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Original poster

French exchanges - do children in England still do these and how are they organised?

88 replies

Anna8888 · 03/07/2008 11:12

We were talking about this last night. Both of us remember from our youth that schools in England and France had long-standing agreements and sent children back and forth at the end of the summer term on a regular basis, with children attending school either end.

Does this still happen? If not, how do parents ensure their children learn French (and other languages) beyond what they acquire in the classroom?

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frogs · 04/07/2008 08:48

Anna -- that's very kind of you! Will await your CAT.

But I should warn you that my French is pretty basic.

Original poster
Anna8888 · 03/07/2008 21:10

frogs Spoke to my partner's cousin's wife this evening who would definitely like to follow up on opportunity with your DD. I will CAT you tomorrow

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Original poster
Anna8888 · 03/07/2008 20:10

Me too, I must register (and pay) for CAT. Tomorrow, because children and DP around and needing attention

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snorkle · 03/07/2008 18:01

We have a single weeks holiday from school 15th-22 Feb, but ds is already going to Barcelona with one of his orchestras for some of that, so I don't think it would work then. I'm not sure how amenable the school would be to having an extra along, but they may be OK.

I'm going to try and figure out how to register to send a CAT to you Anna - something I've been meaning to do but not yet got around to...

Original poster
Anna8888 · 03/07/2008 17:24

Our totally ideal scenario would be for DSS1 to actually go to school (we realise this requires the other child's parent to negotiate and us to pay) in England for a couple of weeks, preferably during the French February holidays (two weeks from mid-Feb to beginning March - but of course don't know what the English holidays look like at that time).

Having said that, there are also the two weeks of Easter holiday (which start here on Good Friday) and of course summer. Would your DS want (feel brave enough?) to go to school in France (holidays permitting) or would he rather be on holiday with us (it will be with us, rather than at DSS1's mother's house, but we are a French-speaking household)?

Agree that getting the two of them emailing would be a very good idea, but let's try to imagine a workable scenario first...

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snorkle · 03/07/2008 15:22

Anna, I don't know! Ds is really quite huge and has had a deep growly voice for what seems like ages. That isn't necessarily a problem though, they are only 13 months apart in age and several of his friends are still tiny in any case (but I should warn you, if he's interested in girls he's closer in age to dd who will quite likely try to befriend him). It's just so hard to know what makes children click (or not), but ds is quite geeky. Would you be thinking of 2 or 3 weeks each way or what and would it be next summer or Easter (or one of each)? I could ask ds what he thinks about it if you like? If he's not enthusiastic then it's probably a non-starter. If you wanted to explore the idea further then maybe they (and us too) could e-mail each other a little.

Original poster
Anna8888 · 03/07/2008 14:31

Oh I should say - DSS1 very good academically .

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Original poster
Anna8888 · 03/07/2008 14:27

My DSS1 has done English for five years I think - 3 years in primary school, two years in secondary school. Plus 4 weeks of British Council/American School summer tuition, plus quite a few trips to UK (inc a week all "on his own" to my parents' last summer ie I was there but not my DP or DSS2). He has done Latin for 1 year (and loves it) and will start Spanish next year. He will continue with English and Spanish until 18 ie baccalauréat. Not musical (did violin for 3 years but has given up), loves swimming and tennis. He is tall for his age (born 21/4/1995) but still pre-pubertal - has just got braces on his teeth and voice hasn't broken yet. Beginning to get interested in girls, we think, however .

Any good?

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snorkle · 03/07/2008 14:12

I ought to add we're a bit impecunious too (largely owing to extortionate school fees)!

snorkle · 03/07/2008 14:09

Yes he's finishing 3rd year of secondary school tomorrow! I hadn't appreciated you had 2 stepsons Anna. I think you will definitely find your sds1's language skills are very much ahead of your typical English child's. DS is very good at languages compared to his peers and does very well at school (generally as well as at languages) - but to be honest, the language work isn't very demanding here. When we had the French lad over from the school trip his English was still way, way better than ds's French (but they had many more hours of English tuition per week than we do French). Ds is physically mature for his age, his interests are music and swimming. He's learnt French, Spanish and Latin for the last 2 (3 for French) years and will take French and Latin to GCSE (next 2 years). I'm afraid Latin (the most useless of all) is his favorite!

