WHAT IF MY CHILD DOESN’T SPEAK FRENCH?
The LFIR is open to students of all backgrounds and nationalities, and many children do not speak French when they first attend the school ; in fact, the vast majority of LFIR students come from non-French families ! Teachers are experienced in supporting them and are able to speak in English (and Myanmar in most classes) so that every child can participate in activities. Thanks to this inclusive environment, students feel accepted and quickly gain the confidence to express themselves.
To help students progress faster, non-French speaking students currently enrolling at the LFIR receive a free package of French classes at IFB-French Institute in Myanmar, in addition to their regular French classes at school.
THE FLE/FLSCO PROGRAMME FOR NON-FRENCH SPEAKERS
To support non-French speaking students, an intensive French language programme was designed, called the French as a Foreign Language (FLE) / French Language for School (FLSco) programme. It is intended primarily for students who have little to no knowledge of French, but also for those who are still learning the language and need to consolidate their skills.
The programme is intensive for beginners, with teaching hours reduced throughout the school year as needs for extra French lessons decrease. Parents are often amazed by how quickly their child progresses!
The courses are designed together with the class teacher to suit the specific needs and pace of each child. They aim to quickly take students to the basic level required in class, with priority given to speaking and listening skills. Active learning in small groups helps students approach the French language with enthusiasm and confidence.
IS FRENCH HARD TO LEARN?
French is one of the easiest languages to learn for English speakers ! French and English not only share a similar alphabet and sentence structure, but they also share much vocabulary : over half of English words have either French or Latin origins, a third being directly derived from French ! Much of the formal vocabulary in English is derived from French; as a consequence, learning French also benefits the learning of English.
WILL MY CHILD STILL LEARN ENGLISH?
Most children already speak English when they join the school. Children are exposed to English every day at school through their English-speaking friends, books, stories and games, as well as English classes.
To find out more about English at school, please see here.