning is a form of language learning that speaks to what the experts in language are telling us is one of the best ways for very young children to learn language,” she said.
“That it’s authentic, that they’re using the target language, and that is happening for a reason.”
The ELLA program is carefully designed by early childhood specialists and technical experts, and is funded by the Australian Government and managed by Education Services Australia.
CEO of Education Services Australia, Andrew Smith said ELLA is inspiring young Australians to develop skills and language which can support their lifelong learning.
“It gives our children an early start by engaging them with language, culture and digital technology which will be vital to their future and Australia as we navigate an increasingly connected world,” he said.
“Skills in language, communication and collaboration, genuine cultural understanding, these are things now widely acknowledged as being of vital importance at the local and international level.
“The evidence tells us that ELLA’s impact on these skills is positive.”
For more information on the ELLA program visit www.ella.edu.au.
Preschools can apply now for ELLA 2018 until December 15.
