Coming Soon: Bilingual Family Profiles

February 06, 2014 by Michele Cherie in French Language Learning, French Resources, Reflections on Parenting

Don't you find bilingual families fascinating? I plan to feature a bilingual or multilingual family once per month here at Intentional Mama because we have so much to learn from their experience. Families with French as their minority language will be the focus, but Spanish and other languages will find a place here too.

Here's where you come in, dear readers: First, if you or anyone you know might be willing to be featured, please leave a message for me below or email me at michele@intentionalmama.com. I know people can be leery of sharing information online, so I can definitely leave out names and locations if that's a concern.

Second, what questions would you like to ask parents who are raising bilingual children? What are your doubts and concerns? What resources or information would you love to find?

Getting Bilingual Children to Speak: Family Language Goals This Year

January 20, 2014 by Michele Cherie in French Language Learning, Teaching French

When I think about my family's bilingual progress over the past few years, I realize that I've gotten too comfortable with our path. I've been consistent in speaking only French with my children, and we read many books and magazines in the target language, but that's all of our minority language input. Living in America, this adds up to children who understand French but reply only in English. So my language goals for this year are largely focused on encouraging my children to speak French rather than simply comprehending it. Here's how I hope to do this:

Our Bilingual Journey: An Update

January 08, 2014 by Michele Cherie in French Language Learning

My daughter was listening to a French music CD she got in her Christmas stocking when she suddenly asked me, "Why can I understand French?" It was a good question, coming from an American five-year-old who doesn't know many other people who understand it. "Because I've been speaking it with you since you were born," I reminded her in French.

My Language Love Story: From France with Amour

December 14, 2013 by Michele Cherie in French Language Learning, Cultural Reflections, International Exchange

Bliss: When did you last feel it? I am blissfully in love with a few precious people and a few things: my husband, my children, my family and some cherished friends, and everything French. Because of my French ancestry, I confidently chose French as my foreign language elective in high school. The first day of class was the first day I ever heard the language. The sounds were odd and funny, yet the phrases flowed beautifully. I couldn't wait to learn more.

Adorable & Free French Activity Books: LittleBilingues

December 12, 2013 by Michele Cherie in French Language Learning, French Resources, Learning Resources

Bonjour, mes amis! I'm currently working on a little language love story for a future post, but in the meantime I want to share some adorable resources available from Little Bilangues. Judith is a fantastic illustrator with her own publishing company, OrniCar, and this month she released her latest children's activity book for little French (and English) language learners. This activity book can be downloaded for free until next Friday, December 20th, so take advantage of her generosity!

French Magazine for Toddlers: Popi

December 04, 2013 by Michele Cherie in French Resources, French Language Learning

A few months ago I shared an overview of the French children's magazines available in the U.S., and now I'm glad to give a more in-depth review of my daughter's favorite early childhood magazine: Popi.

Popi (pronounced PUH-pee) refers to a cuddly stuffed monkey who was originally a character from an English children's book series by Helen Oxenbury. Now he has his own cartoon (Léo and Popi). But Popi magazine doesn't focus on the monkey much--he's just one of several reappearing characters with their own brief stories in each issue.

International Lullabies: French, English, & Spanish Bedtime Songs for Children

November 15, 2013 by Michele Cherie in French Resources, French Language Learning, Reflections on Parenting, Education

Of all the cultural treasures in the world, lullabies must be among the sweetest snippets of language and melody. In the short film collection Paris, Je T'Aime, one of the more moving five-minute stories featured a nanny singing a Spanish lullaby. The lullaby she sang is called "Qué Linda Manita" and it refers to the sweet little hands, eyes, and other body parts that God gave the baby.

I don't remember any lullabies from my childhood, but there is a song that I associate with bedtime. On a nightstand beside my bed was a lamp with wooden figurines on a seesaw. The lamp played a simple wind-up melody called Say, Say Oh Playmate. My mama taught me the words and wrote them in my baby book. (This American song goes back to the 1930s or earlier).

The Minimum Time Needed for Children to Become Bilingual

November 06, 2013 by Michele Cherie in French Language Learning, Learning Resources

How much time does it take a child to become bilingual? If we define bilingualism as enough proficiency to function adequately and comfortably in both languages, most studies suggest at least fifteen hours per week are necessary in the minority language. (This is not a outright rule--there are too many factors to control. Some researchers say twenty-five hours per week is a more realistic number.) If you are interested in using another language with your child on a more part-time basis, here are three factors that could increase your child's likelihood of becoming bilingual: