Hero image

thefrenchwhisperer

Average Rating4.46
(based on 198 reviews)

A few years ago, I retired from my position as head of Modern Languages, a bit fearful of the "R" word. But to date, it has been nothing but fun! Canadian law requires school-aged actors to study with a qualified teacher when they’re off-camera. Many of our young actors are in immersion French so I've found a happy little niche, teaching a few days a week as an on-set tutor and moving in inspiring and creative circles! Furthermore, I get to share resources here! Vive la retraite!

221Uploads

203k+Views

63k+Downloads

A few years ago, I retired from my position as head of Modern Languages, a bit fearful of the "R" word. But to date, it has been nothing but fun! Canadian law requires school-aged actors to study with a qualified teacher when they’re off-camera. Many of our young actors are in immersion French so I've found a happy little niche, teaching a few days a week as an on-set tutor and moving in inspiring and creative circles! Furthermore, I get to share resources here! Vive la retraite!
Lollipop Puzzle (practising the IR verb endings in the present tense)
CarlavCarlav

Lollipop Puzzle (practising the IR verb endings in the present tense)

(0)
Even some of my advanced learners still trip over the IR present tense endings. So, I've built a few little activities that look like puzzles but are really just sneaky ways to get students to write out the verbs in context. This is one of them. It incorporates forms of the following verbs: atterrir choisir démolir finir grandir maigrir obéir punir ralentir réfléchir remplir réussir rougir vieillir vomir If you like this activity, please let me know and I will post more like it.
Express yourself! (Clothing)
CarlavCarlav

Express yourself! (Clothing)

(0)
In this small-group activity, Fate (the dice) will determine which garment your students must describe. Express yourself! is a relaxed way to reinforce lessons on adjectives and to encourage your students to participate in class. If you'd like to extend the lesson to written work, just assign some dice co-ordinates (ie: •• x •••• or •••• x •)
Magic message: a Christmas riddle
CarlavCarlav

Magic message: a Christmas riddle

(0)
These magic message riddles will serve as instant Christmas cards for your students if you print them on card stock. The riddles resemble QR codes until you raise them to eye level and read the “magical messages” from bottom - indicated by a red number - to top. There are four cards to the page. Decades ago, these things took me forever and a day to draw by hand. But then I could legitimately challenge my students to draw a message of their own. Nowadays, I use the computer so they just take forever. However, I’ve lost the moral authority to launch my drawing challenge. But the “wow” moment when a student actually sees the message still makes it worthwhile. If you’d like more resources on this theme, just type “Christmas” into the search window of my shop: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/shop/Carlav
LES FRUITS (1 puzzle vaut 1000 mots)
CarlavCarlav

LES FRUITS (1 puzzle vaut 1000 mots)

(0)
Imprimez et découpez ces puzzles pour que vos élèves puissent les reconstruire. Par l’effet d’osmose, les enfants apprendront à lire et écrire le mot illustré tout en jouant. Engage your pupils with reading (and writing) through play by  printing and cutting out these puzzles for them to solve. Le premier dossier comprend les puzzles en lettres minuscules;  le deuxième comprend les puzzles en lettres majuscules.
FRENCH GAME: Joyeuses Pâques!
CarlavCarlav

FRENCH GAME: Joyeuses Pâques!

(0)
C’est touchant ressemble un peu à Boggle™.) This C’est Touchant! puzzle for Easter is a Boggle™ with a twist. Embedded in the game grid are 8 French words on the Pâques theme and 70 more general vocabulary words. The file includes • a “how to play” guide • a full colour puzzle • 4 small B&W copies of the grid for teachers who are trying to cut back on photocopying costs • a thematic vocabulary  • the answer key Because the English version of the game, Hippity, Hoppity, Easter’s on its Way, has been warmly received, this French version has been on my “to do” list forever. Thank you for your patience. La fiche, Comment jouer, explique les règles du jeu en français.
Christmas Singalong & triangle puzzle
CarlavCarlav

