Monday, May 20, 2013

CP1, CE2, C3P0, R2D2...What grade is that?!

Week of May 20-26:  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!  Bonne semaine! (Scroll down to FRENCH THIS WEEK for the list )


I am still waiting to hear back from Montgomery County PS to know if we will have a spot in the French immersion program, which I am even more anxious to get into after this past weekend: 

On Saturday at the Gaithersburg Book Festival I met several families with kids in local immersion schools and I was astounded at the level of French I heard. I met two kids in second grade who spoke so effortlessly and fluently it gave me pause; for all my exertion over the past five years speaking and exposing Zach to French, it seems like my results pale in comparison. Although he is very competent in his French, he is by no means at the level of these kids, most of whom I'm sure had much less, if any, French before they entered Kindergarten!

If we don't get into the immersion program, I'm going to have to seriously think about how I can get his French to the next level without exhausting myself in the process. Whether this happens through immersion summer camps, the Alliance Française, or at least a weekly intensive immersion class like Language Stars, what's clear to me is that it can't be all up to me anymore (and my husband who often happily pitches in to speak/play en français). We need to be institutionalized! (in a good way)


As I mention "institution" and think of schools it occurs to me that for pretty much my entire French-speaking life I have never really understood the French equivalents of the U.S. grade levels. Since Zach was born, I have met many French Moms whose kids attend the Lycée Rochambeau. In the first few minutes of any conversation we ask the ages of our kids, where they go to school, and what "grade" they are in. If the child is at least three or four years old the French Moms' answers usually begin with Ecole Maternelle then petite/moyenne/grande section or if they are older, it's a CE or CP followed by a number. At this point in the conversation I tend to just tune out because I don't know what it means and haven't ever taken the time to figure it out. I make sure I know the age of the child and then think of what grade it equates to but I'm never sure.

Finally, I just googled "French equivalent of first grade" and pulled the below list together based on what I found in various places. I finally have the tools to understand and relate!  


Age
France
USA
3-4
Maternelle - Petite Section
Nursery
4-5
Maternelle – Moyenne Section
Pre-K
5-6
Maternelle Grande Section
Kindergarten (U.S. kids begin Elementary school this year)


Age
Ecole Primaire
Elementary School
6-7
Cours Preparatoire (C.P.)
1st Grade
7-8
Cours Elementaire (C.E). 1
2nd Grade
8-9
C.E. 2
3rd Grade
9-10
C.M. 1
4th Grade
10-11
C.M. 2
5th Grade

Age
Collège
Middle School
11-12
6ème
6th Grade
12-13
5ème
7th Grade
13-14
4ème
8th Grade
14-15
3ème
9th Grade (U.S. kids begin high school this year)

Age
Lycée
High School
15-16
2nde
10th Grade
16-17
1ère
11th Grade
17-18
Terminale
12th Grade



Cher Google, within a few seconds of typing you tell me the hourly weather forecast, how to unclog my "In-sinkerator" disposal, and now have ended my longstanding ignorance of U.S.-French educational equivalents. Je t'aime:-)

FRENCH THIS WEEK


Out and About

As there are so few new- at least on a weekly basis -- French-themed events for families (unless I am missing something!) I have decided unless there are at least a few  new and unique items to include here to stop including a daily schedule and instead, provide a link to the calendar and highlight anything else that is unique here.

The main attraction I see this week is the book sale at the Alliance Française which goes through June 15th. The last time I went (before I began selling books myself!) I found a very nice selection from Gallimard Montréal and bought one of my favorites to this day: C'est un Livre by Lane Smith (which as of next week I will have for sale on the bookstore!)

At Home

Play Le jeu des dinosaures with your sofa cushions (or anything that can be piled or layered on the ground). After I vetoed the 100th session of "la bataille en français" (see previous post for details) I told Zach he needed to come up with another game. He said: "on va chercher des os de dinosaures."  Each layer of pillows had to be dug through "creuse, creuse creuse!" in search of buried fossils. "J'ai trouvé un fossile"! Ça c'est la tete du tyrannosaure. Ça c'est son pied!". Très fun.

Watch (and play along!) Boowa et Kwala playing the school version of Jean Dit (Simon Says): La Maitresse a dit.

Plan a playdate with other French-speaking parents and kids!  If you are in the DC Metro area, join or suggest an event on Bonjour Mama’s facebook pageLe Petit Groupe Français, or Les Mamans Autour de DC!

