School in Paris

[Dvushka]

I have 2 dds, one in Reception and the other in Year 2. We've always been big on having them learn languages - afterschool clubs in French and Chinese once a week - but we realise that they will never truly become fluent unless we immerse them.
So we're planning to go to Paris for at least 7 months if not the next year as well (we'll see how it goes). I've already found a place for Y2 dd at EAB Monceau in the immersion programme - they'll take her in January. My 4yr old would have to go to a local maternalle (if one is available). Has anyone done this before and/or have any knowledge of EAB or other schools in the 8th or 17th arr.? Do you think they will speak fluently after a year and a half and then keep it up after they move back to London? It's a sacrifice for us but I just think it's less disruptive to move over now before the demands of KS2 really kick in and we start preparing for the move to secondary school.

My DD is at EaB Monceau in 11ème (CP) - she was born in 2004 and has been at EaB Monceau since the beginning of Petite Section.

TBH, if your DD in Year 2 spends half a year in the Immersion programme at EaB Monceau, it is highly improbable that she will speak fluent French at the end of 7 months. Your reception-aged DD might be semi-fluent in baby French after a few months in a French maternelle - or she might not. Different children learn at very different rates.

If you don't keep their French up on a daily basis with a native speaker when your return to England (eg a French nanny), your DC will have forgotten all their French within a month or so!

Friend took her dc to France for a year and put them a a rural local school. Eldest who was 8/9 came back fluent, middle then 6/7 remembers some, youngest 3/4 not much at all. Will you put themin a french school in London on return and are you native speakers , otherwise I fear they may lose it.

We hope to get them into the Lycee here in London on their return and/or a French nanny a couple times a week afterschool. We'd also make an effort to go to France more often if only for holidays. I know school French but am taking an intensive course at the Institut to brush up.

My fear is that while it's easiest for my 5yr old to integrate, she may forget more b/c I've heard they don't learn to read until CP and she's already sounding out and reading basic pink/red level books at Reception.

To be honest with myself, I think we'd have to stay for the next school year as well for my 7yr old to really get it. I'm anxious to get over there sooner b/c she's already bored at school again (she reads at a Y3+ and is in a special programme for maths at school). I don't think she'd miss too much this year but may if we delay and she misses Y4 here in the UK.

Bonsoir, How do you like EAB? I was concerned about a lack of outdoor space but I think that's the case everywhere. I like the immersion programme as it will help her learn quicker (smaller classes, pity about the separate locale but at least they eat together). They don't have a space for my dd born in 2006 (Moyenne). Can you recommend any other school nearby or should I take my chances at the Mairie?

I like EaB very much versus the alternatives. There is lots of outdoor space - the whole of the Parc Monceau - and it is the best served school in Paris in that respect - and most children play in the park after school for an hour or more on fine days.

The immersion classes do not eat lunch with their peers from the mainstream classes - they don't have the same lunch times and so don't meet even in the park.

I cannot recommend a state school as, if you want to go to a French state school, you will be allocated a place by the mairie based on your home address (which you will need first, with firm proof of residence). Le Petit Cours du Rocher is a private maternelle that many children attend before joining EaB for CP. Be careful, however, about start/end times if you have to do two pick-ups at the same time in different schools.

My parents took me and my sister to France when I was 15 and she was 10. We hardly knew any French and they put us in a local school. It was very hard and we got behind on our studies. At that time we both hated it and wanted to come home to the UK. It was a constant struggle and we both thought my parents pretty mean for doing this to us. However my sister was fluent in a year and me not far behind, although my writeen French is terrible. We learnt playground French ( not the French you learn at school!) But we were quick to learn.

I am a TEFL teacher and have taught in several different countries. I taught children as young as 4 in immersion programmes and they learn so much more quickly. I don't think they would have the same issues as we did being as young as they are. I would try and do it as soon as you can, if that is what you want to do because the older they get the more difficult it is.

Yes, pompncircumstance, we're afraid of how disruptive it would be when they're older. If they're only 4/7yrs old and we're there for 1.5yrs then they would just play in French and not be troubled by all the schoolwork that's to come in Y4+.

It will be difficult to keep the French up but I think we're committed. I'd like it to be something that's part of their growing up in this multicultural world (cliche cliche I know).

Bonsoir, I do know of Rocher school and I'm glad you recommend it - I'll try to see if there's a spot. We plan to go at the end Oct/beginning Nov to check things out and see if we can do this. Can you recommend any website/group where I can find babysitters/ nannies or activities in the 8,17th arr. area? Which area of the 17th do you like best? We're going to be checking out streets/apts as well that time. Thanks in advance for the advice.

If you're going to do it, you need to do it with them- that is getting them enthused, preparing them beforehand with a bit of tuition and basic hints (like how children greet each other in France), and you need to plan for the aftermath. And think about whether they are the kind of children who are likely a)to enjoy the experience b)to make the most of it.

I had relatively little chance of immersion in English as a child, more formal lessons and only occasional contact with the living language- but even so, I'd say I made the most of it. My elder brother was far more reluctant (but younger brother keen). Again, I would probably have enjoyed something like this and so would my middle brother, but it would have freaked my elder and youngest brothers out and they probably would have been very resentful.

The right age again depends on the child. 14 was right for me, but my elder brother resolutely refused to go when he had a chance.

You can join Message for babysitters etc.

You want to be within walking distance of school ie max 1.5km. Anywhere within that radius is fine, bar to the very east beyond rue de Lévis/rue Legendre.

We lived in the 17th for 2 years when I was 5/6 years old and I went to EaB Monceau. I was completely fluent within a year. I didn't keep my French up much when we got back tbh, though we spent summer holidays in France and I did GCSE. HOWEVER the language has never left me, even almost 30 years later - I still have the sounds in my head and if I go back for a few days I pick it up really quickly. I can understand everything and I reckon I would be fluent again if I spent a few months in France even now. Plus I feel learning a different language at such an early age, even if it wasn't properly kept up, has made it much easier for me to learn other languages since. So even if you feel the kids "lose" a bit on return to the UK, I reckon it's definitely still worth it as they will never totally forget in my experience.

Angloinfo is also good for babysitters and nannies, as is advertising at St Michael's church - plenty of English speaking/bilingual childcarers around.