ChantillyExpat.com

Hello,
My name is marna and our family is considering a move to France. We have 2 small children, mya 6 and Zadie 4. We do not speak French but would definitely take lessons before moving. My husband would be doing some traveling while living in France so i would be on my own periodically. How difficult is it to establish friendships in the area? Can the transition be lonely at times? I am just trying to get some feedback from people that live in the area to help with this huge decision. Thank you,

Marna

Hi Marna,
We moved to the area from the UK nearly 6 years ago and we have met a lot of people. There is a large English speaking community who live in the Chantilly/Senlis area. Meeting people is very easy and everybody is very welcoming. Amazing how many people you meet through your kids!!There are a couple of choices for your children's education, either to put them straight into the French system (Primary school starts at 6 yrs) or ease them in gently by sending them to a bilingual school. My children went to the ELMs which worked very well for them and they are now in the French system which suits them very well and they are both bilingual aged 10 and 6. You can find their details on the website. A lot of the husbands travel (my husband is a pilot and is away a great deal!) so there is a lot of support here!! There are also several possibilities to learn the language too.
Where are you moving from? It is a good idea to rent before you buy so that you can get a feel for the place before you commit yourself.
Do not hesitate to contact me again if you have more questions or when you come to take a look.
with best wishes
Vanessa
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Vanessa Powell
Www.lasourcetranquille.com

Vanessa,
Thank you for replying so quickly. My husband is a pilot as well. It is good to know there will be other women in the same position. We are from the US. We live in Tennessee right now. We have done the research on the schools and it looks as if we would have to send our girls to public schools because we will not be given a stipened for education. I have heard the schools are incredible in France. Have you found that to be the case? Your children seemed to adjust well? Did you take french in Chantilly through a class or private tutor? thanks again for the reply.

Marna

Hi Marna,
There is a college in Chantilly where adults can do a course (4 hours a week) to learn French, and there is also somewhere in Senlis (advertised on this site). My French was rubbish when we arrived and it still is but I can get by. The kids homework helps too!!
The local schools are very good, very regimented and no softly softly approach but the kids seem to be happy and the work is okay. There is also APARC on a wednesday morning, where a lot of English speaking families send their kids to keep up with the English!
There are other American mums here too! I went cycling today with a lady from Detroit!
With the help of your kids, you will meet people pretty quickly!
We live in Lamorlaye which is just outside Chantilly and the local school is very good and seems to be very used to new children who cannot speak the language. It is an International area, thanks to the horseracing world which seem sto have been here for a very long time!
Who does your husband work for? How long will you be coming to live here for?
Best of luck and speak again soon. Regards
Vanessa
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Vanessa Powell
Www.lasourcetranquille.com