With the summer holidays looming, and possibly a trip to France or Spain planned, just how easy is it to teach your children the local lingo? The earlier you start, the better. Making the process fun with games, music and a taste of the local culture (chocolat chaud and croissants will tempt even the most reluctant children), also helps.

ART AND IMAGERY

Pictures, designs, motifs and art can all be used to make lasting impressions of words. It is much easier to remember a word when it is associated with a colourful image. The Let's Learn French Colouring Book, for example, satisfies inner creativity. Drawing a fun border with Spanish words and pictures around your children's bedroom will draw in their interest.

Stockist Let's Learn French Colouring Book, by Anne-Françoise Pattis, Amazon.co.uk ; rrp £3.99

PODCASTS

When your children are more advanced, start them off with one of the huge number of free podcasts. Radio France Internationale issues a daily podcast called Le Journal en Français Facile, which delivers the nightly news in slow and easy-to-understand French. There is a similar one in Germany, called Langsam gesprochene Nachrichten. A transcript is available to make it easier to follow.

Stockist download iTunes at apple.com/itunes/store , from where all podcasts can be downloaded for free

INTERACTIVE LEARNING

Get the younger audience hooked with Muzzy, the cuddly, green video character, who fronts a BBC language course for children, comprising DVDs, audio and written work, and songs. For older children, Nintendo and Wii have language tutor software, such as My French/Spanish Coach, in a variety of languages and levels. If your children are going to play computer games, you might as well trick them into learning a new language. The games offer the basics of grammar and construction of phrases, and fun and easy-to-play mini games. They also evaluate your progress, and there are Interactive lessons, pronunciation tests and a dictionary of words and phrases - ideal for beginners. Stockist A free trial of Muzzy products is available on www.early-advantage.com ; Nintendo DS My French Coach, amazon.co.uk , £19.99; Wii My French Coach, amazon.co.uk ; rrp £29.99

STORY TAPES

Recruit your children's favourite story tape in French. Bob the Builder, for example, is available as Bob le Bricoleur and Tintin comes in a variety of languages, including the original French. The familiar format, recognisable words and simple vocabulary will all help your child to attune to the new language.

Stockist Bob le Bricoleur is available on amazon.fr ; rrp e9.99; Tintin, amazon.co.uk

NURSERY RHYMES

The soothing sing-song lyricism of nursery rhymes and lullabies in a foreign language helps young children to absorb the language more quickly. The simplest way to begin is through simple songs such as Frère Jacques. Fun, basic songs are available on the BBC website.

Stockist 60 Comptines pour Crèche, £14.79, a CD of French songs, whsmith.co.uk ; listen online to songs at bbc.co.uk/ schools/primaryfrench/songs_all.shtml

ONLINE GAMES

There is a wealth of websites with clever tactics to help your child learn a language. One of the best is transparent.com , which has language software for every thing from Albanian to Zulu. Games such as Unscramble ask the pupil to place words in the correct position to form a sentence. Learning about syntax - the position of pronouns, verbs and adjectives - can be one of the greatest challenges at any level, and the one most likely to reveal your expertise/lack thereof. The basic vocabulary and English translation allow you to take in new words and learn how to use them correctly.

Stockist transparent.com (free)

OUTDOOR GAMES

Eliminate self-consciousness while learning a foreign language by making children concentrate on something else. For instance, revising vocabulary is made so much easier if you throw a ball to the children while you ask a question. Games such as Pictionary, Eye Spy and Bingo, with their competitive edge, overwhelm any anxiety about learning a language.

POST-IT NOTES While A-Level students may be pinning verb tables on the back of the bathroom door in an attempt to commit them to memory, putting Post-It notes or signs around the house is a way of learning by osmosis. Constant exposure to foreign words will make them stick.

Stockist whsmith.co.uk , £3.59

CULTURAL CONTEXT

Cooking meals, dressing up, drawing flags, playing national games and sports, listening to music and learning a little of the history enables a broader appreciation of the language. Taking the children to foreign restaurants is also a great way to fan their interest.

Stockist easy-french-food.com/easy-recipes-for-kids.html (free)

WORD ASSOCIATION

Amusing word associations is another good way to learn. For example, the French word for hedgehog is herisson; so imagine that your hairy son looks like a hedgehog. The website linkwordlanguages. com has a few to start you off. It suggests that you sit for ten seconds, imagining the image and having a giggle to yourself that your hairy son looks like a hedgehog, or you are poking a horse with a shovel in an attempt to remember that un cheval translates as horse. You could ask younger children to draw a picture of the image, which helps to keep their attention, and lodge the image in their minds.

Stockist linkword languages.com

PEN PALS

If your child is an independent sort, it can be a great adventure to send them to a French school for a couple of weeks over the summer holidays. Your child's school may have contacts in a school abroad, or contact your local council to find out whether they are twinned with a town abroad. If you do not feel that they are ready for an exchange, a pen pal is an invaluable resource for learning languages.

Stockist www.ipfeurope.com , to find a pen pal safely

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