Even if you cannot speak French, you could pick up Bonjour! Let’s Learn French (not an affiliate link) and stimulate your children’s neurons for a few good months. This relatively short book can function as your French curriculum for at least six weeks.
How is that possible? You have the free audio version online at PolyglotKidz.com. A native speaker of French pronounces all the French words and sentences in the book, so you don’t have to. A native speaker of English pronounces all the English words in the book, so you don’t have to.
On the same page, you will find a whole unit study on French culture and food, as well as games to practice your new vocabulary. French for parents is another feature on the website, where practical advice is given for – you guessed it – parents.
The other thing I really like on PolyglotKidz.com are the activity sheets. One of them in particular lets us set up a schedule for repeating one French phrase per day. At the end of the day, you record how many times you used that particular expression.
I have been waiting for this book for about two years. If you remember, I reviewed its sister, Hola! Let’s Learn Spanish, a similar book for Spanish. The author of both books, Judy Martialay, a retired foreign language teacher from New York, has come through for us with a volume for French this time.
In Bonjour! Let’s Learn French, children meet Pete the Pilot, who takes them to France. During this imaginary trip, they learn some useful French phrases. Another character in the book is Louis l’escargot (the snail). The game on the website involves Louis and his love of croissants. It’s a lot of fun!
The book is a mixture of English and French and the chapters change format, so nobody gets bored of a particular routine. You know how most foreign language textbooks follow the same format for every lesson? First the new words, then the text, reading comprehension questions, and a bit of grammar. Next lesson, same drill. After about three weeks of this, no wonder so many people give up on learning another language.
That’s why I like Bonjour! Let’s Learn French. Every chapter switches things around. At some point, you learn about life in France and impressionist art, for example. You also learn how to make an impressionist-style picture with oil pastels.
Your effort as a homeschool teacher is minimal. Purchase the book, open the book, click Play on the audio version of the book online. Sit back and relax. You do have to ensure your children repeat the French expressions during the pauses on the recording.
Repetition is key. So come back to this book regularly and you should find it easier to pronounce and understand every time. Just like with anything else, learning a language can get exciting at times and boring at times. As long as you persevere, you are setting yourself up for success.
I received a free copy of this material in exchange for providing an honest review on my blog.
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