10/11 yr old = easy to adapt?

[mondids]

Hi

We are considering moving to France later this year - we have 2 children, the eldest is almost 11 years old, and the baby is not yet 2yrs. Our main concern is with the 11 year old, and how easy/difficult it will be for her to adapt to the new education system. She is almost finished her primary education here in UK.

[Lori]

Hello Mo - welcome to the forum.  The question you have asked has been covered a great many times on this forum.  If you look at the top right corner of the forum screen, you will see a place to search.  Type in for example, "10 year old child school" and you should bring up many threads. 

The threads could keep you reading for days.

Good luck.

 

 

[Val_2]

As an example of what can be achieved, my daughter was ten when we moved here permanently. She did not speak fluent french let alone write it and now she is at University with a BAC +3 going on to do a masters course possibly in September - so it can be done but I would not advise a child any older than ten/eleven to come here especially teenagers as they have too much to catch up on as well as learn a new language plus a second foreign language at collège. Your child will be able to double the last year again which is a great benefit and does not carry any stigma at all.

[Charlotte3]

Welcome Mo,

We came here with 2 children, just 11 and just 12.

The younger missed his last year at primary school and went direct to college. They have both done really well at school and although they found if very difficult (they were the only foreigners) the school was quite (not very) helpful with some extra language classes while the rest of the class had English lessons.

Six years on and our eldest is doing very well at lycee and now speaks fluent German as well as French and English. She will do her Bac next year and frequently gets better marks in French than her French friends!

Our son is at lycee professionelle (?sp) and lives away from home. He is doing as well as any male teenager with his studies, but his English language has suffered badly because he doesn't speak with English people very much.

That is something to consider...if you want your children to be bilingual is is necessary to give them considerable help with their English language (particularly written) or they will fall far behind an acceptable level for future professional use. I am thinking of spelling particularly, also our daughter has now started asking the meaning of some larger words found in literarture etc..

All food for thought.

Good luck to you all,

Aly

 

[Ejc]

We've just made the move and our son, just turned 11 has started at the local primary school and will go onto college next year. He's loving it, although as the only English child at the school is having some challenges with the language. But he's made friends and is joining in with all sorts of activities.