5 ways French immersion tutors can open up new worlds for your child
It’s no secret there isn’t a very large community of French speakers in Western Canada or the U.S.A. Whether you’ve been to Burnaby, Richmond, Vancouver, Surrey or Coquitlam, or other parts of this country it’s probable you don’t bump into Francophones on a regular basis. But that doesn’t mean French is a useless skill. On the contrary, there are many good reasons to learn French even though you’re not living in a French-speaking area.
- French is an international language, not just an Eastern Canadian one. Just because your children grow up in the West doesn’t mean they will stay there forever! French is spoken by more than 200 million people across the world. Every time you learn a new language, opportunities open up for you. And because so many people speak French, learning this language will give your kids countless more chances to find jobs, love and friends.
- French makes you more valuable to employers in Canada. Because after all, French is an official language of our country! Research has suggested that speaking French increases employment opportunities in Canada. The Huffington Post has reported that bilingual people — speakers of both French and English, that is — had higher employment rates. And in some places such as Toronto, they made more money! Plus, French is practically a must if your children want to seek higher-end jobs with the Government of Canada.
- French opens up post-secondary opportunities. Many American institutions require applicants to have at least a reading knowledge of French or German in order to be considered for university research positions. And even if your children stay in Canada, they may move to Quebec if they want to study in prestigious schools such as McGill. That means they will probably have to know some French to get around. The same thing goes if they want to study abroad in French-speaking countries. France has a number of internationally recognized schools that your child may consider as well.
- Learning another language makes you smarter. In one study, researchers gave cognitive tests to babies raised in bilingual and monolingual households. The bilingual babies did better in a cognitive test which predicts how well they will perform in concept formation, nonverbal cognition, expressive and receptive language, and IQ tests. The results gathered some media attention. You can also review the original study here.
- French is one of the main languages of international politics. French is used by the United Nations, the European Union, UNESCO, NATO, the International Olympic Committee, the International Red Cross and international courts. French is an official language in 29 countries. This includes places in Africa, Europe and North America.
3 points to know if your child needs professional French immersion tutoring help
Hiring a professional French tutor can be a big decision. So we figured we’d give some ideas that would help you determine if in-home French tutoring is the right choice for your children.
Is your child frustrated with learning French in a classroom? Some kids just don’t take well to learning French in large groups. They need steady, individualized attention. Some kids learn best by having intense one-on-one French conversations with teachers. It can be a challenge for these needs to be met in a class filled with 30 to 40 other children.
Observe your child’s interests and disposition. Are your kids drawn to novel experiences? Do they like exploring and doing new things? Do they like meeting new people? These might be early indicators of how much they will travel or how often they will socialize with people from different backgrounds. If children appear to be adventurous, learning a new language such as French can be a huge asset.
Do your children have a way with words? Do your kids have fun switching up their styles of speech? Can they pick up accents and new vocabulary quickly? Can they do brilliant imitations of celebrities? Children who show these proclivities may have the gift of languages. If this is the case, French language tutoring may be one of the best ways to nurture that gift.
So take notes on your children. Be on the watch. Find out if they are doing well in class. Look out for clues that may suggest a gift for languages. These observations will help you determine whether your child will benefit from learning with a professional French tutor from School is Easy Tutoring.
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