For all those who struggled with O-level or GCSE French, take a lesson from these babies - learning a language is child's play.

Children as young as six months are taking French lessons all over Sussex.

Pourquoi? Because learning a language as a toddler is as easy as un, deux, trois.

The tiny tots attend La Recre classes run by Brigitte McDonald, a French national married to an Englishman.

She set up the scheme two years ago and has taught hundreds of toddlers - and their sometimes reticent parents - to communicate in French.

Brigitte, of York Avenue, Hove, started the classes after finding how easily her own children and their friends talked "Franglais".

She said: "When my children Hannah and Remi were babies, I used to meet other mums and children who were not French and we would play tapes and sing French songs and I realised English children pick up French very quickly.

"When they asked me for a drink, they would ask in French. They would pick up what they heard and repeat it. So I thought I would try to teach other young children the same things."

The key to La Recre - it means break-time - is pronunciation. Brigitte said: "They are not afraid to mimic sounds."

Brigitte invented a character called Pirouette the Squirrel to help the children learn. She was inspired by the animals she saw in St Ann's Well Gardens in Hove.

"His name is difficult to pronounce but children can do it very quickly."

Because there were no teaching materials suitable for Brigitte's lessons, she produced her own.

Pirouette now appears in two books and a CD full of songs and stories in English and French.

The three-piece packs, which cost £9, go on sale at Borders bookshop in Brighton next week.

Brigitte and a team of teachers run classes at venues around Sussex, including Brighton, Hove, Hurstpierpoint, Shoreham and Worthing.

Numbers are restricted to 12 children, aged between six months and four years. They learn by singing and playing games involving numbers, shapes, animals, fruits and everyday objects.

After story time, the children play with electronic French-speaking toys.

Lynne Trower has brought her four children to the classes.

Asta, ten months, Keera, three, Maia, four, and Rhianna, five, love the lessons.

Lynne said: "They are like sponges, they take it all in then talk about it at home. They love listening to the tapes and CDs and have no inhibitions about speaking French."

Brigitte, 39, a former bank clerk, said: "I say to parents, don't expect your child to speak French but they will pick up a good vocabulary and pronunciation and never forget it.

"Many children don't start doing languages until they are 11 and, even by seven, it is too late. It is not that they can't learn, it just makes it more difficult."

Brigitte will be reading stories and demonstrating her techniques at Borders in Brighton on July 25 at 11am.

For more information contact Brigitte via Beacon Arts on 01273 557124, or visit her web site, www.larecre.co.uk She is also looking for a local publisher to help her create more Pirouette books.