A small group of volunteers is being supported by Nuffield to develop this non profit-making organization and to promote its activities. The group believes that the easiest and most spontaneous phase for learning any foreign language occurs in pre-school / infant-age children. To this end, the members have set up a Russian language playgroup club whose weekly programme includes puppetry, story-telling and interactive events – all taking place in Russian. The Nuffield grant will be used:
- to build up an Information and Resource Centre;
- to raise awareness of the Club, sharing information with a wider audience; and
- to disseminate the advantages of early language acquisition and bilingual education.
The Information and Resource Centre will contain new materials sourced in Russia. An information pack about the Club's activities will be prepared and disseminated and a website developed which will enable an exchange of ideas and information. A seminar is to be planned around the theme of spontaneous language learning for pre-school children.
