You can't learn language just through doing verb drills

Don't just teach and use verb drills... How to teach deductive grammar successfully! 

To what extent can a learner use a grammatical rule in speaking and writing after practising with just verb drills? The answer is... very little! So often, teachers TEACH a grammatical concept to a class and provide grammar drills for practice and then expect learners to be able to use it. 

Sik (2015) found that teachers "feel better" when they teach grammar deductively and we're not wrong, the same study showed slightly higher academic success through deductive grammar teaching. However, in the same study, it is suggested that teachers need to be more aware of the needs of their students. How can we ensure that they can USE these new concepts? If we want students to build towards using these elements to communicate, what is the best approach?

Get the verbs off the page!

There are so many issues with only relying on grammar drills prior to productive use. 

Here are some scenarios:

- the grammatical rule may be too high order thinking at that time. For example, asking a student who hasn't yet accurately used present tense indicative to use the subjunctive. 

- students haven't identified this grammatical concept as something they need for their own production

- the student feels overwhelmed by the amount they feel they have to learn because the teacher is telling them they should know it

But, using grammar drills through deductive grammar teaching is not an incorrect practice! So how do we get the balance right for our students?

What is deductive grammar teaching? 

It's when learners are given a grammar rule, which is then applied to specific language examples and narrow exercises. 

When is it a good idea to use deductive grammar teaching?

• To increase awareness of grammatical concepts
• To show linguistic diversity between languages
• When students identify a gap in their own grammatical knowledge
• When students want to further their use of a particular grammatical concept
• When students wish to increase in linguistic sophistication
• To understand a grammatical form that they read or hear

Ideally, verb drills are only a small drop in the ocean and their purpose is for students to gain an understanding of the rule. 

Here are the steps you can take in teaching with deductive grammar -  a focus on form with a communicative goal:

Understanding phase

1. Understanding the concept - provide students with the grammar rule

2. Study Grammar Drills - give students varied ways to practice and understand the grammar rule. Provide them with plenty of listening input, as I do through my verb drill worksheets

Students create their own flash cards for understanding, accountability, assessment and use. 

3. Build Cue Cards - ask your students to create some cue cards to identify the 'chunks' that they want to learn. E.g., if they are learning the passé composé, they can create a few cards with high-frequency verbs and common scenarios: J'ai mangé, tu as vu, il a pris, je suis allé(e), tu es rentré(e), il est parti...

Ask them to only make enough cue cards for their learning. For example, 10 to begin should be enough.

Memorisation phase

4. Memorisation - students use the cue cards to memorise the spelling and speaking of the verb chunks. 

Assessment phase

5. Self-Assessment - the student tests their memory through spelling and speaking and only move on when they have 100% passed stage 5.

6. Peer-Assessment - the student hands their cards to a partner and they spell and say the verb chunks aloud.

Production phase

7. Oral Production - the student now has a goal to use the chunks in any upcoming speaking task, either informally in class or in speech or in an upcoming oral assessment.

8. Written Production - Also, the student must aim to use these chunks in writing, in either formative or summative assessment.

Remember, not all of your students need to learning the same grammatical concept at the same time. Why not let your students identify their own gaps through a productive task (speaking and writing) and ask them what they want to develop next? Just make sure that you see that they have arrived at the productive stage! You could provide your students with a tick list to stick in to their books. Which grammatical construct are they currently focused on? Which phase are they are up to? What should the teacher be looking out for when the student speaks and writes?

I have used this technique with my students and it works! Think more guided practice for your juniors and more independant study for your seniors.

Do you teach grammar for communication? What do you find are the elements that work and don't work in your French classroom?

5 ways to use dictation in your languages' classroom

MYTH! Dictation is only for motivated and academic students. 

The truth is, you will most likely find that not only will your students LOVE dictation, but that they will find it helpful in learning ABOUT language.

Dictation increases student awareness. We can use it as a tool for phoneme awareness (foreign sounds), word placement (syntax) and accuracy, as well as showing students a tool to increase memory power (see activity 5). 

