l'alphabet français I : chantez !

It's time for my tutees to learn the French alphabet (and for my four-year-old to stop mumbling "elmo-elmo-pé" when she gets lost in the middle of the song)!  Let's start with some chansons (songs)...

First, some traditional alphabet songs with Mozart's familiar melody:

La chanson de l'alphabet, featuring a man's voice accompanied by a calm acoustic guitar:

The letters appear on screen, along with the lyrics at the end of the song: "Maintenant je les connais/Toutes les lettres de l'alphabet."

This one, from the website Le monde des petits, has a child's voice singing the alphabet and gentle synthesizer music; it's the one Gwyneth likes best (she actually sings along, and she's very picky about that sort of thing):

The lyrics end a little differently: "Maintenant je les connais/Chante avec moi s'il te plaît."  This 20-minute video continues with a catchy animated song about the numbers 1-10, assigning a rhyming characteristic to each of them ("le sept aime les chaussettes"), and then includes a second alphabet song after the numbers, this one like a lullaby.

My favorite French version of the traditional alphabet song, however, is the accordion-spiced ABC & 123 Cajun from Michael Doucet (founder of the popular group Beausoleil).  Unfortunately, no one has made a cute animated video of it or posted a live version on YouTube, so for now, listen to the promotional clip (#7) on Amazon (and consider buying the album, Le Hoogie-Boogie, Louisiana French Music for Children--it's delightful).

But why limit ourselves to the usual versions?  You might like some of these fun, less-traditional French alphabet songs:

Alain Le Lait's L'alphabet en français, funky and animated:

The lyrics are simple: multiple repetitions of the alphabet, each followed by "c'est l'alphabet en français."

You will probably recognize this next melody for the alphabet song: it's the aria "L'amour est un oiseau rebel" from Bizet's Carmen.  I think it's genius!

A nice change from the major-key alphabet songs is this one; it's simply a different melody with those same 26 letters:

Ditto (the exact song, but this video features barnyard fowl rocking out):

This next video introduces each letter of the alphabet, accompanied by a drawing of an animal that begins with that letter.  The singer/narrator pauses just long enough for the viewers to repeat after him.  I like that the animal names appear onscreen, and especially that not all of the creatures are the ones you'd expect.  (Cigogne for C, for example, rather than the more common chat, chien, or cheval; and not an éléphant but rather an écureil for E.  And who doesn't appreciate a good "N is for narval"?)

And if you like learning a word along with each letter, then you should check out Les Alphas, a video introducing the alphabet via characters shaped like the letters.  Each one represents the sound(s) that the letter makes.  Some are cute (the dame and her extremely ample derrière) and some confusing (you'll think the C looks like a chenille, but it's actually a cornichon, while the N, which is supposed to be a nez, looks like the love child of a champignon and a crotte).  I also can't help thinking that the jet d'eau looks too much like a sperm.

(Did you notice the limace for L?  Whose idea was it to make its mascot a slug?!)

I do wish each of the words were written onscreen--especially since it appears that this video is part of a program for teaching (French-speaking) children to read.  Curious to see more?  Check out this clip that focuses on the vowel sounds and this one that introduces the back story of the planète des Alphas.

Now, take a trip back to the 1980s with Chantal Goya and her live-action on-stage spectacular featuring  little girls in matching sailor suit dresses; larger-than-life chickens, cats, and an egg with limbs; and Madame Goya herself with such a sweet voice and such large shoulder pads, gently encouraging us to "Apprends l'alphabet en chantant" :

(This video is simultaneously horrifying and enthralling, isn't it?  I bet you couldn't look away from the singer and her sprightly, singing, head-tilting minions.  I'm so sorry for inflicting this earworm on you!)

So…which one is your favorite, and why?  Which one(s) would you be happy to never hear again?

Stay tuned for part 2 (practicing repeating the alphabet) and part 3 (playing games online to practice the alphabet).

Bonjour, bonjour ! Comment ça va ?

As a parent who only speaks French to my American children, I work as an unpaid teacher 24/7.  But I also have several private tutoring clients, parents who actually pay me to speak French to their children!  I really enjoy teaching French to these kiddos, but being with my own children reinforces that 30 or 60 minutes a week is not nearly enough for these other kids.  

