Here’s my pre-Thanksgiving French lesson 2011:

1.  Parlez-vous “turkey”?  I talked about how animals make different sounds in different languages.  French cows say “Meuh,” French pigs say “Gron, gron,” and French roosters say “Cocorico!”  American turkeys may say “Gobble, gobble,” but French turkeys say “Glou, glou, glou!”  I showed the following video clip and my students loved it as a fun way to set the Thanksgiving theme.

I found something similar in Spanish, too:

2.  Next, I introduced a Thanksgiving vocabulary PowerPoint that we made at ForeignLanguageHouse.com.  It’s available in French or Spanish.  It was effective to have the students guess the feminine forms of pilgrim and Native American before I revealed the word.  When it came to foods vocabulary, I asked students their preferences.  I usually draw various smily/frowny faces on the board to indicate J’adore – J’aime (bien, beaucoup) – Je n’aime pas (du tout) – Je déteste.  Students ask a partner about a preference, and then I ask several students.  Follow-up questions are extremely important to keep the conversations flowing.  My students like to use “sauf” (except) and “mais” (but) to go beyond a simple statement.

If your students are younger, or if the concept of expressing preferences is brand new, consider our “Expressing Preferences with Thanksgiving Foods” downloads in French or Spanish

We also have a Tic Tac Toe board of Thanksgiving foods that can be used in any language.  Students can make a statement about the food (preference, pass me please, etc.) before placing an X or an O on the space.  You can make copies for students to play in partners, or you can project it onto a screen for team play.

3.  The main thing my students like to talk about is themselves.  (Who doesn’t, right?)  So we spent a lot of time discussing our plans for Thanksgiving break.  Luckily, we had recently learned the immediate future tense, so it was fabulous practice.  Some verbs and expressions were new, but within the context of the conversation it was easy to introduce them for use in the lesson.  We have French and Spanish printables in which students ask each other if they are going to cook, watch football, travel, shop, eat turkey, etc.  They write, they interview partners, and they circulate around the room collecting signatures for affirmative responses.  Be sure to participate in this activity as well!

Here’s a fun follow-up to the circulating activity:  Human Bingo!  Read off the names of the students you found while walking around the room asking, “Are you going to . . . ?”  For example:  Chantal va voyager.  Jean va faire la cuisine.  Juliette va regarder un match de football américain.  Students give themselves one point for every name/activity that matches the teacher’s answer.  Candy is always appreciated for the winner!

I am always thankful for lessons such as this that get my students speaking!

p.s.  Looking for a quick, easy lesson for the day AFTER Thanksgiving break?  If your students know the past tense, the downloads from #3 above also include past tense versions of the printables.

Decorating a mini-Christmas tree is a fun and festive way to practice foreign languages before the holidays.  Preschool learners of French, Spanish, German, or other languages will be engaged and immersed as they review a number of high-frequency topics.  Here’s what I did with my little French learners the past two lessons:

1.  Our usual warm-up:  TPR, hello/how are you? song, rhyming rules, finger plays

2.  Set up the mini-tree.  Just the right size for these cute little ones!  Even the highest branch was not out of reach.

3.  We reviewed shapes and decided that a star was the best shape for the top of the tree.

4.  I taught the word for Christmas bulb (la boule de Noël) and passed one around.  Then the children received their own paper ornaments of various colors. We identified the colors, played games, and then the children placed them on the tree.

5.  Then came the candy canes.  The children eagerly expressed their preferences. (Oui, j’aime les bonbons!) Then we counted three red and white striped pipe cleaners for each child.  After bending them into candy cane shapes, they went up on the tree.

6.  In France, la crèche is an important part of a family’s Christmas decorations.  We set up the Fisher Price little people manger scene with Joseph, Marie, Bébé Jésus, les trois rois, and lots of animals.

7. Finally , we made our own foam/sticker ornaments by placing body parts onto snowmen and Santa’s.  (Merci Oriental Trading Company.)  Up they went on the tree!

8.  When our holiday decorating was done, we sang French Christmas carols around the tree.  The children took home the ornaments they made, as well as a candy cane.

Not one word of English.  Lots of hands-on activities to keep the kids engaged.  And SO many high-frequency topics:  colors, numbers, shapes, preferences, animals, body parts.

Whether you are teaching a preschool/kindergarten class or using a second language in your home, decorating the tree is a wonderful activity for language development!

