You would like your children to speak French one day, why not start when they are young? Although the first reaction of many parents is to hire the help of a tutor, an hour a week exposure to a tutor is not going to do much for a young child. Young children learn by repetition, constant repetition, and learning a language is no different. The best solution would be to hire a French nanny to talk to them all day, but this is not an option for most of us. So, in the end, the best tutor for your child will have to be you.
How can my son learn French if I don’t speak it myself?
If you don’t speak any French, start by taking a couple of hours of lessons for yourself. Learn things like colors, animals, basic counting and pronunciation in a small and easy book for toddlers. Now you can easily find teachers in your area or even by phone. A couple of things to make sure of when choosing a tutor: make sure they tailor their teaching to your needs and make sure they have lived in a French-speaking country or are native French, as a proper accent is essential here . You’ll also find plenty of free resources online, but again, be sure to only choose the ones with matching audio recordings so you can learn the correct pronunciation.
Teaching basic language skills to a young child
Once you have the basic pronunciation and vocabulary, start doing the repetitions with your children. For example: use French numbers whenever you count things like climbing stairs, use French politeness at home (is there anything cuter than an English-speaking child saying “Merci!”), use French color names when drawing, etc. ..
Find movies or shows that contain French tracks (the “Caillou” series does, as do many Disney and Dreamworks movies), or buy DVDs from a trusted source in Quebec, Canada (they use the same NTSC TV standard than the TO US). If you talk a bit, sit with your child while watching the movie and use simple sentences like “Look! Mowgli is eating a banana!” Get up and dance/sing along to the songs, your children will love this special moment and they will definitely develop an ear for the language and associate it with a good time.
More learning resources for children
Another great teaching tool is children’s songs or other animated audio recordings. My four-year-old daughter loves listening to recordings of classic stories; she seems mesmerized and she listens to the same story over and over again, for weeks and months. I am shocked to realize how much she understands about him. These recordings cover world-famous tales like “Little Red Riding Hood”, “Cinderella”, “Sleeping Beauty”… and come with a full translation and beautiful old pictures, so you can listen to them with your children and give them suggestions. Not only does she understand the story, but she can also repeat the story using complete sentences that she has completely memorized. And her teachers tell me that her French vocabulary and tenses are excellent.
Develop an interest in the French language and the rest will follow
Remember, at this age, the key is to help your child develop an ear for and interest in the French language, not to make him or her the next Voltaire or Sartre. Children need to understand that there are words to say the same thing in different languages. The day your child points to a pink flower when he hears the word “pink,” you’ll be thrilled. Children at a young age want to show you that they understand and live by your reaction to their intelligence. They have an uncanny ability to guess from context, and this is a great help in any language learning.
For over 36 hours of free audio-based French lessons
