A passionate MFL and Media teacher for over 30 years, I am also a co-author of Expo 1 & 2 and am still involved in commercial textbook writing. I was an Advanced Skills Teacher for Modern Languages, running successful workshops for teachers.
You will find here a range of resources for French and German teaching, mainly for 11-16 year olds.
Plus some A-Level Media Studies and general learning resources.
Based on over 30 years' classroom experience in the non-selective secondary state sector.
A passionate MFL and Media teacher for over 30 years, I am also a co-author of Expo 1 & 2 and am still involved in commercial textbook writing. I was an Advanced Skills Teacher for Modern Languages, running successful workshops for teachers.
You will find here a range of resources for French and German teaching, mainly for 11-16 year olds.
Plus some A-Level Media Studies and general learning resources.
Based on over 30 years' classroom experience in the non-selective secondary state sector.
A page of ideas for a Language celebration event.
This can be a basis for discussion if you are organising a school languages celebration event.
Ideas for a day or a week. Assembly, after school or in-school events. Lunchtime clubs.
Fun activities with an MFL Languages Focus.
Contains links to some of my resources uploaded on this site.
Card game to practice 20 adjectives.
Instructions are on the cards.
Just click to reveal each card.
It’s a Powerpoint template so you can edit the cards to add words of your choice. Just slide the ‘back’ of the card out of the way.
Think about the category points. Rarer, harder and sophisticated words are worth more.
This resource idea can be customized and adapted for use at any level - beginners to advanced.
Media Studies revision words for A-Level, Year 12.
This is a free sample selection of 72 words. (8 pages)
The pages can be folded over, borders trimmed and then laminated.
They can then be cut into revision cards. Keyword on one side, definition on the other.
They are designed to be used in class with pupils reading definitions or key words to each other. Also good for study circles and for use with learning buddies.
An ideal resource for ‘taboo’ or card games - see below for a card game idea which always works well.
The full set of cards (387 key words) is also available for £3. Copy and paste the following link:
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/media-studies-revision-keywords-for-a-level-year-12-11264600
Another set of cards, suitable for y13, is in production.
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Revision Card game instructions - ideally players sit in a table of 4, as for a card game. A pile of about 30 cards is formed, with the keyword facing downwards. Player A holds the pack and reads, to player B on his/her left, the definition on the top card, making sure the others don’t see the answer. Player A reads the definition to player B, who is the player to his/her left. If player B knows the answer, s(he) says it and wins the card. Player B then takes the pile and reads the top one to Player C on his/her left. If they get the keyword right they win the card. And so on.
If a player does not know the keyword or gets it wrong, the question passes on to the next person (anticlockwise) until someone says the correct answer. If no-one gets it, the player asking the question reads the correct answer and places the card at the bottom of the pile.
When all the cards in the pile have been played, players add up how many cards they have won.
4 pages of activities based around famous brands, logos and their literal German translations.
The resource includes answers to all the activities.
Differentiated activities suitable for near-beginners up to more advanced learners.
A fun filler activity. A nice end of term or start of term resource. A distraction from the assessment grind.
A starter activity or full lesson based on Evian Baby Me Commercial 2013.
The starter activity is the first task. The resource contains a number of follow-up activities.
The clip is available on Youtube
Suitable for ages 12+
Included also: An answer sheet, an extension idea and vocabulary sheet.
There’s enough material here for a lesson starter or it can be extended to a full lesson.
A great piece of film-making. Pupils are also directed to watch the ‘Making of’ clip.
Video clips are ideal for ‘Pause pounce predict and bounce questioning’
UFTEL Resources - Using Film To Explore Language - help to contextualize vocabulary, celebrate the art of good film-making and channel pupils’ visual and observational skills.
Here are a few ideas for exploiting longer glossary lists in MFL.
These are often found for example in exam board specified content or other PDF/Word documents.
The content needs to be divided into manageable chunks.
It can then be converted into games, post-its, flashcards, Quizlet etc.
A 28-page booklet based around the film ‘Mr Bean’s Holiday’ (Bendelack, 2007)
Although the film is English, it provides lots of opportunities to discuss aspects of French life and explore French vocabulary in context.
The activities are graded by difficulty , and are suitable for 11 -15 year olds.
The resource could be given to pupils as a three week study/project module.
The pupils’ booklet includes a 7 page alphabetical vocabulary glossary.
The resource also comes with a separate answer booklet.
Look out for other UFTEL (Using Film to Explore Language) booklets written by Jon Meier.
Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis
Taxi 1
Un Chat à Paris
La Maison du Bonheur
A 14-page booklet based around the film ‘La Maison du Bonheur’ (Boon, 2006)
The activities are graded by difficulty , and are suitable for a range of pupils from 14 upwards.
The film’s themes also appeal to older learners - (debt, the dream of house ownership, marital love, work-pressures, suspect estate-agents and unreliable workmen)
There is also an observational quiz section which could be done as a class competition.
The resource could be given to pupils as a three week study/project module.
The booklet (14 pages) includes a two-page glossary and an answer section.
The observation quiz sections can be done orally or in writing. The focus is in English to give all pupils an opportunity to show their often exceptional powers of observation. These sections work well as a class game – one side of the room against the other or boys v girls. They are a good way to keep less motivated pupils engaged. Vocabulary from the quiz is followed-up in subsequent activities. The quiz is a discrete opportunity to contextualize vocabulary.
Look out for other UFTEL (Using Film to Explore Language) booklets written by Jon Meier.
Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis
Taxi 1
Un Chat à Paris
Mr Bean’s Holiday
A 25 question observational quiz on the trailer for ‘La Maison du Bonheur’ (Boon 2006)
The trailer can be seen on Youtube La Maison du Bonheur + Trailer + English subs
Ideal for a one -off lesson at the start or end of term.
Suitable for 12-16 year olds. Ideally after one or two years of French.
The observation quiz can be done orally or in writing. The focus is in English to give all pupils an opportunity to show their often exceptional powers of observation. But some questions could be also asked in French. These quizes work well as a class game – one side of the room against the other or boys v girls. They are a good way to keep less motivated pupils engaged. Vocabulary from the quiz is followed-up in subsequent activities. The quiz is an opportunity to contextualize vocabulary.
The resource contains answer sheets, plus follow-up vocabulary work with extension ideas.
A 16-page booklet based around the film ‘Taxi’ (Pirès, 1998).
Activities are mainly vocabulary-based and there are some observational quiz sections as well which could be done as a class competition.
The activities are graded by ability , and are suitable for a range of pupils from 12 to 16 years old.
The resource is particularly aimed at appealing to more disaffected pupils, perhaps those who have decided not to continue with French for GCSE.
The booklet could be given to pupils as a three week study/project module.
It could help those Year 8/9 doldrums towards the end of the year.
The resource consists of:
The main pupil booklet (16 pages)
A separate answer booklet for teachers and cover teachers
Notes at the end, in English, discuss the more political aspects of the film such as attitudes towards the police and Franco-German relations.
The observation quiz sections can be done orally or in writing. The focus is in English to give all pupils an opportunity to show their often exceptional powers of observation. These sections work well as a class game – one side of the room against the other or boys v girls. They are a good way to keep less motivated pupils engaged. Vocabulary from the quiz is followed-up in subsequent activities. The quiz is actually a discrete opportunity to contextualize vocabulary.
The booklet is part of a series produced by Jon Meier which will cover:
Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis
La Maison du Bonheur
Micmacs
Un Chat à Paris
Mr Bean’s Holiday
A French ‘call my bluff’ style quiz on general French words.
25 questions: 5 easy, 5 medium, 5 hard and 10 very hard.
Good for an end of term activity. Could be done as a form or inter-form competition.
Suitable for 12-17 year olds.
There’s a blank answer grid for pupils.
Plus the Teachers’ answers.
The answers are also on the final Powerpoint slide.
Slide 28 also contains a link to a Kahoot version of the same quiz.This could be done as a recap or reward activity after the going through the Powerpoint quiz and the answers.
French Call MY Bluff quiz B
25 general words ranging in difficulty: 5 easy + 5 less easy + 5 hard + 10 very hard.
A good end-of-term activity. There are some funny distractors which should delight lexiphiles.
Suitable for ages 12-17 (In the spirit of the original game, some guessing will be necessary)
Resource consists of
main Powerpoint quiz. Answers are included on the final slide.
a blank pupil answer grid (2 per sheet)
The answers with some explanations and notes
Slide 28 also contains a link to the same quiz on Kahoot. This could be done as a recap, follow-up activity after the Powerpoint quiz has been done and the answers discussed.
This is also good resource for a language festival/ competition.
Part of a set of similar resources including 2 quizes about Faux Amis.
A French/English pantomime-style play, based on Snow White.
THIS IS A 5 PAGE EXTRACT FROM THE OPENING SCENES.