Image by clipart.com

I have a 2/3 year old mom-tot group of French learners, mostly boys.  Well, if there’s one thing this set is crazy about, it’s TRAINS!  Today I’d like to post a few ideas for a train-themed French or Spanish lesson.  It incorporates hands-on activities & play, TPR, trains vocabulary & verbs, numbers, colors, and culture.

First, begin with your usual circle time warm-up.  Mine includes a hello song, greeting a puppet, ball toss, how are you? song, and TPR.  Next, it’s time to establish the theme of TRAINS.  You can pick and choose from the following list of activities for a couple of days:

TOY TRAIN PLAY: I pulled out my kids’ old wooden train set.  Mine’s from Ikea, but any will do!  Include a track with a hill if possible.  My little ones counted tracks, helped put it together, counted train cars, and identified colors.  Then each child had a turn pushing the train around the track while reinforcing verbs.  I would narrate:  Le petit train roule, monte, descend. (Roll along, go up, go down.)  Tons of repetitions with a lot of expression!  I was also able to scrounge up a toy train station, so we could talk about arriving at and leaving the station.  If you don’t have a toy station, you could make one.

BUILD A NUMBERS, DAYS, COLOR PATTERN, OR ALPHABET TRAIN: I printed, colored, cut, and laminated a locomotive and several train freight cars.  My cars had numbers 1-10, but you can also use days of the week, alphabet, or create color or shape patterns.  After a demo, mix up the cards, pass them out to the children, and help them to build a train in the correct order.  Here are a few free printables out there on the web that you can use:

Le train de la semaine from Tomlitoo.com

Le train de la semaine & des mois from Maternelle de Moustache (Look up T)

Alphabet Train from First-School.ws

You can also find a Spanish numbers & alphabet train at PrimeraEscuela.com.  Type a search for “tren.”

I used this blank train printable from teteamodeler.com, printed the number of freight cars I needed, and customized the content myself.

TRAIN VOCABULARY SLIDE SHOW: I made this PowerPoint to introduce train vocabulary.  It can easily be adapted for Spanish or you can create your own.  I teach completely in the target language, so I reinforced a lot of concepts on each slide (counting wheels, identifying colors, etc.)  The expressions I used include:  train, locomotive, conductor, tracks, station, whistle, freight/passenger car.  I wouldn’t use all of the vocabulary at once on Day 1 . . . just a few at a time.  Print the PowerPoint slides into small flash cards for the following games, or create your own flash cards.

EITHER/OR IDENTIFICATION: Place two or three picture flash cards on the floor and give a student a pointer, magic wand, or fly swatter (IF you are confident in the child’s self-control!)  Say a word and help the child to point to it.  Cheer a lot and keep this activity completely NON-competitive!

GUESSING GAME: Place all of the cards upside down.  Take a card, but don’t let the children see it.  Describe it in the target language and see if they can guess!

MATCHING GAME: Print two sets of flashcards and place them face down on the floor.  Children take turns flipping over two cards as you help them to identify them in the target language.  Ask if the cards are the same or different.  Take out matches once you find them.  Make this a full-group activity . . . children do not keep their matches.  There are NO winners or losers.

STORY TIME: Share a simple book about trains in the target language.  Here are a few suggestions:
Mon petit train avec Mimi

Ou Est Mon Train (Les Tout-Doux Usborne) (French Edition) (Price is really high . . . maybe available from a reseller somewhere??)

Ada y Max viajan en tren (Ada y Max series)

OSITO O TREN? (Elige La Cara! / Pick & Choose) (Spanish Edition)

Este No Es Mi Tren: Tiene Las Ruedas Lisas (Toca, Toca!) (Spanish Edition)

RHYMES AND SONGS: Sing a song about trains.  I made up a simple song to the tune of “The Wheels of the Bus.”  We called “All Aboard!”, turned our wheels of the train, and formed an actual train going “Tchou! Thou!”  I’ll include a podcast-linked post with the French song one day really soon.  You can do a Google search for train rhymes and songs from the target culture or make up your own.

Edited Oct. 15:  Here’s the French Little Train Song!

CULTURE: One of the biggest hits of the lesson was simply watching this short YouTube clip of the TGV in France.  The kids were fascinated seeing the trains from both the inside and the outside.

THOMAS LE TRAIN: Of course, if you’re a preschool boy you’ve probably encountered Thomas with either fanatic obsession or at least mild interest.  Do a YouTube search for short Thomas clips in French or Spanish.  This French Thomas clip includes nice counting and colors practice.

