Heathrow Airport Launches Three Language Learning Services Designed for Kids, with Chinese on the List

▲ London Heathrow Airport (Photo/Instagram @HeathrowAirport)

By Rita

Studies have shown that if children want to excel in various fields in the future, learning three specific languages can give them an edge—and one airport has taken these findings to heart by incorporating language learning into the airport experience.

According to the UK’s Daily Mail,，French, German, and Chinese are the top three languages that can boost children’s future competitiveness.Heathrow Airport in the UK has launched language learning services specifically designed for kids. These materials can be picked up for free at service desks throughout the terminals, and parents can also download them online in advance. The airport also has staff such as passenger ambassadors and language ambassadors ready to help children practice these languages—available in a total of 39 different languages.

▲ London Heathrow Airport (Photo/Wikipedia)

This survey was actually conducted by Heathrow Airport itself, polling 2,000 parents with children under the age of 18. Nearly 45% of the parents reported that their children do not speak any foreign languages. Although the survey was carried out in the UK, a similar trend exists in Taiwan. The importance of second and third languages is expected to grow in the future, and airports—as transitional spaces for international travel—are an ideal place for children to begin language learning while waiting for their flights.