CHILDREN as young as four are learning to speak Japanese at Hills International College after the school’s early learning centre was selected for the Australian Government’s Early Learning Languages Australia program.
So far 15 children from the Hills Early Learning Centre are learning Japanese through the program’s play-based mobile tablet app, with the school aiming to get all 32 of its kindergarten-aged children on board.
Federal Member for Wright Scott Buchholz commended Hills for getting involved with the program.
“Being accepted into the Early Learning Languages Australia program is a major boost for Hills, and strengthens the school’s strong reputation as a place where our youth can learn how to interact on a global level,” he said.
“Well done to the team at Hills for taking the initiative to sign up for the program and offer such an important learning experience to their youngsters.”
Hills Early Learning Centre director Tabitha Donnini said joining the program bolstered the school’s international focus.
“We’ve already got a solid Japanese language program for students from prep to year 12 so this will just help the younger ones be ready to keep learning Japanese when they reach prep,” she said.
“We haven’t seen anything like this – it’s just so easy to navigate and so child-friendly and as well as teaching the children a new language it familiarises them with the use of iPad technology.”
For more information about the program visit www.education.gov.au/early-learning-languages-australia
