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thefrenchwhisperer

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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!

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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!
10 Bears (Almost) Go on a Picnic
CarlavCarlav

10 Bears (Almost) Go on a Picnic

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10 BEARS (ALMOST) GO ON A PICNIC is a story for anyone, young or old, who has ever cherished a teddy bear or stuffie. It’s about love, loyalty, teddy bears, and counting to ten. The link to the story and the downloadable TRIANGLE PUZZLE that accompanies it are included in this resource. If you and your students like 10 BEARS (ALMOST) GO ON A PICNIC, we would truly appreciate your feedback.
10 OURS PARTENT EN PIQUE-NIQUE
CarlavCarlav

10 OURS PARTENT EN PIQUE-NIQUE

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10 OURS PARTENT EN PIQUE-NIQUE pour tous ceux, jeunes ou moins jeunes, qui ont déjà chéri un ours en peluche ou un doudou. Voilà une histoire d’amour, de loyauté, de nounours, et de compter jusqu’à dix. Le lien vers l’histoire et le PDF du PUZZLE TARSIA qui l’accompagne sont inclus dans cette ressource. Si vos étudiants aiment 10 OURS PARTENT EN PIQUE-NIQUE, nous apprécierons votre feedback.
WORDOKU6: EARTH DAY
CarlavCarlav

WORDOKU6: EARTH DAY

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As your students complete these WORDOKU6: EARTH DAY game grids, they “write out” and review their Earth Day vocabulary without even realizing it! The file comprises two 6x6 word sudoku puzzles, a simple version and a slightly more challenging one. If you’re not sure if this game is right for your students, please do a test run by trying the free MOTDOKU6 CHRISTMAS puzzle: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-11448792 The LEVEL 1 game uses the following vocabulary: 1 sun 2 water 3 trees 4 recyclable 5 wind 6 Earth In LEVEL 2, the focus is on the following vocabulary: 1 geothermal energy 2 wind power 3 composting 4 solar power 5 renewable 6 reusable bag
MOTDOKU6: JOUR DE LA TERRE
CarlavCarlav

MOTDOKU6: JOUR DE LA TERRE

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As your students complete these MOTDOKU6: JOUR DE LA TERRE game grids, they “write out” and learn their Earth Day vocabulary without even realizing it! The file comprises two 6x6 word sudoku puzzles, a simple version and a slightly more challenging one. If you’re not sure if this game is right for your students, please do a test run by trying a free MOTDOKU6 puzzle: MOTDOKU6: LA SAINT-VALENTIN  https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12068245 MOTDOKU6: NOËL  https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-11448787 MOTDOKU6: JOUR DE LA TERRE comprend deux jeux MOTDOKU simplifiés. Veuillez, s.v.p., téléchargez un MOTDOKU6 gratuit (voir ci-dessus) pour vous assurer que ces jeux conviennent à vos élèves. Le jeu de NIVEAU 1 fait travailler le vocabulaire suivant. 1 le soleil 2 l’eau 3 les arbres (m.) 4 recyclable 5 le vent 6 la Terre Le jeu de NIVEAU 2 fait travailler le vocabulaire ci-dessous: 1 un sac réutilisable 2 l’énergie éolienne 3 composter 4 l’énergie solaire 5 renouvelable 6 l’énergie verte
LE NOUVEL AN CHINOIS (Un jeu qui ressemble un peu à Boggle™.)
CarlavCarlav

LE NOUVEL AN CHINOIS (Un jeu qui ressemble un peu à Boggle™.)

