This blog is about family travel around the world without leaving the UK. We do this in a bid to be less polluting and tackle climate change while at the same time keeping a global outlook. Here's a little reflection on building friendships in a bid to improve our family's French with a major French feast. Words from Nicola Baird (see www.nicolabaird.com for more info about my books and blogs).
"I only want to speak French now," texted 15yo Nell in French during a recent stay with a lovely French family in Provence. Given that she was on a week's cultural exchange a long way from home via the Avignion train this was definitely a very cheering text.
I never did a teenage language swap when I was revising for my French o level but it's obviously the best way to embed another language and to have your eyes opened to the many differences - and similarities - another family might have. Right now I'm trying to improve my own French using Duolingo... but I've got hopes my own kids might be able to be better at speaking languages than I am. And so my two daughters hosted a Provence family (who were friends of friends of neighbours) in 2015. It was fun, Facebook has kept us all in touch and now this year my youngest has already been to Provence to stay with them. It was a huge success. But also so lovely that when Nell came back her host family sent us gifts including a bottle of wine from vineyards in their village.
We took a while to plan our French celebration meal. But on a May Friday we opened the bottle and paired it with a delicious (homemade) French meal of salad, crêpes and bonbons. Inspired by her stay Nell wrote the menu in French, while I tracked down some extra treats at La Ferme on 102 Farringdon Road, London.
Middle class families know all about cultural capital. If their kids mention a tiny snippet from a history lesson the next weekend they are taking a look around the Secret Nuclear Bunker at Kelvedon Hatch, Essex or watching a DVD of the Battle of Britain as preparation before a trip to Duxford to see the old Spitfires. Small wonder that when I knew Nell had to learn French I figured it would be a good idea to send her to France... and it was.
But as the European in/out referendum gets closer I just wish we all knew more about Europe and who lives there. On my brief travels on the continent the newspapers are full of EU politics. But you don't get this information in a British broadsheet. The more we all know about other societies and cultures the easier it is for us all to get on without stigmatising anyone.
It's a bit like having an annoying neighbour. Once you know that person, perhaps because they've invited you round for a cup of tea or you've had a good chat about something you've got in common - or even heard about their passion for the motorbikes they can't stop mending - their midnight showers or strangely early hoovering and mechanical tinkering habits are just quaint idiosyncrasies, not argument sparks. It's easy to dislike or even be fearful of strangers, far harder to dislike the whole family next door/opposite when you've shared a few biscuits and a chat about the roses.
Bon voyage
Whatever the referendum result my eldest is due to move to France for a year soon in a bid to learn French and perhaps more about herself too. She came back from an interview in Paris telling us that a French family she'd stayed with had called the UK "the stone in Europe's shoe". I reckon this says bucket loads about how irritating we've become. It would be an irony that as the UK gets more resistant to "others" my tiny little family are trying hard to be those others in Europe.
Of course people have very strong views about RemaIN and Brexit, I know that I do. And since the terrible death of Jo Cox,MP feelings are running high - but whatever happens on 23 June my hope is the UK will muddle through. And I'm sure knowing French or any of the other European countries' languages will still be an incredible personal and professional life bonus. Merci mes amis!
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| Bon appetit! Our celebration of all things French. |
I never did a teenage language swap when I was revising for my French o level but it's obviously the best way to embed another language and to have your eyes opened to the many differences - and similarities - another family might have. Right now I'm trying to improve my own French using Duolingo... but I've got hopes my own kids might be able to be better at speaking languages than I am. And so my two daughters hosted a Provence family (who were friends of friends of neighbours) in 2015. It was fun, Facebook has kept us all in touch and now this year my youngest has already been to Provence to stay with them. It was a huge success. But also so lovely that when Nell came back her host family sent us gifts including a bottle of wine from vineyards in their village.
 |
| Gift from Nell's host family |
Middle class families know all about cultural capital. If their kids mention a tiny snippet from a history lesson the next weekend they are taking a look around the Secret Nuclear Bunker at Kelvedon Hatch, Essex or watching a DVD of the Battle of Britain as preparation before a trip to Duxford to see the old Spitfires. Small wonder that when I knew Nell had to learn French I figured it would be a good idea to send her to France... and it was.
But as the European in/out referendum gets closer I just wish we all knew more about Europe and who lives there. On my brief travels on the continent the newspapers are full of EU politics. But you don't get this information in a British broadsheet. The more we all know about other societies and cultures the easier it is for us all to get on without stigmatising anyone.
It's a bit like having an annoying neighbour. Once you know that person, perhaps because they've invited you round for a cup of tea or you've had a good chat about something you've got in common - or even heard about their passion for the motorbikes they can't stop mending - their midnight showers or strangely early hoovering and mechanical tinkering habits are just quaint idiosyncrasies, not argument sparks. It's easy to dislike or even be fearful of strangers, far harder to dislike the whole family next door/opposite when you've shared a few biscuits and a chat about the roses.
Bon voyage
Whatever the referendum result my eldest is due to move to France for a year soon in a bid to learn French and perhaps more about herself too. She came back from an interview in Paris telling us that a French family she'd stayed with had called the UK "the stone in Europe's shoe". I reckon this says bucket loads about how irritating we've become. It would be an irony that as the UK gets more resistant to "others" my tiny little family are trying hard to be those others in Europe.
Of course people have very strong views about RemaIN and Brexit, I know that I do. And since the terrible death of Jo Cox,MP feelings are running high - but whatever happens on 23 June my hope is the UK will muddle through. And I'm sure knowing French or any of the other European countries' languages will still be an incredible personal and professional life bonus. Merci mes amis!
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