I’m Rachel and I've been teaching for 18 years! I first taught English (TEFL) in Japan and Madrid and then taught French and Spanish in Surrey. I subsequently worked in a UK curriculum school in sunny Dubai. I have now relocated to the UK and have a gorgeous baby daughter!
I have a learning-centred approach and encourage my students to be active and reflective learners. I really enjoy the creative process of making PowerPoints and worksheets and hope you enjoy using them!
I’m Rachel and I've been teaching for 18 years! I first taught English (TEFL) in Japan and Madrid and then taught French and Spanish in Surrey. I subsequently worked in a UK curriculum school in sunny Dubai. I have now relocated to the UK and have a gorgeous baby daughter!
I have a learning-centred approach and encourage my students to be active and reflective learners. I really enjoy the creative process of making PowerPoints and worksheets and hope you enjoy using them!
To help my A Level students to consider French stereotypes I show them the fabulous Cliché! by Cédric Villain on YouTube and ask them to complete the worksheet. I have been pretty sneaky in the wording of the questions to test a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures!
Examples of questions.
1.
a. La plupart des Français ne portent que des rayures, un foulard rouge, un béret et une baguette.
b. Tous les Français portent des rayures, un foulard rouge, un béret et une baguette.
c. Les Français portent souvent des rayures, un foulard rouge, un béret et une baguette.
2.
a. Les Français n’habitent qu’à Paris ou sur la Côte d’Azur.
b. La moitié des Français vivent à Paris.
c. Beaucoup des Français demeurent à Paris ou sur la Côte d’Azur.
3.
a. Quelques Français ont une vue de la Tour Eiffel.
b. La majorité des Français ont vu la Tour Eiffel.
c. Tous les Français peuvent voir La Tour Eiffel de chez eux.
I found a great short film (2 mins 20 secs) on YouTube about the history of the Olympic Games, I love the stylised presentation and have created a series of exercises which I hope will make the French commentary accessible to the students. There is a step-by-step PowerPoint to accompany the worksheet (the answers are both on the PowerPoint and on the worksheet).
Slide 2: states the lesson objectives:
Objectif: To develop your listening skills and to learn facts and vocabulary related to the history of the Olympic Games. This is differentiated into all, most and some.
The first worksheet has 3 goals:
All: Match the names and the pictures.
Most: AND Put the countries in the order that they appear/ are mentioned.
Some: AND Match the date to the correct person.
To prepare for these tasks the students are told to:
All: Discuss how you would pronounce the names with a French accent!
Most: AND be able to translate all the countries.
Some: AND be able to say all the years in French.
Names include:
Pierre de Coubertin, Jesse Owens, le dieu grec Zeus, Tommie Smith
Countries include:
Le Brésil (Rio de Janeiro), La France (Paris), La Grèce (le temple de Zeus),
Dates include :
1894, 8ième siècle avant Jésus Christ, 1968
Slide 4 says:
Now you will listen to and watch the short film. Remember, you are only picking out key information. Don’t worry if you don’t understand all the French you hear! Also use the images you see, your logic and previous knowledge to help.
You will listen and watch twice, maybe more if your teacher agrees!
Slides 5, 6 and 7 have the answers.
Slide 8 gives instructions to prepare the students for the next listening task. First is to complete Exercise B which is an English to French match up of vocabulary and phrases that the students will need to in order to understand and answer the multiple choice questions.
French vocabulary/ phrases include:
1. Les Jeux olympiques antiques.
2. Le pancrace, la course, le tir.
3. Les tremblements de terre et les inondations.
4. Les femmes.
Slide 9 repeats the advice on Slide 4.
There are 11 multiple choice questions.
Examples of questions:
1. Les Jeux olympiques antiques ont été organisés en l’honneur…
A. de Pierre de Coubertin.
B. du dieu grec Zeus.
C. de l’Empereur Théodose 1er.
2. Parmi les sports aux Jeux olympiques antiques ont été….
A. Le pancrace, la course et la boxe.
B. Le pancrace, le tennis et la natation.
C. Le pancrace, l’équitation et le tir.
Slides 10, 11 and 12 have the answers and finally slide 13 provides the opportunity for reflection.