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This "C’est Touchant!” puzzle for Le Nouvel An Chinois is a Boggle™ with a twist. Embedded in the game grid are 11 French words on the theme of Chinese New Year and 100 more general vocabulary words. 4 mini-grids are included for teachers who are trying to cut back on photocopying costs The file includes • a “how to play” guide • a full colour puzzle • 4 mini-grids for teachers trying to cut back on photocopying • a thematic vocabulary • the answer key • la fiche, Comment jouer, qui explique les règles du jeu en français. • and links to 3 other very worthwhile resources on the same theme
Peppa Siffle (Un jeu tarsia / A  triangle puzzle
CarlavCarlav

Peppa Siffle (Un jeu tarsia / A triangle puzzle

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The French episodes of Peppa the Pig are a rich and engaging resource for both FSL and immersion students. This puzzle complements the episode, PEPPA APPREND À SIFFLER. The objective is to match the sentence fragments printed on the edges of the triangles in order to reconstitute the picture of the pig and the 12 statements about the episode. Les épisodes français de Peppa sont une ressource précieuse pour les étudiants en français langue seconde et en immersion. Cette activité accompagne l’épisode “Peppa apprend à siffler”. L’objectif est de faire correspondre les fragments de phrases imprimées sur les bords des triangles afin de reconstituer l’image du cochon et les 12 énoncés concernant l’épisode. Le jeu encouragera vos étudiants à lire en contexte et à s’entraider pour trouver les solutions. L’activité peut également servir de matériel d’enrichissement pour les étudiants individuels. To be sure that this kind of activity is right for your students, download the free tarsia puzzle, LE FUTUR SIMPLE https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-6450469
VALENTINE’S DAY (A TRIANGLE PUZZLE)
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VALENTINE’S DAY (A TRIANGLE PUZZLE)

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VALENTINE’S DAY (A TRIANGLE PUZZLE) focuses on friendship and fun rather than romance. It asks students to match the sentence fragments and Q and As printed along the edges of the triangles. In so doing, they will reconstitute  25 statements about friendship and Valentine’s Day and “build” a heart. Here are five of the reconstituted solutions: • You’re like a calculator; I can always count on you. • Yo, magnet! That paperclip thinks you’re really attractive. • I am so lucky to be your friend! • There’s nothing better than a friend unless it’s a friend with chocolate. • Friend, you mean the world to me. To be sure that this kind of activity is right for your students, downloadi the free “Christmas Singalong TRIANGLE puzzle” here: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12764890 In the unlikely event that you have any cheeky children in your class, double-cutting your triangles will outmanoeuvre any player who might prefer matching paper edges to matching ideas!
LA SAINT-VALENTIN (jeu tarsia/ triangle puzzle)
CarlavCarlav

LA SAINT-VALENTIN (jeu tarsia/ triangle puzzle)

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Students have to match the sentence fragments and Q and As printed along the edges of the triangles in this puzzle. In so doing, they will reconstitute the following  25  statements on the themes of friendship and Valentine’s Day and “build” a heart Cette année je vais envoyer des cartes numériques. J’ai beaucoup de chance d’avoir un(e) ami(e) comme toi! Petit bandit! Tu as volé mon coeur. Prends-moi dans tes bras. = Fais-moi un calin. Je t’aime un peu . . . beaucoup … À LA FOLIE! un ours en peluche = image d’un ours en peluche S.t.p., ne joue pas avec mon coeur! le petit Cupidon = image d’un Cupidon Pourquoi la St-Valentin est-elle la fête préférée de M. Hershey et M. Cadbury? Il lui demande en mariage. [+ image] Papa offre des fleurs à Maman! Malheureusement, ce sont des dents-de-lion! Tu es comme une calculatrice; je peux toujours compter sur toi! Quelle fleur symbolise l’amour? La rose rouge. Que vas-tu faire pour Maman le 14 fevrier? Le petit déjeuner au lit! Tu es mon ami(e) parce que tu es très sympa. Ce bonbon est un coeur de conversation. [+ image] Ma recette pour un dîner romantique? image d’une boîte de dîner Kraft. Voici l’acrostiche d’un mot important: Aimable, Magnifique, Imaginatif Un admirateur secret t’achète une boîte de chocolat! Un synonyme de copain / copine est ami / amie. Je t’aime gros comme ça! [+ image] C’est toi et moi pour toujours! “x,x,x” a la fin d’ une lettre = bisou, bisou, bisou Mon meilleur ami / Ma meilleure amie? C’est toi, bien sûr! Chaque [image d’un chat + k] seconde passé avec toi est un moment de bonheur! LA SAINT-VALENTIN (JEU TARSIA/TRIANGLE PUZZLE) est une activité coopérative. Elle encouragera vos étudiants à se focaliser et à s’entraider pour trouver les solutions ci-dessus. To be sure that this activity is right for your students, please download the free “futur simple” triangle puzzle at: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-6450469 Si vous cherchez un puzzle tarsia un peu plus difficile pour vos étudiants plus avancés, je vous propose COUP DE COEUR: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-12965687
COUP DE COEUR (jeu tarsia pour la Saint-Valentin)
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COUP DE COEUR (jeu tarsia pour la Saint-Valentin)

