Children French facts and ideas

• Over 115 million people worldwide speak French as their first language with almost 275 million counting it as a second language!
• 29 countries have French as their official language; this group is called la francophonie.
• Briton and France have had a long “love-hate” relationship and since the 16th century France has been known as “that sweet enemy”.
• The last French invasion of Britain was not in 1066, it was in fact 1797! 1400 French soldiers invaded South Wales but surrendered when a huge group of washerwomen (wearing red) came to have a look and the French mistook them for British troops! “Jemima the Great” captured 12 soldiers single handed!
• France makes more than 350 kinds of cheese!
• After English, French is the second most studied language in the world.
• It’s illegal to name a pig Napoleon in France.
• The oldest bridge in Paris is the Pont Neuf (The New Bridge).
• The letter “w” only appears in foreign words in the French language. E.g. le sandwich.
• There is a ‘Victor Hugo’ street in every town in France. Victor Hugo was a 19th Century French poet, novelist and dramatist. He is considered the most well-known French Romantic writer.
   

It may be that your child is excelling, struggling or just enjoys French and because of this there are many questions to answer to ensure you choose the best tutor for your child’s need. What should you be thinking about to help you choose the right French tutor for your child?

• Does your child learn French at school and is the aim to bolster their school learning or as a standalone language education? If so can the tutor arrange examinations?
• Do you need to provide stationery or equipment? Do these need to be purchased before the lessons start?
• Are there any text books that you need to order/pay for in advance?
• Do you have to commit to booking a term of lessons or can you pay half-termly?

There are three examination boards accredited by Ofqual. These are:

AQA – One of the leading providers of GCSEs and A Levels. Used by most secondary schools and colleges in the UK.

Edexcel – Considered the UK’s largest awarding organisation, they offer both academic and vocational qualifications and testing to schools and colleges.

OCR (Oxford Cambridge and RSA Examinations) – Over 13,000 centre’s choose OCR for their A Levels and GCSEs.

Children and Young Adults

GCSE – Generally involves an introduction to the French language, concentrating on the vocabulary your child might use as a tourist.

AS (Advanced Subsidiary) Level and A (Advanced) Level qualifications will offer a more in depth knowledge of the French language and culture. These aim at a level of fluency that will be useful for business and everyday conversation.

Qualifications of teachers/tutors

There is no minimum qualification required to tutor French at home in the UK at present, however we would recommend you ask to see copies of qualifications held.
 

• Focus
• Concentration
• Memory
• Patience
• Cultural Awareness

There are lifelong academic benefits to knowing two languages and transitional benefits gained during the learning of a new language. Studies show that at every level, bilinguals perform better in intellectual tests. Children who study a second language do better at logical reasoning, mathematics and English verbal tests. They get better exam results and adults who are competent in more than one language do best in both verbal and non-verbal intelligence tests.

Fluency in French will give your child access to a vast amount of literature and poetry. It will also aid in the study of other “Romance” languages such as Spanish and Italian.

Of course it is likely that your child will travel to a French speaking country at some time in his or her life and will have the benefit of being able to shop, travel and eat out with confidence.

Stand-up comedian, actor and writer Eddie Izzard (born February 7, 1962) toured France doing stand-up in French. He also speaks German.

Angelina Jolie, Anthony Bourdain (American chef), Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dannii Minogue, Elle MacPherson, Ellen McArthur (World Champion in Offshore Racing), Elton John, Emma Thompson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Helena Bonham Carter, Jeremy Iron, John Travolta, Johnny Depp, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Kylie Minogue, Madonna, Meryl Streep, Mick Jagger, Orlando Bloom, Robin Williams, Rupert Everett, Sigourney Weaver, Sting, Tina Turner, Tony Blair, Uma Thurman and Queen Elizabeth II. 

The French Alphabet -The French alphabet song with fun and colourful speaking flashcards.

French Adverbs - These videos are made for children in Grades 2 to 6 (age 7-11 years) and deal with elements of grammar in an entertaining way. This one tackles adverbs in French.

French Vocabulary Song - This is a short video about the importance of friendship but it's also about learning French by teaching vocabulary through the visual imagery of the lyrics of the song.