The first slide encourages the students to actively engage with the new vocabulary: working in teams, using their prior knowledge, knowledge of other languages and using a process of elimination to figure out the meanings. They then discuss the pronunciation and question each other before the teacher checks with the whole class.
Mon école est vieille/ moderne.
C’est une école mixte.
Il y a 2500 élèves.
Il y a soixante salles.
Il y a une bibliothèque.
Il y a une cantine.
Il y a un centre sportif.
Il y a dix labos.
Il y a un terrain de sport.
Il y a douze salles d’informatique.
The next slides have the phrase and a picture. Use this to elicit the pronunciation, the English and to drill.
The next section of slides have “either **** or ****?” questions.
Then there are "what's missing?" slides.
The final slide has pictures of all the phrases. This can be used for a Beat the Teacher game, which the students love! The teacher points to a picture and says a word. If it is the correct word the students all repeat it. If its the wrong word the students must stay absolutely silent. If they do, they win 1 point. If not, the teacher gets 1 point. Most points wins!
The worksheet have a French to English match up of the new expressions. This is followed by a gap-fill where the words needed to fill in the gaps are jumbled up in brackets after the gaps (except for the school name). E.g.
Mon école ____________ (aes’plple) __________________________. C’est une _________ (iieellv) école mixte près du centre-ville. ______ (y il a) environ deux mille cinq cents ________ (éèlevs)
Then there is a further gap-fill which covers related topics about favourite subject, the school day etc.E.g.
Some : Remplissez les blancs:
L’école commence à ____________ (ithu hseeur) et demie. Chaque cours dure ______ (nue) heure. J’apprends treize ____________ (esmèrtia). J’adore ________ (sanlg’lai) car c’est ______ (rstè) intéressant, mais nous avons beaucoup de _________ (irdeovs).
The final extension task is to:
Écrivez 7 questions difficiles sur les textes!
There is also a 4 slide PowerPoint with the answers.
This 7 slide PowerPoint can be edited to describe your school. The slides have the phrase and a picture. Use this to elicit the pronunciation, the English and to drill. It presents the following phrases:
Mon école/ collège/ lycée!
Mon école s’appelle ***
C’est une école….
…mixte.
…moderne.
…bien équipée.
C’est une vieille école.
I l y a 14 élèves dans ma classe.
Il y a 900 élèves en tout.
L’année scolaire commence début septembre et finit fin juin.
Les cours commencent à 9 heures et finissent à 15 heures 40.
Il y a sept cours par jour.
Un cours dure une heure.
La récréation dure vingt minutes.
Le déjeuner dure quarante minutes.
J’ai une heure et demie de devoirs tous les soirs.
Je prépare un examen qui s’appelle le GCSE.
This PowerPoint elicits the translations and therefore the rules of Demonstrative Adjectives and Demonstrative Pronouns.
When I show the question slide I put the students into groups to discuss the answers for a minute before checking using the following slide.
For example the first slide asks:
Ce garçon = ?
Ces garçons = ?
Cette femme = ?
Ces femmes = ?
Cependant, il faut dire «cet homme.» Pourquoi?
And the second slide reveals the answers and gives you the opportunity to discuss the rules.
The fourth slide asks and answers: Parfois on dit «cet homme-ci» ou «cette femme-là.» Pourquoi?
The fifth slide moves onto deminstrative pronouns and asks:
Ceci and cela/ça = ?
Avez-vous considéré cela? = ?
Je n’aime pas ça! = ?
Ceci est precisement ce que je voulais = ?
Qu’est-ce que ça veut dire? =
The answers are on slide 6.
Slide 7 asks:
De toutes les robes que j’ai essayées je préfère celle-ci = ?
Quelle est la différence entre ceci et celle-ci?
...and slide 8 presents the answers.
This series of worksheets accompany the fabulous and quirky French film Belleville Rendez-Vous, which links nicely to Le Tour de France. There are warmer activities and differentiated questions such as tick what you see and putting statements into the correct order for the students to complete. This should take about 3 lessons, great towards the end of term!!
Example questions:
Exercice B: Vrai ou faux?