COLORING SHEETS: Free train coloring sheets abound online!  I created my own Train French Coloring here with labels in the target language.  Happy to share!

Hope this post has provided you with some nice ideas for creating a train themed lesson in French or Spanish.

Tchou! Tchou!

Image by clipart.com

Bonjour!  I’d like to introduce you to my teaching buddy Guillaume.  (He’s the big turtle on the left.)  Guillaume’s been working with me for quite awhile now.  Our first gig together was back in 1990, after I bought him at a toy store while on vacation in Seattle.  I was a brand new teacher and he was a brand new puppet.  Boy were we ever nervous that first day of teaching!  I still remember entering the preschool classroom, only to have Guillaume duck inside his shell.  What a chicken!  But ever since that little stunt of his, we’ve developed the perfect routine to help the littlest language learners feel at ease.

I bring Guillaume out to meet the children, but explain that I have a problem.  Guillaume is extremely shy and doesn’t like to meet new people.  What should we do to let him know that we’re friendly?  Of course!  We can say hello.  Let’s try!  Hello?  Hello?  Hmmm.  It’s not working.  Oh . . . I know!  He probably doesn’t understand our words.  He uses different French words because he comes from the far-away country of France.  Let’s try saying it in words he understands.  Let’s say Bonjour! Ready?  Un, deux, trois . . . bonjour!  Look!  It’s working!  I see him wiggling inside there.  A little louder!  Louder!  LOUDER!  Yay!  We got him to come out.

Guillaume, ever the charmer, greets every child.  At first, some may only want to pet his shell . . . or not.  To the brave children Guillaume gives “turtle kisses,” a very traditional greeting for those turtles in the Seine!

At this point, children’s fears of new teachers, new friends, new schools, and new languages are beginning to disappear as they are distracted by the shy French turtle.  I can now put on my magic beret and begin to speak Guillaume’s language.  Once the children become MUCH more relaxed, or perhaps even loud, Guillaume hides in his shell until all is calm and quiet again.

Every year I think it might be time to begin my first day lesson with a different puppet friend.  After all, I have over 30 of them!  But not on Day 1.  Only Guillaume can help me get over MY first day jitters by helping him get over his.  It’s the perfect partnership!

Click the image for ordering information from Amazon.com.  Guillaume is a Folkmanis Puppet.

What do you get when you put together a boy, a French teacher, and a basket full of last week’s Easter candy?  A really fun and effective mini-language lesson!  Immersion is a breeze with hands-on, high-interest objects like suckers and gum.  I set my kitchen timer for fifteen minutes and spoke only French with my 7 year old.  (Well, we actually went over the time just a bit because we were having so much fun!)

There is SO much language waiting to be used in that little basket!  We sorted the candy by type, counted each pile, created an impromptu graph, identified colors, did TPR, and used gestures and smily/frowny faces to talk about what we liked/didn’t like.  Not too many items qualified for “dislike” so I pulled a package of broccoli out of my freezer to bring in a little variety.

Here are a few sweet French and Spanish  words to use if you, too, would like to put that Easter candy to good use:

(English – French – Spanish)

candy – bonbons – dulces

chocolate – chocolat – chocolate

(Ah, the international language of chocolate!)

sucker – sucette – chupeta

gum – chewing-gum – chicle

marshmallow – guimauve – malvavisco

It goes without saying that an Easter basket candy lesson simply MUST end with the ingestion of candy.  Enjoy!

Image by clipart.com

Use a yummy ice cream theme to teach preschoolers how to count from 1-10 in a new language.  Prepare a felt ice cream cone and ten variously colored (“flavored”) scoops.  During the lesson, continually review and add on new numbers as the ice cream cone gets bigger and bigger and bigger. After the felt board presentation, all of the children count, build, and eat imaginary ice cream cones.  Don’t forget to pantomime the whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and sprinkles!  Here are the numbers for the ice cream lesson in English, French, and Spanish:

one – un – uno

two – deux – dos

three – trois – tres

four – quatre – cuatro

five – cinq – cinco

six – six – seis

seven – sept – siete

eight – huit – ocho

nine – neuf – nueve

ten – dix – diez

Image by tatooedmi at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/804663

My content-based kindergarten language learning continues with a little French lesson about trees.  The song is to the tune of “Ten Little Indians” and it’s meant to be acted out with gestures/TPR:

Chorus:

Racines, tronc, branches, feuilles

Racines, tronc, branches, feuilles

I think I might turn kids into human trees this week!  I’ll plaster them with labels, roots, sticks, and leaves.  They’ll probably love it.  I’ll let you know how the lesson goes once I’ve got it all figured out.