Christmas Singalong & triangle puzzle

(0)
My sister and her writing partner have given me permission to share their happy new Christmas song with other teachers. So, to spark a seasonal singalong, I’ve made a karaoke version of BABY, BABY, IT FEELS LIKE CHRISTMA for your students. P.S. I’ve also included a triangle puzzle based on the lyrics and, of course, the lyric sheets. (Triangle puzzles make wonderful cooperative activities.) May your well-deserved Christmas holidays be joyful, relaxing, and . . . restorative. Merry Christmas!
LES LÉGUMES (1 puzzle vaut 1000 mots)
CarlavCarlav

LES LÉGUMES (1 puzzle vaut 1000 mots)

(0)
Imprimez et découpez ces puzzles pour que vos élèves puissent les reconstruire. Par l’effet d’osmose, les enfants apprendront à lire et écrire le mot illustré tout en jouant. Engage your pupils with reading (and writing) through play by  printing and cutting out these puzzles for them to solve. Le premier dossier comprend les puzzles en lettres minuscules;  le deuxième comprend les puzzles en lettres majuscules . le poivron le broccoli les pois le maïs la carotte le céleri la tomate (Même si, en effet, la tomate est un fruit!)
A tongue-in-cheek  French "Valentine" MOTDOKU6 (simplified word sudoku)
CarlavCarlav

A tongue-in-cheek French "Valentine" MOTDOKU6 (simplified word sudoku)

(0)
Warning: This is an ironic "Valentine" puzzle in the spirit of Goscinny's classic "Djodjo" For those who find the usual Valentine’s fare too saccharine, this MOTDOKU6 features 6 decidedly unsentimental expressions. 1 Ta gueule! (Shut up!) 2 Tais-toi! (Shut up!) 3 J’en ai marre! (I’ve had enough!) 4 Je m’en fiche! (I don’t care!) 5 Va t’en! (Go away!) 6 Décampe! (Get out of here!)
Ta da! An INSTANT SUMMER HOLIDAYS LANGUAGE LESSON
CarlavCarlav

Ta da! An INSTANT SUMMER HOLIDAYS LANGUAGE LESSON

(0)
This resource is for teachers of English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, or any modern language, who desperately need a meaningful, instant lesson. Assign it as quiet seat work to the whole class or to individuals. Or, if you’d like a bit of fun and noise, turn it into group work with each team racing to complete the most accurate answer sheet! There are answer keys provided for English, French, and Dutch. The theme of this INSTANT LANGUAGE LESSON is “Summer Holidays”. If you would like me to make an INSTANT LANGUAGE LESSON on an other theme, please let me know.
Some more little Christmas rebus puzzles.
CarlavCarlav

Some more little Christmas rebus puzzles.

(0)
As you count down to the holidays, you might like these four little Christmas-themed rebus puzzles as icebreakers or fillers. Thanks to their mad texting skills, today’s kids get the principle behind rebus puzzles intuitively but I’ve included a “how-to” page nonetheless. Heads up! Biblical though one of the terms in puzzle # 4 may be, I would reserve it for older students. The solution is, “Let us go for a sleigh ride” and, as you can see in the preview, the picture clues include a (jack)ass.
Message magique: devinette pour L'Action de Grâce
CarlavCarlav

Message magique: devinette pour L'Action de Grâce

(0)
Magic message puzzles resemble QR codes until you raise them to eye level and read the “magical message” from bottom - indicated by a red number - to top. There are four cards to the page. Decades ago, these things took me forever and a day to draw by hand. But then I could legitimately challenge my students to draw a message of their own. Nowadays, I use the computer. Fortunately, that means that they now just take an hour to make. Unfortunately, my use of technology means that I have lost all moral authority to issue my drawing challenge. But the “wow” moment when a student actually sees the message still makes creating these things very worthwhile! I am a Canadian teacher and not sure if I have chosen the proper categories for this resource. Please let me know if I should revisit my choice. Nous, les Canadiens, nous célébrons L’Action de grâce le deuxième lundi d’octobre. Aux États-unis on célèbre “Thanksgiving” le quatrième jeudi de novembre.
FRENCH MOTDOKU6: St-Valentin
CarlavCarlav

