French School: First French Phrases For Kids
If your child is going to French Immersion you might be wondering what French phrases your child in will learn at school. Here I’m sharing the basic words and phrases most primary French Immersion teachers will teach their students.
French School: First French Phrases for Kids
You have a child in French Immersion and you don’t speak French. Knowing this gives you butterflies in your tummy because you want to help your child as much as you can. You remember a little bit of French from high school but most of it is a blur. I get it and I got you boo ;)
French Immersion has been around since the 1970’s and continues to evolve today. Check out my ultimate guide to French Immersion if you are new to it and want to learn more.
I’m sharing the first words and phrases your child will learn in French Immersion so you can feel confident in knowing what’s up. You’ll be able to wrap your head around this French thing and help your child practice at home.
You don’t need to be a native French Speaker in order to have a child in French Immersion.
After 11 years teaching, I can safely say that most of my students’ parents do not speak French at home.
Before you know it your child will be correcting YOU and teaching YOU how to pronounce words the way their teacher does. It’s a beautiful thing really! Imagine how proud you’ll be when you hear your little muffin speaking French! It’s the best.
(I’ve also created a list of 6 major things your French Immersion child needs to know)
Common French Phrases for kids
Every morning your child’s teacher will greet the children. Greetings are the first things we ever teach!
Simple conversational phrases like, “how old are you?” or, “how are you doing?” or the infamous, “what is your name?” are great starters too. When practicing these with your child you may want to introduce a word at a time and have them repeat it. Then string all of the words together. That’s how I often teach them at school.
In French Immersion repetition is key.
Head here if you are interested in ways you can read French books with your child even if you don’t speak French.
Every day the students hear the same phrases and are required to repeat them until eventually, they remember how to say it on their own. It’s really cool to watch how they develop!
Here are a few of the basic phrases:
Bonjour (hello)
Comment ça va? (How are you)
Ça va bien (I’m good)
Je m’appelle ________ (My name is _________)
Quoi de neuf? (What’s new?/What’s up?)
Quel âge as-tu (how old are you?)
J’ai _____ ans (I’m _______ years old)
Puis-j’aller aux toilettes? (Can I go to the bathroom?)
Puis-je boire de l’eau (Can I get a drink of water?)
Merci (thank you)
De rien (you’re welcome)
Au revoir (goodbye)
À demain (see you tomorrow)
Another way to practice your French as an adult is to watch youtube videos. Here’s a cute video teaching some basic French vocabulary and phrases. It’s also always a good idea to teach the colours in French to your child. Here are some posters included in my French For Families Resource.
Do you have a child in French Immersion? What questions do you have about it? Consider this your chance to “ask a teacher anything” and write your questions in the comments. I always respond ;)
-Breyen
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