Therefore, I'm starting to recommend videos that the kiddos can watch at home to reinforce what we cover during our private tutoring lessons.  Here are some fun videos to practice listening comprehension of words and phrases related to greeting people and asking how they're doing:

"Bonjour, Hello" by BASHO and Friends -- song with onscreen lyrics and lots of repetition of several ways to ask and answer "how are you" in French; designed for non-native speakers; no photos, videos, or other illustrations of what the words mean.

"Comment ça va" by Juli Powers -- an upbeat song for children that presents lots of options for responding to the question "How are you?", with photos illustrating each sentence and the lyrics in French at the bottom of the screen.

"French Greetings Song" by Natasha Morgan -- a gentle song with onscreen lyrics that appear as the singer writes and draws; features also common questions such as "what's your name" and "how old are you," plus numbers.  Each question or response is repeated three times in French and then the English equivalent is given.

Also from Natasha Morgan, here is her translation of "Two Little Birdies," this one with Fifi and Blanche, who greet each other, state their names, and then fly away.  Short and cute and clear!

"Bonjour" by Alain Le Lait, a short song with a rock and roll feel presenting several phrases in French worth memorizing: how are you, I'm happy to be here, thank you for coming.  A nice feature: the lyrics appear at the bottom of the screen (accompanied by happy, headless, dancing Gumbies) at the beginning but not when the verses are repeated.  Good for listening comprehension!

"Bonjour" by Louis and Josée of Mini TFO (a show for children on Canadian television), a short song featuring real live people who invite the watchers and other children to join them at the playground; no onscreen lyrics.

"Bonjour" from the Disney film "La Belle et la Bête" -- this is the opening song where Belle walks through her village greeting the other residents.  Sung in French; no lyrics onscreen, but you can read the transcription of the song and the dialogue interspersed here.

"Bonjour, bonjour" is a fast, catchy song by L'autobus à vapeur, a group that does songs in French for children (native speakers).  This video is a version sung by a children's choir, accompanied by a cute cartoon and onscreen lyrics.  (You can hear the original song here, no lyrics or video.)

Which one(s) do you and your kiddos like best and why?  Recommendations for other songs about French greetings?

introducing…Boulder County Fun with French!

Carol (of A French American Life fame) and I have been asked to teach our immersion class at the toy shop in Boulder again this term, and I am restarting my library French storytimes and adding a French playdate for older kids as well!

Because attendance has always been our biggest challenge with the storytimes, we decided to take advantage of social media for promotional purposes.  We are very pleased to announce the birth of:

The Boulder County Fun with French Meetup Group

and

The Boulder County Fun with French Facebook Page!

And in case you're local and interested in our upcoming class, you can register here.

A bientôt !

big news!

(No, my sillies, I'm not pregnant again!)

I think these wheels of cheese are larger than my three-year-old daughter.
(Farmers market, Riquewihr, France, August 2014)

After years of speaking French to my children and nephew, teaching university-level French classes, giving private French lessons to individual kids, and offering free library storytimes in French, I'm finally diving in and co-teaching my first class in French for children ages 0-5!!!

My friend Carol of A French American Life had the cojones to approach the manager of Grandrabbit's Play, an indoor play space in Boulder, and ask them if they were interested in adding French to their current offerings of music and yoga classes.  They said oui, we wrote up a proposal, had an interview, and so we start next week!

Here's the blurb:

Come play in French with us! Our classes will engage you and your child in a fun, low-stress language immersion experience. Via songs, books, games, and crafts, you and your child will be encouraged to understand and speak French from day one. The instructors, who use French nearly 100% of the time in class, use context, repetition, props, images, gestures, and tone of voice to make the meaning clear: in other words, the way that children acquire their first language! No previous exposure to French is required.   

Doesn't that sound fun?  I would totally bring my kids to this class if they didn't already speak French.  (Actually, I will be bringing Gwyneth, since she's not in preschool those mornings.)

Promotion: if you happen to be from around here and sign up for a class this Friday, October 17, you will also receive a month of free open play at the facility (a $39 value).

Wish us luck!  Any advice?

I just wish I had started volunteering sooner!

This post was written for the July 2013 Raising Multilingual Children Blogging Carnival hosted by Stephen at Head of the Heard; this month's theme is "Hidden Opportunities."  Do go read about other parents' discoveries and surprises on their journey to bilingualism!

