Games for Teaching Primary French E-Book

Daniele Bourdais

• Herausgeber: Crown House Publishing
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

Games for Teaching Primary French by Daniele Bourdais and Sue Finnie is a practical toolkit containing a wide variety of fun and engaging games for all abilities, from complete beginners to more competent learners. It includes a wide range of games, from 5-minute starters or plenaries to longer, more challenging games where learners can make substantial progress. It has been devised specifically for busy teachers with limited resources, budget and planning time, who want simple and effective ideas to use in the classroom. The games in this book cover all core aspects of the primary French curriculum and are organised into the key skills areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing, with additional parts on grammar, number games and sounds. These games allow learners to absorb and explore language in a variety of mediums, building up skills, knowledge and confidence in the process. The book is packed with techniques and games to support existing schemes of work and offers plenty of inspiration and ideas for teaching primary French. The straightforward, reliable, no-tech suggestions are based on sound pedagogy and years of classroom experience, and will help deliver great learning outcomes lesson after lesson. Teaching modern foreign languages can be challenging, and can be a daunting prospect for teachers who are not language experts themselves. Games for teaching primary French is designed to support teachers with easy to follow, ready to use ideas. These flexible games can be adapted to suit any topic and any ability level. For more experienced French teachers, there are plenty of new, imaginative and fun ideas to refresh your practice. The book is perfect for Key Stage 2 teachers who want ideas for teaching French and don't have unlimited resources and planning time.

Leseprobe

Contents

Introduction

Part 1: Listening

1

Four corners/Les quatre coins

2

Silly me!/Étourdi !

3

Dog and bone/L’os et les chiens

4

Catch the ball!/Attrape !

5

Simon says/Jacques a dit

6

Line bingo/Loto en ligne

7

Stand up, sit down/Assis, debout

8

Mastermime!/À vos mimes !

9

True or false?/Vrai ou faux ?

10

Prediction/Le devin

11

Beep/Bip bip

12

Changing chairs/Changez de chaise

13

The right order/Le bon ordre

14

Odd one out/Trouvez l’intrus

15

Mystery voice/La voix mystère

16

Act it out/Tous en scène

17

Frog hunt/La chasse aux grenouilles

18

Word by word/Mot à mot

19

Mind the gap!/Gare aux blancs !

20

Knock, knock/Toc toc

Part 2: Speaking

1

The conductor/Le chef d’orchestre

2

Liar!/Menteur !

3

Feeling hot, hot, hot!/Ça chauffe !

4

Secret signal/Le détective

5

Gossip/Petits potins

6

Describe and draw/Le dessin-mystère

7

Spelling race/La course aux mots

8

Mexican wave/La ola

9

Flashcard auction/Cartes aux enchères

10

Mind reading/Télépathie

11

Play for points/Le score mystère

12

Heads or tails/Pile ou face

13

Kim’s game/Le jeu de Kim

14

The question race/Le relais des questions

15

I went to market/Au marché, j’ai acheté

16

Spot the star/Où est la star ?

17

Old maid/Le pouilleux

18

Guess the question/C’est quoi, la question ?

19

Pictionary/Le pictionnaire

20

The thingummyjig/Le schmilblick

Part 3: Reading

1

Don’t cross the line!/Ne traverse pas la ligne !

2

Snap/Bataille

3

Word snake/Serpent de mots

4

Find the pairs/Trouvez les paires

5

What’s the word?/À demi-mots

6

Fish and chips/Partenaires

7

Dominoes/Les dominos

8

Sort it out/Le tri

9

Good morning, postman/Bonjour, monsieur le facteur

10

Silly sentences/Les phrases farfelues

11

Mr Potato/Monsieur Pomme de Terre

12

3, 2, 1/Trois, deux, un

13

The extra word/Le mot en trop

14

Lucky dip/Le sac aux questions

15

Quiz time!/À vos quiz !

16

Readalong/Grand balayage

17

Build a song/Construisez une chanson

18

Invisible words/Les mots invisibles

19

Eagle eye/L’oeil de lynx

20

The missing sentence/La phrase qui manque

Part 4: Writing

1

Finger writing/Au bout des doigts

2

Back writing/Sur le dos

3

Bang!/Bang !

