How to help your students continue French after high school!

So, your students are coming to the end of high school. How do you help them continue to learn, and most importantly, USE French? Well the good news is that now they are entering the adult world, there are more diverse and interesting ways to use French. Even better - these opportunities to speak French exist right here in Australia!

A few months ago a former student emailed me to get some ideas on where they could practice French. Nothing pleases me more than connecting with former students and hearing that they wish to continue to acquire language... nothing! Therefore, I decided to make this poster:

This free PDF download includes:

- an engaging poster to hang in your classroom or email to students

- 8 ways to practise French for different interests

- links to connect with French organisations, groups and events all over Australia

French Educational Resources coming to you soon!

Chouette Charlie coming to a worksheet near you!

I have been working on a labour of love - making worksheets and resources for the French classroom.

Why am I so excited to share these resources with you? They focus on:

- differentiation based on needs and ability

- scaffolding to build learning autonomy

- including answer guides for immediate feedback

- listening input and phoneme flooding

- using recycled and high frequency vocabulary

- following natural language acquisition using language or grammar chunking

- learning both form and meaning

How does this sound to you?

WEBSITE COMING SOON! Stay tuned for the release of French Educational Resources on October 1st.

The site will include both paid and free resources. Additionally, this blog and my social media pages will continue to promote the teaching and learning of French through the sharing of ideas, resources and just my usual dribble!

I really look forward to sharing my resources with you all and helping you, teachers and tutors, to keep the language classroom equitable to all.

10 French Podcasts for French learners - no matter your level!

With so many podcasts available to learn a second language, how do you know which ones to choose? Save some time and test out my favourite French podcasts for French learners - no matter your level!

Why use podcasts to learn French?

Podcasts are a great supplementary tool to learning a language. Studying independently will help to bolster your learning, whether you are attending a class, practising spoken French with a native speaker or live in a French-speaking country.

You can also listen to podcasts 'on the go'! Who cares if other drivers can see you practising French lines aloud. You're practising another language! Take note: pulling out a pen and paper to note down some new language once you're home will allows you to hone your skills.

How can I listen to podcasts?

Access your French learner podcasts through the podcast apps on your phone, Spotify or through your web browser.

Here are my top ten French podcasts for French learners:

Beginner (A1-A2)

Are you wanting to launch your French learning or brush up on the basics? Here are the beginner podcasts best suited for you:

Coffee Break French

Produced by the Radio Lingua Network, follow student Ana as she learns the basics of French from Mark, a highly engaging French teacher. Each lesson lasts for 10-15 minutes at a beginner level, where the listener learns new phrases and grammar along with Ana. To get the most out of this podcast, you can also download the accompanying lesson notes.

French Made Easy with Mathilde Kein

Want to learn some beginners French with free exercises? Mathilde Kein offers short, bite-sized podcast episodes for beginners, covering topics related to French grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary. Once you've listening to an episode, jump online to complete an activity based on the lesson. A great way to reinforce what you have just learned! The format of each episode is elegant and easy to follow. There are practical episodes as well as interesting topics, such as the '50 most beautiful French words'. Mathilde is also a cheese lover, so you can trust her, right?

Learn French with Alexa Podcast

Learn just one new word every week with Alexa. The hosts present a French word and they discuss, in English, the language and cultural elements that surround it. You will also learn handy phrases, such as 'à la tienne' when you go for an 'apéritif'! For each episode, you can download a free lesson guide with all the cultural information and phrases written out. Alexa also uploads the episodes to YouTube. A perfect linguistic bonus for your week!

Intermediate (A2-B1)

Are you able to engage in some conversational French or need to challenge your listening skills? Here are the intermediate podcasts for you to try:

SBS Easy French

If you already follow the news, then this SBS podcast will appeal to you. It's easier to acquire new language when you already understand the content! Each episode is 2-6 minutes long and provides snippets from the SBS French daily new bulletin. Presented in partnership with the Alliance Française de Melbourne, the bulletin is presented all in French, at a slower pace but still in an informative and journalistic manner. A summary of each episode is available online, to help target your learning of new language.

