frankie.christo

Hi everyone, im very excited yet extremely scared about moving to France. My main concern is for my children who are 5 and 6 and would have to learn a new language and adapt to a whole new education system. they are currently in year 1 and 2 at school and are doing extremely well. I do not speak much french and am going to try and learn some french before i move but am scared that i will not know enough to help them with school work. I would love to speak or hear from people who have been in the same situation and find out how it is all going for you. I must admit i am an emotional wreck at the moment.

Look forward to hearing from you all very soon

francesca xxx

dennerlymum

Hi there
my son was 7/8 when we moved to France: he entered school at CE1 (he redoubled as he was born in December and would have been very young in the class in France; it was our choice!)
It took him a little while to settle but we arranged for him to have French lessons for the first six months and by the end of his last year of Primary (4 years on) he was top of his class in all subjects!
My daughter was 10 when she came to France; she also settled quickly and has managed to achieve a good average in French
So all in all it has been a good experience for us and not at all a problem

frankie.christo

That sounds very reassuring. Do you speak French???? How did you find the switch from english education to French?

tinkydinky

Dear Francesca,

Don't be nervous moving here, it will be wonderful for your children, learning a new language will be brilliant for them too. The younger generations over here seem so different, very respectful, a great environment to bring up your Kids.

It is a shame we are having to sell our place, we will be staying this side of the Channel though for sure as it is lovely. I wish you lots of luck with your move, I think you are doing the right thing for your Children

Best Regards

TinkyDinky

dennerlymum

I do speak french but it was very rusty on arrival! I made a rule to always try to speak in french when discussing homework etc; at times it was difficult but to me the most important was to develop his vocab; he had covered many topics in the uk so understood them just lacked vocab.

As for the change in systems it has been interesting the more so as I was a primary school teacher in the uk! For my children it has generally been positive; for my daughter on the social front as she has very good friends here and found this impossible in the uk for various reasons; academically I have felt her a little underchallenged at times but she is happy! As for my son he has blossomed here; the system is stricter here and in the uk he was a clever boy playing the system and doing very little except be silly; here in France he soon realised he was not going to win here and it was just easier to knuckle down; he also has an exceptional memory which is great in the french system like that of our parents which requires lots of rote memorising!

I cant predict how your children will fare; every child is different and has different needs; our children go to different colleges (secondary school) because of this. However I am sure they will settle soon

frankie.christo

Thank you TinkyDinky, i have days where i am really positive about the move but other days where i just worry about everything. I know that it will be the best thing for them and they will be much happier in France. Its just all the people we leave behind here and also the language barrier for me. I will try and learn before we move but am worried i will find it difficult.

Why are you selling your house and where abouts is the house you are selling?

danhewy

Hi I have been here in Normandy under 2 months, I have no children, so my circumstances are very different. My feeling is that, your kids will adjust quite quickly.
I did about 6 months of French informal practice before I arrived. The last 2 of these 6 I took seriously. Its been very up and down with learning since Ive been here. You dont realise how restrictive it is not being able to speak the language until you are here and its very very challanging. Often i have felt like an alien, and because my OH is French and we live with her family I spend a good amount of time on the edge of very fast moving conversations. My comprehension has improved rapidly, however my shyness with speaking and not wanting to sound silly is restricting. I have a very supportive environment and patient, native speakers to practice with. I find imersing yourself helps, Im constantly watching tv, reading newspapers, listening talking etc. I find it very mentally tiring and have no problems sleeping at night....
Its frustrating, feels like 2,3 steps forward and 1 back sometimes, but its getting easier, while I know there is a long way to go, I see light at the end of the tunnel. The key is patience, perseverence and lots of practice, some people have flair for language, i dont count myself in this number but im not so bad either..
All the best with your venture, I find Normandy is a beautiful place, and also nice people (many i have run into speak english also)
D