4

Beat the clock/Contre la montre

5

Dial a word/La télélettre

6

Pizza/Pizza

7

Dice of fortune/Les dés de la fortune

8

Letter by letter/Une lettre à la fois

9

Concertina spelling/L’accordéon

10

Puzzle it out!/Casse-tête !

11

Writing by numbers/Écrire par numéros

12

Race to the board/La course au tableau

13

Roll the dice/À vos dés

14

Vocabulary Man/Monsieur Vocabulaire

15

Pass on the message/Passe à l’autre

16

Running dictation/La dictée sportive

17

Guess what!/Devine !

18

Consequences/Et alors …

19

Paper ball battle/La bataille en papier

20

The lie detector/Le détecteur de mensonge

Part 5: Numbers

1

Physical response games/Jeux avec réponse physique

2

Kitnakitna/Kitnakitna

3

Read my mind/Lisez dans mes pensées

4

Human noughts and crosses/Le morpion vivant

5

Let me guess/Devinez

6

Clapping game/Claquez les doigts

7

Unlucky thirteen/Treize

8

Fizz, buzz/Cocorico

9

Guess my age/Devinez mon âge

10

Speed counting/De plus en plus vite

11

Ring the bell/Le son de cloche

12

Auction/Vente aux enchères

13

Tick-tock/Tic-tac

14

Maths for medals/La course aux médailles

15

Only numbers/Entourez les nombres

16

On the clothesline/La corde à linge

17

Spider/L’araignée

18

Simple sums/Champion de calcul

19

Anagrams/Les anagrammes

20

Number shoot-out/Le duel des nombres

Part 6: Grammar

1

Zoé’s ark/L’arche de Zoé

2

Tongue-tied/La langue paralysée

3

Smurfing/Schtroumpfant

4

Beetle drive/Le cochon qui rit

5

All aboard!/Tous en bus !

6

Living sentence/La phrase vivante

7

Human tetris/Le tétris humain

8

Triplets/Les triplés

9

Dice race/La course aux dés

10

Hop to it!/Et que ça saute !

11

Guess the verbs/Verbes mimés

12

String ensemble/La ficelle

13

Family feud/Les uns contre les autres

14

The dot game/Le jeu des carrés

15

Battleships/La bataille navale

16

Ping-pong/Ping-pong

17

Home base/Chacun chez soi

18

Treasure trail/La course au trésor

19

Hats off!/Chapeau !

20

Sentence auction/Phrases aux enchères

Part 7: Playing with sounds

1

Sound tower/La tour des sons

2

All together/Tous ensemble

3

Right hand, left hand/Main droite, main gauche

4

Loudspeakers/Haut-parleurs

5

Follow my leader/Pigeon vole

6

Sound tennis/Le tennis des sons

7

King (or Queen) Parrot/Le roi (ou La reine) des perroquets

8

Sound hunt/La chasse aux sons

9

In town/Dans la ville

10

Great Mamamouchi/Le grand Mamamouchi

11

Splat!/Splaf !

12

Odd one out/Chassez l’intrus

13

Sound maze/Le labyrinthe des sons

14

Read my lips/Paroles de muets

15

Sound omelette/L’omelette de sons

16

Scaredy cat!/Gare au chat !

17

Happy families/Le jeu des sept familles

18

Tongue-twisters/Virelangues

19

Test your strength/Tour de force

20

Little mouse/Au lit, petite souris

Appendix 1: French sounds

Appendix 2: French rhymes and tongue-twisters

Appendix 3: Quick and easy ways to turn a language activity into a competitive game

Introduction

Games for teaching primary French is a practical toolkit containing a wide variety of fun and engaging games for all abilities, from complete beginners to more competent learners. It includes a wide range of activities, from five-minute starters or plenaries to longer, more challenging games where learners can make substantial progress. It has been devised specifically for busy teachers with limited resources, budget and planning time, who want simple, effective ideas to use in the classroom.

Un tableau, des stylos et ce livre … (A board, some pens and this book …)

A board, some pens and this book will allow you to deliver outstanding, fun and engaging lessons. This book is packed with techniques and activities to support your existing scheme of work and will provide you with plenty of inspiration and ideas. The straightforward, reliable, no-tech suggestions are based on sound pedagogy and years of classroom experience, and will deliver great learning outcomes lesson after lesson.

