We love the little success stories that come out of our Fun Language clubs and hearing about how the kids are USING the language they are learning!

This one from Sal Symes, our local area manager in Bendigo, gave us great pleasure:

One of the best ways to learn another language is to find yourself into situations where you are forced to use the language. And this is exactly what happened at the end of last term for our French club in Bendigo, Regional Victoria! 

For our last lesson at the end of Term 2, the kids from our French classes in Bendigo celebrated by going on an excursion to the Bendigo Corner Store Cafe.

Six primary-aged children were sitting quietly at the long table in the cafe, listening to their French teacher while cafe patrons at nearby tables watched with interest.  

Our Central Coast Fun Languages manager, Nathalie Roy, recently sent our Head Office this pic of one of the lovely bouquets sent to her by the students of her Fun Language clubs on the Central Coast in the aftermath of the tragic terrorist attacks on Paris.  We’d like to share it with you all, together with her thank you message for all the kind thoughts and well wishes.

“On behalf of Fun Languages Central Coast we would like to say thank you for all the text messages, phone calls and flowers we received from our valued families and their children, following the horrible events that occurred recently Paris.

Fun Languages as been operating on the Central Coast since April 2011 and will celebrate it’s 5th year in 2016! 

Through the years we have built real connections and relationships with our students and parents and are blessed to be part of such an amazing, caring community.

We are very proud to have you in our Fun Languages Family and look forward to you all being part of it for many years to come.

Thank you for all your support and kind words. Merci du fond du coeur.” 

Nathalie x

Having taught French in Sydney for a number of years, I am not without my fair share of faux pas when learning to speak English.

Apparently, there is nothing sexier than a French accent but, as a French native speaker, I am familiar with the common mistakes that we make when learning English.

And it can be funny … albeit it somewhat embarrassing!

When there is a need for food, there is no point in losing your temper! Not pronouncing the “h” in “ I am hungry” leads to confusing “hungry” with “angry”.

Similarly, the pronunciation of “happiness” by any self-respecting French person has to be handled delicately!

We sometimes have trouble distinguishing between short and long vowels. Living in Sydney and going to the “bitch” could offend as well!

Forgetting “s” in the verb at 3rd person (“he go to restaurant”)

Many French business people find themselves “fulfilling a spreadsheet” like it is a prophecy!

If someone is late for an appointment or meeting, it doesn’t go down that well when you say “He is retarded”!

One of the funniest (and most embarrassing) moments happened about 3 years ago on one of our Fun Languages club excursion to Taronga zoo. It’s worth remembering if you find yourself at the zoo that you may well hear the children and their teacher discussing a “phoque”. It’s French for seal!