Yeesh. Teach le passé composé in French? Yowza. It’s le passé composé. Gulp. En français? Oopah. Their eyes glaze over when I start teaching le passé composé grammar in French.
Don’t go down the rabbit hole of grammar, grammar, grammar in English in the middle of your French or World Language classroom. With a focus on meaning before form, our students can show us comprehension of le passé composé and begin to use it in meaningful and spontaneous ways. In part 4 of this series of blogs, here are 4 clear-cut strategies to teach le passé composé in French.
Le Passé Composé – #1 My Teaching Philosophy
This idea of teaching grammar in French (or other World Languages) grounds itself in several basic tenants of how I teach French:
- I strive to teach 80-90%+ in French. English is used but with purpose and intention but I teach all grammar in French.
- Speaking and listening precede reading and writing. If the student can’t say it spontaneously, they struggle to write it spontaneously (or without scaffolded support).
- Verbs and grammar structures are presented in terms of language functions (what does that verb or grammar structure allow a student to do in French?)
- Examples: does it help a student to compare and contrast? Compliment? Be polite? Be rude? Ask for permission? Express confusion?
- Grammar spirals horizontally across the course (French 1, for example) as well as vertically (le passé composé, for example, moves from French 1 to French 2 to French 3, etc…).
With these basic beliefs, my goal with all students is to create an environment where they are comfortable with me speaking French and attempting to speak French themselves. Additionally, students come to feel the expectation and support of routines and rituals that provide language supports such as:
- Regular and multiple speaking opportunities with partners
- Visuals, gestures, and movements to aid in or show comprehension of a concept or vocabulary word while speaking
- Clear learning targets of what is being learned and why (example: we are learning this grammar structure so that you can accept or refuse an invitation)
Having said that, not all of my classes are wonderful, dreamy places of happy and enlightened students. Nope. Yet, I still strive to deliver my instruction daily with those above beliefs.
Le Passé Composé – #2 Why Wait?
There is no perfect grade level to introduce le passé composé but you can consider starting le passé composé before the grammar structure actually shows up in the sequenced textbook or curriculum.
This is how le passé composé (past tense) usually shows up in French curriculum sequences:
- French 1
- Learn the auxiliary verbs “être-to be” and “avoir-to have” by January of French 1 to prepare them for le passé composé next year in December.
- Be frustrated when they still mix up the 4 major verbs “faire – to do/make”, “aller-to go”, “être-to be”, and “avoir-to have”.
- French 2
- Review all 4 major verbs in September.
- Review the auxiliary verbs “être” and “avoir” in December and start the Paris travel unit that includes an introduction to le passé composé grammar structure.
- Be frustrated when they still mix up the verbs “aller”, “être”, “faire”, “avoir” during the Paris unit and on their traditional postcard final summative project.
- French 3
- Students can correctly conjugate “aller”, “être”, “faire”, “avoir” in writing sentences but mix them up or completely omit them when speaking.
- Review le passé composé before introducing l’imparfait (the imperfect).
- Be frustrated when they completely omit the auxiliary verb when speaking so that le passé composé starts to sound like l’imparfait.
- Students think they’re rocking it.
- French 4 and 5
- Some students are on track with le passé composé and some are still mystified by what it sounds like when speaking spontaneously.
That was a roundabout way to describe the beginning years of le passé composé in my French classrooms but that was my reality for a span of 5-6 years during the beginning of my high school teaching career. And then a colleague mentioned 3 words to me: Meaning before Form.
My life changed. Why wait to teach le passé composé?
Consider this new sequence:
- French 1: Starting in January after the holiday break–or sooner–, introduce the idea of “What did you do last weekend?”
- No writing. No grading. Speaking only. Each Monday for 10-12 minutes.
- Teach multiple answers. Don’t get hung up on the auxiliary verbs.
- Start with “I” forms only and include the negative for variety.
- Choose fun verbs that may not conform to “regular” or “irregular” rules within the ER, IR, and RE verb categories. Introduce them 3-5 per week.
- French 2: Continue this routine in September and add in “je suis allé.e” if you haven’t already. Vary the contexts:
- What did you do last weekend? For your last birthday? Last night? Last class period? Yesterday in math class? Yesterday at lunch?
- Keep it brief. No more than 5-6 minutes of partner conversations for Semester 1.
- Now it’s time to introduce the Paris unit in December and they have some speaking abilities in their repertoire.
- Add the plural pronouns (“we”, “you, plural”, “they”), if you haven’t already.
Now when students arrive in French 3, we review solidly and they are comfortable speaking in le passé composé. I have been spending over a year just working on their pronunciation to communicate the past. Students have seen the written structures on chat mats, sentence starters, or question task cards since the end of French 1. Just because they see le passé composé in French 1 doesn’t mean I pick it apart and teach them the form of how to write it. That can be a true buzz kill.
Le Passé Composé – #3 Limit the subject pronouns
In French 1, I limit the forms for le passé composé to “I”, the negative form of “I”, and “you-informal”. During the 3rd or 4th quarters, I might introduce the 3rd person singular (he/she/one) to expand their conversation skills.
Please note that when they expand to “he/she/one”, they have new language functions to practice: to tattle (“He took my pencil.”), to express surprise (“He finished a marathon.”), to express shock (“She pushed the principal.”), or to express anger (“She cheated on the test”).
During French 1, I pause and adjust any of le passé composé routines that feel overused or forced. Le passé composé can be fun and funny in the right context.
Le Passé Composé – #4 Gestures, Keywords, and Visuals
Gestures and keywords are attached to most everything I ask students to do. This is an easy way for me to check for comprehension of the concept or the vocabulary word and le passé composé is no different.
During this time, students become accustomed to several routines upon which I insist while teaching them this unit:
- There is always a gesture (point backwards over your shoulder) to indicate past tense.
- There is always a keyword to tell when the event happened.
- hier (yesterday), le weekend dernier (last weekend), samedi dernier (last Saturday), le 3 mai (May 3), etc…
- There is always a timeline and/or calendar to point to for context (visuals).
I am consistent with the expectation that students must use gestures, keywords, and visuals when speaking. An example of when I intentionally and purposefully use English is to explain why I insist on those routines during le passé composé activities. There is always a method to my madness.
Le Passé Composé – Final Thoughts
Achieving any of those above routines, rituals, and lessons is always my goal. Some days, months, and classes are easier than others. Some students and/or classes dig their heels in and it’s a struggle to keep up my routines and rituals.
How I teach le passé composé in French might shift depending on my students but not if I teach le passé composé in French. I can’t lower my expectations. I adapt, adjust, and switch what I need to each year to fit my students’ needs and their personalities. Teaching grammar in French is an expectation that I will not change.
Other topics in this series on French Grammar include:
- Tips to Teach French Grammar in French – Beginning Levels (Part 1 in a series)
- Teach Present Tense French Verbs in French (Part 2 in a series)
- Teach ER (and IR, RE) French Verbs in French (Part 3 in a series)
For the video versions of these blogs, check out my YouTube Channel: L’Essentiel French Resources. My name is Lisa and I enjoy being your new French colleague. How can I help you tomorrow?
