Glacier Au Pair: The foreign language interest code that turns children from “I want to learn” to “I want to learn”.  

INTRODUCTION: A common worry of parents - how come children can't get motivated to learn a foreign language?  

Have you ever experienced: enrolled your child in a high-priced tutor class, but he falls asleep in class? Have you ever bought a bunch of imported textbooks and thrown them away after a couple of pages? Interest“ is always the first driving force for young children to learn a foreign language - without interest, even the best resources are a waste. The Glacier Au Pair Program is the key to solving this problem: with round-the-clock companion interaction, the foreign language becomes a ”toy“ for children to explore the world, not a boring task.  

 I. Scientific Research: Interest is the Golden Key to Foreign Language Learning at an Early Age“  

Research in child development psychology shows that language learning for younger children is driven by both context and emotion. Forced indoctrination in the classroom is likely to make children resistant; while in a pleasant, natural scene, children will take the initiative to express their needs in language, which will be more memorable and more flexible in their use. The Glacier Au Pair Program is based on this theory and is designed as an “interest building program”.  

 Au pair: How to use “play” to ignite interest in a foreign language?  

The au pairs screened by Gerlach are not “stereotypical teachers” but “playful companions” - they are European and American native speakers in their 20s who understand children, love interaction and are good at integrating foreign languages into life moments. They are American and European native speakers in their 20s who understand children, love interaction and are good at integrating foreign languages into every moment of their lives:  

- Nature class on the way to school: the au pair points to the birds on the tree branches in spring and says “Look, the yellow bird is singing! The au pair points and says ”Look, the yellow bird is singing!“ and the child asks ”What's that?“ and learns the word ”yellow“ and ”bird“ without realizing it;  

- Hidden words in games: When building blocks, the au pair smiles and says “Pass me the blue block, please?” and the child mimics it as they pass it around “The au pair smiles and says ”Pass me the blue block, please?  

- Creative expression during crafts: making paper airplanes together, the au pair asks “Want to write your name on it?” and the child spells out his name using the words he has just learned! ......  

There is no pressure to be right or wrong in these scenarios, only the fun of exploration - the child goes from “passive listening” to “active speaking”. The child goes from “passive listening” to “active speaking”, and their interest in foreign languages is naturally ignited.  

 C. Guarantee of Gerlach: Selection of au pair partners who “understand children”.  

In order to ensure that each au pair inspires the child, Glacier has established strict screening criteria:  

- “Fun-loving” preferred: extensive experience interacting with children (e.g., babysitting relatives' children, organizing play activities);  

- Native“ support: European and American native students/prospective students, authentic pronunciation, familiar with daily slang;  

- “Cultural empathy”: curiosity about Chinese culture, willingness to integrate into family life and become friends with children.  

We reject “foreign teachers who only give lectures” and only choose “partners who can play with children”.  

 IV. More than interest: paving the way for children's global growth  

Glacier's au pair program is the first step in a global growth ecosystem - complementing our summer school and younger study abroad programs:  

- The foreign language interest and cross-cultural foundation laid by the au pair's companionship will allow the child to adapt more quickly in future international summer schools;  

- Interacting with native speakers from an early age will help you accumulate “real-language experience” for studying abroad at an early age and minimize culture shock in the future.  

Children do not grow up in isolation, and Coleridge uses the complete path of “Au Pair -> Summer School -> Study Abroad” to help children become global citizens.  

 Conclusion: Give your child a reason to love learning a foreign language!  

If your child is suffering from a lack of interest in learning a foreign language, why not try the Glacier Au Pair Program - a program that allows your child to learn a foreign language while having fun and expanding their horizons through companionship. If you enquire now, you can also get an exclusive “child interest growth assessment” to customize the right au pair partner for your child.  

Glacier - Connecting the World with Interests, Letting Growth Happen Naturally