A few months ago, five year old Eloise Wells and her family were on holiday in Bali. After a busy day of shopping, swimming and sightseeing, the Wells headed into a café where her parents frantically began flipping through phrase books, trying to figure out how to order a glass of warm milk for her wailing little brother. To her parents amazement, after the waiter had returned to the table the fourth time, Eloise took matters in her own hands and ordered the milk, using clear, confident Indonesian.

That (hypothetical) scenario could very well become a real situation for Aurora learners and their families as our Rowville kindergarten has teamed up with Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) to teach Indonesian.

A part of the Australian government’s commitment to making new languages accessible, ELLA is a programme designed especially for children. It uses technology and apps to teach children in fun, innovative ways. Languages that the program teaches include Mandarin, French, Indonesian, Arabic, Japanese and Spanish.

We've teamed up with ELLA to help children learn new languages at Aurora Early Education.

Meet The Polygots

Being an ELLA center, Aurora Early Education uses apps called The Polygots which can be accessed through tablets.

Each of The Polygots apps immerses children in different scenarios. For instance, The Polygots In The Playroom takes children through experiences found in playrooms like mazes and sandpits, teaching them greetings, introductions, likes and dislikes in the new languages along the way. The Polygots at the Zoo app takes learners in a virtual trip to the zoo, where they can ‘prepare’ food and feed animals while learning the names for fruits and animals in the new language.

Other Polygots apps take children to birthday parties, to the circus, to the beach, the park and the town, allowing them a host of learning adventures in the comfort of our center.

Teaching With Technology

When used right and in conjunction with other methods, technology and apps can be an interactive, engaging way to teach.

ELLA’s program is based on the idea that children learn best through play and designs its apps to expand children’s experiences and creativity. In an increasingly tech focused world, the programme allows children to get comfortable with technology in an appropriate way.

At Aurora Early Childcare, we focus on creating a holistic learning environment; the ELLA program is a part of our effort to teach in new, dynamic ways.

Why not start planning your trip to Indonesia?

Have a trip to our Kindergarten in Melbourne CBD and Kindergarten in Doncaster.