LESSONS at two Bolton nurseries have taken on a continental flavour with French classes for children as young as three.

Full-time French assistant Annabelle Fouquet has been taken on to give the tots at Alexandra Nursery, Daubhill, and Bridgewater Nursery, Farnworth, a taste of France.

Already many of the youngsters can count to ten in French, sing French songs and greet Mademoiselle Fouquet in her native tongue.

By the end of the four-month project the tots will have learned much more about the culture and language of France.

They are currently making imitation pastries for their own pattisserie and next week parents will be able to sample typical continental cuisine at Chez Annabelle.

Bridgewater Head Marie Charlton believes the project will aid the children's general development and stand them in good stead in later years . . . even if they never have a French lesson again.

She said: "I know some people say what is the point when they will probably not be learning French in primary school but what children get out of this will never be lost.

"There are advantages to learning a second language at an early age when children are spontaneous and uninhibited and some of them will remember the vocabulary.

"But understanding about different languages and different cultures is the most important thing and it will stay with them all their life."

Eurocash is paying for the services of 23-year-old trainee English teacher Mademoiselle Fouquet and another French assistant who will be based at St James's County Primary in Daisy Hill .

Ms Fouquet, who has also worked in London, has been helping Bolton children with their French pronunciation for about a week but admits she had a few problems with the Bolton accent.

She laughed: "Sometimes I could not understand some of the things the children said to me but I am getting more used to it now."

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