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Ladoix

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Everything posted by Ladoix

  1. [quote user="NormanH"][quote user="Ladoix"]Hi Sara, he will also need to learn how to spell in English.  This summer I intend to introduce English grammer . Good luck with your son and I hope he is doing OK at school! [/quote] If he needs to spell I  suggest he also tries English grammar ... [/quote] [:$] Must learn to type slower!
  2. The siege de l'enterprise is your registered address (for you, your home address) - they need to know where to send things to you.  Send a copy of your EDF bill as they need proof that you currently live there.
  3. Hi Sara, As far as I am aware all classes work like this, I was trying to explain the concept to my colleagues but there are totally bemused by it but agree it seems like a good idea!
  4. Dear Mr C, Here is the definitive answer http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/particuliers/F295.xhtml Children born in France of non-French parents automatically  acquire French nationality at the age of 18, they may apply for it at the age of 13, if they have been resident in France for 5 consecutive years. You will need a British passport for your baby to travel to the UK, more importantly, to return to France.  I've been through it, it kills to pay for a British passport every 5 years for my 2 who were born here and have never lived in the UK - rarely visited for that matter, however, the law is clear, they are British for now.  Incidentally I have also taken the precaution of registering (and paying another astronomical amount for a UK birth certificate) their births at the Consulate, just in case.  That way they are free to make their own decisions when they are old enough. Congraatulations on the baby and have a great trip!
  5. Hi Sarah, I too often wonder what true fluency is and Cooperlola and Chancer make some great points.  I would say children such as ours are fluent now as they really never struggle for a word in either language, my kids just speak without hesitation. They do sometimes muddle the languages in the same sentence, so I correct them and we always speak English at home, although they often play together in French;  I feel Cooperlola is right about not translating the books for your son though, my feeling is also to keep the 2 languages separate as some things are better in French, some in English.  A classic example of this has to be in the story 'Les Aristochats', Thomas O'Malley, Chat de la Goutiere, just does not have the same ring as Thomas O'Malley the Alley Cat![:P] You also asked about the amount of work you do with your son out of school - I'm keen for my kids to do well and am learning a great deal through their studying but I feel an extra 6 hours a week of schoolwork, as well as the extensive school week here, plus homework is rather a lot.  With the karate (or is it judo) as well, there's not a lot of time left for just doing nothing, that's what I miss most about being a mum - I rarely have chance to sit and do nothing - I suppose I could be doing nothing now but it's nice to chat with  someone who has similar concerns about bringing up the children as immigrants.[;-)] Hope that helps
  6. Hi Sara, My children are 4 and 6, both born here and in consultation with the maitresse in MS/GS I started teaching the 6 year old to read in English during the holiday between the 2 classes.  She is now in CP, learning to read in French and can read in English already, the teacher's reasoning was that it was better to introduce the English early so it became a habit rather than wait a couple of years when the child might judge it an additional burden. I looked into it early as I am an avid reader and know many people who have let their kids' English education slip and didn't want to do the same.  We used a mix of Jolly Phonics, Peter and Jane and www.starfall.com and found it a good combination.  Phonics teaches the sounds, P & J teaches l'ook and learn' and starfall a combination of both (you have to ignore the American accent). I think at 7 you should crack straight ahead but ensure he learns the basics of how to read rather than just 'guessing' words as he will also need to learn how to spell in English.  This summer I intend to introduce English grammer as my daughter often uses the wrong word order in English.  Everyone is different so with my youngest I will be led by him as he appears to be a pretty average kid so far whereas my daughter is at the top of her class. We have a new marking system in school this year, introduced to keep us in line with the public schools in the region whereby students are graded from 1-4, (they no longer do notes of out of 20 for children moving up through the system - they have kept it for older children though it is being phased out nationally) 1 meaning 'aquis' down to 4 'non aquis' and the joke of it all is that my daughter has 1 for everything except 'langue étranger' where she achieved a 2!!!!!  Now how many 6 year olds can read and write in 2 languages? Shades of things to come I fear!!! On the other hand, I have heard of other people's kids who have just picked it up as they go along, however, I reckon that is the exception rather than the rule, I imagine it also depends on how good your own English is and how many other people they hear speaking English.  Our children don't mix with many other English children either so it is up to me to keep their English up to scratch.. Good luck with your son and I hope he is doing OK at school!
