Nursery World - Speaking our language (1)

What do children gain from going to a nursery where they're taught in another language that comes from the British Isles? Jackie Cosh listens to the arguments Earlier this year the Government set out details of a 10-year strategy to improve language teaching in state schools in England and Wales. The plans, which include giving seven-year-olds the opportunity to learn a modern foreign language, have been welcomed by many, and considered long overdue.

Earlier this year the Government set out details of a 10-year strategy to improve language teaching in state schools in England and Wales. The plans, which include giving seven-year-olds the opportunity to learn a modern foreign language, have been welcomed by many, and considered long overdue.

There has also been heightened publicity on the plight of Britain's minority languages, and rising calls to stop them dying out. But from the Gaelic-medium nurseries in Scotland to the Welsh speaking pre-school education in Wales, many parents are already choosing to start their children's education in a language other than English.

So why choose a nursery which focuses on a minority language? Finlay Macleod is the chief executive of the Gaelic Pre-School Council in Scotland. He says, 'There are many reasons why a parent may choose Gaelic-medium education for their child. Some see it as a cultural issue.

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