1. Quand Champion était jeune il jouait du piano.
2. Quand Champion était jeune il aimait les trains.
3. Bruno aimait les trains.
4. Le film a lieu après 1937.
5. Champion n’aimait pas faire du vélo.
6. Plus tard Madame Souza est devenue entraîneuse.
Exercice C : Mettez les phrases dans le bon ordre (1 – 11):
Champion se couche :
Madame Souza passe l’aspirateur :
Bruno rêve (X2) : __ & __
Le Président parle du Tour de France :
Des gangsters chassent Champion :
Champion mange son dîner :
On est au Tour de France :
Le camion est en panne :
Il s’entraîne en écoutant un disque :
Champion monte la montagne :
Extra :
1. Comment dit-on « Long live the Republic ? »
2. Comment dit-on « long live France ? »
3. Combien de fois est-ce qu’on voit la Tour Eiffel ?
4. Champion se couche à quelle heure ?
5. Quelle est la date de la photo de Bruno et Champion à la Boule ?
6. Le 17ième étape de la tour de France, où a-t-elle lieu ?
7. Comment dit-on « broom wagon ? »
Enjoy!
I show the film with English subtitles.This differentiated worksheet is divided into extracts (timings shown). I translate the questions with the students, watch the extract and then check the answers. All sections have some Extra questions to stretch the more able students.
Worksheet EXTRACTS:
Les choristes.
Introduction : divisez les mots !
Lefilm« Leschoristes »alieuenFranceen1949. ClémentMathieuestprofesseurdemusiqueauchômage.Ilaccepteunemploidesurveillantdansuneécoleoùsontplacésdesgarçonsdifficiles.
Extra extract :
Mathieuserendcomptequelesenfantsontdavantagebesoindecompréhensionet delibertéetilformeunechoraleàpartirdesaclasse.
0 – 4.16 Extract:
Cochez les choses que vous voyez :
un drapeau des bijoux des gratte-ciels un syndicat d’initiative un nœud papillon un ouvre-boite un costume une rose
Extra extract :
1. Le début du film a lieu dans quel pays ?
2. Comment dit-on «an urgent phone call from France» en français?
4.16 – 15.00 extract:
Vrai ou faux ?
1. L’histoire commence le 15 janvier 1949.
2. Fond de l’étang veut dire « rock bottom. »
3. Il y a du soleil.
4. Le directeur est ancien joueur de piano.
Extra extract :
1. Comment dit-on « ils sont comment, les gamins ? »?
2. Quand Clément rencontre Rachin il est quelle heure?
15.00 – 25.08 extract:
Choisissez la bonne réponse.
1. Chaque élève doit écrire leur nom, leur âge et….
a. …leur adresse. b. …leur anniversaire. c. …le métier qu’ils aimeraient faire.
2. Clément a…
a. …faim. b. …peur. c. …soif.
3. Le Querec aide…
a. …le père Maxence. b. …Clément. c. …le directeur.
Expressions:
Vous avez…
une chambre pour une personne
une chambre double/ avec un grand lit
une chambre avec lits jumeaux
de libre, s’il vous plaît?
Pour…
une nuit.
deux nuits.
une semaine.
une quinzaine de jours.
Pour…
une personne.
deux personnes.
deux adultes et deux enfants.
Il y a….
WC
une douche
une salle de bains
une télévision
...dans la chambre?
Je voudrais aussi une chambre accessible aux handicapés. Je suis en fauteuil roulant.
Il y a…
un restaurant
un ascenseur
un parking
une piscine
....à l’hôtel?
The slides have the phrase and a picture. Use this to elicit the pronunciation, the English and to drill.
This 8 slide PowerPoint introduces the Past Historic. Use it to elicit translations and to present information about it's formation and irregular verbs.
I use this PowerPoint slide to revise the Past Historic. I give students mini-whiteboards and they choose the odd-one-out.
Examples:
je parlai je finis je répondis je vais
j’aurai j’allai nous finîmes il but
j’eus ils eurent j’ai eu vous eûtes
* watch out for the made-up verb at the end!
As there are many cognates and this is aimed at slightly older students I have included a range of tenses.