Les jeux (The games)

Games aren’t just for fun! Recent research has found that, ‘In Year 6, learners seem to value learning for its own sake, [such as] games, songs, learning about cultural aspects, writing for a purpose’ and recommended that ‘Primary teachers should continue to include in their teaching those activities that motivate learners the most – those based on interaction, creativity, cultural contact and purposeful communication. These are most likely to promote the positive attitudes to language learning that are needed for successful learning in the secondary phase.’1 Clearly, games are a great way to practise language while keeping motivation and engagement levels high. They can also help build pupils’ confidence. What is more, research and classroom experience tell us that learners enjoy them and that they help create positive learning experiences.

Quand et comment utiliser les jeux (How and when to play)

Whatever you want to practise, you’ll find a suitable game here. When to use the games is up to you. They are a great way to start or end a lesson. They make handy time-fillers or breaks in longer lessons. Put two or three games together, and you have a ready-made lesson with very little advance preparation. The book includes whole-class games, pair and group work, and individual games. There are plenty of old favourites, as well as some new, exciting ideas. You know your class best, so these games are designed for you to adapt to suit your circumstances.

You won’t find games grouped by topic. The idea is that most games can be used with any topic you choose. There are noisy games and quiet games. Many are competitive, but some encourage pupils to collaborate and cooperate. Games cater for differentiation so that the winners are not always the most able pupils. Broadly speaking, the games are suitable for beginners and early learners, working at level A1 of the Common European Framework.2 Each game can be adapted for any level but, in general, the games at the end of each part are more challenging than those at the beginning.

Think of these games as your building blocks: a set of ready-made activities that you can build into any lesson or topic. Put them together in different combinations, or adapt them to suit you!

Écouter, parler, lire et écrire (Listening, speaking, reading and writing)

The primary language classroom is an ideal space in which to practise the key competencies that are at the heart of the national curriculum – spoken language, vocabulary development and reading and writing. Learning a new language at an early age also affords pupils the chance to develop lifelong language learning skills, explore differences and similarities between languages, and make connections with other aspects of their learning. Games allow learners to absorb and explore language in a variety of mediums, building up skills, knowledge and confidence in the process.

The games in this book cover all core aspects of the primary French curriculum and are organised into the key skills areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing, with additional parts on grammar, number games and sounds. However, inevitably, different skills will be developed in combination, as learners are encouraged to listen and respond, talk and write, and so on. In Part 3: Reading, there are a number of games which link the sound, spelling and meaning of words and phrases. Songs, rhymes and drama games allow pupils to explore the patterns and sounds of the language in a fun, age-appropriate way.

To save planning time, we’ve tried to make all the games as user-friendly and simple to navigate as possible. For each game, you will find:

• the aims, skills and resources involved

• a step-by-step description of how to play

• useful French phrases

• variations and additional ideas

• differentiation ideas.

We hope you will find the right games for each class, and they will provide a jumping-off point for some truly engaging lessons.

Amusez-vous bien ! (Have fun!)

1 Suzanne Graham, Louise Courtney, Theo Marinis and Alan Tonkyn. Primary Modern Languages: the impact of teaching approaches on attainment and preparedness for secondary school language learning. Executive summary. (2014). Available at: https://progressandpreparednessinprimarylanguages.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/uor-executive-summary-primary-modern-languages.pdf

2 For more information about the Common European Framework please see http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/linguistic/cadre1_en.asp

Part 1: Listening

Listening is an important skill which should be practised as often as possible. If you play these games regularly, even for just a few minutes at a time, then pupils should soon develop confidence.

Pupils need to listen attentively to spoken language and show understanding by joining in and responding. In some of the games, all that is needed is a physical response to show that pupils have understood; in others, listening goes hand in hand with speaking.

Songs, rhymes and drama games allow pupils to explore the patterns and sounds of the language in a fun, age-appropriate way. See some suggestions on page 245.

Many of the games in Part 2: Speaking also involve listening practice, and Part 3: Reading contains a number of games that link the sound, spelling and meaning of words and phrases.

1 Four corners/Les quatre coins

Classroom management

Whole class

Skill

Listening

Aim

To present new vocabulary

Resources

Flashcards to represent the vocabulary you want to teach

Adhesive tack or drawing pins

Step by step

1. Introduce four new words. For example: un chien/un chat/un lapin/une tortue (a dog/a cat/a rabbit/a tortoise). Hold up each flashcard in turn, saying what it represents. Repeat each word or phrase twice, e.g. (showing picture of dog): Un chien. … Un chien.

