Foreign Language Fun » French

French Easter Song, Traditions, and Worksheets: Cloches de Pâques

Diane — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 01:15:04 +0000

The Easter Bunny does not deliver eggs to children in France; that job belongs to the church bells. France is a predominately Catholic country. On Holy Thursday, the day before Good Friday, the bells in every church and cathedral across France stop ringing. It is said that the bells’ chimes, so sad over Jesus’ death on the cross, fly away to Rome to see the Pope. They return on Easter morning, joyously ringing in celebration of His resurrection. On the way back home, the bells drop Easter eggs for French children to find.

Here’s an original song in both French and English about the Easter Bells, sung to the tune of Jingle Bells.

Cloches de Pâques, cloches de Pâques

Bon voyage à Rome

Revenez et m’apportez

Des oeufs et des bonbons

Easter bells, Easter bells,

Fly away to Rome

Don’t forget the chocolate eggs

When you return back home

I’ve created some classroom resource packets for teaching French Easter customs to beginning French students:

French Easter Customs: Les Cloches Volantes – Flying Bells

French Easter Fun (secular worksheets & games)

Joyeuses Pâques! Happy Easter!

Photo credit: http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=view&id=670715

Portions of this post were originally published for www.suite101.com

French Rain Songs

Diane — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 01:08:23 +0000

Today I have a simple song for you in French about the rain. It will really help beginners learn vocabulary, and teaching it with visuals and props is a must! It’s to the tune of Frère Jacques:

La pluie, la pluie (rain)

Les nuages, les nuages, (clouds)

Le tonnerre et les éclairs, le tonnerre et les éclairs (thunder and lightning)

L’arc-en-ciel, l’arc-en-ciel (rainbow)

Click here for a free pdf of the song: French Rain Song Sheet

Check out this French weather teaching download: French Weather Introduction for Beginners: Activities, Games, Songs

Here are some other French resources for teaching about the rain:

One of my favorite websites, teteamodeler.com, has a printable for the traditional French song, “Il pleut, il mouille . . .” Click here. You might also like making a pluviomètre, or rain guage. Here are French directions.
There’s a lovely video on YouTube for the traditional song, Il pleut il pleut bergère.
Check out momes.net for Gouttes, gouttelettes de pluie.
And here’s a nice rainbow coloring page in French!

Photo credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1200812

Foreign Language Numbers Game Inspired by Highlights: Eleven

Diane — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:56:10 +0000

I was just looking through my son’s Highlights magazine (www.Highlights.com) and I came across a fantastic game that can be effectively adapted to help kids practice numbers in Spanish, French, Chinese . . . any foreign language. In the March 2010 issue there’s an activity on pg. 38 by Jennifer Coleman called “Make 11.” Two players count to three and extend any number of fingers. Count the total number of fingers between the two players in the target language. See how many tries it takes to equal 11.

11 ELEVEN

onze (French)

once (Spanish)

elf (German)

undici (Italian)

ju-ichi (Japanese)

shí y? (Mandarin)

I’m going to play with an entire classroom of children this afternoon, but I’ll make it a wee bit competitive by seeing which set of players can be the first to make eleven.

Have fun playing! Thank you, Highlights, for another fantastic idea.

Photo Credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/935146

French Snow Song: La Neige

Diane — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:23:07 +0000

Snow, snow, snow! We’ve certainly had our share this winter. Your little French learners will love the TPR in this song about la neige. A colleague taught me a version of this song decades ago. Over the years, I changed a few of the words and made up a new melody with notes I could actually hit! Here are the lyrics and suggestions for accompanying gestures:

Tombez, tombez, tombez, neige blanche (stand w/fingers “snowing” down from the sky)

Tournez, tournez, tournez gentiment (turn around)

Neige sur les toits (hold arms in a triangle like a roof)

Neige sur les branches (hold arms out like branches)

Tombez, tombez, tombez, neige blanche. (fingers “snow” down from sky again as children slowly sit down)

For a free pdf printable of the song, click: French Snow Song

Enjoy la neige!