  7. As an English/french registered artisan, fully insured and bi-lingual, we do all devis and factures in English for English speakers and in French for French speakers - for a contract to be binding it has to be written in a langauge both parties understand, thats why many Notaires insist on a translator at the signing of a house transaction.  However, if there is a problem then all documents are obliged to be translated in to French.  French law is binding here, not English. As to your builder - I think he is being a little bit lazy and does not bode well for the future. We also do work for absent owners and our invoices are payable on completion but several try and wriggle out as they are not coming over for a while - do you think EDF would stand for that excuse?  We now have a clause to say that digital photos will be emailed and they must be accepted as completion of the work. Interesting stuff you read through Polly, must have been tough going - I am going to bookmark it though for future reference.
  8. At a guess they expire on your 45th or 50th birthday - car licences are Category B.  Category D is a PCV licence, yours is probably restricted to 9 or 18 seats same as a UK one, C is for heavy goods so you can drive up to 7.5t whereas regular French licences are restricted to 3.5t and E is for towing trailers - nowadays a separate category but included if you passed your test before a certain date.
  9. I have had occasion to use the Job Centre in the Uk in the past and they offered me far less help than the ANPE I can assure you. However, I am a firm believer that there is always work if you want to work, I have lived in several countries and never been out of work - if I didn't want to be. Nobody in this world is going to give you a job, you have to work damn hard to find one and you have to believe in yourself. It is so easy to find a reason why, no one has given you a job, not so easy to truly put yourself out finding one. I have been a sales manager in finance, an overseas service manager for Virgin Holidays and a hotel manager. However, I have also been a chambermaid, a pot washer, a bus driver and given leaflets out in the street. A job is a job and if you are not happy with the job you have, then go get another one. Once you have a job, any job, it is easier to find a better one and if you don't have the language skills, then go get them. If you are talking about a career, it is slightly different but for a career, we all make sacrifices, may be one of these would be to live in a different country. The people I feel sorry for are those who for health reasons can not find work, or due to age wont be considered or are genuinely not able enough to do a job, mentally. But for the rest of you - The only job I really felt I couldn't do was inspecting rubber components in a rubber manufacturing plant! When I phoned in the second day to say I couldn't do it, the supervisor agreed - I would have died of boredom, so I simply went out and found a different job the next day. I have worked since 1982, so there has always been periods of high unemployment as well as the fact that I grew up in a mining community that is no more, so I do know how hard it really can be.
  10. I work for a UK operator, for overseas properties and we charge 10% in high season and 17.5% in low season.  This includes all marketing and active selling of your property rather than just listing it.  Please PM if you would like more details.
  11. Every medical act has a set fee 'tarif conventione'. You need to check if this is what your medical professional charges - are they listed as 'conventione' or 'non conventione'. When the state reimburses you, they reimburse 80% (but not always, it can vary) of the tarif conventione, regardless of the cost of the visit. Your mutuelle will then reimburse the difference as follows:- If you have 100% cover the mutuelle will reimburse up to 100% of the tarif conventione, regardless of what you have paid. If you always visit conventione institutions/professionals 100% cover is sufficient. Your insurance company should be able to tell you about the hopitals etc in your area. However, non conventione hospitals, specialists etc, are able to charge whatever they want so this is where you need 200% or 300% cover etc. If the TC is 25€ but you doctor charges 75€, the state will reimburse 20€ (80% of 25€) and the mutuelle of 100% cover will reimburse 5€ - ie you receive back 100% of the TC. If you have 200% cover, the state will reimburse 20€ and the mutuell will reimburse 30€ (TC @ 200% = 50€) so you have received back twice the amount of the TC. If you have 300%, then you have cover of 3 times the TC and the state will reimburse the same 20€ and the mutuelle, 55€. Hope this has helped a little - I've tried to space it out but I don't seem to have any editing available when I post?
  12. I'd just like to point out that it is not always like that. I have been treated extremely well by the Pole Emploi, as has been my husband when he used them. I found work practically straight away and the Pole Emploi told me how to apply for a back to work travel grant as I had taken a job so far away - all of 35km! My husband has had nothing but help from the Pole Emploi and the Chambre de Metiers and is now firmly established running his own business. I have also been very sucessful in acquiring jobs, once a speculative letter, one I knocked on the door and asked for (and got) and my current job I applied for, from a newspaper advert. However, what all my jobs have had in common, is that I have taken a much lower level of job than I would have if I was in an English speaking country. My spoken French is fairly fluent but my written French is poor and that is what is holding me back, not xenophobic attitudes. When you can complete on an equal footing with the local people, in every way and still not get a job, then I think you can imply that they are treating you differently due to your nationality. I don't live in a major tourist centre either, I live in Burgundy which has one of the highest levels of unemployment, although to be fair, it doesn't have high levels of foreigners either. Millie, if you speak French, have the right attitudes and are willing to do anything - and I mean anything, you will find a job. Then once you start, the only way is up.
