The British are renowned for their inept foreign language skills - but that could all change if Brigitte McDonald has her way.

Many UK holidaymakers assume a loud voice and an imperious manner will get their message across. Even a simple 's'il vous plait' can be too much for some.

But French-born Brigitte hopes to shatter this stereotype by helping to create a generation of bilingual babies.

The Hove mum-of-two teaches French to babies as young as four months as part of a nursery class aimed at children who have not learnt to speak English.

Brigitte, 38, sings songs like Le Verre de Terre, about a worm, and La Coccinette, about a ladybird, to familiarise the tots with French words and pronunciation.

By the time her pupils are toddlers, they are likely to know ten French songs. They will have learnt the French names for a dozen animals and be used to pronouncing words the Gallic way.

Brigitte, who is originally from the Massif Central but now lives in St Anns Well Gardens with her English husband, said: "This all started when my friends asked me to sing some French songs to their toddlers.

"Some of the littlest ones didn't speak at all, but they all learnt to follow the movements of the songs very quickly and when they started to speak they would say the French words for certain objects.

"I always talk to the babies in French, and they very quickly come to understand what I am saying. If I ask them to pick up a certain object and put it in a box, they soon learn what I mean."

Although not qualified as a teacher, Brigitte has found her classes have had astonishing results.

"One of my mums went to France recently. Her little boy, who's three, went straight up to the French children and started chattering away. He learnt lots of words from them and was very confident, even though he is normally quite shy.

"Her sister's boy, on the other hand, wouldn't participate at all, even though he is usually the confident one."

Brigitte now teaches older children at schools and after-school clubs across Brighton and East Sussex. She has set up a teaching association called Les P'tits Copains (the little friends) and is trying to raise money for the extra-curricular classes to become part of the primary school timetable.

As a volunteer, Brigitte has already taught four and five-year-olds at St Mary Magdalene Primary School in Brighton. She has recorded a CD of the songs being sung in her classes and hopes it will become a useful teaching tool.

Proceeds from the CD will fund new classes in schools next term.

They follow the same format as Brigitte's private toddler classes, with songs and games designed to make learning French fun.

Brigitte said: "French children used to start learning English when they were about ten, but now it is normal for them to learn in primary school.

"Soon they will start learning at six. All the French children will have a very high level of English and the English children won't be able to say a word."

Details of Brigitte's classes can be found on her web site: www.larecre.co.uk. For information about the CD, telephone her on 01273 220268.