Trying to drum some French into the kids before we move! Advice?

[Debra]

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[Norman]

Hello Debra,

carrying on with the thought of repetition, an idea I found quite

effective at the start was to label items around the house with post-it

stickers. It`s not very pretty or practical sometimes, but it does seem

to help make quite a strong and long lasting connection in the brain.

After a while you could maybe expand the text a bit with colours or

materials..... le placard jaune, le tiroir en bois etc.

Norman

[Ysatis]

I agree with Norman. My French is not brilliant but I do talk to my children, aged 2, 7 and 15yrs(today in fact) and 18, in French at times, short and sweet but fairly often, sometimes they don't like it and tell me to speak in English, but we have a pattern at bed time when I tell them it's time for bed in French and sometimes they won't even go up the stairs until I do say my few phases in French. Another thing I do, more so with my two youngest is say things in English repeated in French, just as Norman suggested, when I cooking dinner I say both English and French of what's on the menu, and various things like that.

I don't have any tapes or DVD's for them as I feel it's not so important for them to learn the language as we are not planning to move there. One thing I have playing in the car is a CD called ' Les Portes Tordues ', my seven year old has remember a bit and recognises words as I try and translate it for him, when I can't be bothered to translate, he tells me when certain phases/words are said and I must admit, I'm always surprised how quickly they retain things. My 2 year old always makes me smile when I have this CD on because he always repeats the last word in the sentence, similarly he does this in English, and he shout's out 'toujours' at the top of his voice.

Repetition is the key and keeping it simple, just like you would teach your children in English. My sentences have to be simple because I get part way through saying something and then I don't know the word for something, which forces me to look it up for next time.

Regards,

[andyh4]

No experience of the Muzzy sereis, but from friends who brought their 8 and 11 year old daughters out to Germany, they found that they learned german in very distinct ways.  The younger assimualted while the older translated.

On deeper investigation, it seems that at some time around 9 years of age we change the way we learn language.  So it may be that you will find there is not a one size fits all way of learing for your 3. 

[YCCMB]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryfrench/en_france_all_html.shtml

...is just one of loads of interactive internet sites which may also be worth a look. From what you say, your kids may not be ready yet for

http://www.adodoc.net/index.html which is a bit more advanced, but it's worth a look to see the sort of thing you could perhaps use a bit later.

Google "FLE enfants" and have a look at some of the other sites that come up, then you can choose anything which might interest your kids and supplement the videos.............

[Debra]

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[Prof de francais]

I think it's a great idea to get children involved in language learning as soon as possible. They will definitely feel the benefit of it when they get to France, and can use the base you have helped them attain as a springboard for the more natural acquisition they are linkely to experience when they get to France and find themselves in an immersive environment.

I have taught children languages for years now, and one of the key factors seems to be the ability to maintain an interest through a range of materials and approaches. For example, you are using/have used Muzzy, which focuses mainly of receptive skills, rather than productive ones. That's fine - it is creating a good base to use for further exploration, but have you also considered using computer programs too, such as the ones by Eurotalk, specifically designed for children? I believe they are inexpensive. Also, why not make learning French a family affair, as some of you are already doing? For example, you could all learn French together as a family, by adapting certain popular games, such as card games or charades, to French. How about 20 questions, both ways? This is great for practising question forms. Or use the ever popular language-class game of concentration to practise vocabulary.  

I believe that the shift from an ability to acquire language, as opposed to the necessity to learn language as such, takes place far earlier than theorists would have us believe. So formal learning can support acquisition very effectively.

One final thing - don't just go for vocabulary alone. Make sure you are teaching/learning/using a lot of structures as well.

 

[ergo]

We have lived here in France for 2 years now and our two sons had no french when we arrived despite exposure to Muzzy ,which they both found boring, and Salut Serge, which was a fun video but didnt seem to impart much french to them! They are both now  fluent and I am sure part of this is due to being the only english kids at the ecole therefore having to pick it up and only watching french tv. I would suggest going to Amazon.fr and ordering some dvds or videos in french for your kids to watch to get them used to the language, they can always watch dvds with subtitles in english if it helps build their confidence, and it will give them sonmething to invite their new freinds around to watch when they do move here. Bon chance!