Wednesday 4 November 2009

ça va?

I can now count a tower of ten blocks in French. I can sing Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes... in French. Apparently my pronunciation of body parts is very good (no sniggering at the back). Particularly for someone who gave up learning French at the age of thirteen. I can sing Frere Jacques, without fudging the bit about sunny lemon tinas. It's sonnez les matines don't you know.

As my dad kindly pointed out, little man can't yet do any of these things in English. But hey, he seemed to be having fun. Some people might think, 'What's the point in trying to teach a 20-month-old French?', others might think it's too pushy, middle-class parent.

Well, I don't sit around in the evening thinking about exactly what I want little man to learn, what would turn him into a child genius who will be passing A levels at the age of three and then find such a class, no matter how far I have to travel or how much I have to pay. And I realise he's not going to suddenly start saying 'Bonjour maman, je voudrais une pomme de terre, s'il vous plait.' (Look, I told you I gave it up aged thirteen!)

But, there's a group being run fifteen minutes' walk from my new house and we do like to go out and about and do fun things and see other people sometimes. And sing songs and do actions and draw and play. And it's free. It doesn't really matter exactly what the group is all about. It's fun and it won't do little man any harm if he does learn to say bonjour. And it's quite nice for mummy to learn something too.

All together now: Tete, epaules, genoux, pieds (genoux, pieds)...

5 comments:

  1. Lisa Smith4/11/09 21:55

    well done u... i think ur dad n my dad r in this together...mine is very critical of Jak's Baby Signing class.

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  2. Anonymous5/11/09 02:30

    Well done!
    I used to teach English in Japan to "chibis" - 2 and up - to start with I thought the whole thing ridiculous. They really did learn things though. Like little sponges. They didn't become fluent, by any means. I'm not that good. It was more about being comfortable around other (strange) people and exposing them to different things. I completely get that now, but at the time....

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  3. Even I can't do tete... whatever it is in French. Besides, its got to be better than Spanish with Dora, right?! She drives me nuts!!

    Great that you've found a singing club that's free. We have to pay & go to Monkey Music. I'm still unsure about it...

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  4. I particularly like the idea of 'Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes' in French. :)

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  5. oh I wish there was something like this nearby...it sounds great. I'd never push S into things either but I am envious of friends girls who live in France with Brit & American parents and have been bilingual since they started to talk...such a gift

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