In July 2005, my husband Ed and I got married.  I was working as a lecturer in French at Colorado State University, an hour's drive away from my new home in Lafayette, Colo.  With all my co-workers, my book groups, my favorite theatre and restaurants, and so many friends back there, I was concerned that Lafayette would be where I slept but Fort Collins where I lived.

Therefore, in August 2005, when I heard that the local library was looking for volunteer tutors for its drop-in afterschool Homework Center, I applied, thinking that helping out there would help me meet people, practice my Spanish, and maybe even make math and reading more manageable for some of the kids.  Who knew that this volunteer gig would lead to more opportunities for me to pursue my ultimate career goal of teaching French to young children?

Here's how it gradually happened...

2005: At the Homework Center, I worked with a lot of children who were emergent or struggling readers.  I also befriended Estela, the Homework Center Assistant.

Denver Channel 7 News featured the Homework Center as one of its Everyday Heroes (you can catch a glimpse of me and Griffin at the very end of the clip)

2006: Estela was promoted to Reading Buddies Coordinator at the library.  I kept tutoring and, overall, learning more from the kids than they probably were learning from me!  

fall 2006: My supervisor at the Homework Center recommended me to a parent who was looking for a private reading tutor for her child.  I started tutoring this second-grade girl twice a week.  (Also, my nephew was born, and soon after that, this blog about speaking exclusively French to him!)

a happy Tatie and her baby nephew

2007: Realizing that I didn't know enough about how to help a student who was reading so far below grade level, I started actively researching strategies, activities, materials, and methods.  (Developing these lessons got me all fired up about teaching children to read--too bad my nephew was still a toddler.)

For example, modifying board games like Candyland by writing word families on each square so that the players have to say a word that ends with that particular letter combination--great for emergent readers!

spring 2007: The commute back and forth to CSU--especially during snowstorms--was dragging me down and I was losing my enthusiasm for teaching college students.  My husband and I had also been trying to start a family.

summer 2007: Estela's husband got a new job and they had to leave Lafayette.  She suggested that I apply for her part-time position as coordinator of Reading Buddies, a free reading enrichment program in which middle and high school volunteers meet once a week one-on-one with younger students to read together and play literacy games.  And I was pregnant!

fall 2007: I resigned from CSU.  During my Reading Buddies interview, I answered their questions about working with reluctant readers with lots of specific ideas, most of which had developed from my private tutoring and my Homework Center experience.  Volunteering pays off--I got the job!

fall 2007: It dawned on me that many parallels exist between my old job (helping college students learn to read and write in their second language) and my new one (helping teenagers help elementary school students learn to read and write in their first language).  Very cool.

2008: My son, Griffin, was born, and I began speaking to him exclusively in French.

happy Maman and her baby boy

newborn Griffin visits a Reading Buddies session and hears his first Eric Carle book

Little Buddies reading to the "Baby Buddy" while the Big Buddy wonders why exactly his supervisor brought a screaming child to work

2009: Griffin and I joined a French-language playgroup.

2010: Several of us from the playgroup attended a French storytime at a different library and were so disappointed that we decided to create our own storytime!  And since I was already employed at a library, it wasn't hard to get this approved.  (So now I had three different "jobs" there, two volunteer and one paid.)

my friend Mathilde and her two boys at French storytime

2011: I developed more confidence in planning and leading storytimes in my second language, even in front of an audience of native speakers, even while chasing my active preschooler around the room, even during18 weeks of morning sickness while pregnant with my daughter!  (Then I took a little break after she was born.)

pensive baby Gwyneth, two days old, wearing the dress that I sported when my parents brought me home from the hospital

And here she is at her first Reading Buddies session, age 1, watching the big kids play Chutes and Ladders with word families

2012: When local nonprofits solicited donations for their silent auction fundraisers, I offered French lessons for children.

I had already developed some games--but they would be more fun to play with kids than by myself

2013: For the first time, an auction winner actually followed up and brought her children to me for French classes!

spring 2013: A violin teacher overhears me talking about storytime and asks me to lead the French immersion lesson each day in her French-themed summer Suzuki strings camp.

the students' performance of "Roule Galette" on the last day of class; Griffin is the boy in the blue shirt

summer 2013: And it actually happened!  For the first time, I received real money to teach a French class to children, with my bilingual son as my teaching assistant (and my toddler daughter doing all the not-sitting-still this time).

