The International School of Los Angeles, which has a campus in Pasadena as well as three other Los Angeles-area locations (Los Feliz, West Valley, and Burbank), offers a series of classes aimed at fostering bilingualism in children aged 6 months to 3 years.
These French language sessions, known as LILA Mini Club, are an ongoing initiative offered weekly during the school year.
LILA is the acronym for Lycée International de Los Angeles, the school’s French name.
LILA, which celebrates its 45th anniversary this year, has been offering French immersion education since its inception. The school adopts the French national curriculum and offers a preschool through 12th-grade program that emphasizes bilingualism.
“Mini Club is for parents who are interested in jump-starting bilingualism for their babies and toddlers,” Danielle Schaeffer said, the Outreach Coordinator at the International School of Los Angeles. “Some may speak French at home, others may not speak French or even have a connection to France.”
Led by a Parisian teacher named Marie, the hour-long Mini Club sessions include storytelling, French songs, crafts, and interactive conversations tailored to the little ones, all in a warm and nurturing environment.
“She reads stories in French, sings songs in French, and then also does a little craft with them,” Schaeffer added.
Parents, some of whom are also learning French alongside their children, find the program as an opportunity to bond with their kids and connect with like-minded parents who share an interest in bilingual education.
“Parents and their children can bond by learning the language together, while also meeting other parents that are in the same stage of parenting their children, and who share an interest in a similar kind of education,” she said. “We historically have had parents that enroll and end up becoming friends with another parent that brings their child, or other times they’re best friends, and they both learned about the school and decide to attend together.”
There are no prerequisites or language proficiency requirements for enrollment, making it accessible for any families keen on introducing French to their children from an early age.
Interested parents and students can access more information and register for the LILA Mini Club through the school’s website, https://www.internationalschool.la/activities/lilaminiclub/.
