Question : Should Anglophone families consider Francophone babysitters?
The thought occurred to me that in the earliest stages of a child’s development, the ability to learn and speak a language fluently is greater than when you’re older.

This being the case, many kids whose parents speak a foreign language at home and barely speak English, but send their kids to English nursery schools, wind up with kids who are fluently bilangual.

So I was thinking, if English-speaking Canadian families hired Franocophone babysitters at very young ages, and the babysitter speaks French only. And when the baby cries the babysitter uses French to say “Do you mean a cookie?” “It’s time to go to sleep!” “Do you want to play ball?”

This would lead to more Canadians developing French-speaking abilities. Wouldn’t this be a good idea?

Or why can’t there be services Ontario where you can go somewhere to learn conversational French with a family, not a University course where they say “this means this” “merci means thankyou” “boujour means hello”, BUT they speak ONLY French!
The reality is any child that does say “Je Suis tired?” won’t have the habit for far too long because it will sink in through experience that either one language is spoken in its entirety, OR the other.

It is no less confusing for a child than getting used to the fact that I call myself “me” but you refer to me as “you”.

That’s no less confusing. so a child early on might say “Mommy, mommy, mommy, I’m tired, hold you, hold you, hold you.”
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Best answer:

Answer by Isabelle….
Good point.
It is happening in Europe all the time. French au pairs move to Britain and vice versa.
But I think people in Ontario are not overly interested anyway. Of course some families opt to send their kids to all immersion French schools ;they do exist.
But keep in mind that there is not an awful lot of Francophone people here. (and most of them come from francophone countries but not mainland France and the language/accent is not always “top”).

There is no French quarter, like little Italy, Chinatown, Greeks (Danforth) etc.

There is just not many French people here and the circle is pretty restrictive.

But anyway am giving you a link if you are interested; you might find something there ( I never read it myself) if you are interested.

sorry..gave you a link to my own page lol. Do not why it happened

Check “L’Express”; express@lexpress.to.

@Brianna…maybe one example. But plenty of foreign kids start to learn English much earlier like in a Montessori environment and do not have any problems. Maybe just a stage she is going through and will overcome. A four year old is sure able to speak 2 languages without any problems. I have seen it too often. Romanian/English. Chinese/English etc..must depend on the amount of exposure too.
And I have a kid who speaks both French and English and does not mix up the two languages….so there !:-). It is much a matter of “how” you teach as well..and pinpoint which is which and and and…etc.

And so many teachers of French make mistakes all over the place lol !! Sorry…but it is reality especially if they are foreign-born. The school system is really bad at distinguishing WHO is good and not. I bloody have to correct my son’s French teacher(s) all the time dammit ! and pinpoint their mistakes ! Not all..but some are…lacking..

I think the best so- called “jewel” have heard is ” French is spoken as it is written”………..I just could not believe that from a teacher !!!! Might as well say that the earth is flat !