So, you see, after eight years of volunteer work (and countless hugs and "thank yous" from the Homework Center students), I have a job I love which makes me feel connected to the community and which has enabled me to develop and practice the skills which I will need to continue teaching French classes for children (and to motivate me to keep using French with my own kids)!  

some of my Reading Buddies

more Reading Buddies

But first, I'm going to catch up on my sleep.  That crazy koala bear toddler still isn't sleeping through the night.

but we love her anyway

French words for English workbooks

coloring before Christmas 2011

If your preschool child is anything like mine, he has amassed quite a collection of coloring books and workbooks and maze books--in English.  But which parent spends more time sitting with him, reading the directions, supplying the scissors and paste and marker caps, encouraging him to stay in the lines and off the carpet?  Moi.  The one who only speaks to him in French.

While it would be fun to have cahiers d'activité like these from France to do with Griffin, it isn't actually necessary, because it turns out that most any coloring page or worksheet can be discussed just as easily in one language as in another.

That being said, I did have to check with some of my French friends to make sure that I was translating correctly when helping Griffin with his activity books.  For example, turns out that "dessine un cercle autour de" isn't the best way to render "draw a circle around"!

(You'd think I'd know by now not to automatically choose the word-for-word translation.)

So, because I don't trust my memory any more--and because even when Griffin has finished all his preschool workbooks and outgrown his coloring books his little sister will no doubt be by my side with a stack of new ones--here is our list of French Workbook Vocabulary!

Griffin enjoys arts and crafts more as a four-year-old than he did when he was younger

VERBS

Associer: to match (to connect two items on opposite sides of the page, for instance)
Barrer: to cross out
Chercher les différences: to find the differences (between two similar pictures, for example)
Chercher les intrus: to find the ones that don't belong
Choisir: to choose
Colorier: to color
     Colorier a l'intérieur des lignes: to color inside the lines (also, colorier uniquement l'intérieur, sans déborder, sans dépasser and ne pas dépasser le trait)  
Colorier l'image identique au modèle: to color as indicated in the model
     Colorier par codes: to color by number
Dénombrer: to tally, to count the number of
Entourer: to draw a circle around
Faire une ligne: to draw a line (not dessiner une ligne)
Relier: to connect
    Relier les points: to connect the dots
Remettre des images dans l'ordre chronologique: to put pictures in order
Reproduire: to copy
Souligner: to underline
Suivre les instructions: to follow the directions
Tracer: to trace
Trier: to classify, to sort
Trouver: to find

Three preschoolers coloring on the same page--how often does that happen?!

NOUNS

Un autocollant: sticker (also, une gommette is used by some as a synonym for autocollant, while for others it refers to the type of sticker you have to lick--not self-adhesive--or a specific type of stickers in the form of shapes and letters)
Une brosse: an eraser for a blackboard or dry-erase whiteboard
Un cahier: notebook
     Un cahier d'activités: workbook
     Un cahier de coloriage: coloring book (not livre de coloriage)
Un coloriage: a coloring page
     Un coloriage par codes: a color-by-number page
Un crayon: pencil (also, un crayon a bois)
     Un crayon de cire: wax crayon (such as a Crayola); readers on a WordReference forum also offer un pastel, une craie grasse, un crayon gras as options)    
     Un crayon de couleur: colored pencil (or, apparently, many people also use this term for colored wax crayons)
Un ensemble de couleurs: pattern--sort of--we couldn't really come up with a satisfactory word to describe a pattern (WordReference suggests un motif or un dessin)
Un feutre: a marker (as in a pen for coloring), not un stylo (pen for writing)
Une gomme: an eraser for pencil marks (not un effaceur, even though effacer is the verb to erase)
Le graphisme: penmanship, handwriting
Un labyrinthe: maze (by the way, pronounce all three syllables distinctly, or else it sounds kinda like "lapin," thus thoroughly confusing your French friends--true story!)
Une mosaique: mosaic
Un point: dot (as in connect-the-dots)

Okay, so what am I missing?  Which of the above expressions need to be tweaked?  (last updated on February 7, 2013, to reflect the comments below)

Griffin likes to decorate the letter G

Coming soon: a post featuring links to free printable pages for creating your own custom workbook in French for your toddlers and preschoolers!

joining the alliance

So I'm a little embarrassed to admit that it took me 14 years of living along Colorado's Front Range to become a member of the Alliance Francaise of Denver.   I mean, I was teaching French for half that time, I've been receiving their weekly e-newsletter all along, and I have even attended workshops for teachers that were held there--but never made the effort to actually join this branch of the worldwide nonprofit organization that promotes French via classes, lectures, cultural activities, and so forth.