  13. A salle de bains is a bathroom and a salle d'eau is a shower room.  50m2 includes everything except where the ceiling is lower than 1.8m high.
  14. The CE is more or less a union as they look after the workers rights and perks.  It is compulsory to have one if you have over 50 (I think) employees.  If you have disciplinary action etc you can have a member of the CE accompany you, they also meet up with the HR dept and the management every month to grill them on what is gong on in the company. And they give us teh magnificent sum of 30 euros twice a year in gift vouchers.[:P]
  15. On a CDD you are entitled to 10% of your salary in lieu of holiday, this can be paid monthly or at the end of the contract.  If possible get it paid monthly because if it is all paid at the end and you claim chomage, you will not be eligible until you have waited the equivalent period.  For example, if you are paid your 10% monthly you only have to wait 2 and a half days - if it is the culmination of a season eg 6 months, you have to wait 15 days, so it makes quite a difference.
  16. In France it is actually illegal to start work without a signed contract in effect, the opposite to the UK whereas when you have started work you are deemed to have accepted the terms of the contract.
  17. Wow, Room on the Broom in French - I'm impressed, I'm going to try that tomorrow, maybe it'll relieve the monotony.  Is The Gruffalo any easier?[:D]
  18. I agree, you've seen my CV Millie - being a mummy is the hardest job I've ever done and as they are only the ripe old age of 3 and 5, I can't hand my notice in just yet!
  19. Well done, the first step is always the hardest.  I'll send you a copy of my CV and LM to give you a few ideas, if I can figure out how to attach it to a PM.  There's a a few (quite a lot actually) grammatical errors in it but the style has worked for me and I have a permanent job now so it can't be all bad. All the best
  20. Hi Millie, Will second your opinions on Canada, my brother married a Canadian whilst they were both living in France. After the birth of their daughter they decided to go back to Canada and my brother had a complete nightmare trying to get the right to live and work there. 3 children later, he finally has permission but he is still treated as a second class citizen. Incidentally, you can sign up to the Pole Emploi all on internet, do it now so that you are all set to go in September! You probably wont even get an interview before then anyway.
  21. Ha - I wrote the last answer in a hurry and have just spotted all the errors, I actually meant to say I failed miserably on grammar and spelling.  [:$] They test your comprehension, your data entry, word and excell and keyboard speed (so practice on a french keyboard), then give a summary of how employable you are and what further training you need.  It was the Pole who made the appointment to see what kind of training would help me back to work. With the employment agencies you need to keep ringing them up and going in, until you have done a couple of jobs for them.  I have also had success with speculative applications, newspaper adverts and just knocking on the door.  If you can speak reasonable French and can offer other skills as well as fluent English, it's amazing what you will find, you just have to be prepared to take a lower standard of job than you would have in an English speaking company, as (I am presuming here) if you can't read and write fluent French, you have to be prepared to take unskilled work, just like immigrants in any other country. Incidentally, I now work in a wine cellar in Burgundy (which has higher than average unemployment), 3 days a week, selling top class wine to the French (and other nationalities), so anything is possible.[:D]
  22. Go and register now, you may not be eligible for cash benefits but there are lots of non-cash benefits available - such as french courses. I also went to Addecco, (through the Pole) where they tested my rusty office skills - and apart from the grammar and office skills, I (surprisingly)passed with flying colours. I also attended CV writing courses and interview skille - French style. If you are willing, you can push and push until you find what you want. i have to say this was in Burgundy, when I was unemployed in the Alps, they were no help at all. OK, so I was 5 months pregnant but, telling me that pregnancy was no bar to employment and that I wasn't obliged to tell a prospective employer....! Alos, once you have been registered unemployed for 6 months you get lots of aid to start your own business. Good luck, with your attitude you will find a job and don't forget it's easier to find a job once you are already employed, so consider anything if you really want to work.
  23. Something that came up several years ago for me but if you google it, there seems to be quite a bit of stuff depending on which site you would trust. Have a look at this one specifically about St John's Wort but lots of the contraceptive pill sites mention it as well. http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Antidepressants-St-John%27s-Wort.htm
  24. [quote user="Cathy"]Why do printers use white paper then?  We had some flyers done (with colour illustrations) and the printer automatically used white paper. [/quote] Nomoss already explained above that it is allowed if there are colour illustrations.
  25. Not relevant to the original post but to any ladies who may be considering St Johns Wort - it interferes with the contraceptive pill, so take care.
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