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French Programs for Children
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Level One

Level Two

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Q&A Children's Programs

What is an appropriate age for children to use this program?
Who is the author and what is her background?
What if the parents do not speak any French?
What if the children do not speak any French?
Our children already speak two languages, would it be detrimental to expose them to a third language?
How does one get started using this program?
Whose are the voices that we hear on the tapes?
Is the teaching of French culture part of the program?
Is consistency important?
Can children do it alone?
What is the advantage to learning a second language at a young age?
What results might we expect and in what time frame?
What is the difference between Level 1 and Level 2?
What is included in Level 1 and in Level 2?
What is the combination package and what savings result from ordering the combination package?
Can I order individual books, tapes, CDs, etc.?
After my child completes Level 1 and Level 2, what avenues do we have to continue learning French?

What is an appropriate age for children to use this program?
This program has been developed for children ages 2 to 10 years old but can also be very effective for older children and adults as well.

Who is the author and what is her background?
The program has been developed by Parisian-born Laura d’Angosse Perlman, Director and Founder of The Teddy Bear Club, Le Club Nounours, a highly regarded bilingual French/English nursery school in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. This school teaches French to approximately 120 children ages 2 to 6 each academic year.

What if the parents do not speak any French?
This program has been developed based on the assumption that neither parent has prior knowledge of French.

What if the children do not speak any French?
This program has been developed based on the assumption that the children have never been exposed to the French language.

Our children already speak two languages. Would it be detrimental to expose them to a third language?
Children who already speak more than one language seem to have a facility to learn other foreign languages without difficulty. Learning additional languages has been shown to have no detrimental effects on a child.
How does one get started using this program?
In the Parent Manual, included in the Level 1 kit, instructions about getting started are described as follows:

  1. Read storybook 1, La famille - The Family, with your child. Look at the pictures, and talk about the story.

  2. Listen to the corresponding audiocassette: tape 1, Level 1, La familleThe Family.

  3. While you listen to the story, follow along in the book.

  4. Please note that the text in blue above the color illustrations and below the small drawings on the top half of the page relates to the stories of Level 1. Similarly, the green text under the color illustrations and below the small drawings on the bottom half of the page relates to the stories of Level 2.

  5. Use the magic wand to point to the small drawings on the right-hand pages of the storybook.

  6. At the end of each scene after hearing the chime, repeat the French words once after Pouce and once after Poucette.

  7. Enjoy the songs at the end of each story and sing along with Pouce and Poucette. The music and words in both French and English may be found in the songbook. Songs are a key element of our teaching method. Parents are encouraged to sing with their children.

  8. Fast forward or rewind to the beginning of the story. For easy use, note that each tape has the same program recorded on both sides.
    Please note that each audiocassette lasts about thirty minutes which includes a twenty-five-minute story followed by approximately five minutes of French songs.

  9. We strongly recommend listening to each audiocassette as often as possible, at least seven times, before moving on to the next story.

  10. The activity boards may be used many times. Erasable markers should be used for this purpose. To hold your child’s concentration during the audio presentation, it may be wise to postpone the coloring activity until the tape is over. Simply wipe off the activity boards with a cloth when desired.
    Note: Do not use the markers on the storybooks. They will not wipe off.

  11. Flashcards are to review new words learned.
    Please note that the flashcard set included with Level 1 is to be used for both Levels 1 and 2.

Children's Language Classes, Children's Language Lessons, Children's Language Programs
Whose are the voices that we hear on the tapes?
The voices heard on the tapes are those of the Parisian-born author Laura d’Angosse Perlman and two charming French children portraying Pouce and Poucette.

Is the teaching of French culture part of the program?
Yes, throughout the eight stories, a definite emphasis has been placed on introducing French cultural elements. For example, Story 5 Le petit déjeuner - Breakfast, focuses on what French children normally have for breakfast such as croissants and French bread.

Is consistency important?
This is an educational program and we recommend that children use this program on a daily basis for several months to achieve best results.

Can children do it alone?
In the beginning it is very important that parents be involved in helping the children develop a successful pattern of using these materials. Some children, depending on age, may then be able to continue to use and enjoy the program on their own.

What is the advantage to learning a second language at a young age?
Benefits from early foreign language study may include the following:

  • native or near-native pronunciation
    Even if a child’s foreign language learning is interrupted for many years, if he/she began speaking words in the language at a very young age, he/she will likely be able to pronounce that second language with very little or no accent later in life.
  • improved overall school performance
    It has been demonstrated that students with foreign language instruction are able to score higher on standardized tests in English than those who have not studied another language.
  • superior problem solving and higher order thinking skills
    Studies suggest that students of second languages are more creative and better at solving complex problems.
  • the ability to communicate with more people
    Children may use a foreign language around the world through travel or future employment.
  • early awareness of other world cultures
    As the world becomes more diverse, we find ourselves surrounded by numerous languages and cultural events of various ethnic backgrounds. Learning another language at an early age opens a window to diversity as well as cultural understanding and appreciation in this increasingly global society.

For more in-depths information on this subject, please read the following information published by ERIC Clearinghouse on Language and Linguistics written by Kathleen Marcos, entitled:
“Why, How, and When Should my Child Learn a Second Language”

What results might we expect and in what time frame?
Within a few days to several weeks of consistent use, it is likely that the children will start to repeat French words and/or sing the French songs in the program. The children will also be able to indicate comprehension of French by pointing at appropriate objects when the words are pronounced on the tapes or by parents.

After one or two months, children may produce one- or two-word utterances, eventually forming short sentences and “plugging” French words into structures they know from their first language.

Optimal results (after several months of continuous use) may include an elementary understanding of French syntax and an acquired lexicon of several hundred French words. The results depend upon the interest of the individual child, how often and how many times the child has listened to the program and the level of parental support. The more contact a learner has with a second language, the more progress he/she will make. A high level of parent involvement, such as listening to and repeating along with the program daily, demonstrates to the child that learning a second language is enjoyable and important for people of all ages. This will encourage a positive attitude and motivation for learning and retention.

What is the difference between Level 1 and Level 2?
Level 1 is designed to be an easy method for young children to learn French and is comprised of basic vocabulary, very simple syntax with an emphasis on repetition.
The Level 2 program is designed to be a follow-up program to Level 1. Each Level 2 tape relates the same story told in Level 1 but with a few new twists, more vocabulary and a slightly more complex syntax.
What is included in Level 1 and in Level 2?
Level 1 Program includes: four audio CDs, eight audiocassettes, eight storybooks, eight two-sided write-on/wipe-off activity boards, one set of flashcards, one set of four erasable markers, a magic wand, a vocal CD, an instrumental CD, a parent manual and a French songbook; all in a sturdy picturesque case.

Level 2 Program includes: four audio CDs and eight audiocassettes in a sturdy picturesque case.

What is the combination package and what savings result from ordering the combination package?
In the combination package one receives the Level 1 kit valued at $149.75 as well as the Level 2 kit valued at $60.00. By purchasing the combination package at $179.75, a savings of $30.00 is achieved.

Can I order individual books, tapes, CDs, etc.?
This is a teaching program and is offered as a program only. Individual pieces are not available.

After my child completes Level 1 and Level 2, what avenues do we have to continue learning French?
The Language Club for Children is planning to introduce additional programs for those who will have completed both Levels 1 and 2.


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