FRENCH MOTDOKU6: St-Valentin

(0)
This revised Motdoku6 features the following thematic vocabulary. 1 les chocolats 2 Cupidon 3 le bouquet 4 l’amitié 5 février 6 mon petit coeur
Le jour du souvenir (Imagique)
CarlavCarlav

Le jour du souvenir (Imagique)

(0)
Pour déchiffrer les mots cachés dans ce mots croisés visuel, écris la première lettre de la première image dans sa case dans la petite grille. (Attention! Dans un mots croisés les accents sont ignorés.) Continue de cette façon pour toutes les images et tu découvriras un nouveau mot.
Message magique pour motiver: VOULOIR, C’EST POUVOIR!
CarlavCarlav

Message magique pour motiver: VOULOIR, C’EST POUVOIR!

(0)
These message cards are just little ice-breakers. They look a bit like QR codes until you raise them to eye level and read the “magical messages” from bottom (indicated by a number) to top.  Decades ago, these things took me forever and a day to draw by hand. But then I could legitimately challenge my students to draw a message of their own. Nowadays, I use the computer so they just take forever. However, I’ve lost the moral authority to launch my drawing challenge. But the “wow” moment when a student actually sees the message still makes it worthwhile. If you print your magical messages on card stock you can also use them as little reward records. Once my students accumulate ten stickers or stamps on the back of their magic message card, they redeem the card for a small treat or a bonus point on a future test.
A Shakespearean insults Wordoku6  (An antidote to cloying Valentine's sentiment)
CarlavCarlav

A Shakespearean insults Wordoku6 (An antidote to cloying Valentine's sentiment)

(0)
Warning: This simplified word sudoku is for those who find the usual Valentine’s fare far too saccharine. It features 6 decidedly unsentimental Shakespearean insults: 1 Thou dost infect mine eyes! RICHARD III, ACT I, SCENE II 2 Light of brain! OTHELLO, ACT IV, SCENE I 3 Thou art a … plague sore! KING LEAR, ACT II, SCENE II 4 Foul fiend Flibbertigibbet KING LEAR, ACT III, SCENE IV 5 You bull’s pizzle. HENRY IV, Part I, ACT II, SCENE IV 6 Would thou wouldst burst! TIMON OF ATHENS, ACT IV, SCENE III If your students like this kind of activity, please let me know and I will make more like it.
Petit  casse-tête (Petit Papa Noël)
CarlavCarlav

Petit casse-tête (Petit Papa Noël)

(0)
Ah, les chants de Noël! En ce moment, on les entend partout - à la radio, au centre commercial, à la télé - et tout le temps! Et voici, pour vos étudiants, un petit casse-tête basé sur le chant de Noël populaire, Petit Papa Noël.
Inspiré
CarlavCarlav

Inspiré

(0)
Here are fifteen of my favourite old (and new) maxims for French students. Most are inspirational. Some are just for fun. A few are both at once. Once a few of these posters have provoked your students’ interest, ask them to find an inspirational quote of their own to illustrate. Have them include their photo in a corner of the poster. The secondary “source” of the quote tends to generate as much interest as the maxim itself. Note: The last quote has been a personal favourite since I was a student. However, this particular bit of wisdom by Michel de Montaigne is probably not appropriate for your classroom walls. I'm always grateful for (positive!) feedback.
Les mots coupés (Jour du Souvenir)
CarlavCarlav

Les mots coupés (Jour du Souvenir)

(0)
In this virtual race, players have to reconstitute words that have been broken into pieces and scattered over the game grid in order to find “l’intrus”. Si vous voulez prolonger la leçon, demandez à vos élèves d’écrire un paragraphe au sujet du Jour du Souvenir qui comprend tous les mots coupés et l’intrus. Les mots coupés sont: 1 honneur (m.) 2 clairon (m.) 3 soldat (m.) 4 fusil (m.) 5 silence (m.) 6 combat (m.) 7 devoir (m.) 8 prière (f.) 9 héros (m.) 10 tranchée (f.) 11 obus (m.) 12 courage (m.) L’intrus: PAIX (f.)