In French, please
I am sitting outside, across from my eldest who is struggling to write her name. I don’t say anything, though I’m very frustrated. We’ve been practicing the spelling of her name for days, but watching her struggle now, you’d think she was seeing those letters for the first time…
The weather is beautiful. Summer is just beginning. The lawn is in good shape. My husband has been putting in a lot of effort lately: mowing the lawn, watering it, pulling weeds… He even asked our neighbor to pull out his dandelions to prevent their pollen from spreading to our grass. I hope the neighbor took it well. Very warm when we first moved into the neighborhood, he has since grown cold toward me. But honestly, I don’t have time to socialize anyway, so I don’t really care.
My eldest is now old enough to start kindergarten. Ever since she was born, I’ve spoken to her only in French, hoping she would one day be perfectly bilingual. I was never worried about English — I knew it would come naturally. My husband, on the other hand, was very concerned that she only spoke French and didn’t seem to be able to carry a conversation in English. I tried to reassure him, telling him that it’s French she’ll have more trouble with as she grows up. In a mostly English-speaking environment, it’s French she’s at risk of losing. And of course, today, my words feel like a prophecy. I speak to my daughter in French, she replies in English. I’ve become a schoolteacher repeating endlessly, “In French, please.”
I open Vocabulaire progressif du français, niveau intermédiaire, which I placed on the table for inspiration. I am, myself, losing my French, hearing only English all day long.
I wish I could live in a completely French-speaking environment while my kids are still young, to ensure they acquire the language naturally. As a Francophone, I would feel sad if my children mangled this language that I love.
Through the window, I can see the little bookshelf I assembled a year ago, where I placed a few titles I particularly cherish:
- Something from nothing (the French version)
- A Play Baby Book
- Smart Sound Baby Keys (the French version)
- Je t’aime de la tête aux pieds and Bonne nuit, je t’aime by Caroline Jayne Church
I find these few French books useful for language learning and easy to access for expanding vocabulary.
The garden door opens and my husband steps out, carrying our youngest on his hip. My eldest takes advantage of that to stand up and complain that she’s tired. And to think I wanted to homeschool… I’m failing miserably at playing the role of teacher with my daughter. I think she’ll have to go to school. My husband gently urges her to get back to work. In his charming accent, he says in French: “You have to work hard and speak French to mommy.” I appreciate his help.