Thanks, Helen, and yes the whole bilingual pressure thing is a pain especially as i'm a qualified languages teacher! in any case, my kids are french for all intents and purposes but it'd be nice to give them that little extra!
Hi Christine,
I did it when I was offered a good teaching position at a Grande Ecole where they needed native English speaking PhDs and the first few months were really difficult and lonely. I spoke only a few words of French; my French colleagues were kind but didn't invite me to do anything outside of school; I didn't know anyone else in the city who spoke English.
Eventually, I joined a social club, half of whose members were French people wanting to practice English and half native English speakers and from there my circle of friends expanded fairly quickly.
I'm not sure what kind of help you meant but for things like general information or assistance with banking and apartment hunting, getting the carte de sejour and so forth, my assistant at the school was invaluable.
I stayed for 10 years in France and recently retired to California to be near family and am having the same sort of problems getting settled here despite knowing the language! It's just normal when you change countries.
Bon courage!
Andrew the kids will learn as they wish. I used to listen in to my mum gossiping to her family on the few occasions that she could get us to Switzerland. Something stayed and I love listening to Schwyzerdeutch tho' I don't understand as much as I'd like to.
This whole bilingual pressure thing irritates me. If you were a musician, would you expect, or even have the right to expect that your child be a musician too? might be a nice ideal but an ideal only. The kids will go at their own pace as you as a linguistics guy know only too well.
Don't be upset at the amount of time you spend with the children. They are taking in plenty of other experiences, including seeing you working hard. They are adaptable and I hope you (and they) will be proud of what you have achieved!
our kids arrived here at 6,7,8 learnt French pretty quickly to become pretty hot in class. Now they speak English at home (and teach hubby nowt). I suspect that they will continue uni poss in the UK. The important thing is that you can take a horse to water but you can't make it drink. Andrew's kids will learn English in their own time (prob when they realise that BBC4 tv is brilliant/NRJ is cr*p) etc. Same as I can't get my kind of bright kids to knuckle down in class as they don't think that good grades are relevant to them at the moment.
I spent time in Geneva - the kids from foreign families were quite happy to be bilingual. The kids from the villages outside refused to speak the foreign language of one parent - insisting in speaking French. saw the same in London.
Mendiants can be a problem in all large cities, Gillian, but the south certainly attracts far more than it's fair share for climatic reasons!
Hi Gary - I love Montpellier and usually visit from Sete (which also has a problem with beggars, about once a week, but sorry, I have twice had scary experiences with what the French call "mendicants" (as a History of Art graduate, mainly studying medieval French and Italian art, I always think of mendicants as travelling religous friars - like Franciscan monks). Once being followed and spat on and called a "devil" because I wouldn't give money and in May, having a coffee with a visiting friend in one of the little streets down behind the Comedie, the owner of the cafe had to get everyone inside as a group of "out of it" down and outs, having what you refer to as "a noisy argument with each other" (with knives in this case), came charging along a very narrow little lane. I don't mind "gritty" and "alive" but that's a bit much for me. On the other hand, I do agree about French bureaucrats. I recently received my Carte Vitale from the Montpellier CPAM, having been asked for a copy of my passport photograph at least ten times - what are they doing with them all! Also, why don't they say they want translated documents - the sour-faced woman I first met at the CPAM office just loved throwing everything back at me (yes she actually threw, with one of those snorts I assume French children learn at school, my carefully prepared documents back at me) snarling "traductuer assermente". I actually laughed as she was such a cliche. Anyway, glad you're enjoying Montpellier; it is a beautiful city.
Must be fair choice depending on how far south you want to go.
Chris
I have only been to Paris! So I don't know France whatsoever. It seems with my present work as a cleaner, I will find work though. Lots of people there need someone to help with their B&B's and holiday homes. I can manage nicely on min wage as I do here. Its just trying to find somewhere where I can be near a major town for work and also the seaside and woodlands. I am not a city girl myself, but love the beach and woodland walks. Do you know an area matching this description? I will get ferry across and then, train or bus with the cat to said location etc.
Thanks
Lyn
I feel its time for me to follow my own path now too Lynette.
