Thursday 29 May 2008

Penguin English.

It is raining and I have a hundred million things to do so I relented and let La Fille watch a DVD. I can justify this if it's in English. I said no to the Teletubbies: "You're far too old for them," I told her (besides it is hardly a masterclass in received pronunciation); I said no to Noddy, because the only DVDs of him we have are in French so Toyland is the Pays des Jouets, Master Tubby Bear is Nestor and Noddy is Oui Oui: "Sorry, it's non, non to Oui Oui," I said. She glared at me. Dora l'Exploratrice was ruled out for the same reasons as was Barbapapa. Her sulky pet lip came out. She thrust a DVD box with a picture of a penguin on it and assuming it was the one about the tap dancing birds I said OK.

My mother rang. I told her La Fille was in front of the TV watching penguins. "It's not Pingu is it, because if it is it's not going to help her English." I said: "It could be." I went into the living room; La Fille turned and shouted "Narp, narp". "Yes, it's Pingu," I said.

14 comments:

Dumdad said...

I love Pingu.

But if you're going to lay down the law about English to La Fille do spell it right: it's pronunciation. Write it out 100 times and see me after class.

Parisgirl said...

Don't know what you're talking about Dumdad! The wonders of retrospective spell-check...not like the good old days of hot metal eh?

Laura Jane Williams said...

Not exactly to plan, then, eh?

Parisgirl said...

Girl with the mask, nothing is to plan at the moment. I cheer myself up reading your blog. It reminds me of when, having left like you, I was persuaded to return to the family nest. Admittedly my mother didn't drink so no vodka in Lucozade bottles there!

Marianne said...

But at least she'll be bilingual in French and Penguin. That's not bad going!

Nicol said...

I haven't heard of any of the shows that you mentioned except for Tellitubbies (I can't stand them) and Dora the Explorer.

I have been slowly letting my dd watch different shows as long as they are in Spanish. She must learn Spanish! At times I think that I must be confusing her, but I am hopeful!

Cimon said...

Nicol, have a look here !!!

Hardcore, isn't it ?

Laura Jane Williams said...

parisgirl... you wait until your brood is older. You'll have a lucazade bottle by your side, I'll bet! (she says, hoping and praying that seriously, her mama aint the only person that does this...)

x

laurie said...

ah, english is easy. she can learn english any old time. it's french that's hard!

Parisgirl said...

Cimon, that was a bit mean. Nicol was living in blissful ignorance of Barbapapa!
Girl with a mask, brood older? I have one, she's three and I need that vodka now.
Laurie, the French don't think so, but they wouldn't.

Nora said...

She must be fluent in the language of the country she live sin first of all, I think. English will come to her anyway, unless you are planning on moving there, are you?

Anonymous said...

Nora, no we're not planning on moving to the UK, we're just visiting.
Thanks for your interest.

Georgina said...

Paris Girl, I know totally where La Fille is coming from! Bob bought me a French DVD "Hello Kitty Va Au Cinema." He asked me if I'd watched it and tested me on "the plot." I got 100% Yippee. What he doesn't know is that you can watch it in French or English. Je suis une petite monteuse. Debs x

Parisgirl said...

Good one Debs!