Image credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1250241

Academy Award – Oscars Conversational Activities in French and Spanish

Diane — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:58:02 +0000

Ready for Oscar Night? Sunday, March 7, I have a date with a big bowl of popcorn and a televised view of the Red Carpet. I haven’t actually seen many of the nominated movies yet, with the exception of Up! Still, I fondly remember my pre-parenthood days of dates at the cinema instead of my living room.

Anytime there is an event people might be buzzing about, such as the Academy Awards, I want to bring the conversations into my classroom as a way to motivate my learners to talk in the target language. For Oscar Night, Foreign Language House has just prepared some conversational activities for secondary students. Check them out at these links:

Spanish Conversational Activities for the 2010 Academy Awards

French Conversational Activities for the 2010 Academy Awards

We tried to make the classroom activities a lot of fun. To introduce the topic, we prepared formal invitations in the target language for the big event. This warm-up provides lots of question-answer opportunities to discuss the who/what /where/when/how-to-dress of the Academy Awards. Next, students imagine they are in the Kodak Theater, discussing the nominees listed in their program. Finally, a thematic grammar-practice worksheet reinforces the various forms of the word “best.”

Hope all you film- and fashion-buffs enjoy Oscar Night, both in the classroom and in front of the screen!

Image credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1041043

French Olympic Rings Song

Diane — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:00:37 +0000

With all of the Olympic excitement, I made up a little French song about the Olympic rings. It’s to the tune of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” I found myself singing it throughout the day, completely stuck in my head. Songs that get “stuck” in the brain are exactly the kind I need for my beginning learners. So, I’ve been working on it the last couple of days and I’d like to share it with you in today’s recording.

The song is very simple and repetitive for novice-level learners. The English meaning of the lyrics are: 1-2-3-4-5 rings of the Olympic flag/They represent the continents united by the Games/Europe, Asia, Africa, Océanie (Australia), America, 1-2-3-4-5 continents of the Olympic Games. See what I mean? Simple . . . but also strategic and effective!

Here’s my masterpiece (Okay . . . I use the term loosely!)

Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq anneaux

Cinq anneaux,

Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq anneaux

Du drapeau olympique.

Ils représentent les continents,

Les continents,

Ils représentent les continents

Unis par les Jeux.

L’Europe, l’Asie, l’Afrique,

L’Océanie,

L’Amérique,

Un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq continents

Des Jeux Olympiques.

(Repeat first verse)

I prepared a download about the Olympic Rings. It includes a printable song sheets and CLOZE, a coloring sheet, a novice-level reading with questions and CLOZE about the flag, and blank flashcards to illustrate. Click Olympic Flag for French Learners to learn more.

P.S. A Frenchman, Pierre de Coubertin, conceived of both the modern Olympic Games and the Olympic flag. In case you were wondering, the continents are taught a little differently in France than in the U.S. In France, both North and South America are combined into one continent, and instead of Australia, the entire region is called Océanie.

Free Winter Olympic Mascot Worksheet for French and English (ESL) Learners

Diane — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:55:19 +0000

The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics are finally here! One way to engage your French or English language learners is by reading about the Vancouver mascots on the official website. Just go to the French or English version of the site to meet Miga, Quatchi, and Sumi. I prepared worksheets for your students to help them read and look for information about the mascots. Click for your free download, complete with answer keys:

Olympic Mascot Worksheet in French

Olympic Mascot Worksheet in English

Hope you find these fun, effective, and useful. By the way, who’s your favorite mascot? Feel free to leave a comment. (Mine is Miga!)

Enjoy the Olympics with your language students!

Skidamarink in French: Pre-K Valentine Song

Diane — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 05:17:48 +0000

I decided to translate the ever-popular “Skidamarink” into French for Valentine’s Day. I just taught it to my four year-old today. We do a little dance to “Skidamarink” and big TPR hand gestures to go with the verses. Click here for a FREE printable song sheet. Listen & enjoy . . . c’est amusant!

