Bilingualism

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Nowadays, English is the dominant global language and its knowledge opens up a world of possibilities that otherwise would not be accessible. At 5th Avenue Schools we are aware of this reality and, for this reason, the teaching of English is one of the cornerstones of our educational project.

Recent studies show that the acquisition of two languages from the cradle compared to later acquisition results in a more efficient neural processing of language and a greater density of brain tissue in those regions that support language, memory and attention. Likewise, early learning of both languages enhances a set of cognitive qualities in minors, among which are:

• Metalinguistic awareness or, in other words, the ability to speak and reason about language, which is of paramount importance in the acquisition of reading and writing and, consequently, in future academic development.
• The ability to concentrate, especially in situations where irrelevant information must be ignored. A benefit that is shown not only in linguistic activities but also in non-verbal ones, such as mathematical problems, when it is necessary to discern between relevant and irrelevant information.
• Divergent thinking. Unlike convergent thinking, which enables us to give typical answers based on habitual thought structures common to most people, divergent thinking refers to the ability to generate a wide variety of new and alternative answers to a given problem. Possessing two linguistic systems facilitates the ability to consider facts or things from different perspectives or to interpret them in different ways.
• Communicative sensitivity or the ability to perceive different environments in communicative acts, to know how to adapt and be sensitive to the needs and characteristics of the people with whom one is speaking.

For all of the above reasons, 5th Avenue Schools develops innovative and effective English language teaching programs that take into account factors such as the age of the children to whom they are directed, the duration, the intensity of the exposure, the didactic approach and the training/competence of the teachers responsible.

Methodological approach

We have a team of educators experienced in teaching English to young children who create an early bilingual learning environment in an educational setting and who employ different methodologies and resources depending on the different possible scenarios.

These methods, based on the "Total Physical Response" and "Natural Approach" approaches, emphasize social interaction, play and extensive exposure to the language by the educators. In this way, they naturally acquire the meanings, sounds and tones of the English language.

It is especially important to us that our students develop a positive emotional bond with the English language. We achieve this emotional relationship through the close presence of their educators, who interact in English and accompany the children with affection in the different moments of their daily routine, providing them with opportunities to communicate in a natural way.

Affective bonding and language acquisition are also achieved with a multiplicity of methodological resources (games, rhymes, songs, stories, dramatizations, visual and musical resources, etc.) which, invariably, have to meet our demanding requirements of usability and effectiveness in terms of achieving their objectives, comprised in the three E's and the three M's.

Thus, all our English language teaching activities are, on the one hand, "EASY - ENJOYABLE - ENGAGING" and, on the other hand, "MEANINGFUL - MOTIVATING - MEMORABLE".

As a result of the use of all these early English language learning resources, our children find it easier to learn the correct pronunciation and intonation patterns, they feel less anxiety when learning the new language as it does not differ from the way they are learning their mother tongue, they are able to establish connections between both languages since they are learned intuitively and not analytically, also producing a better assimilation of both.

Likewise, we conceive the English language as one of the many languages that our students have to understand their world, relate to it and express their creativity; in this way, we also offer moments in which the children combine the use of the foreign language with multiple creative activities, through natural and simple materials, in individual or collective projects. All this allows for a more individualized attention and a more intense contact with their second language.