As more nannies join holiday tour companies each season to work in their childcare provisions in French- or Spanish-speaking countries, others are looking for jobs that take them overseas with British families to holiday or even live in cities where French, Spanish, German or even Italian is the language spoken around them. Life abroad is an exciting challenge not only for nannies, but also for the children in their charge. How many nannies have thought about the golden opportunity they have to introduce children to a new language and different culture? They can take the first steps in foreign language learning together, preparing children to grow up into citizens of Europe and the global village beyond.
Young children are born language learners. They pick up a foreign language as effortlessly as they pick up their own, if we provide them with the right sort of interesting and fun activities. They are quick to show off how well they can count or say a rhyme another way.
Living abroad or staying at, say, a French-speaking ski resort, gives children a natural opportunity to use another language. Unlike at a nursery setting in the UK, they are surrounded by 'real' situations and people who are native speakers. They don't need the props of cassettes and videos or textbook activities. You will find directly helping children exciting, and at the same time you will be improving your own spoken language skills.
You may be feeling that your own ability in a foreign language is too poor to help young beginners. But if you have GCSE French or Spanish, you can help children with the initial steps in any Latin-based language, as long as you support what you are doing by listening to the speech around you.
Ask the locals to help by joining in and checking how well you do as you try out their language. Native speakers appreciate foreigners who make an effort, however small, to use their language, and they generally respond with an encouraging smile - even if they accompany it with a flow of words that you can't quite understand!
Before you start to introduce French it is a good idea to work out what you would include in the first ten mini-sessions with a child. I am using French as my reference, as it is the language familiar to most nannies and parents. What is used in the beginning with French can easily be transferred to other languages.
As in beginning to speak in English, children use the same skills to pick up individual words or phrases in a foreign language without knowing the grammar, or how many words a phrase comprises. Most children have no idea how many words comprise 'whatareyoudoing?' until they start to read and write, and it is the same for 'qu'est-ce que c'est?' ('what's that?') or even 'ca va?' ('all right?').
If you have prepared a selection of interactive activities and the language to go with them, you are better prepared to match the immediate needs.
Start by embedding French in your daily activities. Later, as skills improve, you can introduce a special French Time which can be adjusted to fit in with the daily activities and mood of the child. You will find that mood is important, as children, like adults, have days when they are better at speaking a foreign language than others.
At the outset it is important to explain to a child that people around them speak French and you also are going to say something in French. After the staff have served lunch, for example, you might say, 'Let's say thank you to Marie in French - merci'. Whisper that 'merci' means 'thank you' in French and then repeat, 'Merci, Marie'.
Expect a child only to listen at this stage. In the initial stages of learning, as in learning to speak English, children need time to absorb French before they are ready to use it. Repetition can come naturally, as each time Marie does something, you can repeat 'Merci, merci Marie'. After some time the child will surprise you by joining in, possibly with the name first and then getting round to using merci. From there you can move on to greetings like 'bonjour' and 'au revoir'.
You can introduce counting at some other time in the day, adding the names of favourite things like 'une glace', gradually building up little dialogues including 'oui, s'il vous plait' (yes, please) or 'non, merci'
(no, thank you).
When you give a translation, say it in a whisper so that the child understands that the English does not really belong in the French dialogue.
As the child begins to use some French, give them some prompts at the beginning of a word and leave time for the child to finish off other words.
They will soon pick up the technique, as it uses skills already familiar to them in learning to speak English.
Success motivates, and it also makes children happy. A little achieves a lot in beginning to speak French. Children will respond positively to the warm reaction to their efforts they get from adult native speakers, but at the same time they will be looking for your praise, too. 'Tres bien!' or 'Bravo!', said with a clap of approval, confirms to them that they are doing well.
You should also encourage the parents to give praise too, as their child will be looking for it. To make sure this happens, keep parents informed of what you are doing, but wait until the child becomes fairly competent - a negative or embarassing experience will de-motivate them.
If possible, include some very simple rhymes or songs known to everyone around you, so that the child can also show off to anyone with the time to listen. Showing-off opportunities should not be discouraged or undervalued, as they can bring a holiday or overseas experience home to grandparents or school. A child can proudly announce, 'I can speak some French. Listen.'
Un, deux, trois. One, two, three.
J'aime papa. I love Papa Un, deux, trois. One, two, three.
Deux pour toi. Two for you.
Et un pour moi! And one for me!
Since most people around you will be native speakers, make use of them to extend children's opportunities to speak French. Ask them if they can join in with your short dialogues, songs or rhymes (comptines in French). You will notice that in France, as in Britain, there are various spoken forms of the language, so please do not worry too much about your own accent. The most important thing is for children to begin to communicate in another language and realise that words in French can have the same meaning as words in English. This is the beginning of lateral thinking.
If it is possible, go for trips outside that have a purpose. An expedition to buy a favourite ice cream or even a picture postcard can be an opportunity to use a little French and absorb some French culture at the same time. When you come back, try to role-play one of the experiences, even if it means that you have to play the part of the native speaker in the shop and also act as stage manager for the first few times.
Encourage children to notice the signs around them as well as the trademarks of their favourite things. If there is a bookshop, buy some simple interactive children's picture books. Even if you paraphrase some of the text for them, children will feel good about 'reading a book in French'.
Simple games are useful, too - for example, 'Jacques a dit touche le nez'
(Simon says), or 'Un deux trois soleil', a type of 'Grandmother's Footsteps' where the catcher turns round on 'soleil' (sun) to see the sun and send any child caught moving back to the starting line. Watch French children playing outside and, if you see some suitable game, copy it.
Convert some of the very simple games you play with younger children who are learning English into French. They may seem babyish but, if you add extra suspense, they can be fun and get children using French without thinking. If they persist in using English, remind them gently, saying, 'En francais, s'il te plait' ('In French, please').
The fun experiences you share in language learning today can have a life-long positive influence on all later foreign language learning and visits to overseas venues. Children's curiosity will have been aroused to find out about other languages and cultures, and in so doing they will broaden their horizons and grow into more understanding adults.
To aid your language fun why not try Opal Dunn's book for young learners, Leo Le Chat Comes to Play or El Gato Leo Comes to Play, in French or Spanish respectively and published by Frances Lincoln (020 7284 4009)
