Whether your family is moving to Paris from another big, bustling city such as New York or Los Angeles, or you are coming from the calmer suburbs and rural towns of your state, the relocation from the United States to France can bring about a lot of questions and logistical concerns. Moving to another country, let alone another continent, requires a lot of planning and research. What will your daily life look like in Paris? What transportation will you utilize to get around the city? What cultural and social activities would you want your family to get involved in?
And the list of questions only grows with the addition of your child into the mix. How will you best support them in getting acclimated to the new environment and language? What are the options for childcare in Paris? How do you find an appropriate school for your little one given their experience with the French language? As a parent, you want only the best for your child’s personal and educational development, and the unknowns that come with international relocation can cause some anxiety when finding answers to some of these critical questions. However, it does not necessarily have to be so troublesome.
The Importance of Bilingual Education, Especially for International Families
One of the most crucial decisions you’ll face as a parent relocating to Paris is choosing the right school for your child. One can only imagine how difficult it is to navigate the foreign French school curriculum and system. That is why for families who are new to France, finding a bilingual school that offers both French and English instruction is often a top priority. These bilingual schools can offer children who are not yet fluent in French a smoother integration into their new environment, both academically and socially, while also fostering cognitive development, improving problem-solving skills, and enhancing creativity through their dual-language environments.
English-French bilingual schools in Paris provide an immersive educational experience that can ease the transition for your child, ensuring they receive quality education while also becoming dually proficient. These schools are designed to support international families and are well-versed in helping students adapt to a new culture and vernacular, making them an ideal choice for expatriate families such as yours.
Enrolling your child in a bilingual school has numerous benefits. For one, not only will your child learn to speak, read, and write in both English and French, but they will also gain a deeper understanding of the associated cultural nuances. This concept can be better exemplified within bilingual schools that have courses taught in a 100% native anglophone environment, such as at The Garden Academy. The Garden’s teaching staff is composed of native English-speakers from all over the world; some come from the United Kingdom, some from the United States, and others from Australia and New Zealand—but all of the English teachers are certified, native anglophones. While attending a school with professional native English instructors, students will better comprehend the more difficult aspects of language learning, such as natural pronunciation and colloquial expressions, that cannot be properly taught through non-native teachers.
Additionally, bilingual schools often have a diverse student body, which exposes those involved to various cultures and perspectives from a young age. In addition to the international teaching staff, the student population at The Garden Academy is also culturally widespread, with students originating from countries all over the world, such as China, the United States, Italy, Spain, Russia, Japan, England, and so many more! Interacting and learning in an international setting such as this encourages open-mindedness and global awareness, preparing your child to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.
Starting Bilingual Learning Early On
For American families moving to Paris, enrolling in an immersive English preschool and kindergarten can be an excellent choice to support the child’s cognitive development and social integration. Bilingual schools specialize in providing a nurturing environment where Americans can continue their education in English while gradually being introduced to French, which becomes a mandatory component of France’s curriculum for those aged three years and older. This approach helps ease the transition and allows children to maintain their connection to their native tongue and culture while embracing their new surroundings.
It is actually more advantageous to introduce your little one to bilingual learning the younger they are. Those under six years old are in a critical stage of cognitive growth in which their brains are extremely receptive to the input of information. They can absorb an additional language more naturally and intuitively, much like they could with their mother tongue. As such, acquisition and comprehension are often easier for them than it is for kids older than them.
English-French bilingual schools often employ experienced teachers who are skilled in bilingual education and who understand the unique challenges that expatriates face. Within their lessons, they use innovative teaching methods that integrate language learning with play, exploration, and creative expression, making it a more natural and enjoyable process. At The Garden Academy, the expert teaching staff uses a combination of literature, interactive play, STEM, arts, and music to guide the students through new lessons and concepts. Important elements, such as orthography, reading, and oral skills, are more easily grasped by young learners using such methods. Moreover, in addition to accumulating language skills, the students also simultaneously achieve other developmental milestones, such as social skills, motor skills, and emotional regulation, through the diverse teaching methods.
For families with young children, a bilingual preschool or kindergarten can be an excellent way to ensure your little one becomes comfortable with both languages from the outset. And starting bilingual education early on sets the foundation for becoming truly bilingual or even multilingual in the future. The skills that your child acquires through their immersion school will be an invaluable asset throughout their life, opening numerous doors to opportunities in higher education and careers.
Finding the Right Bilingual School in Paris, France
Now that you know the importance and benefits of bilingual education, now you must determine which bilingual school in Paris would best suit your child’s needs and educational progress. Fortunately, it is not difficult to locate a bilingual school, for just in France’s capital city of Paris, there are more than 50 bilingual primary and elementary schools! However, there are very few that will offer an adequate education to support your little one’s academic and social transition to the fullest extent.
As aforementioned, international, bilingual school environments have numerous benefits for the cognitive development of young children, helping to lay the groundwork for future academic and professional success. But to really ensure a smooth transition that will set your child up for success later in the French education system and in their social lives in Paris, you need to locate a bilingual school that is designed with the international students’ best interest in mind—one that has a professional staff of native anglophone teachers who are trained to teach a diverse, multicultural class groups.
At The Garden Academy, we find it imperative that English is taught by those who know it best: native English-speakers. Within all three of our locations across Paris, our English teaching staff is made up of certified, anglophone instructors. The Garden’s native English instructors provide a model of accurate pronunciation and a natural accent, while also exposing students to the natural rhythm, intonation, and flow of English speech—something that cannot be well taught by a teacher whose second, or even third, language is English.
Something else that cannot be inherently taught by just any teacher or in any school is cultural insight and global awareness. Language and culture are deeply intertwined. Therefore, learning in an international school environment with native English educators not only offers exposure to various cultures and perspectives, helping to encourage open-mindedness and tolerance, but also permits the greater understanding of the nuances and traditions behind certain English words, phrases, and customs.
Bilingual school lessons taught by native English teachers also create a more authentic, immersive learning environment where students are encouraged to think and respond in English. For young Americans who have just moved to Paris, this can also be extremely comforting. By having native anglophones leading the daily lessons, the familiarity of English in the foreign environment can be a reassuring measure that helps them to get better acclimated to and feel more welcome in their new Parisian life.
As you navigate the process of settling into your new life in Paris, remember that the right school can make all the difference in how quickly and successfully your little one adapts to their new living situation. When relocating from the United States, there may be a lot of decisions that seem difficult to make, but your child’s education does not have to be one of them! With a strong foundation in both English and French through an école bilingue, your child will be well-prepared to embrace the opportunities that come with living in one of the most vibrant cities in the world!
