SBS World News Radio: More Australian preschool children will now have the chance to learn a foreign language as the Federal Government rolls out its early-language learning program across the nation.
Games, cartoons and songs seem to be familiar territory for four-year-olds.
But these little learners are also getting Chinese language lessons while they play.
A little boy named Lucas is in preschool, and he is learning Chinese.
"Because I'm going to Bali and my mum speaks Chinese and I have a birthday with her, so I need to be able to speak to my cousin Jenny as well."
The children at the Waite Campus Children's Centre in Adelaide are among those taking part in a $15.7 million early-learning languages program.
Director Kaarin Wilkinson says the benefits go beyond learning a new language.
"It certainly makes group learning interesting, because the children watch each other and they talk to each other about it, so there's that added thing of them sharing that learning."
Federal education minister Simon Birmingham has now announced the program will be rolled out nationally.
Just 12 per cent of Year 12 students study a second language, and Mr Birmingham says he wants that number to grow.
"It's an exciting program that the Turnbull Government's backing because it helps position Australian children for the modern economy, but also because it's a cost-effective way of enhancing the developmental skills of our youngest children."
Almost 10,000 children have already taken part in a trial of the program, with most learning either Chinese or Japanese.
Arabic, French and Indonesian are also on offer.
And in the next two years, students will also be able to learn Italian, Spanish, Hindi and modern Greek using the tablet-based technology.
Caitlin Byrt has two children in preschool using the app-based digital program, but she welcomes the wider program.
"It's great to use, you know, apps and computer programs, but I think it's also really good to have one-on-one interaction with people and have a group."
Childcare centres and preschools across the country have until late February to register for the program.
Most children will need their own devices to take part.