So what was it that made me pony up that $45 membership fee, given that it takes me 40 minutes to drive there, thus ensuring that I won't be visiting regularly?

Their library.

Members can borrow novels, educational materials, CDs, movies, even board games--all in French--aaaaand children's books!  Since Griffin is enjoying listening to me read easy chapter books to him now, being able to browse the Alliance Francaise's bibliotheque means I don't have to pay big bucks to order chapter books sight unseen from abroad.

Last week I attended an open house there, anticipating that after that I could stop waffling about whether or not to join--either I'd like what I saw or I'd decide it wasn't worth it.  Here's what I learned:

1.  It fills me with joy to walk into an unfamiliar place in another city and hear someone exclaim "Mademoiselle [Maiden Name]!"  My former students are all over this state.  (And some of them have even kept up with their French after graduating!)

2.  People at the Alliance Francaise are tres impressed to meet an American married to an American who only speaks French to her children.  (Having my adorable Gwyneth on my hip helped, of course.)

Okay, so this my adorable Gwyneth in her father's arms, but you get the idea.

3.  For basically the cost of two magazine subscriptions, I can borrow French materials to read and listen to (and also access other resources from their office, like an iPod loaded with educational podcasts and a television showing TV5, a 24-hour channel in French).

4.  It would not be a good idea to enroll Griffin--or even Gwyneth--in the classes they offer for younger children.  At the sample class I observed, the teachers explained that these classes are designed for anglophone kids who are learning French for the first time and that when a child from a French family attends he invariably gets bored.  This is very good to  know before I made the commitment to haul my kiddos back and forth to downtown Denver once a week!

5a.  On the other hand, the teachers seemed to think that a class for children who are already familiar with French would be welcome, and that if we could meet a minimum enrollment number that the AF teacher would come to Boulder to give the class!

5b.  During that conversation, I also mentioned our French library storytime to the teachers--which really appealed to them.  Perhaps I should start publicizing this program at the AF office and through their newsletter!

5c.  Then I pointed out that as the AF offers activities for francophile adults such as wine tastings, art appreciation lectures, conversation groups, and parties, they could (should?) plan some analogous events for children!  For example, arts and crafts workshops, dance parties, field days, Asterix cartoon viewings....  I would willingly drive down to Denver once a month to have Griffin hang out with French kids and, say, learn to play soccer in French or have a cooking lesson in French.

5d.  The teachers, enthusiastic, then suggested that I contact the AF director and propose classes and workshops like those!  I could even ask the families from French playgroup and storytime to write to him as well....

5e.  It's been a week since the AF open house and I haven't done one darn tootin' thing about it (other than read Oui-Oui au pays des jouets to Griffin!).

5f.  My to-do list (lists) will not get any shorter if I keep adding projects instead of finishing the ones that are already in progress!  (And blogging about them only encourages me to procrastinate and pontificate rather than just do it.  Get off the computer already and go sort Gwyneth's clothes, Sarah!  She's 14 months old and her size-six-month dresses don't cover her tushie anymore.)

Where to "commencer"?

commencer = to begin

In recent weeks, two vastly different moms have approached me for suggestions on helping their kids learn French. One is Adriana over at My Bilingual Boys, an experienced Spanish teacher whose two young sons already speak English and Spanish fluently. The other is the mother of a large home-schooled family, two of whose teenagers want to learn French.

The former has a multitude of resources available to her online and through her colleagues, plus the knowledge and experience that comes from already having raised her children with two languages, while the latter's resources consist exclusively of what she can access in the public library (no Internet at home and no possibility of buying books or materials for the kids to use at home) plus her memories of learning German when she was younger. And unfortunately, our library does not have extensive French learning materials--Muzzy, yes (for little kids), but Rosetta Stone, no.

