Europe
Online English lessons for children in France: Wednesdays, tricky sounds and real conversation
Quick answer
Children in France usually start English in early primary school, and 1-to-1 online lessons, often fitted into a Wednesday, add speaking time. CurioKids teaches children aged 4 to 12 in live, 1-to-1, 25-minute online lessons with a real teacher. If lessons for families in France haven't opened yet, our France page has a waitlist.
Children in France usually start English in the early years of primary school, but a full class leaves little time for each child to speak. A short, live 1-to-1 lesson online gives your child that speaking time, and many families find it fits neatly into a Wednesday without school. This guide covers English at école élémentaire, the English sounds French speakers find hard, and how to make lessons work at each age.
- By CurioKids teamHow we write our guides
- Published
- Updated
- 7 min read
Key takeaways
- School is compulsory from three in France, and a modern language, nearly always English, is taught from the early primary years.
- Many primary schools have no classes on Wednesday or Wednesday afternoon, which makes it a popular time for activities.
- French speakers often need practice with h, th, short vowels and word endings, plus false friends such as actuellement.
- Many films and programmes are dubbed into French, so a little everyday English at home makes a real difference.
On this page
When does English start at school in France?
A modern language, nearly always English, is taught from the early primary years in France. School is compulsory from age three: children go to école maternelle from three, then to primary school (école élémentaire) from CP, at about six. So most children meet English early in élémentaire, alongside learning to read and write in French.
What a class of children cannot easily give is time for each child to speak at length. Your child's school is the best source for what their class covers this year, and it is worth asking how English is assessed.
Is Wednesday a good day for an English lesson?
For many families, yes. Many primary schools in France have no classes on Wednesday or on Wednesday afternoon, and it is a popular time for sport, music and other activities. A 25-minute lesson is short enough to sit between them without filling the whole day.
If Wednesday is already full, a weekend morning or a quiet early evening works too. Whichever you choose, keep the same slot each week, check that the times on offer suit your family before committing, and avoid squeezing English in when your child is hungry or worn out.
Which English sounds do French-speaking children find hard?
Most of the difficulties for French speakers are about sounds and stress rather than meaning. Knowing the usual ones helps you react calmly when they appear.
- The letter h. In French, h is silent, so hat can come out as at and hungry as ungry. A breathy h, felt on the palm of your hand, is a good game.
- The th sounds. French has no th, so think may sound like sink or fink.
- Short vowels. The short i of ship is hard to tell apart from the long sound in sheep, and that changes the meaning.
- Word endings. Final letters are often silent in French, so children may drop the -s or -ed that tells you two cats or yesterday we played.
- Stress. French stresses the end of words, while many English words are stressed near the start, as in BUTterfly and ELephant.
- j and ch. The French j and ch sounds are different from the English j in jump and ch in chips, so those need practice too.
| French word | What it means | The English word it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| actuellement | currently | actually (in fact) |
| librairie | bookshop | library |
| sensible | sensitive | sensible (showing good sense) |
| assister | to attend | assist (to help) |
Does dubbed television mean my child hears little English?
It can. Many films and programmes in France are dubbed into French, so English may not reach your child through the screen unless you choose it on purpose. That makes small, deliberate habits at home more valuable.
- Play English songs in the car and learn the words of one favourite together.
- Read English picture books with lots of pictures, pointing and naming as you go.
- Try simple games such as I spy with English sounds; our guide to phonics games at home has more ideas.
- Let your child show you what they learned in their lesson. Being the teacher builds confidence.
What should English lessons look like at each age?
Children aged 4 to 12 can all enjoy English, but the right lesson changes as they grow.
- Four to six, during maternelle. Play first: songs, puppets, picture cards and moving around. Listening and copying sounds matter more than words on a page.
- Six to eight, from CP. Your child is learning to read French. Phonics teaches English letter sounds separately, so the two spelling systems do not get mixed up.
- Eight to twelve. Children can hold real conversations about their interests, read short books and write a few sentences, building confidence before secondary school.
If you want a common way to describe progress, the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) is used across Europe, and its first levels for young learners are Pre-A1, A1 and A2.
Are online lessons as good as lessons in person?
For speaking practice, a live online lesson can work very well, because the teacher's attention stays on one child and there is no travel. What matters is that the lesson is live and interactive, that your child talks a lot, and that you get clear feedback. Our comparison of online and in-person English lessons goes through the pros and cons.
How would CurioKids lessons work for a family in France?
CurioKids gives children aged 4 to 12 live, 1-to-1 online English lessons with a real teacher, 25 minutes each, in the CurioKids online classroom with video, an interactive whiteboard, lesson slides and games. Most children start with Phonics Starter; a child who already reads can be placed straight into a CEFR-based level after the free first lesson. Phonics Starter is our 52-lesson reading course, from letter sounds to reading sentences. Teachers can't teach until our team has confirmed a background check and they have signed our teaching agreement. Lessons happen only inside the CurioKids classroom, and your child's teacher gives feedback after lessons. See our levels and safety pages for more.
For a child in France who is learning to read French from CP, Phonics Starter gives English letter sounds, including that tricky h, a clear place of their own.
Visit our France page to see how lessons work, what your child will learn and how we keep children safe. If lessons for families in France haven't opened yet, the page has a waitlist: leave your details and we'll let you know when you can book your child's free first lesson. Plans for families in France are priced in euros: see the prices for France.
Frequently asked questions
At what age do children in France start English at school?
A modern language, nearly always English, is taught from the early primary years, so most children start in the first years of école élémentaire. Your child's school can tell you exactly what their class covers.
Can a child in maternelle have English lessons?
Yes, if the lesson is built for that age: short, playful and full of songs and games. At this stage the aim is enjoying English and hearing its sounds, not reading or writing.
Why does my child say at instead of hat?
In French the letter h is silent, so children leave it out in English too. Playful practice, such as feeling your breath on your hand, helps them hear and make the English h.
Will English lessons confuse my child while they learn to read French?
Not usually. Children can learn two languages side by side. Phonics treats English letter sounds separately, which helps children keep the two reading systems apart.