Search - Bonjour Les Amis!, Vol. 1 on DVD

Great for introductory French

Kyra_Athena | Georgia USA | 11/21/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"We previewed this DVD yesterday to determine if we wanted to purchase the other 2 in the set.



I kept in mind what other reviewers said as well. The animation reminds me of PBS. It's obviously been released on VHS as instructions for pressing play, stop, etc. on a VCR are given. The animation is also not computer generated so some children may be put off about it. It reminds me of some of the PBS animated reading programs. At least you don't have to worry about out-dated fashions. It's just a cat in simple clothing.



I am also a certified foreign language teacher Pre-K-12 and I am aware of what is out there for young children. I think this is a good supplementary/support-type product, but I wouldn't rely on it alone to teach your child French.



Of the products I viewed, I believe this one is the best for the younger children. I'm not sure about the upper age range for the product, but I think you could use it with a child younger than 4. I don't think you'd want to go lower than 2, especially with the American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendations about viewing for under age 2.



In the segment that we viewed, we were introduced in English to the cat, Moustache and his parents. Most of the dialogue was in English so I'm not sure how well this would work with a child who had a different primary language. Each phrase was said 3 times with the sentence presented on the screen with it.



I don't see any young child (2-6) sitting through the entire DVD without adult interaction. As a teacher, I said the phrases with my daughter and even added some gestures, so I will admit all her attention was not on the DVD. I think 5-10 minutes is the max you could expect. Not a babysitting DVD.



I'm looking for another program that has more action and play activities. For preschoolers who want to learn Spanish, I still love Boca Beth, but there doesn't seem to be the French equivalent. I believe Hop, Skip, and Jump in French would be a good alternative, but it's only currently available on CD format. I wasn't thrilled with Beth Manners' French series. They are repetitive and probably only one of them would suffice. There are some French Canadian children's DVDs, but I don't recall the names of them. Perhaps Amazon Canada has them."

Great Video

MN Mama | Northern Minnesota | 10/28/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My 2 year old loves his video. The animations are unusual but they are full of flare, color and imagination. The songs they include are by far the best part and my daughter can't get enough of them. The main character Moustache, and the rest of the characters, are all well imagined and fun. As far as the learning experience my daughter loves to repeat the phrases and sing the songs and I see her using what she has learned all the time, and the semi-interactive format they use really gets her involved in the story line. I personally love this video and would recommend it."

Bravo!

Christy Young | 08/27/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a teacher turned homeschooler, and I use this DVD with my four children that are in preschool - third grade. I think it's great, but more importantly, my kids love it! Everything is taught by real French speakers, and every phrase is emphasized by both a male and female voice. The lessons are kept to a perfect size, so as to not overwhelm a child with new information. It is organized very well. The characters are fun and interesting, and they did a great job of giving them names that use some of the more difficult sounds in the French language (so you have plenty of opportunity to practice those sounds). I have readers and non-readers in my family and the DVD works for both. The non-readers know that when the words are highlighted in yellow, it's time for them to repeat what was said. No one gets lost. I would highly recommend this."

Very good product

Frenchie | Chicago, USA | 08/18/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ages 4-9 may be a bit off. My daughter is 2 1/2, and she is enjoying it. The slow action and easy concepts make it good for young kids. Not sure how long 9 year olds will sit in front of this?...

Anyway: this is a good product, which is read by a native French speaker, and written by a French person (none of the usual clumsy, bizarre word-for-word translations that no-one would use in French). A first plus.

Good repetitions, and the written text will help non French speaking parents get involved. Explanations in English, by a French lady with a strong French accent ---I find that charming!

The drawings are simple, and slow motion. It's a plus to remove distractions I believe, but if you are looking for special effects etc this will not do it.

Another plus, is that the vocabulary taught is useful.

Finally, the songs, Frere Jacques and sur le pont d'Avignon are a cute choice, and well taught, slowly, with self explaining pictures. I don't like the way the guy sings sur le pont d'Avignon, but this is not the point. Once your kids like a few French songs, you can buy them a songs CD.

A safe purchase. Good value."