Sunday, April 7, 2013

Don't Step on the Coccinelle! (Ladybug)

April 8-15, 2013: Ideas to help us all promote French language learning this week, including Washington, D.C. area French-language and cultural events for kids and families. Please share any other ideas by commenting below or posting to Bonjour Mama's Facebook page!


Below are the French-language events I am aware of this week, including a rescheduled "Cherry Blossom Gouter" so  I hope we still have some trees blooming!   Also -- I didn't include it in the "official" list as there is no guarantee French will be spoken-- but I noticed Washington International School is having their Spring Bazaar on Saturday the 13th. I imagine as French is one of the official languages of the school it is likely to be heard, and even if not, it looks like a fun multicultural event. More info can be found here.  And for anyone as anxious as I am to get into nature, I made a list of petites bêtes to equip us for a bug hunt en français!

As I put together the coming week's activities, I remembered that Friday the 12th is the deadline for Montgomery County immersion lottery program. I am planning to apply, but would love to hear anyone who has decided--either to immerse or not-- what influenced your decision?  How does a formal language immersion program fit into your overall language strategy with your child?  


Bonne Semaine à Tous!

UPDATE / CORRECTION: ON SATURDAY APRIL 13TH STORYTIME WILL NOT BE HELD AT THE ALLIANCE FRANCAISE; INSTEAD, AFDC IS HOSTING A FRENCH FETE (WITH M29 LIFESTYLE BOUTIQUE) FROM 11-3PM AT THE FOUR SEASONS IN GEORGETOWN WHICH WILL INCLUDE STORYTIME AT 11AM, PLUS PUPPETS AND LOTS OF OTHER ACTIVITIES + PATISSSERIES FROM CAFE BONAPARTE AND PAUL BAKERY! 

Out and About

($) indicates there is a cost for the event. 

Tuesday  

Wednesday  
(to reserve, contact littc@rochambeau.org)

Thursday

Friday

At Home

Read "Ours dans la Ville / Bear about town" (for sale on Bonjour! Books!) one of Zach's favorites (I don't read English part of bilingual books out loud, but I like them because it really does help to have the translation right there in case I come across a word I don't know). We follow Bear's route around town to the boulangerie, park, magasin de jouets, etc cetera, naturally introduced to vocabulary with vibrant, colorful illustrations. There is even a map at the back of the book so you can plan other routes he might take on other days (et si on habitait à coté du magazin de jouets, ca serait trop cool! Je pense que demain Ourson va aller au parc avant d'acheter ses croissants à la boulangerie!)  

Make a cherry blossom (cerisier en fleur) following instructions on Momes.net

Look for Bugs in your back yard or local park.  To find the names of common garden insects, I looked at a few sites specializing in home gardening and even pest control. This is not the type of reading material I would normally consume willingly, but I thought for the sake of a curious five-year old and my desire to get out into nature, I could stand to familiarize myself with some of our native species. Then I looked them up in French, a much more pleasant activity. I hope we never spot most of the bugs on this list, but just in case we do, I will be prepared with the right warning: "Regarde, un _______ !"  Or other likely exclamations: 


Let's go on a bug hunt / on fait une chasse aux insectes!
Grab your butterfly net  / Prends ton filet à papillons!

It stings! ca pique!
it tickles! / ca chatouille!
don't squish it!" / ne l'ecrase pas! /
isn't it beautiful? qu'elle est belle!
does it have wings? / at-il des ailes?
what a beautiful color / quelle belle couleur!
Ew gross! / Oh beurk!

Bugs / Petites Bêtes
ladybug - coccinelle (f)  
ant - fourmi (f)
praying mantis - mante religeuse (f)
butterfly - papillon (m)
cricket / cicada - grillon (m)
honeybee - abeille (f)
beetle - scarabée (m)
dragonfly - libellule (f)
lightning bug - luciole (f)
tick - tique (f)
stink bug - punaise (f)
wasp - guêpe (f)
bumblebee - bourdon (m)
hornet - frelon (m)
earthworm - ver de terre  / lombric (m)
gnat - moucheron (m)
japanese beetle - scarabée japonais (m)
inchworm - chenille arpenteuse (f)
caterpillar - chenille (f)
aphid - puceron (m)
earwig - perce-oreille (m)
gypsy moth - papillon de nuit (m)
grasshopper - sauterelle (f)
slug - limace (f)




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