Shows on Netflix Canada to Help Your Child Learn French

French Instruction & Support

TRS netflix shows for french immersion kids

If you’ve got a child in French Immersion, you might be wondering how to support them at home as an English-speaking family. Sure, French language books and even audiobooks are a fantastic investment, but they can be costly and may feel more onerous and less appealing than books and stories in your child’s native language.

Enter Netflix, something you’re probably paying for already and likely sharing with your child on a regular basis. With a simple switch of audio dubbing and subtitles, you can turn at least a portion of your child’s Netflix time into a French Immersion experience, right at home.

Here are several Netflix Canada shows for learners of all ages with French audio and subtititles. Find one to get into with your child or set them up on an iPad for a bit of educational “downtime” while you enjoy a hot cup of coffee in peace!

How to Get French Audio and Titles on Netflix Canada

Shows on Netflix have differing audio and subtitle options. You might choose to have your child listen in French while viewing English subtitles for reinforcement, or vice versa. Or choose a slightly slower-paced or younger programme and set both audio and subtitles to French for a more immersive experience.

To check available audio and change audio and subtitles to French, simply select the speech bubble option on the bottom play bar, and choose your preferences.

Can Watching French Shows Help Kids in French Immersion?

While watching Netflix won’t make your child bilingual, but it can be an enjoyable way to increase their exposure to spoken French. While books and handwriting practise will help your child develop reading and composing skills in French, they don’t provide the oral and aural stimulation of conversation. If you’re not a French speaker yourself, French language audiobooks and videos are a fantastic way to provide a conversational element to your child’s home French practice, if you so choose.

It’s important to choose a show or movie that matches your child’s current comprehension level in French, NOT their age or comprehension level in English. You can also support your child’s learning by asking them afterward to write a few sentences in French, of course, to summarize what they’ve viewed, read and heard. If you’re able, you might also sit beside your child to watch and pause every few minutes to check in. Are they following along or is the dialogue too fast and/or too advanced?

Worried your child won’t be interested in watching a show in French? Instead of making it an alternative to watching their usual Netflix faves, make it a separate activity or an option for French language homework or self-study time.

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12 French Dubbed Shows on Netflix for French Immersion Students

Here are a few current kid favourites, as of summer 2021. Netflix changes its catalogue from time to time, so check for new titles regularly! Choose something new so your child doesn’t already know the plotline and so they don’t compare the experience of watching an already loved English show in dubbed French.

Please note, we have selected shows based on approximate comprehension levels for these grades. Choose based on your child’s current French comprehension, not their developmental age.