Learning a foreign language as a 9-year-old

[Monkey]

Hi everyone, my daughter is 9 and doesn?t speak any French, my mother tongue. It?s my fault, I know.

She?s been going to French school on a Saturday morning for the past year. It?s a very good school but is really targeted at bilingual children. She says she can?t understand anything there and is none the wiser a year on.

So here?s my question: do I keep her in the bilingual school (on the basis that getting thrown in is the best way to learn, as I sometimes hear) or is it the case that at this age she should learn the language as a foreign language?

At home, I try to speak French as much as I can (though i?m not around much and I think that has been a big part of the problem) and I try and read her books in French. We have to stop at every word so is very painful and unproductive.

Thanks for your help.

[IlonaM]

Has she got any French cousins she can spend the summer hols or half terms with in France?

[redjam]

As an adult French learner who has often struggled in 'intermediate' classes (I get there and find that I'm the only one who isn't half-French/lives in France 6 months of the year/studied French at university etc), I share your daughter's pain. It's really tough to sit there feeling like the thickest person in the room while everyone babbles around you and you can only pick up half of what they're saying. She's probably learning more than she thinks she is by osmosis, but it's a bit soul-destroying and it's very easy to just 'switch off' when you feel like you've lost the gist of what everyone is talking about.

Could you afford one-to-one tuition instead of the French school? Then the teacher could go at her pace. Also I wonder about the books you're reading with her - could you go back to books aimed at younger children, even if they're a bit babyish? I was trying to struggle through adult books in French, but when I switched to kids' ones on the advice of a lovely French teacher it was a real confidence boost as I didn't have to look up every other word (even though it's quite funny reading 'Le Petit Nicolas' at my age!). So much of learning a language is having the confidence to make mistakes, which is hard to do if your confidence has already taken a battering.

Good luck - it's definitely worth it to push her as it's so lovely to be able to speak another language. I'm sure she'll get a boost when she's at secondary school and finds she's loads better at it than her peers.

[Soylent Green]

She needs something or someone to motivate her to want to learn and speak in French. Visiting grand=parents or cousins is a great idea as she would be immersed in the language and need to use it to communicate. The key is for her to be in a non-bilingual environment.

I imagine the Saturday school is doing more harm than good as she probably feels that everyone can do it apart from her. Even a holiday where she has a chance to play with French children who do not speak English would help. I started learning French as a child because I wanted to be part of the gang of French kids on the camp-site, so I joined them and learnt like EAL children do here.

Alternatively, you could wait until she starts to learn at secondary school (if she is not learning French at her primary school). In this environment she will learn quickly as she has been exposed to the language all her life and will benefit from being the 'one who can do it'. You also mention that you are not around to speak to her in French much during the week, so how about a French speaking au-pair to provide your child-care?

[Monkey]

Thank you all for your replies.

Unfortunately there aren?t any cousins she could stay with. And i?m really hesitant to leave her with my parents for various reasons.

She?s pretty cool with French school. While she?d rather be at home, she?s not feeling left out or dumb, I don?t think. She?s made friends there and the teachers really like her. Our local secondary doesn?t offer French so leaving it until then is not an option either.

I will look at private tutors. Hopefully some will have seen this thread.

And thank you for Le Petit Nicolas tip. I had completely forgotten about it. I had great success tonight with one of my old 1970s children's books by the way. She really took to it thanks to its big, clear font and the fact that the story is very clear.

Thank you again!

[laureen]

Hi!

I've just read the post and yes I know how French Saturday clubs work. I worked for a few different like these in London. They're great for children that already speak French at home where both parents speak French but unless they have a "FLE" class (Francais Langue Etrangere) this will be hard for her. I've seen few kids in her case and yes they always end up going for a One to One tuition.

It's true going in France for holidays would be great! But if you can't try as much as you can to immerse her in French at home. Books are great keep it up! Play movies she loves and knows already in French as well. Don't show her new ones in French as she will get bored and annoyed of not understanding. Better if she's watched it in English already.

I'm a French teacher (French native) and have a small business of teaching different languages. We're called La Vie en Rose Teaching. I live in ED.

If you're interested in private Teaching I'd be happy to help:

07986838354

[email protected]

Don't worry she's young that's the best period to learn a language !

Laureen.

[JMK]

could also try ?cole cadet rousselle in Herne Hill just behind Carnegie library

my 9yr old daughter enjoys it very much, 1 1/2 hours on a Weds from 4pm

https://ecolecadetrousselle.co.uk

[missdoodsie]

You are definitely doing the right thing by persisting. The older you are, the more difficult it is to learn another language, an ability which declines rapidly after puberty. Keep at it!

[treehugger]

Very sad to hear that her secondary school will not offer French. Do they offer other languages instead?

[Agathe31]

Hello,

I just saw your message. I work at the Institut francais in London (South Kensington). Maybe you already know about it but if not there's plenty of activities for children in French but aiming at learners primarily rather than already bilingual kids. There are kids screenings every saturday and sundays in French with subtitles, story telling in the children's library and art

clubs etc... It is a fun way of learning French with other kids with all level. More details here.https://www.institut-francais.org.uk/cine-lumiere/whats-on/festivals-series/

Hope it gives you ideas.

[Monkey]

Thank you all. I?ll check out the Institut Francais and Cadet Roussell. Treehugger, her secondary school only offers Italian.