As a French Graduate, you will become the teacher and introduce younger pupils to French.

You will need to:

1. Choose a suitable topic
2. Plan a 20-minute lesson
3. Include plenty of speaking and listening
4. Create or prepare resources
5. Teach the lesson to a KS1 class
6. Be observed by the French subject specialist (Mrs Barnes)
7. Reflect on your teaching afterwards

The aim isn't to teach KS1 children lots of French. The aim is to make them confidently say and understand a small number of French words or phrases.

Possible topics:

Greetings

• Bonjour!
• Salut!
• Au revoir!
• Ça va?
• Ça va bien!

Colours

• rouge
• bleu
• vert
• jaune
• rose
• noir
• blanc

Numbers

• un–dix

Animals

• un chat
• un chien
• un lapin
• un lion
• un éléphant

Fruit

• une pomme
• une banane
• une orange
• une fraise

Weather

• Il fait chaud.
• Il fait froid.
• Il pleut.
• Il y a du soleil.

Parts of the body

• la tête
• les yeux
• le nez
• la bouche
• les oreilles

Classroom language

• écoutez
• répétez
• regardez
• asseyez-vous
• levez-vous

Lesson structure:

1. Bonjour! — 2 minutes

The pupil introduces themselves: Bonjour! Je m'appelle ______.

They teach the children to say: Bonjour! Je m'appelle...

Perhaps use a puppet or teddy to make it less intimidating.

2. Introduce the vocabulary — 5 minutes

Introduce perhaps 5–6 words maximum.

For example, animals:

🐶 un chien
🐱 un chat
🐰 un lapin
🦁 un lion
🐭 une souris

The pupil models each word.

Teacher: "Écoutez... un chien."

Children listen.

Teacher: "Répétez... un chien."

Children repeat.

Then gradually remove the support.

"Quel animal?"

Children respond:

"Un chien!"

3. Listening game — 4 minutes

Demonstrate that you can teach listening, not just get children to repeat words.

For example:

"Montrez-moi!" = show me

Place five animal pictures on the board.

"Montrez-moi le chat!" show me the cat

Children point to the correct picture.

Then make it more challenging:

"Montrez-moi le chat et le chien."

Or:

"Où est le lapin?" where is the rabbit?

4. Speaking game — 5 minutes

For example, "Devinez!" guess

Secretly choose an animal.

Children ask:

"Un chien?"

Teacher:

"Oui!" / "Non!"

Or the teacher shows a picture and asks:

"Quel animal?"

Children answer:

"Un lion!"

Alternatively, children could take turns asking each other.

5. Final challenge — 3 minutes

Finish with a little "Can you remember?" challenge.

Show pictures one at a time and children say the French.

Then perhaps remove the pictures.

"What is this?"

The children have to recall the word without visual support.

Finally:

"Très bien! Au revoir!"

• What went well?
• What did the children learn?
• What was the most successful activity? Why?
• What would I change if I taught the lesson again?
• What did I learn about being a teacher?
• Would you like to be a French teacher? Explain why or why not.