Edited to add:  Tried making a video to give you a better idea of the song.  I’m still new at this, so forgive the “choppiness” & my range of keys!  

Photo Credit:  by michu633 http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1181563

Nous plantons une fleur, nous plantons une fleur, nous plantons une fleur.  Où est le pot?

 We’re planting a flower, we’re planting a flower, we’re planting a flower.  Where is the pot?

I chose a volunteer to come to the center and hold up the flower pot.  We held hands again and continued with the next verse:

Voici le pot, voici le pot, voici le pot.  Où est la terre?

 Here is the pot, here is the pot, here is the pot.  Where is the soil?

Now, the child holding the flower pot chooses the next child to join him in the center to hold up the picture of the soil.  Next verse:

Voici la terre, voici la terre, voici la terre.  Où est la graine?

 Here is the soil, here is the soil, here is the soil.  Where is the seed?

Soil child chooses the seed child, etc. etc.

Voici la graine, voici la graine, voici la graine.  Où est de l’eau?

 Here is the seed, here is the seed, here is the seed.  Where is some water?

Voici de l’eau, voici de l’eau, voici de l’eau.  Où est le soleil?

Here is some water, here is some water, here is some water.  Where is the sun?

Voici le soleil, voici le soleil, voici le soleil.  Où est la plante?

Here is the sun, here is the sun, here is the sun.  Where is the plant?

At this point, everyone stops moving the circle and crouches down low.  The children slowly rise and then create a blossoming flower with their hands at the end of the song.

La plante pousse et pousse et pousse et pousse.  La plante pousse.  Voici la fleur!

The plant grows and grows and grows and grows.  The plant grows.  Here is the flower!

Teaching kids Spanish?  Use these verses:

Plantamos una flor (3 x)

¿Dónde está la maceta?

Aquí está la maceta (3x)

¿Dónde está la tierra?

Aquí está la tierra (3x)

¿Dónde está la semilla?

Aquí está la semilla (3x)

¿Dónde está el agua?

Aquí está el agua (3x)

¿Dónde está el sol?

Aquí está el sol (3x)

¿Dónde está la planta?

La planta se crece (3x)

Aquí está la flor.

Flower pot image:  by mordoc at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/673514

Soil image:  by kovik at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/891195

Seed image:  by Sunira at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/337882

Watering can image:  by scrappin at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/908008

Sun image:  by classroomclipart.com

Flower image:  by benedeki at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/965533

When I sit down to plan my weekly French lesson in my son’s kindergarten class, I always begin by checking in with his teacher to see what themes, concepts, and skills I can reinforce.  This past week the kids have been learning ways to take care of themselves:  safety, brushing teeth, visiting doctors, washing hands . . .   

Aha!  Stop right there.  Hand washing.  It’s probably the single most important thing we can do to stay healthy, yet I had never thought of making that a theme for language class.  Why not?  Here’s the lesson I did on Friday:

Daily warm-up:  I like to begin each class with a routine using lots of movement before the kids sit and listen.

Gross-motor TPR commands (stretch, march, run, play basketball, jump high, jump low three times, touch your nose, touch your toes, etc. etc. etc.)

Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

Rules Rhyme:  Je lève le doigt, je parle français, je regarde, j’écoute, et je m’assieds.  We say the rhyme chorally as we act out raising our finger (it’s a French thing!), speaking French, watching, listening, and sitting.  We end up sitting in a circle, ready to start.

Hello Song & Greetings

Presentation of New Material:

I bridged into the theme by singing a wonderful French song that the kids already know, called Mes petites mains.  My little hands clap, they clap high, they clap low, they clap here, they clap there.  Subsequent verses include my little hands turn, rub, and snap.  Perfect segue into “Ewww!  Germs on my hands!” 

My son has some Neopet and Pokemon figures that, quite frankly, could pass for gigantic germs.  I put them on my hands, then demonstrate that they are actually teeny, tiny and can’t be seen.  We need to wash hands to get rid of them.

