Foster confidence and enjoyment of learning from the start
When young children arrive at school with French as their new language, their development follows natural stages.
As Paradis, Genesee, and Crago (2021) point out, the majority of children around the world grow up speaking more than one language, and this is neither a delay nor a disorder. Initially, it is common for them to understand more than they speak: this “silent period” is a healthy stage where children listen, observe, and prepare their future productions.
Research also shows that each journey is unique: depending on the age of exposure and family context, children progress at their own pace (Birdsong, 2018). The key is to recognize this diversity and nurture each child’s confidence.
How parents can support this journey
Parents can support this discovery in a fun and reassuring way. It’s best to emphasize comprehension before production: asking the child to demonstrate or act in French helps reinforce what they have learned. Daily routines – a word at bedtime, a song in the car, a family game – provide stable reference points.
Singing, rhyming, and repeating introduces the music of the language and makes learning joyful (Kuhl, 2011). Gently correcting, by rephrasing rather than pointing out the error, encourages the child without discouraging them. Finally, play and positive emotion reinforce the desire to try: a fun five-minute “French challenge” a day can transform effort into an adventure (Immordino-Yang, 2015).
At the International French School (IFS), we know that welcoming new French-speaking families is essential to creating a climate of trust. Our teachers and ASEMs work closely with parents to establish rituals, value the heritage language, and encourage bilingualism as an asset. Every smile in French, every new word learned, contributes to the child’s sense of belonging and their joy of growing up in a bilingual and caring community. This approach is supported by the FLSco team ( Christine Tchong and Marine Brochec ), who have developed a Parent Booklet as well as a more detailed article here to accompany this post.
