To read the World !
Reading English is very easy compared to French. One basically pronounces all the letters, hardly no double consonant ..
In French, we like decorate the alphabet, especially the letter e with a bunch of accents so it looks like è é ê ë .. My kids speak French at home but English outside and they obviously learn how to read in Shakespeare’s language. When my daughter starter reading stories in French, she struggled with all those letters we don’t pronounce ( i.e: “haut” – tall is pronounced “oh” like “eau” – water). But it never stops fascinating me to see how she can draw the Chinese signs she has been learning at school, and pronounce them “with no accent whatsoever” according to her teacher. I can’t even repeat basic sounds properly. My brain does not seem to make all the connections between those notes it never heard before.
Like my kids, the majority of their classmates is bilingual, and I love to see them changing their ways when they switch to English. The Japanese and the Korean children seem more relaxed, less introvert. Did you know that bilingual kids are said to have an advantage in brain perception and “brain flexibility”? They can adapt to new environment far easier and are usually more self confident. The eAllier they learn, the easier it is for them to master another langage.
I wonder how long it would take me to learn another language…Although if you have to spend more than a day with me, you’ll want to learn French. Just because is much easier than to understand French speaking English ..
In response to Weekly Photo Challenge Alphabet.
Estelea's Blog 
She’s learning Chinese?? Awesome!
Kids are sponges – they absorb anything. I’m struggling to learn Dutch. Maybe French is next so you can laugh at me! 😂
Yes she is, like her bro! I m amazed at how easy it seems .. To them ! Next time we are in Paris, let’s meet in a Bar à vins, you ll be fluent in a few hours 😉 good luck with Dutch, it looks as hard as Swiss German ! x
Isn’t it great that kids go bi or tri lingual” 😀
Those are terrible languages. Swiss German sounds much harsher to the ears than Dutch in my opinion.And you know, with Paris, maybe it won;t be too long after all!
Are you planning a move this year ?!
In a few months!!!
AWESOME ! Need to skype, whatssap at least 😉 Will be there in April, how about you guys?
Missing you big!
Love this post! As a linguist and second (and more!) language learner and teacher, I can attest to the truth of all your comments! That good old brain plasticity in youth is a great thing! Wish I still had it.
This is simply amazing! this morning, we were invited to the Chinese declamation contest of Ms Attila. One of her Japanese classmate arrived in Cebu a bit more than a year ago, without speaking a single word of English (many Korean and Japanese families move here for a few years so the whole family can learn English). This kid not only speak very good English now but he was also among the competitors in Chinese! All in 1 year! And they are so at ease on stage. Seeing my daughter speaking Chinese so easily was so impressive! For a moment I really felt for the migrants, who don’t understand anything about their new surroundings and are guided only by their kids ..
I am seriously considering learning a new language this year, or brush up my Spanish. Although it would be easier to find Japanese classes here, and at least it is easier than Chinese.
Go for it! Japanese would be so fun (and easy to pronounce – phonetically like Spanish). I’m in Nicaragua right now and am happy to report my Spanish has been pretty darn good (but I use it every day at work) and I even translated from Spanish to French for a sweet old lady on one of my tours today! Before you are too impressed, be sure to know that my French accent is terrrrrible, but it works in a pinch! Your kids are super lucky – they are models for our global future.
Too late, I am already SUPER impressed! OK then, I am going to enrol to Japanese classes. You’ll order the enchiladas, I ll take care of the sushis!
Oooh! Did you know that I’ve been trying to learn French since maybe five years ago. 😀 I have a Foreign Language subject during college and the language that I studied is French. I fall in love with the elegance and sophisticated sound of French words! 😀
But, like what you said, it is far more hard to learn than English. (With the feminine and masculine words and the complex pronunciation) 😀 I am technically a bilingual, I speak English and Filipino but I want to be a multilingual, too! 😀 And the language that I really want to learn is French! 😀
Hyper-Like! I can only support and encourage this effort 😉 I ll post something special for you this week then … Stay tuned! 😉
YAY!! Feel free to ping me back! 😀 SO I can read it! 😀
Wow! Learning Chinese!! Pretty awesome.
Isn’t it? Too bad I don’t get a single word of what she is saying 😛 thanks for stopping by !
I love that little hand!
Great post, dear Estelea! And I agree with you – French is much more difficult than English! Best to you and your beautiful family! Hugs X 😉
Thanks thanks 🙂 I did realise it when I started teaching it to my daughter. Reading and writing is not so easy, so many useless letters (unless you are already fluent in Latin, then it all makes sense ;).
Shabbat Shalom to you all, and warm hugs from the Philippines (as we are all sick in bed, good that the hugs remain virtual for now 😛 ) X