In a greater western Sydney first, a new North Rocks childcare centre will be offering its lessons in multiple languages.
Officially opening its doors this Friday (February 23), multi-lingual childcare centre Angsana will provide children with interactive lessons delivered in English, Mandarin and Spanish.
For locals like North Rocks resident Alexandra Rayhanabad, it means her two-year-old son, Kingston Rayhanabad, has the chance to be exposed to other languages from a young age.
“The biggest plus to it is learning any kind of language, in any form, is so good for our little one and it definitely improves cognitive function overall,” Rayhanabad told Parra News.
“I think it will help [Kingston] become a better communicator and maybe enrich a deeper respect for diversity, which is really important in the area that we live in.”
As more and more people from different backgrounds continue to choose western Sydney as their home, Rayhanabad is hoping Angsana will help pave the way for additional multi-lingual childcare centres to open in the local area.
“Whether it be centres like Angsana that are completely multi-lingual or centres that just have multi-lingual programs on offer, I think it’s amazing if that were to become a bit more widespread,” she said.
Located at 49 North Rocks Road, the $20 million childcare centre took seven years to build, spans 2,200 square metres and features both indoor and outdoor play spaces.
Lessons in the three languages will all be delivered by native speakers through activities like play, gardening and cooking, speech and drama, physical education, music and numeracy.
Centre Director, Yolanda Rubatto Ivanov, said teaching children multiple languages an early age increases cognitive abilities and fosters cultural understanding.
“It also positively influences brain development, making them more adaptable and proficient in communication,” she added.
“Additionally, multilingualism has been linked to better academic performance and increased career opportunities later in life.”
Co-Founder Gan Shen-Lene said Angsana is focused on multilingualism because children today need to know more than one language to survive in
an “increasingly globalised society.”
“Just looking around us here in greater Sydney, there are at least five different communities speaking one language other than English,” she added.
“By doing so, we hope to encourage our children to easily connect with others, not only here but also around the world.
“We know we are not for everyone, however, parents who want to grow globally aware and open-minded children will see the advantages that our centre can offer to their children.”
Angsana is open Monday to Friday from 7.00am to 6.00 pm and caters for 99 children, aged from six weeks to six years.
To find out more head to http://www.angsanaelc.com
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.