Skidamarink-a-dink-a-dink

Skidamarink-a-doo

Je t’aime beaucoup!

Skidamarink-a-dink-a-dink

Skidamarink-a-doo

Je t’aime beaucoup!

Je t’aime le matin et l’après-midi

Je t’aime le soir et toute la nuit.

Skidamarink-a-dink-a-dink

Skidamarink-a-doo

Je t’aime beaucoup

Je t’aime beaucoup-coup-coup-coup-coup-coup!

Looking for some printable French Valentine games and activities for kids? Check out our published downloads:

Graphing Conversation Hearts in French

French Valentine Math

French Valentine Hearts: coloring and sizes

French Valentine Bingo

French Valentine Tic Tac Toe

French Valentine Activities and Worksheets BUNDLE!

French Valentine Gouin Series

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Image credit: morguefile.com http://mrg.bz/k7xCsv

Teach Colors in French, Spanish, ESL: Fishing for Hearts

Diane — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 01:40:54 +0000

This Valentine’s Day, teach kids colors in French, Spanish, and English by fishing for hearts. This is a favorite pre-k activity, but it can be adapted for older kids, too. First, you’ll need some colored paper hearts. Click hearts for a free pdf. Make a few copies, cut, and laminate. Place a paper clip on each heart and put the hearts on the floor. Prepare a fishing pole by attaching a string to a stick, and tying a magnet to the string. You’re ready! Let’s fish!

For young children, call out colors in the target language of your choice and let the children take turns dangling the fishing pole over the hearts until they catch the right one.

Older kids can enjoy a little competition. Give fishing poles to two players and see who can be the first to capture the correct heart for a point. You can also hold up a sign and require students to read the color. Variations are endless: make multiple sets of hearts for group play, place one letter on each heart that will spell out a word, or blindfold students and have them follow oral directions to find the right heart. One special heart can even have a sticker hidden on the back that earns the recipient a reward such as a piece of candy.

Here are the vocabulary words you’ll need for the colors in English, French, and Spanish:

red – rouge – rojo

pink – rose – rosado

blue – bleu – azul

purple – violet – violeta

yellow – jaune – amarillo

green – vert – verde

white – blanc – blanco

orange – orange – anaranjado

heart – coeur -corazón

To continue the Valentine’s Day fun, check out our holiday downloads of games, activities, and worksheets:

FRENCH:

Graphing Conversation Hearts in French

French Valentine Math

French Valentine Hearts: coloring and sizes

French Valentine Bingo

French Valentine Tic Tac Toe

French Valentine Activities and Worksheets BUNDLE! Buy the bundle & save!

French Valentine Gouin Series

SPANISH:

Graphing Conversation Hearts in Spanish

Spanish Valentine Math

Spanish Valentine Hearts

Spanish Valentine Bingo

Spanish Valentine Tic Tac Toe

Bundle of Spanish Valentine Games Buy the bundle & save!

Spanish Valentine Gouin Series

ENGLISH:

Valentine Vocabulary Bingo for ESL/EFL

Valentine Vocabulary Tic Tac Toe Games for ESL/EFL

ESL/EFL Valentine Activities and Worksheets BUNDLE The above 2 activities plus MUCH more! Buy the bundle & save!

ESL Valentine Gouin Series

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Check this out: Necco Conversation Sweethearts in Spanish (36-1oz boxes dulce beso para la cariña en Español)

Image credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1170044

Food Drive and Other Service Projects in French and Spanish

Diane — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:20:30 +0000

With the arrival of Thanksgiving, the holidays will officially be in full-swing! I’ve already been admiring the Christmas lights and contemplating the Black Friday sales. But it’s also a time to think of others. Consider some service projects in your French and Spanish classes over the holidays. Your students can help others while improving language skills and expanding their world view at the same time. Click the following link and watch the video for some ideas. Happy holidays!

FREE “GIVE THANKS” DOWNLOAD

Happy Thanksgiving from Foreign Language House on Vimeo.