How can I help my child to integrate in France?

Reader Question: We are planning to move to France with our two daughters (four and eight) next year. We have heard the kids will quickly pick up the language but is this true? We do not want them to struggle with integration.

As your children are young, they will likely integrate naturally by being in school and learning the language through lessons. 

It is mandatory to enrol any child between three and 16 into the French education system upon moving and moving in the summer is likely to be best so they start a new school year - you could also enrol the children in a summer camp or other local activities.

In most cases, this means, at your children’s age, enrolling them in the local primary school and being immersed in a French-language classroom will help your children quickly pick up the language. 

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French teacher Florence Simmonds, who is French and British and is Dordogne-based, told The Connexion that children can expect more emphasis on grammar than in UK schools, starting with the genders of nouns, the understanding of which is a key basis of confident French. 

They will also be expected to get to grips with grammatical terms and in essay-writing exercises correct use of grammar is considered as important as the content. 

Dictations and grammar tests are held regularly.

Ms Simmonds said up to age seven children usually adapt rapidly, both linguistically and socially, and they still adapt well up to age 12, though they require more support. 

Adaptation tends to get harder for teens, and exam pressures - with the Brevet at age 15 and baccalauréat at 19 - add extra demands. 

Children from non French speaking families are referred to as élèves allophones. At primary level, you should speak to the school about any extra support that may be available. 

At collège and lycée levels, an organisation at departmental level called the Carsat gets involved in helping assess their needs, which can include part-time classes in special units, whether in their usual school or a neighbouring one to give intensive catch-up help in French.

You and your children should also be prepared for some differences with the UK school week; for example most primary schools now do not run on Wednesdays and at collège level Wednesday afternoons are often free (in some areas, collège has classes on Saturday morning rather than Wednesday). 

Lessons generally start around 8:30 and finish about 16:30.

If necessary, you can give an extra boost to your children’s French with private tuition at home, ideally with a native-speaker teacher familiar with the French school system. 

Apps such as Duolingo can also help, but will only reinforce the basics. 

Outside of the education system, joining activities such as sports or hobby groups is a good way for your child to make friends in the local area and integrate. You should also encourage them to watch and listen to French media - TV, films, cartoons, music etc which will help train their ear.