Demand for Early Childhood Language Courses Reaches Epic Proportions

Brooklyn has long offered foreign language courses for parents interested in having their school-age children learn a second language. But the demand has recently shifted to an even younger set of learners.

With parents ready to do just about anything to give their kids a leg up in school, many families are now raising their kids, who have often just spoken their first words, to be bilingual. From native French speakers looking to instill their home language in their children at an early age, to parents dropping off kids at Mandarin and Hebrew classes without speaking a word of it themselves, the demand for language programs in the neighborhood which cater to young children has reached a swelling point.

“[The neighborhood] has established itself as the early childhood language mecca of the city,” said Felicity Miller, director and founder of Hands on World.

Miller said the boom began a decade ago when local bilingual families began to put together language programs for their children.

“A number of french families started moving into the neighborhood, and they got together with the French Institute Alliance Francaise about putting together a dual language program in local schools,” said Miller. “Once the arrival of a dual language program came to in 2004, that was when the real explosion in early childhood language programs began.”

Numerous medical studies have cited the benefits of learning foreign languages at an early age, including increasing the overall capacity of the brain.

However, Miller said the primary reason early exposure to different languages is beneficial is due to the way the brain operates at an early age.

“The eight-year-old brain distinguishes languages, but the beauty of the young mind is that they don’t make that distinction because they only distinguish vocabulary,” said Miller. “The child learns contextually at a young age.”

Unlike traditional language classes, those geared toward young children are typically more focused on exploration and play.

“In our programs, we don’t force children to repeat words,” said Miller. “They’re curious and want to know things, so we try to keep them constantly engaged."

Miller said one of the more interesting trends regarding early childhood language classes is that parents are now signing children up for courses in languages that they themselves do not have a background in.

“It’s about 50-50 at this point,” she said. “Families realize it’s a great skill for children to have, especially given the global economic climate. Plus, New Yorkers just love smart kids.”

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See the list below to find out where you can enroll your child in language courses in the neighborhood.

Hands on World (132 4th Pl. between Court St. and Smith St.; (718) 858-9599; Languages offered: French, Italian, Spanish)

Lango Kids NYC (139 Nevins St. between Bergen St. and Dean St.; (917) 287-1361; Languages Offered: Spanish)

Musica Para Mi (493 Atlantic Ave. between Nevins St. and 3rd Ave.; (718) 643-6660; Languages Offered: Spanish)

Brooklyn Beanstalk (477 Court St. between Nelson St. and Luquer St.; no phone, e-mail info@brooklynbeanstalk.com; Languages Offered: French, Spanish)

Xiao Long Center (310 Atlantic Ave. near Smith St.; no phone, e-mail jennifer@xiaolongcenter.com; Languages Offered: Mandarin)