Élise & Habib

From: 🇫🇷 France + 🇹🇳 Tunisia

Ages: 37 & 40

Languages Spoken: French, Arabic (Tunisian)

Current Location: Marseille, France

Child: Sami, age 6

Story: French dominates at school, but Arabic lives in bedtime stories and family gatherings. Sami is fluent and proud of both roots.

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Can you describe your family’s language background?
Élise is from Lyon and speaks French natively. Habib grew up in Tunis speaking Tunisian Arabic at home and French at school. In our home, both languages are part of everyday life—just in different contexts.

Which languages are you using, how and where, and how did you decide on that mix?
We use French in daily routines, errands, and with the school community. Arabic is used more deliberately—especially in storytelling, religious events, music, and calls with family in Tunisia. We wanted Sami to hear Arabic tied to joy and culture, not just structure.

Why is teaching those languages important for you?
It’s personal. Arabic is Habib’s identity, and French is Élise’s. Teaching both means our son feels whole. We don’t want him to feel like he has to choose.

When did you first decide to raise your child bilingually?
From day one. We were clear that even if French would be dominant outside, Arabic would have a consistent place at home.

Did you follow a specific strategy (e.g. OPOL, ML@H), or did it evolve naturally?
We loosely follow OPOL—Habib speaks Arabic, Élise speaks French. But since we also speak each other’s languages, it’s more fluid than strict.

What were your biggest concerns at the beginning — and how did those play out over time?
We worried Sami would reject Arabic or find it confusing. Instead, he sees it as something special—almost like a secret superpower, especially around his French-speaking friends.

What helped you stay consistent in using both languages? What’s your routine?
Consistency in bedtime stories was huge. Every night, Habib reads in Arabic and Élise in French. On weekends, we rotate cooking together using Arabic recipe instructions—Sami learns vocabulary while having fun.

Has your approach changed as your child got older?
We’ve introduced more structured Arabic now—basic writing, music with subtitles, and kids’ podcasts. He’s old enough to be curious about grammar now, too, so we lean into it.

How do you handle resistance or when your child favours one language?
We stay patient. If he leans into French more, we increase Arabic exposure—more family calls, playing Arabic-language cartoons, and offering praise when he uses Arabic correctly.

Have you experienced any moments of breakthrough or pride in their language development?
Yes—Sami gave a mini speech at his cousin’s birthday entirely in Arabic. No one asked him to. He just wanted to show he could. Everyone was beaming.

What role has extended family, or your community played in supporting (or challenging) your goals?
Habib’s family is supportive—they only speak Arabic with Sami. Élise’s family needed some time to adjust, but now they love hearing him translate for them or teach them phrases.

Got a funny or unexpected story from your bilingual journey? We’d love to hear it.
Once, Sami mixed up the Arabic word for “bread” (khobz) with the French word for “shoes” (chaussures) and told his teacher he brought shoes for lunch. Took a bit to figure out what he meant!

Have you ever felt pressure (internal or external) about your bilingual goals?
Yes. Sometimes we worry we’re not doing enough. There’s also external pressure from school to focus on French literacy, especially with national exams starting early.

Do you feel like your child connects emotionally or culturally to both languages?
Definitely. He sings French pop and Tunisian folk songs with equal enthusiasm. Each language evokes a different side of him, but neither feels foreign.

What’s been the most unexpected challenge?
Finding good Tunisian Arabic children’s resources. Most are in Modern Standard Arabic, which isn’t what we speak. We’ve had to adapt or create a lot of materials ourselves.

What has surprised you most in a positive way?
How resilient kids are. Sami doesn’t just absorb the languages—he plays with them, makes jokes in both, and even invents hybrid words.

What technology or other resources do you use to support language learning?
We use Arabic audiobook apps, a simple language-learning game app designed for kids, and WhatsApp voice messages from family in Tunisia. We also record Élise and Habib reading favourite books.

Have schooling or childcare settings helped or hindered the process?
Neutral. The school doesn’t actively support bilingualism, but they’re not against it. We’ve found allies among other multicultural families and have set up a little language exchange playgroup.

If you could do one thing differently, what would it be?
Start Arabic earlier and be more confident about it. At first, we second-guessed ourselves, worrying Sami would be overwhelmed. He wasn’t.

What advice would you give to other parents just starting out?
Don’t wait. Speak your language from day one. Even if it’s just during meals or stories, it matters. And remember—it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

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