2. Ask pupils to invent a mime for each one, for example moving their arm like a wagging tail, or panting, for a dog. Then show the cards again, naming each one in turn, and let pupils do the matching mime.

3. Pin a flashcard in each corner of the room, naming it as you do.

4. When you call out a word, pupils point to the corresponding corner. Anyone who is wrong is out, and watches the rest of the class to spot any pupils who make a mistake.

Écoutez et inventez un mime.

Listen and invent a mime.

Montrez la bonne image.

Point to the right picture.

Comments

• If you can play the game in a large hall, pupils can all run to the corner with the flashcard that corresponds to the word you call out. This makes it more obvious if anyone is wrong!

• To vary the activity, show a flashcard and ask a question, which pupils must answer with oui or non. For example:

Teacher (T): C’est une tortue ? (Is it a tortoise?)

Pupil (P): Oui/Non.

Increase the level of challenge by calling out the names more quickly, or by including the word in a sentence, e.g. Tu as un chat à la maison ? (Have you got a cat at home?) or Qui aime les lapins ? (Who likes rabbits?)

2 Silly me!/Étourdi !

Classroom management

Whole class

Skill

Listening

Aim

To revise key language

Resources

A hand puppet or soft toy

Flashcards or objects representing the language to be practised

Step by step

1. Choose three or four pupils to stand at the front, facing the class. Give each a different flashcard or object to hold and show the rest of the class. If you are teaching colours, the objects could be socks of different colours, for instance.

2. Introduce the puppet or soft toy to the class. Pupils greet the puppet. Explain that he doesn’t understand French very well so they need to help him.

3. Make a statement practising the language you want to revise.

For example:

T: Bleu ! (Blue) or Ma couleur préférée, c’est le bleu (My favourite colour is blue).

4. Move the puppet forward to one of the objects/flashcards. If he goes to the correct one, pupils must clap their hands and call out: Oui, bravo ! (Yes, well done!). If he goes to the wrong object/flashcard, pupils must shake their heads and say: Non, ce n’est pas ça ! (No, it’s not that one!).

The puppet need not always be wrong, but will generally need a couple of tries before getting it right.

5. Once you have done this a few times, a pupil can take over working the puppet.

Voici <name of puppet>.

This is <name of puppet>.

Bonjour, <name of puppet>.

Hello, <name of puppet>.

C’est bien ?

Is that right?

Comments

• Make sure all pupils can clearly see the cards or objects being held up at the front of the class.

• Build up a bit of suspense as you move the puppet towards a card or object. He may move to an object slowly or change his mind at the last minute.

• For speaking practice, pupil volunteers can take over, saying the words or phrases that the puppet has to react to.

Increase the challenge by asking pupils to memorise the order of the cards or objects. Then the pupils at the front turn their backs to the class, concealing their card or object. Once the puppet has made his choice and the class has decided if it is correct or not, the pupils at the front can all turn round to see whether the puppet and the class were right or wrong.

Increase the level of linguistic challenge by having more pupils/flashcards and objects at the front. That way, a lucky guess is more unlikely. We suggest using up to eight pupils at a time.

3 Dog and bone/ L’os et les chiens

Classroom management

Whole class

Skill

Listening

Aim

To revise vocabulary

Resources

Soft object, e.g. soft toy, scarf or beanbag

Step by step

1. Play this game in a hall or outdoors. Divide the class into two teams. The pupils are the ‘dogs’ who want to get the ‘bone’. The teams stand in two lines facing each other, with a large gap for running between the teams.

2. Give each child a word from the vocabulary set you want to revise.

For example, if you are revising months of the year:A: janvier, B: février, C: mars, D: avril, E: mai, F: juin, G: juillet, H: août, I: septembre, J: octobre, K: novembre, L: décembre.

Both teams have the same words, but not in the same order (i.e. pupils with the same word should not be immediately opposite each other). For example, Team B might have: A: mars, B: septembre, C: janvier, D: juin, etc.

3. Put a soft object such as a soft toy, a beanbag or a scarf on the floor in the middle between the teams. This is the ‘bone’.