I introduced the word for water–de l’eau with a picture of a running faucet, I brought in a liquid soap dispenser labelled with the French word savon, and I brought in a towel.  After learning nouns, we also learned verbs:  rub, rinse, dry.  

Since hand washing should last about 20 seconds, we practiced counting slowly in French while pretending to wash our hands.  We also did the Birthday song trick, singing in French.  (The birthday song lasts about the right amount of time.)

Next, I made up a song about washing your hands.  You can read about it at this post.

Games and Activities

The most crucial vocabulary was in the song (I wash my hands, I rub and rub, I rinse, Goodbye germs!) so I wanted to get in a lot of repetitions.  To do so, we played a version of Hot Potato.  I call it “Pass the Germ!”  We sat in a big circle and passed around one of my Pokemon/germ figures as music played.  When the music stopped, we all sang the Hand Washing Song as the person holding the germ pretended to wash hands.  I also gave that child a little sticker so that they didn’t feel bad about holding the germ.  Once the germ made it around the circle we said, “Au revoir, microbe” and put it away.  

Four Corners is a fun and versatile game that kids love because they get to move around.  It reinforces counting, too.  Put an item from the lesson in each corner of the classroom:  water picture, soap dispenser, towel, germ.  One child is “It” and closes his eyes, counting to 10 as the other children quietly walk to a corner.  ”It” identifies a corner, and those children are out.  They help to count for the next round.  Continue until only one player remains.

With lots of visuals, manipulatives, and gestures, it really is easy to conduct an entire beginner lesson in the target language.  I never expected the kids to enjoy the topic so much, but they did.  Good thing—this is an important one!

Other Materials:

Bilingual Spanish-English “How to Wash Your Hands” Activity Sheet

Spanish Hand Washing Poster

“Le Lavage des Mains” French Song

Hand Washing Lesson Plans in English, Spanish and French from Glogerm.com

Four mini-French posters to post over your classroom or bathroom sink.  An affordable download from Foreign Language House. 

Here are a few interesting hand washing videos.  The first is a song the Wiggles created for Unicef’s International Hand Washing Day.

Here’s the Spanish “Happy Birthday” PSA.

This PSA is from Indonesia.

Finally, learn about washing in French from the dwarves:

Image Source:  By Lance Hancock at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/845716

1. Regular warm-up. I’ll be sure to bring my calendar so that I can show my students the date of Earth Day.

2. Introduce the globe. I have a nice inflatable one that’s great for tossing around the room. I’ll teach the word for Earth, land, and water. We can toss around the globe and say things like, “I love the Earth” or “Happy Earth Day.”  Maybe I’ll have the kids catch the ball and say if their thumb lands on land or water.

3. After a good scrubbing, I’m going to bring in my recycling bin and various items that can be recycled. My main 4 vocab words will be: metal, paper, plastic, glass. We’ll do some developmentally appropriate sorting, and then toss everything into the recycling bin.

4. Ever play the game of Four Corners? Kids love it! I’m planning a recycling version that will go like this: I’ll post four signs around the room, one for each type of recyclable. One kid will be IT. IT closes his eyes and counts to ten as the other children go stand by one of the signs. Then I’ll ask, “What will you recycle? Metal, paper, plastic, or glass?” IT chooses an item, and all of the children by that sign go sit down. Now, all of the children who are out also count for the next round, and chant the question with me. We’ll play until there’s only one child left.  Maybe another round if there’s time.

5. As a closure, I’m teaching a Recycling Chant. Here’s how it goes:

Recyclez, recyclez (turn hands)

Métal, papier, plastique, verre (clap each syllable)

Sauvez, sauvez, sauvez la Terre (put fists up in the air 4 times as we Save, save, save the Earth)

I look forward to blending content and language in this recycling lesson. Here are some downloads that you might find useful as you, too, teach about Earth Day in French and Spanish:

FRENCH:

FREE French Earth Day Coloring Page (globe)

French Songs and Chants for Earth Day

French Earth Day Vocabulary Matching Worksheet (secondary level)

French Earth Day/Environment Signs

SPANISH:

FREE Spanish Earth Day Coloring (Globe)

Spanish Songs and Chants for Earth Day

Spanish Earth Day Vocabulary Matching (secondary level)

Spanish Environmental Earth Day Signs

Happy Earth Day!

Click here to take the Foreign Language Fun language choice survey

Image Credit:  by Sachin Ghodke at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1042526