My challenge for myself will be to go back through my previous posts and the French materials for kids that I have accumulated to figure out what I might recommend to both of these families (even though what works for two teenagers may have little in common with what appeals to younger children). This means that I will (probably) finally get around to posting reviews of the more of the books, games, and videos that I've used with Carl and now Griffin!

cavorting with Carl--but no bugs allowed!

February 2006

In the months after Griffin entered our world and turned it topsy-turvy, I missed many things previously taken for granted--the sensation of being in control of my life, the very real possibility of seven or eight uninterrupted hours of sleep most nights, theatre and dinner dates with my hubby, bras not designed for lactation. But I also missed my Thursday afternoons with Carl (born January 31, 2006).

October 2006

We would sing and play and eat and take walks, all en francais! By the time Carl first bonked me on the head and pronounced it a "tete!" (head), I was a goner. Head over heels with my nephew and with the idea of helping him learn a second language. Imagine my delight when he was regularly saying two- and three-word sentences in French at 18 months!

March 2007

I had been taking care of my nephew one afternoon a week for almost two years. (In fact, I went into labor a couple of hours after coming home from Carl's house the day before Griffin was born, around the time that the following photo was taken!)

January 2008

Watching Carl was so valuable for me on so many levels--I learned what it was like to spend hours at a time with an infant, then a toddler; I developed more patience, persuasiveness, and creativity; I became the recipient of countless beaming grins and hugs, giggles and kisses, rocking chair cuddles and silly sing-alongs. And lucky me--I experienced all this while sharing and teaching and learning in French.

March 2008

But once Griffin arrived (January 26, 2008), I couldn't spend five hours at a time one-on-one with Carl. My afternoons of babysitting stopped, and with them, Carl's French "lessons" with me (as well as my intention to blog regularly--oh well. I'm back now!). Our families saw each other less often, and Griffin was usually the center of attention when we did get together. Carl's spoken language (in English) rocketed, and he started attending preschool.

French slipped to the side, though he never actually rebelled against it or wanted me to speak English to him instead. Throughout most of 2008 and 2009, when I did see him and speak French, he showed no interest in responding in French. (Now he's at the point where he'll announce, "I can speak some French," or sing "Frere Jacques," or inform me, "Tatie, that's a camion, not a voiture" when we're playing cars together.)

October 2008

A while back (don't ask me how long--the first 15 months or so of Griffin's life seem just a blur to me now), Elizabeth (Carl's mom, my husband's sister) and I decided to try to get the boys together once a week. She'd watch them for two hours at her house, and I'd have them the next week at mine. At first, these playdates were painful: Carl was frustrated that Griffin didn't/wouldn't do what he wanted him to; I was frustrated that both boys wouldn't sit quietly and let me read to them in French; Griffin was frustrated because Carl and I were frustrated. At times I would stare at the clock, amazed that only 45 minutes had passed, dismayed that I had to keep them entertained and me sane for over an hour longer. (I remain in awe of single parents, parents of muliples, parents who have one baby and one or more other children, in fact. You guys rock.)

January 2009

I remember one morning last year in particular, when Griffin was walking and talking and Carl was a preschooler. In a fit of optimism brought on by a rare full night's sleep and a pang when thinking about my days as a full-time university instructor, I planned out a French lesson for the boys, all about bugs. I gathered books about bugs (La chenille qui faisait des trous, a nonfiction imagerie called Les insectes), my hand-made puppets for teaching The Very Hungry Caterpillar, bug toys (a hand-me-down stuffed butterfly that giggles, a wooden caterpillar, a butterfly teether), nursery rhymes featuring bugs ("Elle a des pois sur son manteau"), songs about butterflies ("Papillon vole, vole, vole gracieusement" by Muriel), and so forth. Envisioning watching the boys "fly" around the house while chanting my favorite French rhyme about ladybugs...

Elle a des pois sur son manteau
Et deux antennes sur son chapeau
Des petites ailes
Pour se faire belle
C'est Madame la Coccinelle!

...thrilled me. I was going to be able to continue to teach French to Carl after all! Carl and Griffin would grow up speaking French together!

Well, that one morning flopped so spectacularly that I haven't deliberately tried to teach Carl anything since! He wouldn't even color the pictures of insects I had prepared, much less repeat vocabulary words after me, make the toy butterfly soar whenever he heard papillon in the butterfly song, or sit still while I read the caterpillar book aloud.

