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Dubai: British Orchard Nursery (BON) in Dubai is introducing Mandarin, China’s most widely spoken language, as an additional language to its ‘Early Years Foundation Stage’ (EYFS) curriculum.
Mandarin has been introduced as part of BON’s linguistics pool across its branches in the UAE, in addition to the ongoing lessons in Arabic, French, Islamic studies and English.
Teachers will dedicate extra time to ensure students grasp the right accent and pronunciation. The development at BON comes as a result of increasing trade ties between the UAE and China.
Dr Vandana Gandhi, Founder and CEO at British Orchard Nursery, said: “According to the results of a study undertaken by York University in Canada, bilingual children’s knowledge of a second language gives them an advantage in learning to read. Furthermore, numerous other reports suggest that exposure to different languages inculcates positive attitudes in children to the cultures associated with the language and introduces them to the world in ways, they might otherwise not have experienced.”
She added: “Hence, it’s important for children to start young especially because very young children are quick learners and pick up a new language easily.”
BON has also created a Baseline Assessment Book in line with the EYFS framework, that comprises 680 assessment points on which each child is assessed and reviewed by the BON staff over three years to ensure they tick all the Early Learning Goals boxes.
Additionally, their team also takes efforts in developing personalised plans for special and gifted children.
