Hello ! My name is Matthieu. I am a Native French speaker, born and raised in Brittany, France.
After completing my Master’s Degrees from University, I started my career working in the Library field in France as a coordinator of a media department in a mid-sized rural library. Part of my work there was to create and animate music and cinema programs for children at the library or at the local schools introducing them to these different art forms and genres.
Since moving to the US, I have experienced great joy in teaching French to kids at the Alliance Française in Manhattan and at La Librairie des Enfants for the past two years where we’ve worked hard with the owner, to create a program for learning French based on children literature, games and music. Through the hundreds of lessons I taught to different age groups, I learnt that when a proper connection is made with the children, they reveal themselves as the most amazing beings, and as their skills progress, they become engaged into a pleasure of learning which build the basis of life-long education.
As I have been dedicating a lot of time to write, record and perform music these past 20 years, I naturally use that music practice with the children and it turns out that the learning process is made easier and more fun through songs. The rich repertoire of French children songs and the quality of the connection with the children it creates, prove that music is a great way to engage children into a new language.
I believe in the virtues of bilingualism and I think that it expands the mind. Growing up at an early age in a multicultural environment opens doors and prospects.
I believe in the assets of Third Culture Kids.
I also believe that early childhood is a key time to shape the personalities of the future adults children will become, and a wonderful time to enjoy life and set up the basics: living with the community, sharing, respect, decision making, politeness, curiosity, attention, memory. Be it in the physical, or cognitive, or social and emotional domains, the teacher must be fully engaged into the education process to make it a success.
I really look forward to meeting the families and working with the team of Arc En Ciel!