Still, Carl doesn't protest when I speak French to him--and he was visibly surprised and indignant when he realized that Griffin understands words and phrases that he doesn't! (Like when the three of us are reading together, and I ask where a certain thing is in the picture, and Griffin will point to it right away while Carl's still trying to figure out what I mean.)

April 2009

So I'll keep trying to make learning French fun but keep the didactic bits low-key around Carl for now. As Elizabeth has noted, something's working, because he does speak French (or talk about speaking French) now and then. If anything changes, I'll let you all know!

October 2009

Griffin's "uh-oh" book

This delightful little tome, Blue Hat, Green Hat, by the ever-popular, always-silly Sandra Boynton was the first book that Griffin asked for by name early this year as he was learning to talk. As you can see from the illustrations, it tells the story of a turkey who just can't quite figure out how to get dressed. The other animals wear their clothes on the appropriate body parts, but not the turkey. Each time he shows up with, say, a shoe on his head or fully clothed to dive into a swimming pool, we see the word "oops" above him.

Since I didn't know how to say "oops" in French, when I read this book to Griffin and Carl, I would substitute "uh-oh," a word that Griffin loved to announce (occasionally even before he threw the toy out of the crib or the food off the high chair tray, thereby serving as a useful warning).

(Note: I have since learned that the French word for "oops" is, well, "oups.")

Anyway, Griffin quickly learned to chime in on the "uh-oh"s when I read this to him, and he soon began pointing to it and saying "uh-oh" to indicate that he wanted to hear it again. What a thrill to see my one-year-old requesting a book by name, even before he could say much more than "no" and "more" and "bear" and "lolo"!

Blue Hat, Green Hat, is also the first book that Carl "read" out loud in French, since he knew the names for colors and articles of clothing, and he'd crack up every time he came to the "uh-oh"!

PS: I really, really wish I could find the French equivalent of Sandra Boynton--board books for toddlers that rhyme and tell stories using goofy pictures. (We do have a lot of kids' books in French for Griffin, but most of them are nonfiction and serious, not fun and funny.) Any recommendations?

PPS: I even emailed Ms. Boynton to ask if we can ever expect any professionally-translated versions of her books in French! As Adriana points out in the comments below, several have been translated into Spanish, including Doggies, Moo Baa La La La, and our beloved Blue Hat, Green Hat. Here is the response from Pam Boynton:

"Sandra Boynton's books have been translated into Spanish, but not into French. I believe this is a decision that is made by her publishers. I will let her know of your interest in French translations and we thank you for writing!"

Maybe if all my francophile readers write in and request French translations, Ms. Boynton's publishers will reconsider! If you wish, please contact her at info@pfboynton.com and leave a comment below letting us know. On behalf of Griffin, Carl, and French-speaking children around the world, merci beaucoup!

big bucks for bilingual babies in Boulder

Would you pay $480 for a twelve-week class? One that meets twice a week for an hour at a time (ie, $20 per hour)? What if it was a class for your child? What if your child is only six months old?

Really, the question is whether I will pay $480 for Griffin to attend a French class for babies in nearby Boulder, Colo.

• His baby swim class is $36 for eight sessions (and a ten-minute walk away).


• Attending this class would require about an hour of driving (round-trip). I don't like driving. Or paying for gas these days.


• Adding another regular activity into my life might make my head explode.


• Griffin is only six months old, for pete's sake. He doesn't talk yet.


• And finally, as my mother matter-of-factly pointed out to me, I speak French to him all day long--for free.

Still, I'm going to attend the free sample class tomorrow to see how a native speaker engages kids up to 2.5 years old for an entire hour with no English at all. Maybe I'll be blown away and decide that it would really help Griffin (and me). Maybe it'll help me refine my idea of someday offering French classes for kids in my home using music, theatre, cooking, games, art, arts and crafts, and storytelling. Maybe they're looking to hire more teachers!

Or maybe I should just find (or organize) a free French playgroup and make sure that Griffin and Carl spend more time together as Griffin becomes more interactive.

Stay tuned--I'll let you know what the sample class is like. Any advice, especially in regards to what age Griffin and Carl should be for French-language classes for kids and whether it's important to have a native speaker leading such a class?