Français Authentique with Johan Tekfak

This is my favourite French podcast. Johan presents the many facets of the French language in a comprehensible manner - all in French! It is a pleasure to listen to. Each week, you will find episodes on language learning advice, current affairs with explanations on grammar and vocabulary, and an idiomatic expression. All to help you sound more 'authentic' in French! A must listen for any intermediate learner. Head to Johan's website to find a whole lot more resources at your disposition.

Learn French by Podcast

Learn through listening to a conversation between two people and then learning from the subsequent explanation. It's a really engaging way to acquire new language! There are so many topics and levels to pick from, such as the environment, food, travel and even gardening! If you are a VCE student, this podcast is a must listen as the listening section of the VCAA exam is commonly a conversation between a man and a woman. If you enjoy this podcast, you are able to purchase the lessons and transcripts through the website.

Louis French Lessons (Learn French with Daily Podcast)

Louis, the host, has one of the clearest and best articulated French accents on the internet! Recorded from Paris, he reads out a very short text every day - only a few sentences long. The subsequent explanation is very detailed, mainly in French, with synonymous words and grammatical explanations. Each episode is around 4 minutes long.

Advanced (B2-C1)

Listening to podcasts as an advanced learners is a great way to indulge in new vocabulary and cultural affairs. Here are my three 'go to' podcasts:

SBS French

You may have started with SBS Easy French, well now it's time to continue with the news in fluent French. Listening to this podcast is a great opportunity to catch up on current affairs, but SBS French also keeps you in touch with French cultural events and topics happening around Australia. A short synopsis of each segment is available on their website.

La Vérité Éclate Toujours

Coffee Break Languages delivers, yet again, a seamless and engaging podcast production. Each episode covers a chapter in an engrossing crime drama story. James has been summoned to Paris by his friend Max. Only, he discovers his friend dead on his arrival. Follow the story over 40 episodes with an explanation in English at the end of each chapter. Supporting materials are available to purchase on the website.

Grand Reportage by RFI

Why not listen to podcasts created for native French speakers? Listen to five episodes per week of Grand Reportage - intriguing, on-the-ground documentaries covering world issues. A great way to test your advanced listening skills, as well as hear non-Anglo perspectives on global affairs.

Do you listen to podcasts in French? Share with us!

French Film and TV for Students and Teachers - film list and top 5 favourite films!

Has it ever happened to you when you've asked a foreigner about how they learned their exceptional English, and they replied, "By watching lots of TV!" Watching shows in French, not only extends us linguistically, but also exposes us to other cultural habits and insights. 

I first started learning French in high school in the early millennium - the Golden Age of the DVD! I could sometimes find French films to rent at my local Blockbuster and at times, French films were screened at Palace Cinemas. I could also wake up early on a Saturday morning to watch the French news. Nowadays, we have a plethora of sources and mediums to watch French shows, and can now tell people that our excellent French is thanks to the hours dedicated to watching Omar Sy!

For your easy viewing pleasure, I have created a list of French shows available on many streaming platforms: ClickView (for schools), SBS On Demand (free login), Netflix and Stan (paid subscriptions). It is a six page document but not exhaustive! 

For teachers, create your own copy of the French Film List and adapt it to suit your student audience. For example, give your young students a copy of the G and PG rated films only. When parents ask how they can help their kids learn French, give them a full copy of the list so that they can watch French TV as a family unit.

Shows are added and adapted by each platform constantly, so you will see this list being modified often (at least twice a year). 

Here are my top 5 favourite French films from the list:

1. Pour les jeunes : Belle and Sebastian (PG)

It's hard to go past Belle et Sébastien. The story of the friendship between a young adopted boy and his wild, stray dog. Set in the picturesque village of Saint-Martin bordered by the French Alps, the year is 1943, and occupied by Nazi troops. Sébastien's "brother-in-law" secretly aids Jewish exiles flee to Switzerland. 

