有仔囡讀法文的媽媽, 請入...

ywchau

My daughter needs to study Frency in school, but I don't understand French.  How can I help her?

Smiile

妳的囡囡是讀法國國際學校還是讀瑪利諾修院的學校 ? 如果妳不懂得法文，而妳的囡囡又要讀，那麼我建議妳先觀察一段時間，看看她是否跟得上或是會否很吃力；如果她覺得讀得很吃力或是不太明白，那麼妳可以讓她參加一些法文課程。此外，妳可以與學校溝通，表示妳的困難。

其實，應該也有些家長不懂法文的，不要太緊張。

Jackie

I studied French when I was in secondary school in Marymount.  My parents did not know French and I found there were no problems.  I had around 14 classmates and none of them knew French before they studied it.
But actually for HKCEE, I found taking French exams was much easier than taking Chinese Literature and History.

ywchau

Dear Jackie,

How long you studied French and what's your method?

ywchau

Dear Smiile,

Thanks a lot for your suggestions.

BTW, my child studies in SIS.  Actually she doesn't say anything about French, just I want her to study French better.  Can it be help if I buy some French CD for her to listen?  Do you know whether to buy and which type of CD shall I buy (children songs? vocab? oral?)?

Please share if anyone got any experience.

Smiile

Dear ywchau,  it my pleasure if I can solve your problem.

It is the truth that learning French much easier than English and it is easier for children learning different kind of language in childhood.  

If you prepare to buy some French CD for your daugther to listen in strenthing her learning, I think it is important to choose one which  including the correct procuncation, suitable for children learning and interesting.  Topics should be around children's life and school life.  At the initial stage of learning a language , it is started from the initial level.  Eg, learning English started from a-apple, b-boy etc., and learning Japanese started from hiragana & Katagana.  It is better for you to buy some rhymes which in French.

  

Sandrine

Hi Ywchau,

I understand what you mean when you say that your child's learning something that you have no knowledge about, i.e. French and it's hard to help.  If you can afford it, you can show your enthusiasm by taking French, perhaps at Alliancaise Francaise.  They have schools in both Wanchai and Jordan.  You may borrow books and other learning materials there.  If you want your daughter to take additional lessons, you can try the HK Institute of Languages in Central.  The Alliance Francaise also offers classes for kids of 9 year's old and above.  You may check with your daughter's school about what additional lessons they suggest or can offer.  For French books, why don't you borrow from the public libraries?  It doesn't cost you anything.  

If your child is doing ok, you should also accept the reality that as parents, we cannot know everything that our children are learning and just take it easy.

agoodfox

Dear ywchau,

My son is also taking French lessons.  It will help a lot if you have got French CDs or even VCD and DVD at home, such as songs, simple stories or maybe simple daily phrases (spoken in Chinese/English first, and then 2 times in native French).  

The Berlitz Pack of French for Children is a good choice to start with.  I know it's available in some big bookstores, such as Page One, Joint Publishing, Cosmo, etc.

You may also try checking with the Language/Multimedia Session of the Central library, they have got quite a lot of tapes and videos.

That will be great if the parent can learn the foreign language together with the kid!   

ywchau

Dear agoodfox,

I have tried to find the Berlitz Pack of French today in Wanchai but it's out of stock.  I can only find the Italian Language.  The package I can guest will be very attractive.  Thanks a lot for your suggestions.

ywchau

Dear Sandrine,

You are right, we cannot know everything that our children are learning.  I accept this for 2 years and suddenly think that shall I do something for my child to finish the duty of a "good" mother. For others subjects, she can finish by her own or I should say I can help very little (either in english or in mandarin). The only thing I usually help is chinese dictation but speak to her in cantonese (my child said to me better speak in cantonese).  

It's also a very good suggestion to borrow the Frency books from local library which I haven't thought about it.  Thanks a lot.

大頭蝦

放鬆 D 心情啦 ! 我的情況和 Jackie 一樣, 中學時 take 過 French, 分別在於 Jackie 讀 Marymount, 我讀 Maryknoll, 雖則係姊妹學校, 但係我諗基本上沒有多大分別掛... 果陣時, 我全屋企都沒有一個人讀過, 都係沒有人可以教到我, 不過, 教的都係由 basic 開始, 好容易上口, 唔駛太緊張架 ! 你過於緊張的話, 只會無意中比到壓力你的小朋友架咋 !  

ywchau

實在很羨慕妳們讀名校,有法文學,可以自己教小朋友法文,謝謝妳們的分享!

Forgot to ask you how is your French now.  Still very fluent?  How can you keep it. And in what age your school provided Frency lesson (primary or secondary school)?

Thanks.

HEE

Dear agoodfox,

Thank you for your advise.  My son is 7-1/2 years old and learning the French.

I know nothing about French.  Last week, he got the white paper in dictation.  I feel so bore.  May I know any VCD for beginning of French.  Is it like the phonic in English?

Thank you very much!!

agoodfox

Dear HEE,

BBC has published a set of videos (2 VHS) named "Salut Serge" which is quite good for beginners (both kids and adults).  I can't remember the price but it's not expensive.  

As for pronunciation, French is quite different from English.  For example, both French and English have the same words : "pain" (means "bread" in French), "attention", they are pronounced very differently.

From my experience, SONGS can help a lot.

I wonder if you know there is a French bookstore in Wellington Street, Central.  The name is "arenthese".  You can find many books, tapes and CDs there but the prices are quite high.  Mostly I prefer ordering from Amazon.fr (French website).

BTW, where does your child learn French?

Applepie

請問有沒有媽咪知道那裡有適合3 years old上的法文課程?  可否給我一些資料呢?

謝謝!

Sandrine

Hi Applepie,

The Hong Kong Institute of Languages in Central has French lessons for 3 yr-olds.  I've browsed the website but I don't know anyone studying there.

http://www.hklanguages.com/mmm/hkil/index.jsp?id=699&TL=94#CE1

For enquiries, pls. call Natalie at 2877 6160

www.hklanguages.com/mmm/hkil/index.jsp?id=699&TL=94#CE1

Applepie

Thanks a lot Sandrine!

HEE

Dear agoodfox,

I really thank you for your (actually all the mum)'s help!!

I try to browse the Amazon.fr but I know nothing about French!  agoodfox, do you think it's the same which I can find in Parenthese?

Thank you very much!!

agoodfox

Dear HEE,

Stuff in Parenthese and Amazon.fr are mostly "French made".  They have many "common" products.  I would suggest you visit the local bookstore first, take a look at what they have.  You may find one or two items suitable for your kid.  They have English speaking staff, most of the time Cantonese speaking too   .  You may ask them to suggest some items.  They can even order for you the items they don't have (I did once before .... very helpful).  But if you want to order a lot of items, it's more economical to order online (Shipping : Euro dollars 1.9 per item + Euro dollars 13 per shipment).


Ah...... you may also try the local online bookstore paddyfield.com.  They have French learning stuff too.

Ramama

I've checked amazon.com and they have some teaching materials (CD + story books) for babies and children.  Have ordered 2 sets (songbook and story book) and waiting for the shipment, will recommend to you after using it.

Meanwhile may I ask where is the exact location of "arenthese" bookstore in Central?