FREE TASTER VERSION
Written by Jon Meier.
Lots of humour and great fun. It’s set against a background of 7 reporters covering news of some trapped miners.
Of course it all ends happily!
Most of the dialogue is in English but there’s plenty of French, repeated and reinforced visually.
Suitable for ages 8-14. Duration around 30 mins.
17 in the cast (scope for flexibility, sharing and doubling of roles). Minimum 13 max 22
Others can be used for sound, props, poster and programme design etc
Can be worked on in 1 day (with scripts) – intensive work with a scripted performance at the end of the day.
Show in assembly or at a languages celebration event
or just have fun reading it through.
Ideal for a language/ drama festival competition.
It could fill a few weeks of lunchtime and after school French clubs.
Sixth-formers could help out.
Language is visual and contextualised.
Audience will also understand it as the story is familiar and the French is explained.
The full script contains details of props and sound effects.
Vocabulary lists are also included with the script showing the vocabulary on each page.
A ‘Sky’ news-style Powerpoint slide which lets you add a few lesson objectives, keywords or instructions.
There’s a scrolling banner at the bottom which could be used for a question or other attention grabber.
The background will also animate when the arrow on the top right is clicked.
Can be used in any lesson, any subject, any level.
Media Studies revision words for A-Level, Year 13
144 words and concepts with definitions. 16 pages.
The pages can be folded over, borders trimmed and then laminated.
They can then be cut into revision cards. Definition on one side, keyword on the other.
The cards are designed to be used in class with pupils reading definitions or key words to each other. Also good for study circles and for use with learning buddies.
An ideal resource for taboo or card games - see below for a card game idea which always works well.
______________________________________
Revision Card game instructions - ideally players sit in a table of 4, as for a card game. A pile of about 30 cards is formed, with the keyword facing downwards. Player A holds the pack and reads, to player B on his/her left, the definition on the top card, making sure the others don’t see the answer. Player A reads the definition to player B, who is the player to his/her left. If player B knows the answer, s(he) says it and wins the card. Player B then takes the pile and reads the top one to Player C on his/her left. If they get the keyword right they win the card. And so on.
If a player does not know the keyword or gets it wrong, the question passes on to the next person (clockwise) until someone says the correct answer. If no-one gets it, the player asking the question reads the correct answer and places the card at the bottom of the pile.
When all the cards in the pile have been played, players add up how many cards they have won.
A 28 page workbook for students in their first year of A-Level Media Studies.
Contains:
-useful keyword terminology and definitions.
-activities based around textual analysis and the key media concepts.
-a list of short video texts, mainly adverts, which are ideal for studying film and media codes.
-theory cards for revision.
-lots of homework and self-study tasks.
A workbook rather than a textbook. Photocopiable, so only a one-off purchase cost is involved.
Suitable for background, parallel study, it could also provide a year’s worth of home study tasks or ‘flipped classroom’ activities
Answer section to the German Lifesaver Linked Translation Activity Booklet.
[Here is the link to the main activity booklet:]
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/german-linked-translation-lifesaver-booklet-12466732
This answer section is available separately so that teachers can decide whether to issue them to pupils for self-checking.
It is recommended that pupils are not given automatic access to this resource in order to ensure the effectiveness of online and home learning. The best strategy is to issue answers on a page by page/section by section basis once pupils have had time to work out the sentences for themselves.
A 12 page revision booklet containing a summary of key media theories for Year 1 of A-Level study.
The booklet is packed with informative panels with space alongside for the student’s own examples and annotations.
The booklet is a comprehensive summary of basic media theories.
The last two pages contain more advanced concepts showing how media relates to socio-political theory such as Hegemony, Gramsci and the Frankfurt School. These provide a bridge into Year 2 of the A-Level Media course.
A list of higher level language for GCSE German.
Emphasis is on grade-boosting phrases and constructions.
Ideal revision for those targeting higher grades in the Writing, Reading and Listening components.
5 pages with plenty of examples.
Followed by a ‘learning check’ section - 30 examples from the main section to translate into English.
The next section has the answers in English with space to translate them back into German.
In ‘Word’ so it’s customizable.
A list of key language for GCSE German.
Emphasis is on grammar rather than vocabulary.
Ideal for revision for all four skills papers, especially writing and reading.
4 pages with plenty of examples.
Followed by a ‘learning check’ section - 30 examples from the main section to translate into English.
The next section has the answers in English with space to translate them back into German.
In ‘Word’ so it’s customizable.