Growing up in France

First impressions

How did you feel when you first found out you were moving to France, and why did your family move there?

We didn't actually understand at first what this meant because we had always lived in London, but realisation kicked in when we were about two miles from France. We had left because our mother has always loved France and for years she has wanted to live there.

What were your first impressions of your school when you started there?

Our first impressions were that it would be very difficult because we knew barely anyone and so we would have to work very hard to make friends and mingle with the right crowd for us.

In what ways was it different to your previous school?

A French school differs from English schools like Chinese and Indian cooking! In some subjects, they are far behind (like Maths) and are way ahead in subjects like Science which they teach in two parts: SVT (Science de la Vie et de la Terre which literally means Science of Life and of the Earth) i.e. Geology and Biology and Science Physique (Physics and Chemistry). French is the most difficult lesson for obvious reasons (especially dictation!).

Learning French

How much French did you know when you first arrived?

When we first arrived we knew slightly more French than most kids of our age (thanks to our mother) although that didn't help much on the first day when we had queues of French students practising their English on us.

How easy did you find it to learn French when you first arrived?

We found that it came quickly as we progressed through the year. We didn't realise just how good we were until our dad said our French was GCSE level! Soon we found ourselves thinking and dreaming in French.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to improve their language ability?

The best way to experience and learn a language is to speak it. Any fool can learn a verb table and all the irregulars but to be able to speak confidently, that is an art children learn at a young age. To speak and learn French truly, go on holiday to France and SPEAK FRENCH. Then when you can do that properly you will know French. Experience is the best way.

A day in the life of...

What is your typical day like - from when you leave home in the morning to when you return?

Our school day begins at 8am each day. We have to be up by 7am to have breakfast and catch the bus for school. Each day we have four lessons in the morning and three lessons in the afternoon. We leave school at 4:30am every day, except Wednesdays when we finish school at midday.

How does the style of teaching differ and what are the class sizes like?

They teach thorough exercises, using the 'trial and error' method. The lessons are written in chapters and French is mainly analysing texts and learning advanced grammar! Maths is so far behind that they are only just starting square and cube roots, although they focus very hard on geometry. Class sizes are around 25 to 30 kids.

Are there any big differences between English and French teenagers, and the types of things they are interested in?

No, not really. There are some sports that are popular in England and are played frequently by teens, like cricket, but the French love handball and football over most other sports. With teenage girls, it's the same story as in England - friendships, boyfriends and clothes are their big interests.

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