Within the beauty of the scenery and the boy/dog friendship lies the harsh reality of war, poverty and loneliness. It is a great film to show Australian children, as not all kids watch films with such dark and troubled moments - themes that are more common to French cinema. The film also highlights a child's view of World War II - a topic that is not introduced to Australian children, usually, until high school. It willfully exposes them to European geography and bilingualism.

2. Les enjeux sociaux : The African Doctor/Bienvenue à Marly-Gomont (M)

Based on a true story, this comedy-drama is co-written by musician Kamini based on his experiences when his doctor father moved his family from Zaire to a small, French, country village called Marly-Gomont in 1975.

The film shows the struggles of living in the Francophone world: racial stereotyping, the hope of a better future. As well as the problems of an aging and rural population. Two key areas to expose to students of French: the French Africa and rural France. The hilarious scenes are when the relatives arrive from Brussels, causing havoc and noise around the town.

3. La gastronomie : The Chef/Comme Un Chef (M)

Constantly approved and requested by my students, as it is tasteful in both humour and French food. Starring Jean Reno as a Michelin-starred restaurant owner, and food amateur, Michael Youn, the pair emit fun and laughter through the screen. 

A great film to screen for any food study unit, as it not only showcases the gastronomical culture of France but also demonstrates the importance and hierarchy of the food industry. 

4. Les stéréotypes : Welcome to the Sticks/Bienvenue Chez les Ch'tis (M)

A heartwarming story of a man's cultural expectations warped by new experiences showing that you can change your views at any age! Phillipe is from the chic and warm South of France and is transferred for his work at La Poste to the grey and seemingly 'uncultured' Bergues in the North. 

There have been both Italian and Dutch remakes of this film, highlighting the cultural stereotypes that exist within European cultures. Most Australian children will liken this phenomenon to the difference between the city and country, and strikes an interesting conversation about the entrenched French regional identity. 

Interesting fact: Bienvenue Chez les Ch'tis was the highest grossing French film of all time before the release of The Intouchables.

5. La téléréalité : The Parisian Agency (M)

Watching reality TV is not the most engrossing and stimulating topic, but these shows are an excellent way to pick up on common French language and slang. The language is also quite repetitive in this show, making it ideal for intermediate level learners (B2-B1).

The Kretz family own a real-estate business, concerning luxury properties, in which their four sons also work. The show takes you to many beautiful homes and their difficult clients, as well as focusing on the conversations within the family home. 

Don't forget to include the following films for your own viewing pleasure! 

The Intouchables (M), Roxane (PG), The Teacher (MA), Call My Agent (MA).

Which are your 'go-to' French films? 

5 best French food-related idiomatic expressions

Learning idiomatic expressions in a second language highlights many cultural insights! No surprises that in French there are many expressions with reference to food (miam!). Here are my 5 delicious favourites that I share with my students...

1. Arriver comme un cheveu sur la soupe
- quelqu'un ou quelquechose arrive au mauvais moment

This idiomatic image seems to be a favourite among students as it truly expresses the feeling of finding a hair in your soup! When you 'arrive as a hair in the soup', you have come at the worst possible time. You really don't feel wanted!

Quand je suis arrivé à la fête, tout le monde m'a regardé. J'avais l'impression d'avoir arriver comme un cheveu sur la soupe!


2. Les carottes sont cuites
- une situation sont espoir. Tout est perdu.

'The carrots are cooked' suggests a misfortune or a situation without hope. Being unable to turn back the clock.
FUN FACT: 'Les carottes sont cuites' was code during WWII on the London Radio to trigger operations in German-occupied territories.

Ami 1: J'ai reçu de mauvaises notes...
Amis 2: Fin, les carottes sont cuites!


3. En faire tout un fromage
- faire toute une affaire de quelquechose qui n'est pas très important.

'To make a whole cheese out of something' is to turn a nothing situation in to a big deal. I looooove cheese, so I always tell my students you can certainly have too much of a good thing!

Elève: Madame, elle a pris mon stylo!
Prof: N'en fait pas tout un fromage!


