Embedding Languages

Embedding Languages
“La Routine”
Even if you aren’t the MLPS specialist, why not incorporate some of these simple elements
of the foreign language as part of your daily routine in class? We have some suggestions on how you could
do this below.
•
Using a foreign language to take the register
Assign class monitors to take the morning register in the foreign language. They read the names out and
members of the class reply ‘présent(e)’ or ‘absent(e)’.
You may also wish the class monitors to ask “Pourquoi?” and encourage the class to give a reason why
someone is absent, but this depends on the level and language knowledge of the learners.
For example:
Question:
Il est en vacances
Il est malade
Il joue dans un match de foot
Je ne sais pas
Pourquoi Paul est absent aujourd’hui? (Why is Paul absent today?)
he’s on holiday
he’s unwell
he’s playing in a football match
I don’t know
•
Using questions to ask about the date and weather
If you aren’t confident about the foreign language, get the students to take the lead instead. Ask one half
of the room to ask the question whilst the other half of the class responds:
Question (in chorus):
Answer (in chorus):
C’est quel jour aujourd’hui?
Aujourd’hui, c’est lundi
(What day of the week is it today?)
(Today is Monday)
Question:
Answer:
C’est quelle date?
C’est le vingt-six!
(What date is it?)
(It’s the 26th)
Question:
Answer:
C’est quel mois?
C’est octobre
(What month is it?)
(It’s October)
Question:
Answer:
C’est quelle année?
2011 (deux mille onze)
(Which year is it?)
Question:
Answer:
Quel temps fait-il?
Il fait du vent
(What’s the weather like?)
(It’s windy)
•
Asking routine questions to the class teacher during the school day
If students need to go to the toilet or borrow a pencil sharpener, you could get them to ask in the foreign
language throughout the day. You could have signs in the class as reminders and prompts.
Example:
Madame/ Monsieur, est-ce que je peux aller aux toilettes s’il vous plaît?
Tu peux me prêter un taille-crayon s’il vous plaît?
Je peux avoir un taille-crayon, s’il vous plaît?
•
Using bilingual signs around your classroom or school building
You could post signs around the school with the word in English and the word below in the foreign
language. We have created some templates for you to use or adapt and these are available from the Glow
site.
Toilet
La toilette
Dining Hall
La cantine
Library
La bibliothèque
•
Using foreign languages at snack time
Why not encourage pupils to talk about the snacks they have for break in the foreign language.
Teacher: Qu’est-ce que tu vas manger [pendant la recré/ pour le gouter] aujourd’hui?
Pupil:
[je vais manger] des chips
Une pomme
Une banane
Des bonbons
-
I’m going to have some crisps
an apple
a banana
sweets
•
Using foreign languages for number games
Why not support Maths with some simple number games in the foreign language. You could play Bingo for
instance and if you are unsure of numbers, ask one of your stronger pupils to be the bingo caller and limit
the range of numbers. If you have number cubes you could get the pupils to take one at random and if
they hear their number they sit down. The last one standing is the winner!
Loto - Bingo
You could also try some very simple sums using the other language:
Plus
add
Moins
subtract
Multiplé par
multiply by
Divisé par
divide by
•
Encouraging foreign language/ culture during ‘Golden Time’
This is a great opportunity for pupils to research an element of culture using the internet or in the library.
You may wish to give them a focus area, like fashion, foreign automobiles or famous foods and they can
then present information/ facts about it.