Worried about your children getting to grips with French in their new classroom in France? There are plenty of easy ways to help them develop their language skills at home, not to mention a life-long love of le français, says educational psychologist Janet Myers
Do you remember your first, real encounter learning a foreign language, whether it was a phrase or two to use on holiday, or the first step in a life-long quest to achieve fluency? My first ever French lesson in secondary school opened up a door to a magical world with an atmosphere distinct from anything I’d ever experienced before.
We were impressionable 11-year-old girls, learning in the heart of Liverpool, poised for a slice of glamour and sophistication in the form of Miss Bertin, who arrived from France that term clad in couture. As she read out loud from our 1970s French course book, Jean-Paul, Marie France and Claudette came to life in an exotic alternative universe.
Miss Bertin knew how to generate meaningful connections between us and her home culture. For our first piece of homework, she instructed us to bring in a label from a bottle of wine to glue into our cahier, to analyse and label with care and respect, providing us with essential life skills I still apply on a regular basis.
Now I have two children of my own who are taking their first steps into my French world. A year ago, I bought a holiday cottage on the outskirts of a village in Brittany. As a mum and educational psychologist, I have watched as my children have started to learn the language during our holidays there. In this article, I’d like to share my thoughts on how to support the development of early second language skills, and of course, a love of both France and its people.
BUILDING CONFIDENCE
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Denne historien er fra Autumn 2017-utgaven av Living France.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Guide To: Working For A Foreign Company
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On vintage soil
Life in the vineyards of Aude is a dream come true for Leicestershire-born Katie Jones who now successfully exports her wines back to the UK, as Brigitte Nicolas learns
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER
What happens if you are buying a French property but can’t attend the completion meeting at the notaire’s office in person? Matthew Cameron explains how a power of attorney can be used and how it works
In safe hands
There can be few more unusual homes than the 11th-century Château de Clérans, situated close to the Dordogne river in the Périgord Pourpre region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
THE CAPTAIN'S TABLE
Robin Ellis made his name as the original Captain Poldark but a diabetes diagnosis led the Tarn-based actor to add cookbook writing to his CV, as Richard Webber learns
My frugal France
Embracing modern technology could save you money and time on both the pleasures and essentials of life in France, says Laura Harley as she shares some of her favourite French apps
Hidden Talents
Moving to France enabled these three expats to switch off from busy careers and in turn discover new creative talents, says Gillian Harvey, who counts herself among them
Beauty to behold
With its legendary vineyards, charming old towns and rich gastronomy, Gironde is quintessential France at its best, as Alison Weeks discovers
AS SEEN ON SCREEN
A Dordogne town, a Charente city and a Pyrenean village all have a starring role in three new films hitting the big screen this year, joining a long list of French locations that have gone before them, as Vicky Leigh learns
A local's view
Trish and Mark Tyler run a beautifully restored chambres d’hôtes, set in six hectares of park and woodland near StÉmilion, which has a fascinating history