4. Rester planté comme un poireau
- l'action d'attendre longuement (immobile et sans bouger)

I always share this expression with my students as I find that many of my students don't know what a leek is! To 'stay put as a leek' is to wait a long time. If you are waiting days for something to happen or tapping your foot to meet someone, you might start smelling like an onion!

Personne 1: L'autobus va bientôt arriver?
Personne 2: J'espere que oui! Je reste planter comme un poireau ici, il y a 20 minutes!


5. Raconter des salades
- Dire des mensonges. Dire des choses qui ne sont pas vraies.

Who doesn't love to tell a few salads or 'tall tales'? (Especially as a teacher to my students...!) This is an expression particularly useful for the end-of-school (Year 12) certificate oral exam when a student is launching in to a good story. As in, '"Je ne vous raconte pas de salades quand je vous explique cette histoire si bizarre...", I'm not telling you fibs when I explain this strange story to you!


As I have only 'scratched the surface' on French idioms with food, write your favourites in the comment section below! 

Flipped French Classroom: What I have done and what I have learned

Flipping my classroom has been flippin' fantastic.

In today's educational setting of student-centred learning, integrating the flipped learning concept into my classroom has given me such an appreciation of what it means for all of my students to have access to the curriculum.

For those who are unsure of the term, 'flipped learning' or the 'flipped classroom' turns traditional content learning on its head, by getting students to access the content out of the classroom (generally through videos at home) and completing exercises and tasks in the classroom. Ideally, this means that all students can complete their homework by themselves, and can bring in questions to ask the teacher. When the students come to class, they can complete tasks, projects and exercises with the aid of the teacher and their peers.

So, I had a Year 9 French class whom I thought would be the perfect guinea pigs for flipped learning...

Madame, are you Youtube famous? The kids started to cotton on that I have a Youtube channel which I use distribute the videos for homework, and although 'no', I am not Youtube famous, it has been an easy platform to upload my videos and easy access for all students at my school. You can also create playlists for your videos so that students can watch beyond the set video.

I would set the homework to be completed over a one week period. Year 9's, especially at our school, have a ton of commitments! I asked them to watch the grammar video and take detailed notes in the course of a week. It is never my intention to 'dumb down' the work, but to ensure that they are coached on how to prioritise and schedule their work to be done. I have had some great conversations with my Year 9's on using their calendars and organising their schedules to get their work done.

At the start of each week for 1 period, my students would come in to the classroom and sit at a levelled table:

Classroom instructions for flipped learning

Madame, how did I go? Can you work this out with me? Questions and on task conversations were flying around the classroom. Students had their devices open and were completing levelled activities using editable Google Slides. Once an activity was complete, they submitted their work and moved up to the next level. Their enthusiasm was inspiring!

This enthusiasm continued over the course of the term. Yes - some students came into class not having watched the video. They watched the video in class. Yes - some students were tired and confused on the content. They asked other students for help or asked questions in class. Yes - some students were so advanced that I had to form creative tasks for them prior to class or on the fly. Awesome.
The one common thread was that ALL students could access and interact with the content at their own level.

So what have I learned from this initial flipped learning experience?
1) That students do want more guidance. This term, I will still use the flipped learning for grammar with my Year 9's, however I am going to trial embedding the video in to a Google Form and writing some reflection questions for the students to answer. I will then also know who has completed the homework and when.

2) I asked my students to complete a survey, and be brutally honest... there was a unanimous vote that my videos were WAY too long! It is good to understand what kind of media students are familiar with in this day and age. Vlogging, memes, vines... these are all new methods of communication. A 15-20 minute lecture just doesn't cut it anymore. My plan is to make 5 minute videos with more oral content over the holidays, and we'll see how that goes!

3) Flipped learning has awarded me more time to focus on the communicative classroom. By getting the passive content off the board, I can spend more time in class using French by talking and interacting with my students. I plan to spend at least one period a week solely on communicative tasks with my Year 9's. I mean, we learn a language to hopefully be able to speak it one day, yeah?

