French Immersion for Little Learners: Le Petit Prince in Sydney’s East
Whether you’re a French-speaking Sydneysider or just want to give your children the benefit of being immersed in a language other than English, you need to know about Le Petit Prince.
Le Petit Prince is a boutique, play-based French immersion program for 2 to 5 year olds. Operating out of Maroubra in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, parents have a choice of 2-hour morning classes or 75-minute afternoon classes during the school term. Le Petit Prince also offers school holiday camps for a full immersive experience.
A playful, natural and supportive environment
Founder Jessica Tessier has been working with children from 0-7 for over a decade as a qualified Early Childhood Educator.
As an Aussie with French nationality, Tessier was uniquely placed to bring French language education to pre-schoolers. “I wanted to create a space where children could discover the joy of learning a second language in a playful, natural, and supportive way,” Tessier explains. “That’s how Le Petit Prince was born.”
Le Petit Prince classes are both fully immersive and play-based. Immersive, meaning from the moment the children walk through the door, the class is held entirely in French. Play-based, meaning they are filled with songs, movement, stories, and games. This combination mirrors the natural way children would absorb the language if they were growing up in a bilingual home.
Consistent and authentic
Tessier has seen the way children build confidence while having fun. “Classes are held in a classroom dedicated exclusively to French, creating a consistent and authentic environment where children quickly understand that ‘here, we speak French’”, Tessier says.
The program is designed both for children with no prior exposure to French and those from French-speaking families.
Tessier finds that the full immersion approach provides additional depth, reinforcement and richer vocabulary for children who already understand French.
It also allows children with no French exposure to pick up the language naturally.
Parents are often amazed to see how quickly children begin responding in French, singing songs at home, or proudly teaching their siblings new words.
Exposure to a second language has been linked to increases in children’s cognitive skills and even empathy. Families also tell Tessier how much their little ones look forward to class each week - “because learning feels like play,” Tessier says.
Find a class
Le Petit Prince currently has limited openings for their school term classes during the week, and are taking enquiries for their next school holiday camp.
Head to https://www.lepetitprince.com.au/french-classes/#Enquire to find the right fit for your preschoolers!
Le Petit Prince
567 Anzac Parade, Maroubra
https://www.lepetitprince.com.au/
This article is sponsored by Le Petit Prince.
