Because of the 3-year age span environment, peer group learning is intrinsic to the Montessori process. The peer group learning is an advantage when it comes to learning language. This is easily observed in families with siblings of different ages. The younger sibling typically begins talking at an earlier age to keep up with the older sibling. In the classroom environment, the children get to know each other over the 3 year span and become more comfortable each year as they build their relationships. As the child gets older, he or she will have many opportunities to model and help teach the younger children. As the older child teaches the younger children they each benefit from multiple practice opportunities to speak and learn from each other, each time advancing to a deeper stage of understanding of the material gaining greater confidence and fluency in Chinese language acquisition. This natural conversation structure is supported by the Chinese teachers who speak only in Chinese and therefore model it for the children. They guide and encourage the children to respond in Chinese.
The Montessori school builds a microcosm of a small human community in the classrooms. Work is done on individually, as small groups, and in large group circle time. Each child will have an opportunity to learn on all levels of interaction.
Young children, particularly ages 0-6, have naturally receptive minds that easily incorporate environmental experiences directly into his or her own basic character. This ability is unique to young children, and allows them to learn many concepts in a seemingly effortless, spontaneous manner. By pairing this absorbent mind in the critical learning period for language and the Montessori method of peer-group learning as an intrinsic motivator, acquiring a second language becomes a natural product of the child’s education.