4) It has opened great conversations with my colleagues from different departments. So many teachers have come up to me and told me great ways of how they might do something similar for science, maths... It is stimulating for us teachers to try new methods, too.

Are you implementing flipped learning or have thought about doing it? Please comment below and let me know your thoughts/methods!

NB: I always forget to take photos of my classroom's in session. I will endeavour to do this in term 3!

French Teacher Resource: Create your own French Advent Wreath

The start of December entices me to share the Christmas spirit with all. Today in class, there has been carol singing, talk of French Christmas traditions, and crafting!

The final weeks of school can be a bit hectic, and depending on your class, I know that many Year 7 and 8 students love a bit of crafting. As they all said to me today, it reminds them of being back in Primary School. Even the disruptive boys pitched in.

Naturally, I would never leave an opportunity to send the kids home with a French tradition to practice with their families. So this year, I have helped them create their own couronnes de l'avent,  French Advent wreaths. For those new to the tradition, you place 4 candles on a horizontal Christmas wreath, and light each candle each Sunday leading up to Christmas.

Here are some of their creations:

The activity takes approximately 2 x 50 minute periods for students to complete. I pre-printed coloured sheets with holly leaves, stars, and snowflakes for them to easily cut out. I also provided the paper plates, glue, scissors, fluffy baubles etc. as most students don't have these items in high school. They can be bought cheaply at the Reject Shop.

Download the activity sheet here. As I work at a Catholic school, I have highlighted the significance of the four candles for Advent.

This activity was a huge hit, with little preparation time. And most importantly, so relaxing and enjoyable for myself as a teacher.

Let me know if you give it a try! Amusez-vous bien!

Language Podcasts that I'm loving

I find podcasts to be great resources - for use in the classroom, or just for interesting listening on the way to work or while I do the dishes...

Here is a list of podcasts that I'm currently using for classroom resources and also for my own entertainment. What are you listening to?

French language fix

• Podcast Français Authentique - Johan Tekfak

One of the best structured podcasts that I've come across. Johan conducts the entire podcast all in French for second language learners, usually concentrating on discourse and colloquialisms. I particularly enjoy listening to the idiomatic expressions, one of the most difficult aspects to learn for non-natives! 

• RFI - Journal en français facile

Great way to keep up-to-date with French current affairs, and easy to share with senior year students. The episodes are also nice and snappy. 

• SBS en français

I just like to support the SBS, but also, there are episodes on Australian current affairs in French, film reviews, and French events that are happening across the country.

Listening task resources

• Learn French with daily podcasts - Louis from Daily French Pod
• Learn French by Podcast - Hugh Nagle

I have used these podcasts for years to create listening comprehension tasks. Louis' podcast is conducted all in French, and is usually a monologue where he provides great description and uses heaps of synonyms - particularly important vocab skills for the senior years.

Hugh Nagle's podcast is bilingual and always starts with a dialogue. Excellent practice for the VCAA listening comprehension task, and there are 100's of episodes focusing on the VCAA topics.

Teacher 'gas-bagging' time

• Teachers Talking Teachers - CatFish Education (Pete and John)

These NSW teachers create such good banter around current topics in pedagogy and teaching. Each episode is based on two scholarly articles and there is plenty of opinion mixed with discussion based on the papers you should be keeping up to date with. 

French cultural curiosities

• The New Paris Podcast - Lindsey Tramuta and Alice Cavanagh

What I enjoy most about this podcast is that the interviewees are generally expats living in Paris, which I think is most relevant in today's international Paris scene. So far this podcast is at its humble beginnings, but their topics on identity and gastronomy (two of my favourite topics!) have been well discussed.

• Pardon My French - Garance Doré

I feel sassy listening to this podcast (so branchée), but Garance is just personable and lovely. She discusses the everyday issues, or vie quotidienne, of French culture - from dating, to fashion, to the environment. The podcast feels authentic from a Frenchy perspective, and also highly engaging with interviews conducted in an open and relaxed style. Episodes released every Thursday - definitely needs your attention!

