Forget fingerpainting and nap time.

Preschool children as young as three will be getting lessons in foreign languages.

Already, 2,500 preschools teach languages from modern Greek to Mandarin.

But the federal government is spending nearly $12 million to get more schools on the program and increase the number of languages available.

President of the Australian Federation of Modern Language Teachers Association Dr Anne-Marie Morgan says Turkish and Korean will be added to the list.

She tells Ben Fordham the kids love engaging with new languages and pick up the skills quickly.

“They really love engaging with the apps that are in this program.

“We know from years and years of research… that a second language helps with literacy in the first language.

“It’s good for all kinds of cognitive benefits aswell.”

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