Angsana enters ECEC sector with multilingual program

Angsana, an early childhood education and care (ECEC) centre in greater western Sydney will offer its program in English, Mandarin and Spanish – something which is believed to be a first for the area. 

 

The service will officially open on 23 February, and has taken seven years to build. The $20 million centre spans 2,200 square metres and features both indoor and outdoor play spaces.

 

Lessons in the three languages will all be delivered by native speakers through activities like play, gardening and cooking, speech and drama, physical education, music and numeracy.

 

Co-Founder Gan Shen-Lene said Angsana is focused on multilingualism “because children today need to know more than one language to survive in an increasingly globalised society.”

 

“Just looking around us here in greater Sydney, there are at least five different communities speaking one language other than English,” he shared with local news source Parra News.

 

“By doing so, we hope to encourage our children to easily connect with others, not only here but also around the world.”

 

Yolanda Rubatto Ivanov will lead the service as its Director, and said that she believes teaching children multiple languages from an early age increases cognitive abilities and fosters cultural understanding.

 

“We know we are not for everyone, however, parents who want to grow globally aware and open-minded children will see the advantages that our centre can offer to their children,” she said.

 

Angsana is open Monday to Friday from 7.00am to 6.00 pm and caters for 99 children, aged from six weeks to six years. Learn more about the service here.