Expressions taught:
Je voudrais voir un dessin animé.
Je ne regarde jamais les jeux.
Mon frère préfère les émissions sportives.
Quand j’avais onze ans j’aimais les émissions pour la jeunesse.
La météo ne m’intéresse pas.
Les informations sont ennuyeuses.
Hier soir j’ai vu un documentaire.
Avant de faire mes devoirs j’ai vu un film.
Je vais regarder un feuilleton.
The first slide encourages the students to actively engage with the new vocabulary: working in teams, using their prior knowledge, knowledge of other languages and using a process of elimination to figure out the meanings. They then discuss the pronunciation and question each other before the teacher checks with the whole class. it is differentiated as follows:
All: Pick out and translate the TV programmes. Then translate the full sentences.
Most: Identify the tenses. Perfect Pronunciation Challenge!
Some: QFQs! (QFQ = Quick Fire Questions - the students quiz each other on the new phrases).
The next slides have the phrase and a picture. Use this to elicit the pronunciation, the English and to drill.
The next section of slides have multiple choice questions.
Then there is a "Qu’est-ce que c’est?" slide. This final slide has pictures of all the phrases. This can also be used for a Beat the Teacher game, which the students love! The teacher points to a picture and says a word. If it is the correct word the students all repeat it. If its the wrong word the students must stay absolutely silent. If they do, they win 1 point. If not, the teacher gets 1 point. Most points wins!
These resources are designed to give the students a taste of the thrilling Le Mans ambience and an appreciation of the prestige, dangers and challenges of the event! It uses exciting YouTube clips, colourful slides, matching cards, a video worksheet and a poem/writing template to imagine being a driver in Le Mans. A great end of term lesson!
Slide 2 states the objective:
Objectif: To learn facts and vocabulary related to Les 24 heures du Mans.
All: Will learn 7 new facts and French words.
Most: Will learn 9 new facts and French words/ phrases.
Some: Will learn 10+ new facts and French words/ phrases.
Slide 3 is the warmer and lesson hook. It asks : Qu’est-ce que c’est Les 24 Heures du Mans? There is then a link to the fantastic 1 mins 25 sec trailer for The Journey to Le Mans. The students can then share facts and French vocabulary which they already know.
The students then match 9 x English- French cards with facts about Le Mans e.g.
Les 24 Heures du Mans sont une course automobile d'une durée de 24 heures.
Le Mans est dans le département de la Sarthe en France.
La première course s’est déroulée en 1923.
Elle est une des courses les plus prestigieuses au monde.
Slides 5-11 allow you to run through the information on the cards and elicit the English.
Slide 12 links to the worksheet in the resources. The students match French-English vocabulary:
1. Un mécanicien
2. Le podium
3. Un accident
4. Un casque
5. Le coucher du soleil
6. Le lever du soleil
7. Le drapeau à damier
8. Une voiture hybride
9. Un pneu
10. La nuit
They then watch the Michelin 2015 Le Mans Highlights (3 minutes 14 secs), ticking the vocabulary they see (I’ve added a couple of additional words to the worksheet). The extension task is to list other things they see.
Slide 14 is to be used with the (more detailed) support sheet. It sets out the final creative task:
All: You are a Le Mans racing driver! Write a poem/ account of your 24 hours at Le Mans! You may wish to use the suggested template below:
Il est 14h59. J’attends. Je suis prêt/ prête. Je suis calme. (time + verb + adjective)
Il est 15h00. Le Tricolore! On commence! Je suis confiant/ confiante. Je suis fier/ fière.
Il est 22h00. Le coucher du soleil…..
Most: Build in negatives e.g. je ne dors pas.
Some: Build in:
adverbs e.g. parfois and toujours…
connectives e.g. et, mais, cependant…
other tenses e.g. je voudrais + infinitive.
The final slide then gives the opportunity for reflection.
I hope you enjoy using these resources!
Amélie.
This differentiated worksheet can be used with the first 50 minutes of the film, after which I let the students watch the remainder of the film without any worksheets to complete. There are Extra tasks in all sections to stretch stronger students.