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COUP DE COEUR (jeu tarsia pour la Saint-Valentin) is a cooperative activity that has a lot of heart! Students have to match the sentence fragments and Q and As printed along the edges of the triangles in order to reconstitute the 25 sentences below and to “build” a heart. CITATIONS ET EXPRESSIONS IDIOMATIQUES 1 Le coeur a ses raisons que la raison ne connalt pas. (Blaise Pascal) 2. On ne voit bien qu’avec le coeur. L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux. (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry) 3. Le coeur n’est pas une voiture qu’on peut dirigier. (Sivi) 4. II faut avoir un coeur pour comprendre celui d’autrui. (Gustave Flaubert) 5 avoir le coeur sur la main = être généreux 6. avoir un coeur d’artichaut = tomber vite et souvent amoureux 7. Vous faites vos devoirs à contrecoeur; vous n’avez pas envie de les faire. 8. Le mot “courage” dérive du mot “coeur”. 9. au coeur de = en plein milieu 10. avoir mal au coeur = avoir envie de vomir 11. Selon moi, Ia restauration rapide est écoeurante . . . vraiment dégoûtante! 12. Dès qu’il a vu Juliette, Romeo a eu un coup de coeur. 13. du fond du coeur = très sincèrement 14. le coeur me manque = je suis découragé. 15. Il y a quelqu’un que tu ne portes pas dans ton coeur. Tu le détestes. 16. apprendre par coeur = mémoriser 17. être de tout cceur avec quelqu’un = partager ses sentiments 18. prendre une critique trop à coeur = Ia prendre trop personnellemt 19. ouvrir son coeur = révéler ses sentiments secrets 20. en avoir gros sur le coeur = être triste 21. un chouur (illustré) 22. un coeur (illustré) 23. Un sourire cordial vient du coeur. 24. Tu es comme une calculatrice; je peux toujours compter sur toi! 25. Ce petit bonbon est un coeur de conversation (illustré) COUP DE COEUR (jeu tarsia pour la Saint-Valentin) est une activité coopérative. Sur les bords de chaque triangle, il y a soit le début, soit la fin d’un énoncé qui a pour thème, “le coeur”. Vos étudiants doivent les jumeler afin de reconstituer les 25 énoncés et . . . l’image du coeur. To be sure that tarsia puzzles are right for your students, please judge for yourself by downloading the free “futur simple” triangle puzzle at:   https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-6450469
La Saint-Valentin: DIRE OU INTERDIRE?
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La Saint-Valentin: DIRE OU INTERDIRE?