Original poster
Anna8888 · 03/07/2008 13:52

frogs - crikey, what a check-list

let me talk to them and then, if they are OK on principle, I'll put the two of you in touch so you can do your own negotiation

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frogs · 03/07/2008 13:40

Riding: check
Play instrument: check
Slightly impecunious but upfront about it: check
Well-behaved kids: check (mainly)
Mother has science PhD: check
Dh not a lawyer, though.

Sounds like it could work...

I'm not really thinking any fixed time, though summer 2009 sounds good. Or possibly before for a visit of other child here -- autumn or spring half term is often a good time for us, as I tend to take the kids to my mums where they can all go native in the woods, go to beach etc.

Original poster
Anna8888 · 03/07/2008 13:39

I'm thinking out loud IYSWIM - my elder stepson is quite advanced in English (since he hears so much at home) and has just done a course at the American School here where he was tested and put in the group of children a year older than him (he has just finished the second year of secondary school). So perhaps in terms of level of language he might be looking at an English boy slightly older than him? Is your DS very mature?

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Original poster
Anna8888 · 03/07/2008 13:38

snorkle - has your DS just finished the third year of secondary school?

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Original poster
Anna8888 · 03/07/2008 13:36

The conversation arose last night in a general sort of way as it is that time of year when parents talk about what the children are going to be doing in the summer and so many parents have been discussing exchanges, language schools, asking for help etc.

We are planning to send my stepsons (13 and nearly 11) to a language school next year but perhaps the elder one might also do an exchange, if we found the perfect family

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snorkle · 03/07/2008 13:32

My ds is 14 Anna and I also have a Dd who is nearly 13. Dd is very good at making friends easily but is less good at learning languages - I'd like her to do an exchange sometime, but not sure how she'll feel about it! Is it your stepson you are looking for? I've a feeling he's slightly younger if I'm remembering right.

Original poster
Anna8888 · 03/07/2008 13:22

The family in question are completely upfront about it GGG

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ggglimpopo · 03/07/2008 13:17

Anna, I would hate it if someone described me on a public forum as 'slightly impecunious though'.

ggglimpopo · 03/07/2008 13:16

I hzve done exchanges for my children on mnet and organised an exchange for a friend's child.

The mumsnetters I have met through this have been lovely.

Original poster
Anna8888 · 03/07/2008 13:11

I like the "selective girls Catholic school in London" bit as that exactly the kind of school my children's second cousins are at in Neuilly. Very well behaved girls, and the thirteen year old is bright. All ride, play an instrument, father is lawyer, mother a science teacher (has PhD). Slightly impecunious however. When are you thinking of? Summer 2009 or before?

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frogs · 03/07/2008 13:08

Would be interested in exchange for dd1 (13) -- academic but not geeky, sensible (mainly), goes to selective catholic girls school in London.

We did an exchange with a relatives family when she was 8 -- her visit to France was all fine and dandy (though I should have smelt a rat when they kept banging on about how amazingly good and wonderful she was) but the return visit was a nightmare for all sorts of reasons. It died a death fairly swiftly after that.

Original poster
Anna8888 · 03/07/2008 12:50

What are you after, frogs?

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Original poster
Anna8888 · 03/07/2008 12:49

13 year old girl in my partner's cousin's family

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frogs · 03/07/2008 12:48

They haven't got a 13yo as well, have they, Anna?

Niecie · 03/07/2008 12:46

Don't know if this has been said as haven't got the time to read the whole thread but our exchange programme was run in conjuction with the twinning scheme that towns do with each other - so part of the local council's remit.

I did it 4 times I think, didn't learn a huge amount of French, they were more interested in learning English than teaching me French but we got on well enough to go to each others weddings 10 years later. Kind of lost contact now though. Sad.

I would love my boys to do it when they are old enough.

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