British Council Proves It Is Never Too Young To Be Bilingual

The British Council’s newest contribution towards promoting early English language acquisition is proving to be very popular, with children as young as 9 months beginning their exciting journey towards bilingualism in this fun and language-rich club.

The Bilingual Baby Club is a hybrid initiative the combines virtual workshops with in-person sessions (from 13 months upwards). In times of coronavirus, being able to e-meet fellow parents on the same bilingual journey with children of a similar age as your own via a secure online platform can be very rewarding indeed.

There is plenty of joy and laughter in the Bilingual Baby Club, as well as a great sense of community.

Live sessions guided by British Council Early Years specialist teachers

Streamed twice weekly onto any mobile device, these live sessions are the highlight of the Bilingual Baby Club’s activities. Young children and their designated adult join in sessions from the comfort of their own homes. Once registered with the club, club members receive a personal password and can use this to log onto a safe online environment where they can access the bank of bbclub resources, as well as participate in live workshops, that stimulate early communication, and English language learning.

These live and interactive sessions with  qualified Early Years specialists are limited to 12 participants per group.

Places are allocated on a first come, first serve basis.

Interaction between families

There is a strong sense of community among the families. As well as the regular live sessions,  the chat forum and live coffeetime meetings allow families to connect over shared experiences and challenges. As families share tips and tricks, and meet special guest attendees, this element of the Bilingual Baby Club helps create a wonderful support network amongst likeminded families.

(Covid-permitting) in-person sessions

During these pandemic times, safety is the School’s highest priority. For the hybrid element of the bbclub, harnessing the advantages of a virtual world, whilst finding opportunities for safe face-to-face interactions, the special in person Saturday morning events have been planned and prepared with support from Health and Safety experts to ensure that everybody can stay as safe as possible while meeting friends and exploring the environment in a fun and inspiring way.

Stimulating activities for easy communication

Expect storytelling, expect songs and expect a wealth of educational resources. The Early Years Team behind the Bilingual Baby Club are specialist EYFS teachers at the British Council School in Madrid, experienced in working with very young learners from Spanish and other backgrounds. The Bilingual Baby Club programme has been developed with the EYFS curriculum at the core, to ensure the very best developmental start for the children.

Important information

Timetable: Follow this link for a list of activities available during termtime. Please note that attendance to every session is not mandatory, although we know that those who benefit the most and notice developments are families who attend every live session, take part in coffeetime meetings and make the most of the Community SharePoint resources.

More details: please email admisionescolegio@britishcouncil.es.

Dominique White

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