Remember, dictation is most effective if the input is comprehensible, so think carefully about which words or sentences you are using. If a student doesn't understand the meaning of the words at all, then they will probably be more aware of what they don't know rather than becoming more aware of what you want them to be aware about!

Here are 5 easy and effective ways to implement dictation in your classroom:

1. Minimal pairs

Minimal pairs are two words with one sound (phoneme) difference. 

In this activity, students listen to two words. They try to spell both words that they hear and highlight which sound is different. 

For example:

1. L'amour / la mort (low vowels and article awareness)

2. cheveux / chevaux (good one after watching Extr@!)

3. bulle / boule (difficult vowels for English speakers)

You could focus on the common errors in pronunciation that you hear in your own classroom or use this task to increase awareness of phonemes.

As a post-task, ask your students to pronounce the minimal pairs with a partner, but ensure that you are listening and helping with accent or provide recordings. Help them to hear and articulate the differences in their own output!

2. Gender agreement

Feed language in small chunks to grab their attention on grammatical gender agreement. For anglophone students, it's so important to help them become aware of how agreements transfer across a whole noun phrase. Particularly in the French language where so many final sounds are silent.

Read aloud a noun with a few descriptions and get your students to work out the agreements in writing.

For example:

1. Il est intelligent > elle est intelligente

2. Le chat noir > les chats noirs

3. Elles sont intelligentes, bavardes et souriantes.

I am always surprised as to how much my students like this style of dictation at ALL LEVELS! Ensure that the language is comprehensible to make the task challenging but attainable (and memorable!).

3. Syntactical awareness

How many of your students have shown you the reel, "Le ver vert va vers le verre vert" ?

Why do they like this sentence so much?

Because the placement of each word defines the meaning (word classes), even when the words are homophones. 

There are many homophones in French, as in English (there/their/they're), to get your students thinking about the importance of grammar.

For example:

1. In short sentences, such as: "L'eau au supermarché"

2. In tongue twisters (vire-langue), such as: "Si ces six saucissons-ci sont six sous..."

4. Running dictation

Why not make dictation a GAME and get students out of their seats and working together?

Hang a few words, sentences or paragraphs on the wall.

In teams of 2-3, 1 student will be the runner, 1 student is the writer, and you can have a third student as a spelling helper.

The runner goes to the text on the wall, memorises a chunk and heads back to the writer. 

The runner then dictates what they have just memorised.

The writer (and helper) must listen and write what they have just heard.

This continues until time runs out. Use a timer to add in a challenge or to ensure that the game doesn't continue forever! 

You can ask you students to focus on fluency OR accuracy OR both.

5. Delayed dictation

Instead of your students writing down immediately what they hear, why not add in a 5-10 second delay?

Why the delay, you ask?

The student is focused on holding the sound in their memory (using the phonological loop), reproducing it until it can be written down. 

It can be a quick challenge and motivational for students. It can also be tiring for some though, so I advise using delayed dictation to start a lesson or once 10 minutes in to the lesson.

You can also get students to chorally say the words or sentences aloud before the delay or sing the words (if you're crazy like me!). This helps to strengthen the phonological loop for working memory. Make sure you're listening to their pronunciation though!

But what do I do with that one student who HATES dictation and can't sit still?

Give them to job of REFEREE! 

Give this student the answers and tell them when to wander the classroom, showing peers where they have made errors or just when they are correct. Or give them the option for timing delayed dictation. You can also ask this student to write the answer on the board, if you trust them with your markers!

Alternatives to paper?

Invest in mini whiteboards for your classroom or use an app on the iPad or computer. Students love the chance to write using different tools and also gives them less pressure to be correct all the time. If you can rub out a word, it feels a lot less permanent.

Do you use dictation in your languages' classroom? Which is your go-to activity? Do you tend to have problems with dictation? Write below!

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.

5 quick, no planning games for the languages classroom

Teaching requires you to think on the spot, be flexible and sometimes fill in spare time! 