4. Call out a word or sentence containing the word. For example:

T: Avril ! (April) or Mon anniversaire est en avril (My birthday is in April).

5. The pupil from each team who has that word runs forward to pick up the object in the centre before her opposite number. Whoever grabs it first wins a point for their team.

Mettez-vous en rang.

Line up.

Vous êtes les chiens.

You are the dogs.

Attrapez l’os.

Grab the bone.

Comments

• This is a traditional playground game in France, where it is called Le béret. Traditionally, the object placed in the centre was a beret, often worn by schoolboys up to the mid-twentieth century.

To increase the level of challenge, add this rule (from the game of Le béret): once a dog has got the bone, they can be stopped by the other dog if she manages to touch him. The bone must then be put back in the middle.

4 Catch the ball!/Attrape !

Classroom management

Whole class

Skill

Listening (and speaking)

Aim

To revise key vocabulary words

Resources

A soft ball or beanbag

Step by step

1. Play this game in a hall or playground. Pupils stand in a large circle.

2. Go round the circle telling each pupil their unique word. For example, if you have been learning about food and drink, you might say:

T: Tyler … les chips (crisps), Emma … le fromage (cheese), Josh … la glace (ice cream), etc.

3. Stand in the centre of the circle. As you call out a word, throw the ball in the air.

4. The pupil who has that word moves to the centre to catch the ball.

5. If the catch is successful, the catcher throws the ball back to you, repeating the word.

6. Any pupil who drops the ball is out, and sits on the floor. The winner is the last pupil in the game.

Écoutez bien votre mot.

Listen carefully to your word.

Si je dis votre mot, attrapez le balle.

If I say your word, you catch the ball.

Comments

• Try to make sure everyone gets at least one go.

• To add a speaking element, you could ask pupils to react when you are giving out the words. For example, for items of food or drink they could say whether or not they like it:

T: Le poulet.

P: Super, j’adore le poulet (Great, I love chicken).

T: Le hamburger.

P: Ah non, je n’aime pas les hamburgers (Oh no, I don’t like burgers).

Pupils could keep count to see if there are more positive than negative responses.

Increase the level of challenge by using the words in a sentence. For example,

T: Je voudrais du pain (I’d like some bread).

À midi, je mange du riz (For lunch, I eat rice).

Ma mère n’aime pas les tomates (My mum doesn’t like tomatoes), etc.

5 Simon says/Jacques a dit

Classroom management

Whole class

Skill

Listening

Aim

To listen and respond physically (pupils do not need to speak)

Resources

None

Step by step

This traditional game is well suited to language practice.

1. You are the leader and stand in front of the class. If the group is small enough, you stand with pupils in a circle.

2. You give instructions, naming a part of the body pupils must touch.

For example:

T: Touchez-vous les pieds/les genoux/la tête/les oreilles/le nez/la bouche/les épaules (Touch your feet/knees/head/ears/nose/mouth/shoulders).

Pupils only obey the instruction if it begins with the words Jacques a dit.

T: Jacques a dit: Touchez-vous les pieds (Simon says, Touch your feet).

Class: all touch their feet.

If you do not start the instruction with the words Jacques a dit, for example, you say:

Touchez-vous les oreilles, pupils must not obey. They stay still. You might need to give each instruction twice.

3. When someone follows an order that does not start with Jacques a dit, he is out of the game. Pupils who are out can still be actively involved. They come to the front and spot if anyone is making a mistake.

4. Repeat the instructions until only one pupil is left.

Écoutez et faites comme moi.

Listen and do what I do.

Perdu !

You’re out!

Je n’ai pas dit

I didn’t say ‘Simon says’.

«Jacques a dit».

Comments

• The example above practises parts of the body. You could play the same game with verbs of movement, sports or hobbies, with pupils miming the actions.

For example: (verbs of movement) Jacques a dit: Sautez ! (jump), dansez ! (dance), marchez ! (walk), etc.

(sports) Jacques a dit: Je joue au foot (I play football), Je fais de la natation (I swim), Je joue au tennis (I play tennis), etc.

(hobbies) Jacques a dit: Jouez aux jeux électroniques (play video games), dessinez ! (draw), etc.

• When the game is familiar, pupils can play in small groups, with an able pupil taking on the role of the leader.

