GRADES 5/6 FRENCH IMMERSION. PARENTS: HOW TO ENCOURAGE FRENCH AT HOME. TEACHER: Mr. CLAUDE ZESSEU
GRADES 5/6 FRENCH IMMERSION
PARENTS: HOW TO ENCOURAGE FRENCH AT HOME
Educational Websites
http://translation.babylon.com/French (translation site)
http://www.fslhomeworktoolbox.ca/ (An FSL Resource for Parents and Students in Ontario)
http://www.poissonrouge.com/bigfish/stuff_fr.php (This website contains over three hundred
engaging fun activities)
www.uptoten.com (Enjoy fun activities in English and French)
www.pepit.be (Great site offering many educational exercises)
French Verb Practice
http://www.digitaldialects.com/French/VerbConj1.htm
Gr 6: Direct or Indirect Objects in French and French Direct pronouns/Indirect Pronouns
http://french.about.com/library/weekly/aa062899t.html
http://french.about.com/od/grammar/a/indirectobjects_2.htm
Gr 6: French practice of direct or indirect objects
http://www.quia.com/cz/266083.html?AP_rand=216756040
http://www.columbia.edu/~fms5/fpro.html
Gr 6: French
http://www.quia.com/shared/french/
Gr 6 : Reflexive Verb Practice
http://www.tolearnfrench.com/exercises/exercise-french-2/exercise-french-78829.php
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tex/gr/vpr1.html
Conjugating Imperfect Verbs
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/fi/quiz/admirer-imparfait
Grade 5/6 French Verb Website
http://www.uni.edu/becker/french31.html
CILT (Centre for Information on Language Teaching and Research)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/schools/primaryfrench/parents/usefullinks_p_flash.shtml/ext/_auto//http:/www.cilt.org.uk/
An invaluable resource for teachers and students alike, providing a library, details of new
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GRADES 5/6 FRENCH IMMERSION. PARENTS: HOW TO ENCOURAGE FRENCH AT HOME. TEACHER: Mr. CLAUDE ZESSEU
initiatives and projects.
http://www.biblioenfants.com/ Tumble Book Library is an online collection of animated, talking
picture books which teach young children the joys of reading in a format they'll love.
Primary Languages
http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/schools/primaryfrench/parents/usefullinks_p_flash.shtml/ext/_auto//http:/www.primarylanguages.org.uk/home.aspx
The Primary Languages website is a national gateway to advice, information, support and
training for primary languages teaching and learning. The site is owned and operated by CILT,
the National Centre for Languages, the government's recognised centre of expertise on
languages.
BBC French site for adult learners http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/languages/french/
Try an online course or find out more about French culture. The site provides helpful grammar
notes, useful for parents who would like to improve on a basic knowledge of French.
Parents' notes: Tips on helping your child learn French
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Children will notice words which have the same or similar form in both English and
French, e.g. six, France, lettre) in texts, and can guess meanings from contexts.
Help your child to read and understand written text in the foreign language. Different
sound-spelling rules apply in French (e.g. the silent 's' at the end of words, the nasal
sounds of 'en', 'an', etc) and careful reading and repeating of written texts will reinforce
correct pronunciation.
Singing in French can help to develop self-confidence, as children focus on the music or
rhythm rather than worrying about pronunciation.
Children enjoy the challenge of learning and practising new language on their own.
Although they need support and encouragement initially, they progress to become
independent, autonomous learners. Soon they are able to work alone with a pc and
dictionary, developing their French skills and knowledge in the same way as they do for
other subjects.
Some TV programmes, e.g. coverage of the Grand Prix or European competitions, give
details of competitors or towns in France, which can give clues about the pronunciation
of certain letter formations in French- e.g. Le Mans, Bordeaux.
Source: BBC
Parents' notes: Home activities and extension activities
Support from parents and carers can make a big difference to children's confidence, especially
with linguistic skills. Surrounded by a sea of English, early progress in MFL learning may seem
slow, but there are opportunities to reinforce new language in everyday activities without having
to sit down especially to 'learn French'.
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GRADES 5/6 FRENCH IMMERSION. PARENTS: HOW TO ENCOURAGE FRENCH AT HOME. TEACHER: Mr. CLAUDE ZESSEU
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Ask your child to find examples of French words in everyday life, e.g. café, camembert,
Tour de France; translations from English to French on e.g. cereal boxes, shampoo
bottles, instruction leaflets.
Looking at books in French is a valuable activity and these are obtainable from internet
book sites or high street booksellers. However, books published for young French readers
are not automatically suitable for English readers, as they may include 'hard' vocabulary
or grammar, too complicated for beginners.
Using DVDs allows the possibility of watching a French film in English, then French,
and swapping between the 2 languages, at the pace of learning or length of concentration
appropriate to an individual child.
Using puppets allows children to practise new language, e.g. questions and answers, in
different situations, without inhibitions, acting out roles and putting on different voices
and characters. The scripts in the 'En France' section of the website can be printed and
acted out, and puppet templates are provided as a printable activity.
Encourage your child to use e.g. 'bonjour' and 'au revoir' to visitors and 'encore' at
mealtimes when second helpings are required!
Similar cards to those in the printable dominoes and pair games can be used to play other
card games such as matching, snap, sets, and pelmanism. Games which depend on
spelling, such as I spy (j'ai un petit oeil qui voit une petite chose qui commence par x')
may be useful once the written word is familiar.
French picture dictionaries can be used for finding new words which relate to children's
interests, ( e.g. stick insect, mountain bike). Bi-lingual dictionaries can be a useful tool,
but children but may need help in finding their way around.
Links with penpals abroad, via email or letters (see NACELL website below) give a real
purpose to learning a MFL, even if information is limited, or it has to be written in halfEnglish, half French. Photos and pictures, postcards, maps, diagrams and audio cassettes
exchanged with children abroad impart much additional knowledge about the foreign
culture and environment.
Many Internet sites allow children to explore, with guidance, their own particular
hobbies- e.g. French skateboarding or football club sites. The internet can also help
children investigate different francophone locations, e.g. Guadaloupe, La Réunion.
Children can use IT skills to produce labels in French for different places and objects
around the home, (e.g. cuisine, télévision, table).
Visiting a foreign country, hearing and beginning to speak the language, is both
motivating and satisfying. A small amount of French goes a long way and a child's selfesteem increases when an ice cream or hamburger is the result of a short dialogue. Even
'bonjour', 'merci' and 'au revoir' will be appreciated by the locals!
Children can personalise the printable activity sheets, colouring them in before putting
them into a 'French folder', to which they may add other material. Source:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryfrench/parents/homeacts_flash.shtml
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