The timings are shown in brackets, therefore (0 - 3.11) means from the beginning until 3 minutes and 11 seconds at which point you pause the film and check the answers.
I have included various extracts below to give you a taste of the worksheets.
It starts with an introductory task. Extract:
Divisez le mot énorme !
LefilmAmélieestunehistoired’amourquialieuàParisOnvoitl’enfanced’AmélieenbanlieueetplustardsavieàParis.....
Extra extract:
Lavied’AméliechangelesoirdelamortdeLadyDiquand...
A. Recherche de vocabulaire (0 – 3.11).
Cochez les mots que vous voyez :
Extract:
un journal une voiture une barbe une plage la Seine
une rue la Tour Eiffel un lit des verres un avion du savon
le Sacré-Cœur une tasse du dentifrice un spermatozoïde
Extra extract :
1. L’histoire commence le _______________________
2. Comment s’appelle le film en français ? ___________________
B. Vrai ou faux ? (3.11 – 9.12) Corrigez les erreurs.
Extract:
1. Le père d’Amélie est coiffeur.
2. Raphaël Poulain n’aime pas son maillot de bain.
3. Il aime ranger sa boîte à outils.
4. Amandine Poulain aime ranger son sac à main.
5. Amélie ne va pas à l’école.
Extra extract:
1. Comment dit-on « hard heart » en français ? ______________
2. Comment dit-on « a heart defect » en français ? ___________
C. Mettez les phrases dans le bon ordre. (9.12 – 15.12)
Extract:
Amélie prend le train de la Gare du Nord :
Ils mangent leur dîner :
On voit les collègues et les clients d’Amélie au café :
Amélie trouve une petite boîte à souvenirs :
Extra extract:
1. Où se trouve le café ?
2. Comment s’appelle le chat de Philomène ?
D. Choisissez la bonne réponse. (15.12 – 24.34).
Extract:
1. Amélie habite au…
a. rez-de-chaussée b. au sous-sol
c. au troisième étage d. au cinquième étage.
2. La voisine d’Amélie y habite depuis…
a. 1990 b.1945 c. 1964 d.1952
3. Collignon est…
a. épicier b. chauffeur c. docteur d. mannequin
Extra extract :
1. Comment dit-on « snowballs and chestnuts » en français ?
Expressions:
Le football.
Le tennis.
Le rugby.
Le ping-pong.
Le surf.
La voile.
La natation.
Le vélo.
Le skate.
Le patinage.
L’équitation.
The first slide encourages the students to actively engage with the new vocabulary: working in teams, using their prior knowledge, knowledge of other languages and using a process of elimination to figure out the meanings. They then discuss the pronunciation and question each other before the teacher checks with the whole class.
The next slides have the phrase and a picture. Use this to elicit the pronunciation, the English and to drill.
The next section of slides have multiple choice questions. Then there are "what's missing?" slides.
The final slide has pictures of all the phrases. This can be used for a Beat the Teacher game, which the students love! The teacher points to a picture and says a word. If it is the correct word the students all repeat it. If its the wrong word the students must stay absolutely silent. If they do, they win 1 point. If not, the teacher gets 1 point. Most points wins!
This Who Wants To Be a Millionaire PowerPoint revises the Present, Perfect, Future and Conditional tenses. It can be used at the beginning of the year and throughout the year for revision.
I give the students a mini whiteboard. The task is differentiated as follows:
Tout le monde: Choisissez la bonne lettre.
La majorité: Traduisez une autre phrase et identifiez le temps.
Quelques personnes: Traduisez toutes les autres phrases et identifiez tous les temps.
Enjoy!
This worksheet is accompanied by a PowerPoint so students can speedily mark their work!
All: The first sections asks students to write in the English for the following colours:
Jaune
Bleu/ bleue
Blanc/ Blanche
Gris/ Grise
Marron/ brun/ brune
Noir/ noire
Rouge
Vert/ verte
Orange
Violet/ violette
Rose
They then complete the little colour-by-numbers activity.
The students answer the following questions in their own words:
Colours are adjectives (describing words).
Why there are sometimes 2 ways to say a colour e.g. noir, noire?
