Early Start French 1 - 14 Brothers & sisters

Ch.14: As-tu des frères et des soeurs?:
Brothers and sisters

Early Start French 1: CONTENTS | HOME

More extra words and phrases

Everyday life in France: How many brothers and sisters?

Make a children's identity card

Software for data-handling

Video section 14

A French-language children's encyclopedia that is a great source on social changes in France, and the historical background - find out more...

"I've got a brother and two sisters!" - animated cartoon section of video.

Early Start French contents | HOME

More extra words and phrases

An only child in France might say, instead of:
"Je n'ai ni frères ni soeurs",

"Je suis enfant unique."

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Everyday life in France: How many brothers and sisters?

Today French families are quite small. Most French women do have children (about 90%) but the average mother has only 1.78 children.

This means that that the typical French childhas only one brother or sister, and that many are single children. Large families (3 or more children) are now quite rare in France.

How family sizes have changed

Back in 1850, the average French family would have had about 5 children. A generation ago, the parents of today's children were brought up in families of typically 2 - 3 children. This has happened along with other changes, some of which you may well feel are not appropriate for discussing with your class:

most people now live in towns rather than in the country;

most people used to live in the same village as their parents and grandparents;

most women now go out to work;

on average, people are older when they get married;

many more people now live together with out being married;

there are many more divorces with couples splitting up, and often re-marrying or living with someone else.

The evolution of family life

In France, many of today's children live in a household that includes children from other relationships. In most such "mixed" families, a child will refer in casual conversation to the other children they live with as their "brothers" or "sisters".

When you are talking about "how many brothers or sisters do you have?", most pupils would be used to counting all of the children they live with. We include some useful extra vocabulary in case it is asked for.

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A children's identity card

Make a child's "Identity Card", using the French you learnt already: giving your name, age, number of brothers and sisters, etc.

(web site all in French)

http://www.teteamodeler.com/activite/papeterie/carte-identite.asphttp://www.teteamodeler.com/activite/papeterie/carte-identite.asp

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Sources of information about social change in France

For up-to-date cultural background information about social changes and the pattern of life in France, see a really helpful website from the French Embassy:
http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/france_159/discovering-france_2005/index.html

- suitable for teachers researching material for lessons, has brief essays on many aspects of life in France today.

For pupils and teachers, we can recommend the children's illustrated encyclopedia, "Méga-France" - which is written in French for 9-13 year-olds but well-illustrated to give you lots of clues! Judge for yourself whether your pupils could work out the "gist" of what it says.

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Software for data-handling

See recommendations given in chapter 13.

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Ch.14: As-tu des frères et des soeurs?: Brothers and sisters

Early Start French 1: CONTENTS \| HOME

Video section 14		A French-language children's encyclopedia that is a great source on social changes in France, and the historical background - find out more...
"I've got a brother and two sisters!" - animated cartoon section of video.

More extra words and phrases
An only child in France might say, instead of: *"Je n'ai ni frères ni soeurs",* *"Je suis enfant unique."*
Back to top

Everyday life in France: How many brothers and sisters?
Today French families are quite small. Most French women do have children (about 90%) but the average mother has only 1.78 children. This means that that the typical French childhas only one brother or sister, and that many are single children. Large families (3 or more children) are now quite rare in France. How family sizes have changed Back in 1850, the average French family would have had about 5 children. A generation ago, the parents of today's children were brought up in families of typically 2 - 3 children. This has happened along with other changes, some of which you may well feel are not appropriate for discussing with your class: most people now live in towns rather than in the country; most people used to live in the same village as their parents and grandparents; most women now go out to work; on average, people are older when they get married; many more people now live together with out being married; there are many more divorces with couples splitting up, and often re-marrying or living with someone else.
The evolution of family life In France, many of today's children live in a household that includes children from other relationships. In most such "mixed" families, a child will refer in casual conversation to the other children they live with as their "brothers" or "sisters". When you are talking about "how many brothers or sisters do you have?", most pupils would be used to counting all of the children they live with. We include some useful extra vocabulary in case it is asked for.
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Software for data-handling
See recommendations given in chapter 13.
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