I am trying to raise DSs, 4 and 2, to be biligual in French and English. DH is half French and talks to them only in French and until recently we have always had French nannies. DS2 seems pretty much bilingual as our previous nanny really pushed French and so most his words and sentences are in French. DS1 is much less so - his French used to be good but he started pre-school 4 mornings a week last September so has much less exposure to French. In addition, DH and I are getitng divorced and have not lived together for over a year and so the children don't hear French at home. I am just hiring a new nanny and was trying to get a French mother tongue nanny BUT have ended up with a Portuguese nanny who has lived in Switzerland for 5 years and so is fluent in French. She is a great nanny but I worry that it's not the same as having a native speaker. The accent is obviously different plus her grammar isn't great (according to DH) but, most of all, French does not seem to come to her automatically and I constantly have to prompt her to speak French to the children. I feel already that their French is slipping and that I need to her replace her (she is still on her probationary period) but then I wonder if it is really just a lost cause and that they aren't going to be bilingual given that they don't have a parent living at home who can speak French to them. On the other well, DS2 learnt SO much from his previous nanny and is pretty much bilingual so perhaps it is achievable. Would appreciate any views.