Teaching in French or your classroom target language is one of my favorite topics to discuss. When asked why someone doesn’t use more target language in the classroom, teachers usually respond to me by asking a question:
- When do I start?
- How do I begin?
- What if my students don’t understand me?
- How do I teach grammar in the target language?
- And if the teacher before me doesn’t use the target language?
Those are all excellent and valid questions that beg a conversation for each one. This blog is part 2 in a strong series of blogs about teaching in French or your classroom target language 90% or more of the time and I will specifically address levels 1 and 2 when answering the above questions. For teacher tips and suggestions about levels 3 and above, check out Part 1 in this teaching in French series.
#1 – When do I make the shift?
Tomorrow. You will not break your students or hurt your curriculum by changing the mode of delivery. Your job is to gather strategies for how to teach more in French and start trying! There will be moments of trial and error with anything. The hardest part to start teaching more in French is to not give up on the attempt. When you give up, the students will give up. Perhaps, pick your favorite (most forgiving) class and pilot all of your techniques until they become more of a habit.
#2 – How do I begin teaching in French?
Build routines. From the first 7 minutes to the last 7 minutes, build routines that everyone comes to expect. Routines help keep us in the target language as well as our students. Routines help lower the affective filter in class so that students are more open to the day’s learning. Consider the routines you have set up for:
- How to start class? (Here is a separate blog post on this topic.)
- How to end class? (Here is a separate blog post on this topic.)
- How do I structure my lesson plan to build in continuous modeling on my part?
- Total Physical Response – TPR (Here is a separate blog post on this topic.)
- Teach classroom essentials in French (stand up, sit down, open/close, take out, circle/underline/cross out, etc….)
- What language supports do I continually use to avoid the use of English?
- Pictures, gestures, more pictures, more gestures
- Sentence starters
- Chatmats
- Speaking activities (how to find my partner, model where to start, model what to do when they are done)
- Writing activities (where to turn it in, when to turn it in, what to write, where to find unknown words, is this formative writing or summative writing)
- Reading activities
- Use authentic readings (Here is a separate blog post on this topic.)
- Pre-reading strategies (Here is a separate blog post on this topic.)
- If the plan for all difficult words is to translate them into English, I recommend choosing a reading passage that is more at the proficiency level of the class.
#3 – What if my students don’t understand me?
If your students aren’t used to you teaching in French or in the target language, then use TPR and shorter sentences as you build routines in class. The language and speed that I use to speak French to my students is way slower (and with more gestures) than what I use to speak to proficient French speakers. This does not mean that I speak “baby” French. It means when I speak in French, I support the language with gestures, pictures, and context.
Check often for their listening comprehension by asking yes/no or either/or questions. Open-ended questions are great for some students and leave room for others to show listening comprehension with yes/no and either/or answers. Listening precedes speaking. Speaking precedes reading and writing. When you begin more teaching in French, check for listening comprehension. Yes? They are understanding? Then move to a speaking activity to continue their engagement.
#4 – How do I teach grammar in French?
Use language in context. Context is critical stay teaching in French and to help with comprehension of the language and avoid translating into English. Are you in the family unit? Then once they know how to say the ages of family members, consider introducing comparisons.
“No, Lisa! Comparisons are in the adjective unit which uses all the forms of “to be” with pronouns and is later in the textbook.”
Hmmm. Again, you will not break your students or hurt the curriculum by teaching them the comparative using only TWO adjectives (old/young) and the word “more”. Ages are a very concrete way to teach comparisons and stay in the target language. You are teaching the concept/meaning of comparing, not the full-blown form of the grammar concept. (Here is a separate blog post on this topic.)
Keep it simple. No multiple forms of “to be” and no use of the negative. Not “less” or “equal”, just “more”. Yes, there is a bit of masculine/feminine to deal with but it’s only 2 adjectives. Using a grammar concept in context helps me teach in French. Teach the same comparison structure in the “Classroom Objects/School” unit by adding only 2 more adjectives (large, small). The full explanation and verb conjugation of this grammar point can still happen in the adjective unit later in the textbook. Students will have already had a brief introduction – in French – to the grammar concept.
#5 – My colleague isn’t teaching in French
The fact that the colleague teaching level 1 doesn’t speak French is not a factor in French 2 when deciding whether or not to teach in French. It can still be done and the course objectives can still be met. Again, you will not break your students or throw the curriculum off course. These topics are just conversations with colleagues that are waiting to happen.
Make the shift. Build your routines. Use teacher talk with comprehension checks. Teach grammar in context. Start conversations with colleagues. All of these topics can be done with patience, perseverance, and some trial/error.
My name is Lisa and I love being your new French colleague. How can I help you tomorrow?
(Find the video version of this blog and more on my YouTube Channel: L’Essentiel French Resources.)
