JoeM

damn can't work out how to edit!

BEVS

Hi there and welcome to BE.

A poster can only edit/delete a post for a couple of hours after making it.
After that , it is hit the Report button to alter a moderator or message a moderator.

I have snipped out your personal details from your post.

cheers
BEVS

JoeM

Thanks Bevs!

clothmama

Hi Joe,

Just wondering how your kids are settling in? We are moving to the Dordgone in Feb / March next year with our 8 year old, 13 year old and new baby! The 8 year old is thrilled and can't wait is totally buzzing wiht excitement but the 13 year old is really worried about missing his friends. Luckily he has really good memories of living here in the past (they were both born in France and the oldest was 7 when we moved back to Oz) so I'm really hoping it will all fall into place!

JoeM

Hello, the kids are settling in well actually, I'm quite surprised! Like your my 13 yr old was born in France and spent her first 5 yrs here, I am amazed they she is almost completely bilingual after just a month! She seems to have retained everything she learnt years ago. There were a few hard weeks but I really went all out to meet other kids for them, knocking on neighbours doors, contacting schools early to see if there were other kids around in the holidays etc and this has really paid off, as soon as they made a few friends they were much more settled and so was I! Good luck with your move x

clothmama

Joe, so pleased it is working out so well! That gives me great hope for Josh! I'm sure he'll be fine, he'll arrive all brown and Aussie looking and he is a nice kid so I'm sure it won't take long to integrate. Good point about getting out to find friends for them as they are so shy to it themselves at this age!

JoeM

Also Clothmama I think that french kids do think that english speaking kids are pretty COOL - they can sing along to pop songs etc that also helps! x

Kathygf12

Hi Joe, we decided to rent a flat in the city centre (lyon7) as we don't know anybody in the region we thought it was best option at the time. Looking back now we're not so sure, kids don't have garden anymore and lot more impersonal. So more difficult for Amalia to meet new friends. She does feel a bit lonely at the moment and not settling very well to be honest. I'm hopping with school starting on tuesday she will settle then. I must admit it's great to be able to go everywhere without taking the car. We're only using it to do the big shopping once a week. If we had move a week earlier i will have been able to book her on a holiday club which is just next door and she will have been able to meet kids around the neighborough! But they were fully booked. Also we really well situated just 2 metro stops for jerome's work and Amalia's school.

The good news though is she's got a place at the csi lyon in CP (she's 6 years old)! It was such a relief for us! 90 kids got left out though and i met few families where only one of two kids got accepted. As we both French and i'm also half portuguese, it was really important for us that Amalia could continue to study and learn English. She's been speaking both languages and little bit of portuguese since she's born but English took over when she started school 2 years ago. And she kept asking us if she will be able to keep speaking English once we move (she was worried she will forget english and won't have been able to communicate with her Friends back in England!

Lucas is only 18 months so unfortunately he will never be as fluent as his sister. At the moment he does react more to English than French. And Amalia has took upon her to teach him English. So she's only speaking english to him but for how long? I know that eventually French will become the main language at home again. But for the moment we trying to keep english "alive at home". I have also find a bilingual nursery in Lyon7. Not sure i will get a space but will try even if it's for few hours a week.

For the moment we'r trying to make the most of living in a big city with access to everything easily: park, museum...

clothmama

He has recently started playing guitar too (and is pretty good!) so added coolness value Am so heartened by your post - have been telling everyone and no have great hopes Josh will be back into speaking French as quickly as your DD!

JoeM

clothmana sounds like the french girls will love him! xx

JoeM

SO it is now nearly October the children have been in french speaking schools for nearly two months. Amazingly they can hold decent conversations, half manage to do their homework, get invites to french speaking homes, even sleepovers. I am AMAZED at what they have learnt in such short time and am really pleased that they went straight into the french schools, they have local friends and speak french continuously, fantastic!

between two worlds

Très bien! This is great to hear.

clothmama

Joe, that is just fantastic news, really really heartening from our end, thanks for the update!! I told my 13 year old what you had said about how quickly your daughter had picked it up on your inital post about it and his reply was 'it is you thats worried mum, I'm not, it's all in my head'

We have now made the final go ahead decision and have booked our flights to Europe leaving Sydney early Feb - so the newborn will be about 8 weeks (I must be mad!!). Will go to family in the UK then cross from there and hopefully rent a gite for a month or so somewhere central in the Dordogne to go house hunting!

JoeM

Hi Clothmamama I am amazed how straight forward it has been - so far - I DEFINITELY think it is better to go straight into the french system. That way the children simply have no choice other than to speak french all day. I have done pretty much the same thing myself, avoiding coffee mornings etc for expats and trying to hang out with the local french mums. The result is that we feel fairly settled already and have a good handful of french families to have round at the weekend for drinks bbq's etc. It DEFINITELY helps the children to see me trying to speak french all the time with my friends and then in turn they become friends with my friends children.

nottelling

Can anyone report back on what the CSI entrance exam is like, please?

Thanks very much!!