25 comments :

  1. Sap Training Institute in Noida

    CIIT Noida provides Best SAP Training in Noida based on current industry standards that helps attendees to secure placements in their dream jobs at MNCs. CIIT Provides Best ERP SAP Training in Noida. CIIT is one of the most credible ERP SAP training institutes in Noida offering hands on practical knowledge and full job assistance with basic as well as advanced level ERP SAP training courses. At CIIT ERP SAP training in noida is conducted by subject specialist corporate professionals with 7+ years of experience in managing real-time ERP SAP projects. CIIT implements a blend of aERPemic learning and practical sessions to give the student optimum exposure that aids in the transformation of naïve students into thorough professionals that are easily recruited within the industry.

    At CIIT’s well-equipped ERP SAP training center in Noida aspirants learn the skills for ERP SAP Basis, ERP SAP ABAP, ERP SAP APO, ERP SAP Business Intelligence (BI), ERP SAP FICO, ERP SAP HANA, ERP SAP Production Planning, ERP SAP Supply Chain Management, ERP SAP Supplier Relationship Management, ERP SAP Training on real time projects along with ERP SAP placement training. ERP SAP Training in Noida has been designed as per latest industry trends and keeping in mind the advanced ERP SAP course content and syllabus based on the professional requirement of the student; helping them to get placement in Multinational companies and achieve their career goals.

    ERP SAP training course involves "Learning by Doing" using state-of-the-art infrastructure for performing hands-on exercises and real-world simulations. This extensive hands-on experience in ERP SAP training ensures that you absorb the knowledge and skills that you will need to apply at work after your placement in an MNC.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very Nice Article keep it up...! Thanks for sharing this amazing information with us...! keep sharing

    ReplyDelete
  3. I want to say that this post is awesome, nice written.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hey, would you mind if I share your blog with my twitter group? There’s a lot of folks that I think would enjoy your content. Please let me know. Thank you.
    Java Training in Chennai | J2EE Training in Chennai | Advanced Java Training in Chennai | Core Java Training in Chennai | Java Training institute in Chennai

    ReplyDelete

  5. btorreslaw
    We specialize in assisting clients in the areas of Real Estate, Corporate and Commercial, Wills and Estates, Immigration and more.
    BTorres Law Office offers an innovative and results-oriented approach to building solid working relationships with all of our valued clients.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Its a wonderful post and very helpful, thanks for all this information. You are including better information regarding this topic in an effective way. T hank you so much.


    Dot Net Training in Chennai | Dot Net Training in anna nagar | Dot Net Training in omr | Dot Net Training in porur | Dot Net Training in tambaram | Dot Net Training in velachery








    ReplyDelete
  7. 360DigiTMG, Indore is a leading solutions provider of Training and Consulting to assist students, professionals by delivering top-notch, world-class classroom and online training. It offers data science course in indore.

    ReplyDelete

  8. Fantastic article I ought to say and thanks to the info. Instruction is absolutely a sticky topic. But remains one of the top issues of the time. I love your article and look forward to more.
    Data Science Training Institute in Bangalore

    ReplyDelete
  9. Nice to be seeing your site once again, it's been weeks for me. This article which ive been waited for so long. I need this guide to complete my mission inside the school, and it's same issue together along with your essay. Thanks, pleasant share.
    Best Data Science Courses In Bangalore

    ReplyDelete
  10. Excellent blog,This is what i have been wanted,Am very glad to seen this blog and learned a lot from this.Thanks for sharing us your knowledge.
    amazon web services aws training in chennai

    microsoft azure training in chennai

    workday training in chennai

    android-training-in chennai

    ios training in chennai

    ReplyDelete
  11. Excellent blog very nice and unique information related to Beclovent. Thanks for sharing this information.
    Domestic Lifts Manufacturers in Ghaziabad
    Domestic Lifts Manufacturers in Delhi NCR

    ReplyDelete
  12. Nice reading, This is an informative information, thanks for sharing this blog.
    French Training in Bangalore

    ReplyDelete
  13. Excellent effort to make this blog more wonderful and attractive.
    data science course

    ReplyDelete
  14. I am a new user of this site, so here I saw several articles and posts published on this site, I am more interested in some of them, will provide more information on these topics in future articles.

    Best IoT Training Institute in Bangalore

    ReplyDelete
  15. That is such a great blog. thank you for this information. i am into digital marketing process. recently i came to know digital marketing institute which is the best in punjab for digital marketing course













    ReplyDelete
  16. Amazing knowledge and I like to share this kind of information with my friends and hope they like it they why I do
    cyber security training malaysia

    ReplyDelete
  17. This is really very nice post you shared, i like the post, thanks for sharing..
    full stack developer course with placement

    ReplyDelete
  18. This is an awesome motivational article. I am practically satisfied with your excellent work. You put really extremely useful data. Keep it up like this. Keep blogging. Looking forward to reading your next post

    Best Data Science Courses in Bangalore

    ReplyDelete