Here are 5 easy, quick and planning-free games to help review and extend your student’s learning WITH FUN!

1. Lotto! (Bingo!)

Quick review of numbers, vocabulary or word chunks.

Students draw up a grid of 9 squares.

They write any number between a range (e.g. 0-20) or a set of words/chunks that you set. No repeats.

Once all students have their grid full, starts calling out the items in French. 

Option - you can write what you say on the board

Once a student has crossed out all 9 squares, they win by yelling out, “LOTTO!”

2. Ping, Pong

Practice grammar, question/answer, translations, finish the sentence… 

Can be played between students, teacher and students, or as a whole class!

Take, for example, you want to revise switching tenses between the present and past simple.

One student starts by saying, “PING!”, and gives a sentence in the present.

Another student replies by saying, “PONG!”, and provides the same sentence using the past simple.

“PING! Je vais!” > “PONG! Je suis allé!”

3. One word each

Practice forming sentences with a focus on sentence structure and creating form.

Great game for intermediate/advanced students or immersion French classrooms.

Get your students to sit in a circle. Go around the circle and each student says one word adding to the sentence. The goal is to create a very short story.

Usually students get a bit silly and the story gains some repetition. Gives everyone a good laugh!

4. Inside-Outside circle 

A game to increase fluency or to review concepts with different partners.

Equal number of students create an inside circle facing out and an outside circle facing in. Each student is therefore looking at a partner.

Ask them to focus on one concept. For example, explaining a grammar concept, answering a question in French, reciting a poem…

To help increase fluency, you can add in the ‘3, 2, 1’ rule. You do this by getting your students to respond to one question first taking 3 minutes, then replying to the same question but in 2 minutes, then once more in 1 minute.

You can also ask them to change partner by getting the outside circle to move across by one spot or more. 

5. Story drawing 

Review new vocabulary or sentence builders in context and improve listening skills.

Read aloud a description of a picture. Your students draw what they hear. 

You can make the task fun by getting them to draw silly sentences. E.g. if studying prepositions - ‘Le chat qui est sur la chaise a une moustache.’

VCE practice exam paper for schools - Expressions of interest

VCE French teachers often find themselves under resourced from external sources - do you agree? 

As a teacher currently on maternity leave, I have been motivated to create resources to benefit our community and feel the more we can share and develop to support each other, the better. 

Together with Lucie Girard from The French Workshop, I have written a VCE practice exam paper for schools to be released by the end of August 2022.

As this is the first paper that I will release to schools, I would like to hear from you - my budding French teachers!

Please express your interest below by leaving any details with which I can use to contact you once the exam paper is released and also to leave your feedback for me.

Complete this Google Form:

https://forms.gle/XJ2NjMVxbXq5Qomp9

(Please note that I have permission from my principal to produce and charge for resources while on leave)

Want to start a French reading program for your highschool classroom?

Bringing the joy of reading to your French classroom is reading easy and will provide so many long term benefits for your students. A reading program can take some time to 'get off the ground', so be patient. It takes time to see the results, to build a library of books and to get all of your students habitually involved. 

When I first introduced a reading program in my Year 8 classroom, there were mixed emotions. Some students loved to read and gravitated to the French books with ease. Others took more convincing and aid but once the expectation and habit was set, they joined in. 

Here are the hows, the whys, the whens and the whats to starting your own French reading program in your highschool classroom:

What are the benefits of increasing core literacy skills in a foreign language?

• Phonemic awareness - encourage your students to read aloud so that they can try to identify each sound in a word. Some students have trouble identifying the letters that aren't pronounced - those pesky 'silent' letters in French! You can provide them with a 'cheat sheet' which to use while reading aloud and they can use their thumb to cover the unpronounced sound in a word. 

• Vocabulary - insure that your students have access to many reading levels so that you or they can pick a book for which they already understand most of the vocabulary. This allows them to easily learn new words in context. Say to the kids, if you can understand 80-90% of the words when you flick through this book, choose that book to read! This is called comprehensible input. Stories allow words to be learned in context, this means that they may not need to access a dictionary to get the meaning (but also a teachable moment for dictionary practice!)

