I grew up in Germany with a French mother who was very intent on making sure we grew up speaking French fluently, something I am very grateful for. It must have been hard work, as both my brother and I both rebelled, and wanted to be like all the other kids and only speak one language. A lot of other multi-lingual families we knew did not persevere and the children never learned their mother-tongue… such a shame.

One of the tools my mother used to teach us how to read French was a monthly magazine called Pomme d’Api. It was great: full of stories, facts, projects and games. It was quite forward thinking for its time and still exists. Now my daughter has a subscription and the format of the magazine has not changed at all (which is very exciting for a sentimentalist like me). She loves getting a little package in the mail each month and enjoys reading it. The editing house Bayard Press has grown since I was a kid and they have a lot more magazines now for all age groups. I think it is a great tool to encourage kids to keep up a second language especially if you are living abroad.

-Emilie