Increase the challenge by increasing the speed at which you call out the instructions.

6 Line bingo/ Loto en ligne

Classroom management

Whole class

Skill

Listening (writing and reading)

Aim

To revise known vocabulary or phrases

Resources

Sheets of A4 paper, cut vertically to make three strips. You will need one strip per pupil

Step by step

This is a variation of traditional bingo.

1. Give each pupil a strip of paper. Dictate (or let them copy from the board) the words or phrases you want them to revise. They choose eight and write them in any order down their long strip of paper.

For example, for weather vocabulary, they might write:

2. You act as the caller. Call each word or phrase twice (you may want to check that pupils have located the correct word or phrase). They listen out for just two of the words or phrases on their list, the one at the top and the one at the bottom. If their word/phrase is called, they tear it off. The next word along is now at the top or bottom and becomes one of the words to listen out for when the game continues.

3. Pupils’ lists get gradually shorter as they tear off the phrases they hear. You can call each phrase several times, as necessary.

4. The winner is the first player with no words or phrases left. She can call: J’ai gagné ! (I’ve won!)

Écrivez huit mots/phrases.

Write down eight words/ sentences.

Écoutez bien !

Listen carefully!

Déchirez le mot/la phrase quand vous l’entendez.

Tear off the word/sentence when you hear it called.

Comments

• If you prefer, pupils could draw symbols to represent the different types of weather instead of copying down the phrases.

• Once they are familiar with the game, pupils can play again in small groups, with a pupil acting as caller.

• Pass round a waste-paper bin at the end to collect all the discarded words.

Make the game more linguistically challenging by including the words or phrases in a short text, e.g. Ce matin, je ne joue pas au football parce qu’il pleut et je n’aime pas jouer dehors quand il fait froid. (This morning, I’m not playing football because it’s raining and I don’t like to play outside when it’s cold.)

7 Stand up, sit down/ Assis, debout

Classroom management

Whole class

Skill

Listening

Aim

To practise listening and responding to known phrases

Resources

None

Step by step

1. Call out a statement, practising the language you want to revise. For example, if you have been teaching descriptions of people, you might say:

T: Josie a les cheveux courts (Josie has short hair).

Lauren est grande/petite (Lauren is tall/short).

Matthew est blond/brun/roux (Matthew has blond/brown/red hair). Stacey a les cheveux raides/frisés (Stacey has straight/curly hair). Ben porte des lunettes (Ben’s wearing glasses), etc.

2. If the statement is true, pupils stand up. If it is false, they stay seated. Anyone who is wrong is out, and comes to the front to spot others who slip up.

3. The game continues until only one person is left.

4. A confident pupil could take over your role and call out the true/false statements.

Si c’est vrai, mettez-vous debout.

If it’s true, stand up.

Si c’est faux, restez assis.

If it’s false, stay sitting.

Écoutez et regardez vos camarades.

Listen and watch your classmates.

Comments

• If pupils are slow to be caught out, you could adapt the game so that the last person to react is out. This discourages pupils from waiting to see how the majority react before they move.

• A similar elimination game would be to ask all pupils to stand and then get different groups to sit down, e.g.

T: Assieds-toi si tu as les yeux bleus/les cheveux longs, etc. (Sit down if you have blue eyes/ long hair, etc.).

You could progress to a similar activity where pupils have to speak, rather than just give a physical response (see Liar on page 44).

8 Mastermime!/ À vos mimes !

Classroom management

Whole class

Skill

Listening

Aim

To revise vocabulary

Resources

None

Step by step

1. Play this game in the hall or playground. Divide the class into two teams. Pupils spread out so they have space around them.

2. Make a series of statements containing an action verb or phrase. Pupils mime the action. For example, if you are practising the language for daily routine, you might say:

T: Je me brosse les dents (I brush my teeth).

Je me lave (I have a wash).

Je m’habille (I get dressed).

Je mange des céréales (I eat some cereal).

Je bois du lait (I drink some milk).

Je fais mes devoirs (I do my homework), etc.

3. Pupils who do the wrong mime are out, and watch out for others who are wrong.

4. The winner is the last pupil standing.

Écoutez et mimez les actions.

Listen and mime the actions.

C’est le mauvais mime !

It’s the wrong mime!

Tu as perdu !

You’ve lost!

