Jump to content

Doubling their chances if educated in France?


Eskenazi
 Share

Recommended Posts

Brit friend living in France, her 3 kids aged 10, 8, 5, happily settled in school, on their future - 'I reckon that being educated here and bi-lingual will double their chances of getting a good job.' I was amazed - how so?Can anyone comment on this, given French employment figures etc?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

'Doubling their chances' is a tad excessive.

Certainly, being bi-lingual fluently would open a few doors that would be closed to non-bilingual job applicants. I guess they could also chose to live in the UK (or any other English speaking nation come to that) which would increase the numbers of job vacancies available to them. That would mean keeping up their spoken and written English to a high standard, especially for those children who came across to France at an early age. It depends on which career path they chose to a certain extent and on the individual person. They could always go into engineering or become an electrician and move to Oz or NZ, I believe they are looking for immigrants to fill those posts - that would expand their opportunities

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bi-lingual is not uncommon in France and as Fantine says, somewhat excessive to think it will double their chances of finding a job. For a start, unless they take English at Uni type level, it will for the mainpart be just like a French childs "French" learned in the UK and obviously French is not given huge priority in the UK is it ? So now put English in it's place here.

Afraid one of the "non benefits" of bringing very young kids to France, is that their English, especially written, has not developed as well or as far as a say 10-12 year olds had.

The biggest thing really, is to what standard they go to in their education, being simply bilingual would not be such a good thing really, several are here. The kids, if she want to see them get a decent job, will need to get up to Bac + 2, at least and I am sorry to say, too many British parents think that their child having 2 languages gives them an edge, unfortunately perhaps, that is grossly over exaggerated and not in way certain at all. Unemployment is high and still as now, I reckon as the years go by, more and more employers will look for a local country person to fill any vacancies.

Not a hard and fast rule of course and we know a few British kids who have found work but sorry to say, due mainly to low education grade, in the more menial areas but.................

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Difficult one, but if it makes her happy to believe it, what can you do!

As English speakers with British nationality, they already have the UK, US, Oz, NZ, Canada, open to them.

As bilingual English-French speakers, they'll have all the above, plus....ummmmm....... France!   And as you say, with the unemployment here, that won't necessarily be easy either.  The higher up the education ladder you go, the more bilingual ability there is, so they'll still be competing for whatever jobs there are.

I'll tell you what would make me rich - to have a euro for every time someone said "isn't it wonderful to be bilingual".

I know two people who are at least trilingual and who are working as cleaners.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had this conversation many years ago with some students who were here doing their year in France as part of their french degrees. They assured me that someone would always take a graduate on rather than someone who who is simply bilingual.

My eldest is now trilingual and it doesn't seem to have helped him in any way so far so Saligo's comments don't surprise me.

Isn't it another myth or assumption that being bilingual will be a great advantage...... I have yet to see that it really is.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I suppose bilingualism may be of benefit in terms of the worldwide job market, but I don't think that French will be of great use.

French is not a language of great world importance any longer, whatever the French themselves may think. Apart from English, the languages which will be most useful in the future are likely to be Spanish, whichever is the official dialect of Chinese, Russian and possibly Arabic. Portuguese is spoken by more people as a first language than French.

French is taught in British schools mainly for cultural/historic reasons. French worldwide influence is not great enough to make the language of vital importance. I am told (by an employee) that the day-to-day working language at Airbus in Toulouse is English.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"I am told (by an employee) that the day-to-day working language at Airbus in Toulouse is English."

- as it is, apparently, at France Telecom.

A teacher friend (British) told me today that the French university she teaches at always aims to recruit French nationality English teachers over non-French candidates (mother tongue speakers like her). Brittany Ferries do the same, despite the vast majority of their customers being English-speaking.

Doesn't bode well for bilingual Brits looking for work now or in the future in France.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try looking at it from another point of view? If your child is lousy at math, for example, but already speaks and writes excellant English, that gives more time to concentrate on the math. Hence less work in the long run.

I'm speaking of College and/or primary school here, in France, with the benefit of 3 darling (!) children...all three have been kicked out of English and put to work at their weakest subjects!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Re. extra lessons in mother tongue

I remember in the 60s that a lot of my fellow students, (childen of Polish immigrants), went to Saturday school to learn Polish. I wonder if this idea for learning English, would catch on in areas of France where there a lot of British incomers?

Gill

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

quite amused by the comments on the status of french as a language, and have found that there is a basis of truth in them. recently enquired to colleges and schools of further education in wiltshire for AS and A level french courses, but they are not offered...only up to gcse! now if i wanted to study spanish or italian then that would be no problem. my husband figured that everyone who wanted to study higher french had already moved to france!!!!!

the children may not be doubling their employment chances, but any increase in an ability to communicate with others has to be great...be it signing or a multilinguist, surely the essence of this change in lifestyle is enhancing the individual not just getting a job.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I would advise anyone bringing children to France from England to come equipped with sufficient English texts to keep the children fluent in written as well as spoken English. Given the high unemployment rates for young people and the bias towards employing French nationals if this is the case then it is all the more important  to give  children every possible advantage. It is hard to fit in the time to do extra English homework as well as the homework the children are getting from school but it is possible. Exposure to French when they have mastered the basics started an interest in other languages with my 8 and 10 year old. I have found it a good time to introduce them to a bit of Spanish. There isn't much time left for television or computer games but I see that as an advantage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...