Piccolingo

Early Foreign Language Learning for Children

Brussels (BE), April 2010 - Why should my child learn foreign languages? What is the best age to start? How can I make it a fun experience for the whole family? Find the answers to these questions - and much more - at the new European Commission website.




Piccolingo is a campaign of The European Commission, Directorate General for Education and Culture. Professionals and experts in the field can use the website for networking and project discussions. By uploading instruction materials and studies, the specialists will create a unique Internet repository for Europe-wide use. A news ticker on the site will provide information about current activities, conferences, and competitions in Europe.

The website is part of the European Commission's Piccolingo initiative, which promotes pre-school language learning for children from zero to six. It will soon be available in all the official languages of the European Union. In spring/summer 2010, Piccolingo also goes on tour, with a series of actions through various EU cities.

There is great potential in having children learn a foreign language at an early age, and it is primarily parents who have the ability to develop it. The European Commission wants to raise awareness amongst parents about the importance of this effort with the Piccolingo campaign for early foreign-language acquisition because the multilingual European community benefits from what every individual learns as a child. Through very early contact with other languages, children become more open to other cultures and more interested in them.

They develop better social competences and intercultural awareness. If children begin with foreign languages at an early age, they receive excellent preparation for their future careers since multilingual ability and mobility are keys to professional success in the globalised world. The campaign links experts and institutions from various countries and introduces particularly successful initiatives in a way that will create a network and forge a community of practice among the participants.