The essential element about learning your own or a foreign language is hearing it spoken around you and listening to it. This goes for everyone, adults and children.

Starting from our Primavera (toddler’s program) and children’s house classes upwards our children are exposed to the language spoken by native English teachers. They listen to “everyday” English (greetings, simple everyday instructions and comforting words), “fun” English (songs, fairy tales) and “learning” moments (work suitable for their interests and attention span). Children use their voices, hands and skills to carry out activities in English. The aim is not to “teach English” but rather to expose them to English as a means of communication to help them to develop a positive relationship with English and to build a solid base for future work in the language that will be continued in the Primary School. Maria Montessori when referring to this type of preparation defined it “indirect preparation.”

During the years at the Children’s house pupils assimilate a considerable amount of words, phrases and expressions in English – all with the right pronunciation and understanding of the context – and this is the base for the work that will be done later in the Primary School.

In this regard in her book L’autoeducazione, Maria Montessori stated: Children’s house and primary school are not distinct – but they are the same thing, the continuation of the same fact.»

La Fondazione Scuola Montessori di Bergamo has been recognised as an authorised preparation centre for Cambridge language qualifications. Learning English is an essential element for the integral formation of a child’s personality as it brings them closer to cultures other than their own, promoting acceptance and understanding.

Furthermore, now more than ever knowing how to express oneself correctly in English is increasingly a fundamental requirement, for future studies and also for the world of work. In addition to preparation during school hours these projects include a further 11 hours with a native speaker teacher in the Primary School and lab activities to deepen knowledge of the language.

The 4th and 5th grades can take the Cambridge University Qualifications (Starters -for 4th grades– and Movers – for 5th grades). These qualifications are important because they provide pupils with motivation to study a foreign language and the opportunity to have their language skills recognised and used internationally. 

We are a Candidate for the Preparation Centres Awards promoted by Cambridge University Press & Assessment Italia, for the following reasons:

– the numerous students that have successfully completed language qualifications for many years;

– uninterrupted preparation activity, even during the pandemic;

– pupils that sit the exams are not selected but all children are given the possibility to participate if they wish to.

Our school was officially nominated as one of the Best Italian Preparation Centres.
We are happy and proud of these excellent results.

Several years ago, our school started an English language exchange programme with primary school pupils over the world.  We firmly believe in this type of collaboration because it provides our pupils with the possibility to increase their knowledge and understanding of their own and other people’s cultural heritage, and above all to improve their communication skills in English in a context other than in the classroom. Currently we have language exchanges with two Montessori schools:

• Akademia Montessori in Pruszcz Gdansk (Poland)
• North-Eastern Montessori School – St Helena (Australia)