10 Easy Ways to Teach Your Child French at Home From 0-8 Years

Teaching your child a new language from an early age can be an incredibly rewarding experience for both you and your child. Young minds are naturally wired to pick up new languages, and providing them with a fun and engaging learning environment can help boost their cognitive milestones.

Here are ten easy ways to help you teach French to your child at home, from birth to eight years old.

1. Play-based Learning Activities (Babies - 4 years)

Play is the universal language of kids, and it plays an essential role in helping your child learn new words and phrases. Talk through what you and your child are doing during playtime, introducing new vocabulary along the way. You can build play into everyday activities, making a game out of getting dressed, playing with different utensils when prepping food, or bath time.

2. Get Moving! (3 - 4 years)

This is a great activity to nurture the development of action words, and burn off extra energy! Basically, you call out the action RUN! JUMP! CLAP! SPIN! in French and then do the action together. A good game to play outside.

3. Create a Learning Space (3 - 6 years)

Creating a stimulating space at home where your child can play is important. Your space might include a mini library, a collection of age-appropriate books in French and a chair or bean bag to get comfortable reading in. You can also have a play area with a small table and a shelf holding toys that are sorted into plastic tubs, labeled with images and words in English and French.

4. Keep Up a Constant Narrative (Babies - 2 years)

For infants through to toddlers, talking through what you’re doing, even though they won’t talk back, is important to give them as much language exposure as possible. Use the same sentences when doing routine activities like getting dressed.

5. Choose Toys That Support Language Development (1 to 4 years)

There are many awesome toys out there that can help you teach your child a new language. Duplo blocks are great for imaginative play and the chance to introduce new words to describe what your toddler is doing. Schleich animal figurines are brilliant for independent play and particularly for learning animal names in French. Grimm’s Blocks are well-renowned educational toys used extensively in kindergartens and by speech and occupational therapists.

6. Label Things Around the House (4 - 8 years)

Putting labels on things they see regularly is a great way to help them memorize new words in French.

7. Make Vocabulary ‘Drills’ Fun with Flashcards (3 - 8 years)

Vocabulary drills can be repetitive and boring, but using flashcards can make them more engaging for kids. You can create your own flashcards or purchase pre-made ones, such as those from The Cultured Home. Set aside a regular time each day, perhaps 10 minutes after breakfast or before bedtime, to go through the flashcards with your child. Make up sentences using the words on the cards to help reinforce their understanding of the language.

8. One Person, One Language Method (Babies - 8 years)

If you or your partner are native speakers of French, you can use the "one person, one language" method to teach your child both French and English. This means that one parent consistently speaks French to the child while the other parent consistently speaks English. This method ensures regular exposure to both languages, which is important for bilingual development.

9. Have a Daily Set Time for Speaking French (3 - 8 years)

As a native-speaking parent, you can set aside a specific time each day to speak only in French with your child. This can be a natural conversation during regular activities, rather than a structured lesson. For non-native speaking parents, the time can be more focused on lessons and activities.

10. Use Car Time for Language Engagement (2 - 8 years)

If you don't speak French yourself, it's important for your child to have exposure to the language through other means. You can use car time to play videos or language lessons in French to keep your child entertained and learning while you run errands.

Explore Different Cultural Events (All Ages!)

Traveling overseas is a great way to expose your child to different languages and cultures, but it's not always possible. You can still create cultural experiences by finding festivals, restaurants, and museum exhibits that showcase French culture in your city.

By using these strategies, you can help your child develop proficiency in French and a love for learning new languages. If you need additional resources and guidance, consider checking out The Cultured Home for weekly language lessons and practical tips. Bonne chance!