Practising Spanish and/or French at home?

[Muddles2]

Do you think language-learning should just happen at school, or is anybody interested in doing a bit of practice at home? I have a blog called 'a green mouse' (after a French children's song) with friendly listening practice for children, and I'd love to know whether you think it is worth me carrying on with it, or whether you think it is only of interest to teachers.

[PeasandCucumbers]

Hi, I have had a very quick look at the blog as my DC's both learn French at school and I think it would be good to have something they could listen to for 5 mins every so often but I was wondering whether French has different pronunciation in France and Canada (I seem to remember hearing this in the past) and if so which is the pronunciation on the blog? Thanks

[Muddles2]

Hi! Thank you for having a look! Yes, the pronunciation is different between Canada and France, and the French on A Green Mouse is linked to France - even though some photographs on my blog were taken in Canada last summer! The aim is to provide listening and speaking practice and, by offering this extra practice, and putting the words into a context with sound and images, children should find it easier to remember the words and make use of them orally themselves. I don't know what age your DCs are but 'Counting to 10 with monkey' or 'Je m'appelle Billy' might be a good place to start. I will be adding much more to the site for different ages as often as I can. Thank you for your interest.

[Muddles2]

Did you hear this on Thought for the Day on the Today Programme this morning: "Music and singing should be central to education and children's lives". I know language songs are not going to appeal to everyone, but they really are a fantastic way of picking up words and learning the sounds, and with translations and clear vocals , A Green Mouse traditional Spanish and French songs really are fit for purpose!