When are babies ready to start this programme?
Four-month-old babies can join our playgroups. At that age they can sit with the help of an adult and become involved in the activities of the playgroup. They also begin to understand the meaning of words and phrases. If their parents wished to, they could start even earlier, especially with the listening of the ALL English for babies® recorded material, since research proves that younger babies already distinguish the sounds of different languages.

But aren’t babies too young to learn a foreign language?
The sooner a child is exposed to a foreign language the better, since the phonological mapping in the brain is built in the first year of life. If babies are not exposed to certain sounds during the first year of life, they become deaf to them. For example, Japanese babies become deaf to the /r/ sound so they hear lice instead of rice. If they were exposed to this sound in their first year of life, they would hear the difference between these two words and would have no difficulty in pronouncing them at all.

Isn’t there a possibility for the child to mix up his mother tongue with English?
The human being has a natural ability to learn more than one language simultaneously without mixing them up. There are bilingual children all around the planet who can shift from one language to another depending on who is listening or talking to them without any difficulty or confusion. The babies in the ALL English for babies® programme, however, may use words in English when they are using their mother tongue. For example, they might say mira el balloon (look at the balloon) simply because they have not learnt the word "globo". This smart communication strategy shows how babies can exploit their multilingual language learning capacity.

What can a baby learn?
Until they are three years old, babies can learn all the structures of one or more languages easily and naturally. After that period, the internalisation of the grammatical structures of a foreign language requires some degree of effort and a longer period of time. Therefore, the sooner they are exposed to a foreign language the easier it will be for them to use its structures. The usage of the grammatical structures of this language will come up spontaneously, without having to think about them, unlike people who learn a foreign language at an older age.

What is the content of the class?
The content of the class is based on activities such as games, stories and rhymes, which keep the babies motivated and involved. Babies need to be respected, need to be loved and last but not least need to enjoy themselves. If these needs are met, learning takes place. Therefore, the content of our class plans mirrors the belief that babies’ needs are the most important factor which has inspired the ALL English for babies’ choice for high quality content and material as well as optimal teacher aptitude and attitude.

Has it been proven that a baby can learn a foreign language?
ALL English for babies® started in 2001 and we have plenty of evidence that a baby that has attended our weekly playgroup and has listened to our CD on a daily basis can achieve native-like pronunciation of English, can understand an adult addressing to him in that language and start to produce words, songs and sentences in English. The babies who have joined an English-speaking community after attending our programme were able to make themselves understood in English with his teachers and friends.

How long does the programme last?
The complete ALL English for babies® programme consists of three levels which last between seven to nine months each. The course can be started any time during the year. During the holiday period the baby is expected to continue listening to the ALL English for baby’s CD.

Is it necessary for the caregivers to know English?
The adult that chaperons the baby does not need to know any English but can still cooperate in the learning process by showing approval in their baby's enthusiasm in class and when they are listening to the CD. Parents must be patient and respect the learning process of the baby. They should never insist on their babies’ showing them or other people what they have learnt.

How many babies are there in a group?
The standard playgroup consists of a minimum of four students and can grow to a maximum of ten students, depending on the size of the classroom.


Can babies attend playgroups without a caregiver?
There are many kindergartens and nursery schools that are using the ALL English for babies® programme. These classes are conducted by teachers with the only support of assistants. They have a shorter duration - 20 to 30 minutes - and the weekly frequency is higher - twice or three times a week. The babies participating in this variety of the programme are as young as 18 months.