I am retired just & enjoying being at home, plus so much to do here at the moment, but I am slowly progressing forward.
I am not a town person & yes do have ideas on areas, have travelled a lot & in various areas of France over the years.
Take Care,
Chris
Thanks Dewi, moving forward slowly is all I can do at the moment anyway, still a lot to do !
Cheers,
Chris
Just take one day at a time. I was my mothers carer until she passed away last year, although my son lives a few miles from me here in Wales I have decided to move back to France. We lived outside Paris for fifteen years so I know the basics but the French love of form filling is a bit daunting. I wish you well in your move. Regards Dewi
So sorry to hear this Chris, I am sure you will find your place like me. have you any idea of area's yet? I need somewhere near a big town for work as I don't drive. So somewhere in Brittany I was thinking, as it seems the easiest place to get to etc.
Take care and if you ever need a chat, drop me a line. My daughter's father died when she was just 4, leaving me to bring her up alone. Now she has her life, it's time for mum to find hers too! :)
Hi Pamela, good idea! We hope send them to England to stay with their cousins once they're a bit older. (they're only 4 and 6) and at the moment they're are so many other things going on in our professional and personal lives that the language thing very much takes a back seat but I still speak to them in English as much as possible
I am looking at moving on my own there. I am saving what little I can from cleaning and just want to do it. I am 41 and will need a job and cheap accommodation, so if anyone wants an extra pair of hands to help out etc and will allow a little cat, please let me know. We only live once and I am a caring person too, so I think many people would be kind and helpful. Lyn
Hi Andrew, I'm a member of the Host in France scheme - they have requests from French people (teenagers, families, individual adults) who want to learn more English and place them with English speaking host families for a week or two, depending on the requirements of the person. We currently have a French girl staying with us and immersion into English is better when you have no other option. Maybe you want to check this out for your children? http://www.host-in-france.com/
What a nightmare situation. I hope things are better now. As for the linguistic one, yep, I just wish I could give them a real English experience (they get a week or two once every couple of years when we go to the UK but that doesn't go a long way!). I don't have the anti-english part but mine never got the english to begin with as everything we do as a family is naturally in French. Courage ;-)
Hi Gillian, I am biased towards Montpellier but in 4 years living here I've never seen a violent beggar, except for one guy kicking his dog. It's true that Montpellier does attract a fair bit of 'low life' (I can't think of a more polite way to say it) especially around the Opera, Mono-Prix, Place Comedie area, its because Montpellier is the first major town coming up the coast from Spain towards the rest of Europe and they ARE a scary bunch- often stoned, drunk or having noisy arguments with each other, but in their defense I've never had any problem with them and I live 100 metres from Comedie (the center). I would definitely give Montpellier a chance, it is quite 'gritty' and 'alive' but I find the people very friendly and polite- even the psycho looking ones. In fact, I've experienced more rudeness from French (sorry) civil servants lol.
Someone to help you get thru' the bureaucracy cannot be overstated. It's probably more frustrating that the language. French people will help you to a point but ultimately you need a 'minder' who speaks perfect French to see it through to conclusion so you don't get sucked into the 'quicksand'. I cite one example- I have submitted my 'bulletins de salaire' (salary invoices) for the two years prior to arriving in France on 5 different occasions to the same department. I won't tell you how many times I have been asked for unnecessary documents such as a certified translation of my birth certificate, certified copies of diplomas, work permit etc... I believe the French state has a fetish for paperwork, I have even heard that one needs training to change a light bulb- as Obama said, "...which is either a very high bar or the beginning of a very funny joke."
Hi Sue, this may upset one or two people- I think a heavily 'ex-pat populated' area such as Pezenas can be a disadvantage in the long run, whenever I visit friends there I get the impression of a cultural ghetto, fine if you are not struggling for work etc, but I think living in the city (Montpellier), although tough- is actually 'closer' to France and more rewarding in the long run. I've met too many isolated Anglophones still struggling with the language and way of life after several years in France.
The city drives me nuts at times but I would feel isolated stuck out in the country.
ps. I know a 'man with a van' here looking for work but no storage space unfortunately.