Parlez-vous Franglais?

I didn't tell you guys but we started French classes again! We finally sucked it up and hired Ellie's old teacher as a private tutor because I wasn't able to find a class (French or Spanish) that fit with our schedule.

I was so excited! Even now Ellie LOVES listening to French music, whether it be music from the previous class sessions or actual CDs we have bought. She can also still count to ten in French and was super excited about French class when we told her we were starting them up again.

You guys, it's been 6 months since we took classes! Six months and she still remembers!

Anyway... last week went really well. She showed the teacher that she could count to ten and even repeated many of the words we learned. "That's a vash" (Vache = Cow) or "Canard says quack" (Canard = duck). When Ellie first sensed that the class was ending (it was an entire hour long), she turned to me and pleaded, "I want French teacher to stay please" and gave the teacher a big hug.

Success!

Let's hope for a similar story for tonight's class!

Now I just have to start thinking in Franglais because Ellie has started requesting to listen to certain songs on the French CD. The conversations go something like this:

Ellie: I want oh-voi mess amy!
Mommy: You want what?
Ellie: I want oh-voi mess amy!
Mommy: You want to make a mess?
Ellie: I want oh-voi mess amy!
Mommy: You want water?
Ellie: I want oh-voi mess amy!
Mommy: You have a friend name Amy?
Ellie: I want oh-voi mess amy!
Mommy: I'm sorry, I don't understand. Can you use different words?
Ellie: I want oh-voi mess amy!
Ellie: I want oh-voi mess amy!
Ellie: I want oh-voi mess amy!
Mommy: Oh! You want the French song "Au-revoir mes amis?"
Ellie: Yeah! I want oh-voi mess amy!

This morning it was a similar conversation only Ellie kept insisting she wanted "bows what so" which ended up being the song about birds "Beaux oiseaux." Once I started playing the song, she would ask about the colors "What's red do?" to which I would respond "Red in French is rouge" and she'd be content by saying "Oh. What's yellow do?"

I am so glad that my hubby agrees with me that introducing her to languages at an early stage in life is well-worth it. I hope she grows to learn and love many languages. I think more Americans should.