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DIRE OU INTERDIRE? is a bit like “Taboo” and can be played 2 ways. If your students are confident in French, have them play according to traditional Taboo® rules. If your students are uncomfortable giving clues, turn the rules upside down. Have your students use the words beneath the red and green banner in their descriptions! This topsy-turvy approach encourages and empowers everyone to participate. You won’t believe what a positive game-changer it is. The green stars indicate challenging cards. It’s usually a good idea for you as the teacher to announce that you will accept synonyms like 'un palet” or 'un disque” for 'une rondelle”. The cards are designed to be run on business card sheets or card stock. As it is suitable for French as a First Language, Immersion, Extended and advanced Core French students, it can be played at many grade levels.
LIRE et RIRE
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LIRE et RIRE

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This variation on the old SNAKES AND LADDERS board game will ease your students (and you!) back into work mode. It requires students to read, listen, and pronounce carefully in French. And to be creative! Voici le bon vieux jeu de société, SERPENTS ET ÉCHELLES, réinventé pour adoucir la rentrée (qui arrive toujours trop vite pour les enfants . . . et les profs). Le jeu demande aux étudiants de lire et écouter attentivement, de bien prononcer les textes et de faire preuve de créativité!
JOYEUX NOËL: a French sentence-building game
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JOYEUX NOËL: a French sentence-building game

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Warning: JOYEUX NOËL includes several juvenile jokes about reindeer poop . . . the chocolate Christmas snack not the actual reindeer droppings. If you are already peeling your students off the ceiling, do not play this game. And definitely don’t make and share any reindeer poop using the super simple, 3-ingredient recipe included. ZIPLINE PHRASES are sentence-building games full of humour and serious learning. Students work in teams to build sentences by connecting any two dialogue balls directly linked by a straight line. Each ball may only be used once per sentence. All sentences must be (relatively) logical! JOYEUX NOËL will encourage your students to think in context and to speak and / or write in full sentences.
Le vocabulaire de Noël illustré et prononcé
CarlavCarlav

Le vocabulaire de Noël illustré et prononcé

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In this videoclip, the following Christmas vocabulary is modeled slowly and timed to allow your students to repeat each expression. l’arbre de Noël / le sapin le bas de Noël le bonhomme de neige la boule de Noël / la décoration la bûche de Noël le cadeau / la surprise la canne de Noël le casse-noisette les chandelles (f.) le chant de Noël les choristes (m.) de Noël / les chanteurs (m.) de Noël les cloches (f.) la couronne la crèche la dinde l’église l’étoile (f.) le gâteau aux fruits le gui le houx les jeux (m.) les jouets (m.) le lait de poule les lumières de Noël (f.) le lutin la magie de Noël la neige le pain d’épice la paix le papier d’emballage la papillote de Noël / le pétard de Noël le Père Noël le poinsettia / l’étoile de Noël (f.) le pôle nord le renne les rois (m.) Mages le traîneau la veille de Noël le vitrail You can download it; here’s the YouTube link: https://youtu.be/DkgPfJXTlzA The same vocabulary is the basis for the activity, QU’EST-CE QUI MANQUE ICI (NOËL): https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-12942690
Le vocabulaire de Noël: un jeu
CarlavCarlav

Le vocabulaire de Noël: un jeu

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Thanks to the accumulative-repetitive nature of  QU’EST-CE QUI MANQUE ICI?, your pupils will master their vocabulaire de Noël.  QQMI is a Kim’s game. Students are asked to remember and call out the Christmas expressions that have disappeared from the mix. A joyful whole-class activity that will get everyone involved! A quick demo video: https://youtu.be/LsoHHmUHjKM Le vocabulaire l’arbre de Noël / le sapin le bas de Noël le bonhomme de neige la boule de Noël / la décoration la bûche de Noël le cadeau / la surprise la canne de Noël le casse-noisette les chandelles (f.) le chant de Noël les choristes (m.) de Noël / les chanteurs (m.) de Noël les cloches (f.) la couronne la crèche la dinde l’église l’étoile (f.) le gâteau aux fruits le gui le houx les jeux (m.) les jouets (m.) le lait de poule les lumières de Noël (f.) le lutin la magie de Noël la neige le pain d’épice la paix le papier d’emballage la papillote de Noël / le pétard de Noël le Père Noël le poinsettia / l’étoile de Noël (f.) le pôle nord le renne les rois (m.) Mages le traîneau la veille de Noël le vitrail Appropriate for young French First Language and Immersion pupils and for students in Core French. Here’s a quick demo video: https://youtu.be/LsoHHmUHjKM
Mes cadeaux de Noël (2 games + audio file + transcript)
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Mes cadeaux de Noël (2 games + audio file + transcript)

