Bienvenue en cours de français! Welcome to French class!

We are off to a fantastique start to the school year!  French students have been learning and doing a lot so far during this first trimester.  Here is a look at what each grade level is up to:

Third Grade:
As this is our first year learning French, we are focusing on the basics.  At this point, we can introduce ourselves and have a basic conversation including asking and telling names and how we’re doing.  We can also count to ten in French.  Next we will learn higher numbers and months, so that we can identify dates, including our birthdays.

​We have also learned to pronounce the alphabet in French, and are working on spelling our first names in French.  To help us learn (and to move our bodies for a brain break), we learned a chant with movements for chunks of letters.  Here is Mrs. Brutcher’s class performing our chant.  The photos are from Mr. Mali’s class, when they were working on an activity in which they had to figure out if some math equations (written with the French words) were true or false.

Fourth Grade:
We started the year reviewing some basic conversations, including asking and telling names and how we’re doing.  We’ve learned the French terms for several popular sports, and are learning how to express our opinions on sports (if we like them or not) and why (it’s exciting / it’s boring / etc.).  I am very impressed with everyone’s ability to say and write sentences about the sports people like and don’t like, as well as to understand spoken and written texts on this subject. 

​Here are some fourth graders from Ms. Brown’s class interviewing each other in French about what sports they like.  Also, some of Ms. Magin’s students putting together picture cards to then say their own sentences in French about what sports various people like or don’t like.

Fifth Grade:
We have already had two years of French, so we didn’t have to spend too much time reviewing the expressions for a basic conversation (asking and telling names and how we’re doing).  We also did a little review of colors, and we’ve been singing our favorite song, “Léon le Caméléon”.
Now, we are learning about weather expressions and extreme weather / natural disasters.  (Unfortunately, this is a very timely topic.)  Two classes even read an article in French about Hurricane Irma, and many students were surprised how much they were able to comprehend, thanks to their prior knowledge of the situation, use of cognates, and numbers / statistics in the text.  (The other two classes did not have time for this, as they lost out on several classes due to  the eclipse, Irma, etc.)
Here is a photo of the Core Value posters that the students of Ms. Stevens’ class made.  I’m grateful for them for their work, as all the French students get to enjoy it!

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Sixth Grade:
We are off to a great start this year, and the students are all showing their enthusiasm for French!  We have been learning the French words for wild animals, as well as how to describe them (body parts, patterns, etc.).

Now, students are imagining crazy animals of their own.  This project has just started, so check back to see photos once they’re done!


Seventh Grade:
These students have decided to embark on a two-year program to earn a high school credit for French I.  So far, I am very impressed with their motivation and dedication!  I know we will have a wonderful two years together.

We are working on our first unit, and since most of these students have already been exposed to French the past three years, some of this has been review.  Students can have a basic conversation, express their likes and dislikes, and give their opinions.  Although this sounds a lot like what the students in the younger grades have been learning, the seventh-graders have learned additional expressions to express themselves more thoroughly.  They have also learned cultural information about non-verbal greetings and other French customs.
Here are some photos of the students reading conversations in French.  They are enjoying themselves, reading in silly voices.

Eighth Grade:
We have finished the first year of the French I curriculum, and are off to a strong start to this year.  We began by reviewing the things we learned last year.  Now we are in our second unit, all about fun things we do and where in town we can do them.  Students have been reading, writing, listening and speaking very well; they can handle whatever I teach them.  We laugh a lot and learn together!

​The photos are from the project students did to wrap up the review unit.  Students had to make posters of their French names, and representing things they they are interested in.  They then had to present their project and talk a bit about themselves and some people in their families, all in French.  They did a wonderful job!