Question 1

Does my child need solid German before English is added?

Accepted Answer

No. Research shows that toddlers can acquire two languages at an age-appropriate level at the same time, without one of them having to be finished first – this ability is available without restriction during the first three years of life (Reich, 2010). What matters is not the order but regular, direct contact with each language (De Houwer, 2007). The coach works entirely from where your child stands: if they have never heard English, it starts with the sounds; if they already know words, the coach builds on them.

Question 2

Are songs, apps and videos enough, or does it take a person who speaks live?

Accepted Answer

Media can make a language familiar, but they do not replace a conversation. A study of babies in Accra (Ghana) explicitly distinguishes between language a child merely hears in the background – radio, television, other people’s conversations – and language someone speaks directly to them. The babies there heard English much more often only indirectly (Omane, Benders & Boll-Avetisyan, 2025). This is exactly where our coach comes in: he speaks and plays directly with your child, exclusively in English, and reacts to what your child does and says.

Question 3

Does the coach speak English with me and with other people too?

Accepted Answer

Yes. As long as your child is present, the coach speaks English – with you, with other parents, with the staff at the museum. Your child should feel that English is the only way to get through to this person. In our experience, if children realise German works too, they readily fall back on it. When your child is not present, you can of course discuss anything in German – for example at handover. Please keep in mind, though, that some coaches speak only very limited German themselves, so even those arrangements often run largely in English.

Question 4

Does the coach respond to my child’s temperament?

Accepted Answer

Yes. An afternoon is not a lesson following a plan; it follows your child’s interests and pace. A shy child will rather start quietly at your home, a very active one out and about at the zoo, the playground or the museum. Playing, singing and arts and crafts happen in either case. If your child does not feel like speaking at first, that is fine: listening and understanding come before speaking, and the coach waits and repeats – without pushing.

Offer	Age	Format	Location
Individual childcare	1–10 years	1 coach for 1–3 children, at home or on little outings	Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg, Innsbruck
Group courses	3 months–14 years	Small groups using the Helen Doron method	1030 Vienna, near Gasometer
Tutoring	age 10 up to the Matura	One-to-one at home, online or at the LernAtelier	At home & online: all 5 cities · LernAtelier: Vienna
Holiday camps	4–12 years	Day camp Mon–Fri in a group	Vienna, 250 m from the Prater

English for children in Austria – like their mother tongue, at home or on little outings.

Four ways to natural English

Individual childcare

Group courses

Tutoring

Holiday camps

Our offers at a glance

How we select our Native Coaches

The right start at every age

Preparing little ones for tomorrow’s world

Language immersion

Never in groups

Conveniently at home

Safety & updates

Why parents choose native4kids

We come to you – in five Austrian cities

What parents ask us most

What parents say about native4kids

Ready for your child's first English afternoon?

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