Various ideas to try for class / homework activities:
- Homework: vocab research centered around finding synonyms, antonyms, or creating a family of words (verb/noun/adj/adv eg: décider / une décision / c'est décisif / décidément). Example at A-Level here
- Homework: something different: Choose a subject you like (Biology, Technology, etc), and translate 10 keys words of the topic under study into French
- Homework GRAMMAR challenge: write about a relationship with someone for ex., using as many Direct Object Pronouns as possible within 10 lines / 100 words
- Homework: something different: include a short paragraph in English about a French icon, a monument, a historical figure >> to translate into French
- When first seeing a challenging IGCSE text, highlight words/sections they understand (rather than don't understand), then share with partner
- Betting game: list of 5 sentences, some correct, some containing a grammar mistake. Students have to decide whether they think the sentences are correct or incorrect and bet 10/20/30 euros depending on how sure or not they are. (if they were wrong, they lose the amount they bet). Good competitive game to make them think about grammatical accuracy.
- Speaking: one question from the list of oral questions on a laminated card (with English translation on the other side) on each table as pupils come in, they answer the question to their partner then exchange card with their partner for the first 5 minutes of the lesson whilst register being taken.
- survey + pie chart of class results
- present orally a photo (preferably not real but dream one) of your holiday (on projector) and tell a story. A-Level: Photo of an current affairs event
- IGCSE: produce a holiday programme on a budget (internet research) including visits, accomodation, transport
- what your town will look like in 50 years
- list of key vocab >> build a story (IGCSE) / a news headline (A-Level)
- Display list of key vocab that had to be learned >> brainstorm in the class the techniques used for remembering each word
- Divide an IGCSE Past paper into individual exercises and laminate on colored cards. Do a carousel-type lesson, with pupils working individually on a section, then moving to another one.
- After receiving a marked Past Paper, students choose 20 words from it and make their own test.
- Include tick list of learning techniques for vocab tests (on the vocab sheet and on the test sheet: to make students aware of the different techniques they can use, and have used)
- to make homework a little more fun sometimes, include a word-search, a crossword (esp. at A-Level, where definitions and synonyms are very useful), or a matching game
- Homework and research: A-Z on a certain topic
- Francophone countries: Québec, Réunion, Algérie, Belgique, Afrique francophone, Guadeloupe, Martinique
- Literary figures: Zola, Baudelaire, Faiza Guène, Sagan, St Exupéry, Molière, Prévert, Rimbaud
- Painters: Matisse, Monet, Renoir
- self-regulation homework: short writing task with specific instructions. When completed, study assessment criteria and assess own work, giving a grade (teacher to have corrected grammar mistakes only - or at least underlined them). Write down what needs improving, grammatical gaps that need revising, and how to go about finding answers to various linguistic questions (independent problem-solving)
- self-regulation: ask class to divide themselves into groups where they assess how confident they are about a certain grammar point: 1. completely lost; 2.Ok but with loads of questions; 3. fine with a few doubts
- introductory lesson (after long holidays): Blockbusters ; map of France on poster to fill in with key words evoking French / Francophone culture ; learning styles (how do you learn best: choose from the list, then draw a diagram of class results & discuss)
- Homework: something different: Choose a subject you like (Biology, Technology, etc), and translate 10 keys words of the topic under study into French
- Homework GRAMMAR challenge: write about a relationship with someone for ex., using as many Direct Object Pronouns as possible within 10 lines / 100 words
- Homework: something different: include a short paragraph in English about a French icon, a monument, a historical figure >> to translate into French
- When first seeing a challenging IGCSE text, highlight words/sections they understand (rather than don't understand), then share with partner
- Betting game: list of 5 sentences, some correct, some containing a grammar mistake. Students have to decide whether they think the sentences are correct or incorrect and bet 10/20/30 euros depending on how sure or not they are. (if they were wrong, they lose the amount they bet). Good competitive game to make them think about grammatical accuracy.
- Speaking: one question from the list of oral questions on a laminated card (with English translation on the other side) on each table as pupils come in, they answer the question to their partner then exchange card with their partner for the first 5 minutes of the lesson whilst register being taken.
- survey + pie chart of class results
- present orally a photo (preferably not real but dream one) of your holiday (on projector) and tell a story. A-Level: Photo of an current affairs event
- IGCSE: produce a holiday programme on a budget (internet research) including visits, accomodation, transport
- what your town will look like in 50 years
- list of key vocab >> build a story (IGCSE) / a news headline (A-Level)
- Display list of key vocab that had to be learned >> brainstorm in the class the techniques used for remembering each word
- Divide an IGCSE Past paper into individual exercises and laminate on colored cards. Do a carousel-type lesson, with pupils working individually on a section, then moving to another one.
- After receiving a marked Past Paper, students choose 20 words from it and make their own test.
- Include tick list of learning techniques for vocab tests (on the vocab sheet and on the test sheet: to make students aware of the different techniques they can use, and have used)
- to make homework a little more fun sometimes, include a word-search, a crossword (esp. at A-Level, where definitions and synonyms are very useful), or a matching game
- Homework and research: A-Z on a certain topic
- Francophone countries: Québec, Réunion, Algérie, Belgique, Afrique francophone, Guadeloupe, Martinique
- Literary figures: Zola, Baudelaire, Faiza Guène, Sagan, St Exupéry, Molière, Prévert, Rimbaud
- Painters: Matisse, Monet, Renoir
- self-regulation homework: short writing task with specific instructions. When completed, study assessment criteria and assess own work, giving a grade (teacher to have corrected grammar mistakes only - or at least underlined them). Write down what needs improving, grammatical gaps that need revising, and how to go about finding answers to various linguistic questions (independent problem-solving)
- self-regulation: ask class to divide themselves into groups where they assess how confident they are about a certain grammar point: 1. completely lost; 2.Ok but with loads of questions; 3. fine with a few doubts
- introductory lesson (after long holidays): Blockbusters ; map of France on poster to fill in with key words evoking French / Francophone culture ; learning styles (how do you learn best: choose from the list, then draw a diagram of class results & discuss)