Our website 1 enfant 2 langues, specially created for bilingual families, is one of these resources. In it, information is grouped under different topic headings, including the optimal age for learning a second language, the importance of reading in language development, stages of language development, types of bilingualism, how best to correct your child’s errors, and a comparison between Francophone schools and French immersion schools.

 

Here is an excerpt from one of these topics.

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• Show a positive and encouraging attitude towards French (this makes French relevant and interesting for the child; this also reassures them).

• Even if this attitude is expressed in a language other than French.

• Encourage reading at all ages, in English as well as in French (transferral of skills from one language to another).

• Support the Francophone parent.

(…)

• You can ask your child, “So, what did you do today in your French play group?” When your child responds, say “Way to go!”.

• Ask the child to find "French" letters such as the "é" on the French side of the cereal box, to explain the meaning of a French word (for instance,“collation”), or to say the French equivalent of some words from their own language (e.g., what is the French word for the Spanish word “gracias”? (“merci”), etc.). 

 

To read more, visit our bilingual website 1 enfant 2 langues.

To find out more, please refer to the story entitled Resources for Parents Who Don't Speak French.