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New book teaches Gaelic for toddlers

The Gaelic Pre-School Council (CNSA) has developed a new manual to help under-threes learn Gaelic and hopes that 70 per cent of children in some areas of Scotland could become bilingual by primary school age within the next ten years. The CNSA said its manual, Immersion Language Learning for Pre-3s, could reduce the time it takes a two-year-old from a non-Gaelic speaking home to become fluent from 2,000 to 400 hours.

The CNSA said its manual, Immersion Language Learning for Pre-3s, could reduce the time it takes a two-year-old from a non-Gaelic speaking home to become fluent from 2,000 to 400 hours.

CNSA chief executive Finlay Macleoid said the manual stresses that under-threes are willing to work closely with a carer or parent, providing great opportunities for quickly grasping a new language. Learning a new language at four years of age was 'far harder because they are then more reliant on friends,' he added.

The CNSA approach involves 'a very wide range of language-centred activities, including games, songs and the use of puppets', he said. It is primarily designed for use by parents and in Gaelic-speaking playgroups.

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