Customer Reviews

Bonjour Les Amis!, Vol. 1

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I previewed this in the hopes of showing this to my one year old when he was older, and I have to say I was a little disappointed. My son only hears French from his father, and English from me, and when we listen or expose him to media that's aimed at teaching him French, we prefer the entire presentation be in French. My husband speaks five languages and each time it was through complete immersion. This is designed for English speaking children to be introduced to a new language with their parents who may not speak French. I was thinking this was a French language educational program, like Sesame Street in French, but it's not. The pace is very slow, and the animation is dated. I can't see a child who is active or high strung sitting through it. It still has its merits, I was bored but I was able to review some vocabulary pronounciation and the slow pace is nice for non-french speaking families. I'm just not sure it merits $15-20 with shipping. My son came home during my preview and lost interest in five minutes, but with a house full of cats and Frere Jacques being one of his favorite songs, the first lession was rather rudimentary.

I haven't tried this one yet, but I was surprised at all the comments about there being "so little out there" for teaching French to children.

I just have to mention "French is Fun with Serge the Cheeky Monkey." (also known as "Salut Serge") It is fantastic! My 5-year-old and 2 year-old love it and sing the songs all the time. It is a UK import, currently not available at amazon.com but I got mine through amazon.co.uk
They also have "First Fun with French" which my kids enjoy, too.

I felt an obligation to put that "out there". There are wonderful French learning DVD's available, just make amazon.com have a good reason to import them for us!

I loved this DVD so much I went an ordered the other two, which incidentally I am equally happy with.

The presentation is so simple it is certainly useful for families with younger children of mixed ages including younger ones. After wasting my money on Muzzy (not a bad idea, my son loves it, but the audio quality of the French is horrendous!)I was wary of buying another language learning DVD. Most I have seen are more money makers than quality learning tools for children. I was happily surprised and relieved by the gentle progression and the clear audio of _Bonjour Les Amis!_ -- it works best with my son if I sit down with him and sing along with him as he sometimes feels too self conscious sitting there singing alone. It doesn't have the same story line to keep kids glued the way that Muzzy does, and yet he picked up much more than he had with 6 months of Muzzy.

_Bonjour Les Amis!_ does translate much of what they are teaching, but it is presented the way a friend might present their language if they came over to your kitchen and were interacting with your child. It is NOT presented in a sit down in your chair, get out your notebooks and pay attention for the test on Friday sort of manner. I think it is the naturalness of the series I have appreciated the most.

Now if they would only come out with German and Russian!

Well done! Both of my daughters (2 1/2 and 1 1/2) adore it and frequently ask for the 'Bonjour DVD, mama'. The narrator is obviously a French woman and speaks slowly enough that my daughters hear the pronunciation clearly. I give it 2 thumbs up and recommend it for the toddler set without reservation. Tres Bien!!!

My 15 month old boy is very captivated by this DVD. I think he will speak French before English or Romanian, which we speak to him at home. I had French in school and I think this DVD is excelent. The songs, the phrases, the theme of the program are appropriate for children begining to learn a new language. It is fun.

I purchased this for my 2 year old granddaughter to introduce her to the French language. I found the drawings absolutely adorable and the narrator's voice charming and with excellent, native pronunciation. However, the pace of the film is very slow, and while I hate to admit it, children these days need something much more lively and interactive. My granddaughter is quite a patient little girl, too. If this were my more "effervescent" son in his youth, he would be bored an on to something else.

The songs are fun but few and far between. Music is always a great way to teach younger folks anything.

My granddaughter does like the DVD, but never asks for it like she does others. Perhaps after she sees it a few more times she will enjoy it more, as little ones love repetition.

My suggestion to the author would be to keep the darling images but to speed up the action and add more songs and rhymes.

I am raising my baby to be bilingual and purchased this video in hopes of supplementing his french exposure. He didn't even pay attention to it because it was so slow moving and boring. I may as well just hold up pages from a book or flashcards, they would probably be more interesting. This video is not good for any kid that has ever seen a cartoon or an animated movie before. You're better off just buying DVDs of their favorite movies and setting the language track to French.