________________________________________________________________
Why is there sometimes only 1 way e.g. rouge?
________________________________________________________________
Which colours are irregular and do not follow either pattern?
________________________________________________________________
Most: There is a divide the words activity – drawing lines between the individual colours.
Rougevertjaunebleuroseorangenoirblancbrunmarronviolet
Then there are 4 unjumbling questions e.g.
1. terv = _________ 2. lebu = _________
Then there are 4 colour combining questions e.g.
1. rouge + blanc = _________ 2. bleu + jaune = __________
Some: Combines colours and classroom objects with a gap-fill of 8 questions e.g.
Une trousse bl_________
Un crayon ro_________
U___ li_______ bl_________
U____ cahier ma_________
Astérix et la surprise de César.
This differentiated worksheet has a range of activities. Run through the questions, play the clip and check the answers. Timings are on the sheet. Each section has an Extra set of questions to stretch stronger students. I play the film with the French subtitles for the hard of hearing.
Extract:
0 – 3.30 minutes.
Cochez les choses que vous voyez !
une colline un feutre une araignée un soldat
un village une limonade une maison une mouche
Extra extract:
1. Comment dit-on «Astérix is here» ?
2. Comment dit-on «these romans» ?
3.30 – 11.35 extract:
Vrai ou faux ?
1. Un cerf mange des fleurs.
2. Astérix et Obélix chassent des sangliers.
3. Les éléphants apportent des cadeaux pour César.
4. César est sympa.
Extra extract :
1. Comment dit-on «your glory»?
2. Comment dit-on «the richest man in Rome »? L’homme le plus riche de Rome.
11.35 – 23.08 extract:
Mettez les phrases dans le bon ordre.
Le druide fait une potion magique.
Les Gaulois et les Romains se battent.
Idéfix regarde une grenouille.
Expressions:
Je regarde la télé. (regarder)
Je danse. (danser)
Je joue sur une console. (jouer)
Je surfe sur Internet. (surfer)
J’écoute de la musique. (écouter)
Je retrouve des amis. (retrouver)
Je vais au cinéma. (aller)
Je vais à la pêche. (aller)
The first slide encourages the students to actively engage with the new vocabulary: working in teams, using their prior knowledge, knowledge of other languages and using a process of elimination to figure out the meanings. They then discuss the pronunciation and question each other (QFQs = Quick Fire Questions) before the teacher checks with the whole class.
The next slides have each phrase and a picture. Use this to elicit the pronunciation, the English and to drill.
The next section of slides have multiple choice questions. Then there are "Qu’est-ce que c’est?" slides.
The final slide has pictures of all the phrases. This can be used for a Beat the Teacher game, which the students love!
The teacher points to a picture and says a word. If it is the correct word the students all repeat it. If its the wrong word the students must stay absolutely silent. If they do, they win 1 point. If not, the teacher gets 1 point. Most points wins!
Spanish Battleships Game / Lotto grid numbers 1-20
Instructions
The students love this competitive and fun game!
I use this battleships game (which can also be used as a lotto grid) to help students to practise their pronunciation and to reinforce new vocabulary and grammatical structures.
Firstly I ask the students to work independently in pairs to translate the expressions.
The students then focus on pronunciation and decide the two easiest and two most difficult words to pronounce.
I then check the translations and drill pronunciation with the whole class before they play the game.
The students secretly choose 5 squares on the top grid and then try to guess which 5 squares their partner has chosen, filling in the bottom grid with “hit” and “miss.” To choose a square say a phrase from the horizontal line and complete the sentence with a phrase from the vertical line. Where the 2 phrases meet up is the square you have chosen.
I use the second sheet to further challenge the students: they should place this on top of the Spanish version and then try to play the game saying the Spanish phrases as far as possible from memory. I allow the really weak students to have the Spanish version next to the second version so they have lots of support, stronger students are allowed a few “sneaky peaks” at the Spanish version and the really strong students aim to refer back to the Spanish version as little as possible. This really helps the students to memorise the vocabulary/structures!
During the game I circulate the classroom checking pronunciation. This is followed by whole class drilling of pronunciation mistakes.
Enjoy!