Prep pupils at Overnewton Anglican Community College are learning a second language, with an entire subject being taught in Mandarin under an innovative program.
The school is teaching all prep students Mandarin under a ‘content and language integrated learning method’, in which students are taught a regular classroom subject in another language.
Mandarin teacher Viola Chen said the preps had a 25-minute class in Mandarin each day.
Ms Chen said the students first learnt the basics of Mandarin, including self-introduction, greetings, days and numbers, then had progressed to learning science in Mandarin without English translations.
“The program is going very well,” she said.
“The kids love it and are very engaged.
“China has a very good relationship with Australia, and learning Mandarin might give students more opportunities when they begin work.
“The other reason is that learning a language at such an early age is fantastic. The earlier they learn language, the better outcomes they will have.”