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Audio-lingua’s short recording of seven-year-old Ethan joyfully listing his cadeaux de Noël inspired these 2 disparate games. In ZIPLINE PHRASES, students work in teams to build sentences by connecting any two dialogue balls directly linked by a straight line. Each ball may be used only once per sentence. All sentences must be (relatively) logical! MDR! The game encourages students to think in context and speak and write complete sentences. It also offers a built-in homework opportunity BLOCS DE CONSTRUCTION is another sentence-building game. The “blocs” can be cut out and used as manipulatives or your students can work directly from the printable. An annotated transcript of the clip is included in both files. https://audio-lingua.ac-versailles.fr/spip.php?article8484 Joyeuses fêtes, tout le monde!
A Peppa sentence-building game  (French)
CarlavCarlav

A Peppa sentence-building game (French)

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Zipline Phrases is a sentence-building game full of sly humour and serious learning. Students work in teams to build sentences by connecting any two dialogue balls directly linked by a straight line. Each ball may only be used once per sentence. All sentences must be (relatively) logical! MDR! The game encourages students to think in context and speak and / or write full sentences. It also offers a built-in homework opportunity. I recommend playing this Zipline Phrases game after you watch the Peppa episode, “À la recherche de Monsieur Dinosaure”.
Christmas Singalong & triangle puzzle
CarlavCarlav

Christmas Singalong & triangle puzzle

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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!
R U A Code Cracker? (Hallowe'en work)
CarlavCarlav

R U A Code Cracker? (Hallowe'en work)

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Dutch primary schools are using Montessori pegboards to introduce children to coding work. The colours and numbers of the code reveal a pattern. Pupils must work the code, line by line, to build the surprise picture. Since not every classroom has pegboards, I’ve reworked the principle as a “paper-and-coloured-pencil” activity for individuals or pairs. P.S. I protested to my resident IT guru that it seemed a stretch to call this “coding” as it looked more like a knitting or weaving pattern to me. “Well,” he answered, "The punch cards of the Jacquard loom were direct ancestors of those in early computers”. I stand corrected!
Ta da! An INSTANT SUMMER HOLIDAYS LANGUAGE LESSON
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Ta da! An INSTANT SUMMER HOLIDAYS LANGUAGE LESSON

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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.
Pâques (jeu tarsia / triangle puzzle)
CarlavCarlav

Pâques (jeu tarsia / triangle puzzle)

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Sur les bords de chaque triangle, on trouve soit le début, soit la fin d’un énoncé au sujet de Pâques. Vos étudiants doivent les jumeller afin de reconstituer les 25 énoncés et la tête du lapin de Pâque. Cette activité coopérative encouragera vos étudiants à se focaliser et à s’entraider pour trouver des faits comme . . . • Un jeune lapin est un lapereau. • Dans le film, HOP, le fils du Lapin de Pâques veut devenir batteur dans un groupe de rock. • Que cherches-tu dans le jardin à Pâques? Des oeufs au chocolat! • Le lis de Pâques est une fleur blanche. • La fée des dents & le lapin de Pâques sont des personnages imaginaires. Déchiffre ce message: 7 1 9 ! C’est un oeuf! Students have to match the sentence fragments printed on the edges of the triangles to reconstitute the 25 statements about Easter and to “sculpt” the Easter Bunny’s head. Although designed as a co-operative activity, it will also work well as an enrichment task for individual students. Suitable for francophone, immersion, and advanced core French students. To be sure that this activity is right for your students, download the free "futur simple triangle puzzle at: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/resource-6450469