• The Earful Tower - Oliver Gee

This podcast is usually quite 'tongue in cheek', as is self evident from its entitled pun. I've mainly followed its Facebook posts over the years, but I've now just realised how good the podcast is! The episodes are about anything French - everything is allowed. 

Linguistic loving

• Lingthusiasm - Gretchen McCulloch and Lauren Gawne

Lauren, originally from Melbourne, and Gretchen have excitingly geeky conversations about language. Coming from someone (myself) who loves to discuss the complexities of language - from crazy syntax to discourse variants - this podcast keeps me so engaged. As a French teacher, I find it a necessity to stay engaged with linguistics, as you need to keep perspective on the languages you teach. How does French fit into the linguistic world? What are its variants? How diverse is the speech community? etc. etc. I love the study of linguistics for all these reasons and more. 

French Teacher Resource: Les Maisons Merveilleuses

I have constructed some super fun resources and activities for the topic on 'houses', focusing on culture, text-types and communication. I have tried these activities with four different classes now, in both year 7 and year 8.
With 3 x 50 minute classes per week, the following activities can take 2-3 weeks to complete in total. The whole unit is delivered over approximately 7 weeks.

Once students have learned basic vocabulary on the house and where you live ('la maison' et 'où on habite'), it's time for some fun inquiry-based and project-based work.

Here are the order of events, connected to Victorian Curriculum points:

1) Introduce students to the tasks, and show them the final product (with success criteria). Access task instructions here.

2) Students are presented with different and interesting French cultural homes (PPT). Depending on the class, I'll either get them to discuss what they like/don't like between slides or at the end of the PPT. Sometimes I'll get students to read out the information from the PPT too.

Communicating (Socialising)Interact with peers and teacher to exchange information and opinions, talk about self, family, friends and interests, and express feelings, likes and dislikes (VCFRC091)

3) Students choose a French cultural home to base their own home off. They start to produce a digital floorplan. (Individually or pairs is optimal, if they are in 3's someone always seems to do much less work). You can walk around the room and ask them to decision-make in French together, e.g. je veux un jardin, une grande chambre...

Communicating (Informing)Present information and ideas relating to social worlds and natural environments in spoken, written and digital forms (VCFRC095)Participate in collaborative activities such as performances and presentations that involve planning, making arrangements, transacting and negotiating (VCFRC092)

4) Students produce a labelled advertisement for their home, with pictures from the internet.
- If you haven't covered the bilingual component yet, you can ask them to produce a bilingual advertisement.

"They create their own texts, mainly using the present tense of regular and common irregular verbs, enriched by the use of adjectives and adverbs."

5) Students blu-tac their advertisement on the wall/board. Once all students are done, give them a survey sheet (le sondage) to survey every one's hard work. Collect the results and create charts for future use (Excel spreadsheet).

Communicating (Informing)Locate factual information from a range of texts and resources and use the information in new ways (VCFRC094)

6) Students participate in the housing auction (see 'Les règles aux enchères'). (Students don't actually win and take-home each other's work. It's just a fun idea!)
Some students try to 'play-off' each other, which is just amazing, because they are yelling French numbers at each other without even realising the effort!
You really have to calm down the room between each sale though, it can get quite loud in the auction room. I usually preface the auction by saying that auction rooms are 'quiet' rooms.
Access the paddles here. I glue them onto large paddlepop sticks.

Understanding (Systems of language)Recognise and use features of the French sound system, including pitch, rhythm, stress and intonation (VCFRU102)

7) I have also created a homework task to ensure students are reflecting on the tasks from a culture and identity perspective. Also great as a post-vocab task for consolidation and for re-inforcing numeracy skills.

Communicating (Reflecting)Notice own and others’ ways of expressing identity, and consider the relationship between language, culture and identity(VCFRC101)

Amusez-vous bien! Please write your comments below on any ideas or suggestions for improvements, or your experiences teaching this unit of work.
Feel free to adapt any of the attached resources, and feel free to send them back to me.

Access curriculum documents here