Music. Play foreign language tapes in your car whilst doing errands. Heaps of music from traditional children's songs to pop to folksongs are available. It's amazing how much children will absorb in just a short time and you will hear your child singing the songs from beginning to end.

Television. SBS plays programs that teach Italian that are appropriate for children. For Spanish, Nickelodeon carries Dora the Explorer that has received rave reviews. Toy Libraries such Hampton offer Japanese videos for loan and popular Disney films can be purchased in multiple languages. Travel. What great way to immerse your child in the language, culture, and beauty of another country!

Caregivers. Hire a Italian language babysitter, Au pair or host an exchange student. Agencies listed in phone book can help here or post an advertisement at one of the local universities or search online. Websites. For older children, online learning is readily available. Many fun sites with games, music and quizzes are found or chat with a student from another country

Children can derive so many benefits from knowing multiple languages. Studies have shown children who learn multiple languages are become more flexible in their thinking. Learning languages improves a child's cognitive and spatial skills and builds self-esteem. Knowing more than one language allows people to communicate with other cultures they may not have been able to do other wise and it improves memory. At no other time will your child learn a second language naturally and effortless. Whilst learning a second language takes time it can and should be fun and an enormously enriching experience. Written by Karen Hodgson. Karen Hodgson is a Director at Language Champs. Language Champs is a play-based foreign language program that teaches children ages

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