In the morning
"Good morning! How are you today?" Greetings, the day's ritual, the calendar — all in English. The child hears, replies, absorbs.
Bilingual immersion
English lived, not taught
At Junior Academy, English isn't a subject on the timetable — it's the language you ask for help in, sing in, share a snack in, read a picture book in. A native English-speaking teacher or assistant is in the classroom every day, working with children across every subject.
This natural immersion mirrors the way a mother tongue is acquired: children understand first, then speak — effortlessly, and with genuine spoken fluency.
What your child actually experiences
During activities
Carolina or Monika move around the class, present materials in English and chat naturally with the children.
At reading time
When ready, the child moves on to picture books and first readers in English. No pressure — curiosity does the work.
At snack time
Real conversations emerge: "Can I have the apple please?" Vocabulary grows in context.
On outings
At the museum, on the farm, at the library, both languages coexist. Children switch effortlessly.
At home
Many parents tell us their child sings in English, asks for an English book, or drops in a few spontaneous words.
Why early bilingualism?
Learning a second language from an early age supports executive functions — attention, flexibility, working memory. Early bilingual children often show stronger capacities for adaptation and abstraction.
Montessori pedagogy, international by nature, lends itself especially well to bilingual immersion: hands-on materials are understandable in any language, and teachers address each child individually within their zone of proximal development.
In practice, bilingual immersion helps every child develop:
- Progressive enrichment of vocabulary
- Acquisition of correct sentence structures
- Genuine spoken fluency
Your questions about bilingualism
How does bilingual immersion work day to day?
English isn't taught as a subject — it's lived every day. A native English-speaking teacher or assistant is present in the classroom and works with the children across every activity and every moment of the day. Children learn English the way they learn a mother tongue: through use.
My child doesn't speak English — can they still join?
Absolutely. Most of our pupils arrive with no English at all. Progressive immersion in class is designed exactly for that: children first understand, then start speaking naturally, usually within a few months.
Won't English hold back their French?
No. Extensive research shows that early second-language exposure strengthens executive functions and does not hinder the mother tongue. French follows its normal rhythm — bilingualism is added, it doesn't replace anything.
Dig deeper
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Let's talk
A 15-minute chat with our head teacher, no strings attached. You'll leave with a clear picture of our approach and the next steps.
French-English bilingual school in Lyon: our immersion model
Language immersion at Junior Academy follows the "one person, one language" principle. A French-speaking teacher and an English-speaking teacher are simultaneously present in each environment, each addressing the children exclusively in their mother tongue. This allows the child's brain to associate each language with a real person and to switch between languages without mental translation.
Exposure to English represents about half of the school day, through Montessori activities, meals, breaks and the morning and afternoon rituals. There are no separate English lessons: the language becomes the living language of the classroom, carried by adults who speak it naturally.
This approach draws on neuroscience research identifying an optimal window for language acquisition before age 7. On leaving our school, children can hold a fluent conversation in English, read age-appropriate books and write short texts.
Do parents need to speak English?
No. The vast majority of our families are French-speaking. The school setting alone is enough to build genuine bilingualism, with no extra effort required at home.
Is English taught as a subject?
No. English is the language of the classroom for half of the time, carried by a native English-speaking adult. It's not a subject — it's a living language.