Comments

• If pupils are not making mistakes and it is hard to catch them out, you could switch to eliminating the slowest child to react.

If you have a mixed class, you could make the game a bit harder by making statements that only refer to girls OR boys.

For example:

T: Les filles se lavent (The girls have a wash): only girls do the mime.

Les garçons s’habillent (The boys get dressed): only the boys do this.

9 True or false?/ Vrai ou faux ?

Classroom management

Whole class

Skill

Listening

Aim

To revise vocabulary

Resources

Two chairs, two A4 sheets with the words ‘VRAI’ and ‘FAUX’

Adhesive tack

Step by step

1. Fix an A4 sheet with the word ‘VRAI’ (true) in bold letters to the back of one chair, and ‘FAUX’ (false) to the other.

2. Divide the class into two teams. Each team stands in a line facing the chairs, which are placed at the front, one behind the other, but with some space between them.

3. Make a statement practising the language you want to revise. The two pupils at the head of the line race to sit on the correct chair to win a point. For example, if you have been learning about special holidays, you might say:

La Saint-Valentin est en février (St Valentine’s Day is in February).

As the statement is true, the pupils at the top of the line race to sit on the ‘VRAI’ chair. The winner scores a point for his team.

4. Those two pupils then move to the back of the line.

5. Make a new statement and the pupils who are at the front compete to be first onto the correct chair.

6. The game continues until all pupils have had a go. Add up the points to find the winning team.

Écoutez bien la phrase.

Listen carefully to the sentence.

Si c’est vrai, asseyez-vous ici.

If it’s true, you sit here.

Si c’est faux, asseyez-vous là.

If it’s false, you sit there.

Comments

• The game is best played in a hall or large open space.

Here is an alternative true/false game you can play without having pupils move around. It allows you to make more challenging sentences for more able pupils, while still catering for the rest.

Divide the class into teams of three or four pupils. The teams take turns to ask you for a statement. They must choose either a one-, two- or three-point statement. The statements increase in difficulty.

For example:

T: Pour un point: Noël est en décembre (Christmas is in December).

Pour deux points: On fête Noël en hiver (We celebrate Christmas in winter).

Pour trois points: Le Père Noël apporte des œufs en chocolat (Father Christmas brings chocolate eggs).

10 Prediction/Le devin

Classroom management

Whole class

Skill

Listening (and writing and speaking)

Aim

To consolidate vocabulary

Resources

None

Step by step

1. In English, explain to pupils that in this game they have to try to predict something about you. Depending on the topic you want to revise, this could be, for example, your favourite clothes, sports, animals, vegetables, ice cream flavours, etc. You could write five items in order of preference on a piece of paper before the class begins and keep it in your pocket.

2. Pupils write on a piece of paper three items they predict will be your favourites. For example, for animals, they might write (or they could draw pictures) les lions (lions), les chevaux (horses), les singes (monkeys).

3. You read out your top five and pupils listen. They score one point if they have predicted your number 5, two points for number 4, three points for number 3, four points for number 2 and the maximum five points if they have correctly predicted your number 1 choice. If the topic is animals, you might say, for example:

T: Voici la liste de mes animaux préférés (Here’s the list of my favourite animals).

Numéro cinq, c’est les éléphants (Number 5, elephants).

Numéro quatre, c’est les vaches (Number 4, cows).

Numéro trois, c’est les tigres (Number 3, tigers).

Numéro deux, c’est les chiens (Number 2, dogs).

Et numero un, c’est … c’est … les chevaux! (And number 1 is … is … horses!)

4. Pupils add up their scores and the one with the most points is the winner.

Devinez (mes animaux préférés).

Guess (my favourite animals).

Écrivez trois prédictions.

Écoutez mon top cinq.

Write three predictions.

Listen to my top five.

Comments

• To support pupils who might find coming up with or writing the predictions a challenge, you could write ten or twenty names on the board in random order for them to choose three from.

• To add a speaking element, ask pupils to feed back their scores in French (zéro point for those who did not score). You could also play again, with pupils predicting the favourites of one of the more able pupils, who then tells the class her top five.

To make the game a bit harder, pupils could make four or five predictions.

Give your top ten instead of your top five if you want pupils to listen for longer.

11 Beep/Bip bip

Classroom management

Whole class (or small groups)