• Fluency - your students will be reading automatically, accurately and with appropriate tone when reading books in French. Such great habitual exposure to real language! This also accounts for punctuation. Have you also experienced young learners ditching punctuation when they learn French? "Madame, I didn't think I needed it?"! Reading with punctuation helps with this exposure. That in written language, we use punctuation to help with phrasing and meaning. 

• Comprehension - an incredibly important skill gleaned solely from reading! Not only do students read for meaning but they are forced to make inference from a text. Your students will reach a conclusion of meaning based on evidence and reasoning. Just another reason to choose a book with high comprehensible input. You could assess their comprehension through simple and repetitive questioning or just asking them to draw a picture.

'Learn French with Luc and Sophie' - top pick for beginner readers

How to implement a reading program?

• Extended time - make sure that you implement a reading program over a long time period so that your students get into the habit of reading. Otherwise, you aren't allowing them any time to improve their core literacy skills. Creating a habit of reading will also aid your students in reading lengthy texts as they get more sophisticated in their language skills. 

• Comprehensible input - ensure that you have many reading levels available to your students and encourage them to pick their own reader. As a teacher, you know your students best, so aid and teach them what it means to pick a reader at their level. Also, encourage them to move up a level as their comprehension growths.

• Investment - Invest in a book collection for your school! Bring your principal or library on board by explaining the benefits of a reading program in a foreign language. Not to mention how your French reading program will supplement the English reading program. You could also work with the English department to see if you could streamline the materials for your program, such as implementing similar book logs or vocabulary/comprehension workbooks (with a LOTE approach, of course).

• Audio - Overtime, you may wish to record yourself or someone reading the texts available at your school. This way, students can also listen to recordings while reading which increases their phonic skills. There are also many readers available to purchase with accompanying audio.

When can you ask your students to read?

• If you have a long or extended class, ask your students to partake in silent reading for 10-15 minutes.

• You may wish to include reading as a homework task and students can keep a reading log. Ensure they are completing timed reading to make sure that all your students feel that reading French is achievable. I ask students to read for a minimum of 15 mins/week in Years 7-8.

• One class per fortnight could be allocated to reading in the library (if you are lucky to have decent hours dedicated to your language program!)

Which books could I use for my reading program?

For my highschool students (levels A1-B1), here are the books that I have used and recommend:

Entry-level books

Learn French with Luc et Sophie - vibrant books with thematic content. The pictures are highly engaging and there is limited text on each page. These books will be very attractive to your reluctant or complete beginner readers. 

T'Choupi - although made for French children, these books won't contain the past simple and have young audience topics that your students will relate to. There are some books that have a 'histoire à deux voix' - there are the written words and the key vocabulary is illustrated. 

Multi-levelled sets

AIM readers - the AIM program was developed in Canada for second language learners of French and contains frequently-used vocabulary. You will also notice that key vocabulary is reused and recycled across the readers. Reading packs levels 1-3 will cover levels A1-A2, from early beginner with limited text to readers that resemble advanced children books with large chunks of text.

À Lire series - designed for high school and adult readers, this series contains easy-to-read books for foreign learners that look like real books. They also have lower level versions of popular French literature, such as Beauty and the Beast, The Little Prince and Arsene Lupin (for those Netflix viewers!). You will find levels A1 through B1.

Bilingual books

Stories with English translations are another great way to access literature, but ensure that the French is highly comprehensible for your student, otherwise the read will be overwhelming and unproductive. My favourite is Easy French Reader, but there are so many bilingual readers to choose from!

Be aware, that when you purchase books written for French native readers, they may contain the past simple. In my opinion, I would only introduce a student to a book with the past simple if they were learning to use the past simple themselves or if they were proficient enough readers that it would not be distracting. Otherwise, the read would detract from building on the skills previously mentioned. 

Have you implemented a reading program in your classroom? Which books do you love to recommend your students? Comment below!

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!