The importance of phonics

When your child is ready to learn to read in French, it is important to teach French phonics along with your vocabulary. While many sounds are the same in French, there are many sounds that are different. This can cause confusion and frustration if you don't make sure that these differences are explained.

Sounds that are the same in French and English

SOUND	ENGLISH WORD	FRENCH WORD
ch (sh)	machine	chaud
c, k, qu	cat, keen, plaque	crayon, kayak, quatre
f, ph	France, telephone	France, téléphone
g	beige	girafe
g	gate	garçon
l	lion	lion
m	mirror	miroir
n	nine	neuf
p	pear	pomme
r	red	rouge
s, sc, c	since, science, centre	souris, science, centre
t, th	table	table, thé
v	vent	va
w	week	week-end
z, s	zebra, poison	zèbre, faisons

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Vocabulary ideas for primary grades

When introducing French to young children, your vocabulary should include the same types of things that children would learn in kindergarten.

Vocabulary ideas for primary grades:

1) numbers - both counting and random numbers
un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix, onze, douze
Listen to the numbers 1-12 podcast at ClubMimi.com

2) colours - at least the masculine singular
rouge, jaune, bleu, orange, violet, vert, brun, noir, blanc

3) conversation and manners - introductions, please, thank you
eg.: bonjour, au revoir, je m'appelle..., comment vous appelez-vous?, s'il vous plaît, merci

4) classroom items - whatever your child uses every day
eg.: un crayon, un cahier, un livre, une chaise

5) days of the week - both in order and randomly
dimanche, lundi, mardi, mercredi, jeudi, vendredi, samedi

6) the alphabet - The French alphabet uses the same letters as English, but with different names.
Listen to the alphabet podcast at ClubMimi.com

These are just a few suggestions. For complete lesson plans and teaching aids, see Nallenart's L'Art de dire.
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Get a good dictionary

If you are at all serious about teaching French at home, you will need to invest in a good French-English dictionary. My advice is not to settle for less than 100,000 words. A dictionary of this size will have all you will ever need, including complete pronunciation guides, grammar, and conjugations.

Warning! A comprehensive dictionary will include the "bad" words as well as the good ones. This is only a good thing as you should also learn what not to say as you progress in language study.

While there are several internet translators available, these are generally unreliable. Language is so full of idioms which are difficult to translate. For example, one of my students handed in a composition that made "I'll be right back" sound like the equivalent of "I'll be left front." His translation, while word for word and literal, made no sense at all. This is less likely to happen with a good dictionary that gives examples of word usage.

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How to master numbers in French

While learning numbers in French is really just a matter of memorizing them, there are many ways to make the process fun and enjoyable. The secret to mastery is to make sure the numbers are practiced out of order.

As a teacher, I have encountered many students who can count like wildfire, but have no idea how to identify a number out of order. Attempts to do so usually involve rapid counting. This can take some time when the number is over fifty!

The good news is that there are many fun ways to ensure that numbers are drilled randomly. You can use a deck of number cards, either shuffled to say numbers randomly, or laid out face down in a grid to play Concentration.

You can write numbers on pieces of paper and draw them out of a hat. Do this first one at a time, then two at a time to add them, then two at a time to multiply them, as you learn higher numbers.

Bingo is a great game to practice numbers randomly. Counting by twos, threes, fives, and tens is a great way to get students thinking about their numbers. There are many possibilities to have fun and gain mastery of this important subject.

Listen to the numbers 1-12 podcast at ClubMimi.com
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When is the best time to begin second language studies?"

Many parents ask, "When is the best time to begin second language studies?" There is often a fear that it might be too late to begin past a certain age. While younger is better generally, children can be successful studying language at any age once there is an understanding of how this type of learning takes place.

It is true that there is an optimum window for learning language naturally. The tremendous gains in comprehension that a child makes from birth to age two or three, for example, can never be repeated at that rate or intensity. Even though the two year old child cannot necessarily articulate clearly all that he has learned, the incredible leap in vocabulary and the grasp of basic grammatical concepts during this period is mind-boggling.

It is important to note that the rate of language acquisition slows considerably after this initial rush. Rare studies of feral children indicate that if a child has not mastered the basics of language by the age of twelve, it is impossible to go back and recover them. The window is closed.

These findings shed suspicion on claims that certain language learning programs can teach a second language "naturally," that is, in the same way that language is acquired by the infant, through exposure and immersion. It takes more than this.

Unfortunately for those seeking a shortcut, second language learning must be approached in the same way as learning the times tables, or the capital cities of Europe, through instruction, memorization, drill, and testing. While this sounds very dry and boring, it certainly doesn't need to be.

French is a subject you can have fun with. Number drill can be disguised in game playing. Vocabulary can be rehearsed through a drawing game like Pictionary, or an acting game like Charades. Listening to music and singing songs are enjoyable ways to gain exposure to new words and sounds. Explanation, regular use, and repetition are the key to second language learning. These can take place at any age.
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Lapbooking for French Students

Do you lapbook? Lapbooking has swept the homeschooling community! And with good reason! A lapbook, for the uninitiated, is a project that is prepared over a number of days or weeks by the student.
Consisting of a number of "mini-books," it is a great way of organizing and presenting information. When the student is finished, she or he has a convenient portfolio, like an oversized book, that serves to review the materials covered.

To download a free lapbooking kit pdf for the first unit of Nallenart's L'Art de lire, visit nallenart.org. You must first create your new account, then select Free Teacher Resources to access your free lapbooking kit and other free materials. .

Playing Games in French

Playing games can help students to feel comfortable with hearing and speaking French. They learn that French works as well as English for communicating.

For example, if you play a counting game such as Sorry, do your counting in French. If you are playing a game like Go Fish, ask your questions in French: "Avez-vous un dix?" "Oui." "Non." "Merci." "De rien."

Do your children like to play Bingo? Call the numbers in French. This allows for extra vocabulary practice while having fun with the language.
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Goals for French in the Primary Grades

Your main goal for French in the primary grades is to provide an introduction or a taste of what the language is like. You do this through regularly repeated exposure. Plan to do a little something with French every day, even if this is just using the French words for please (s'il vous plaît) and thank you (merci) in your daily conversation.

French is definitely a subject that you can have a lot of fun with. This is especially true during the primary grades. There are fun songs to sing, like the classics Frère Jacques and Alouette, and fun games to play that can certainly be counted as part of your French language instruction.

Just listening to French can be valuable during the introductory stage. Music is by far the best application of this. You should be able to find French language music at your local library. But please keep it light and fun! Too much unintelligible language can feel like a bombardment and cause your child to become discouraged.

Keep in mind that your goal is to provide a taste of the language. Make sure that it is delicious!
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Seminar Handouts

Thank you to those who attended my workshops at the RVHEA and OCHEC Conventions last month.

I presented some ideas for teaching French at home, answered questions and had the opportunity to participate in some great back and forth sharing of experiences by those who attended.

If you are interested, a copy of my seminar handout is available at:
Nallenart.org Seminar Handout
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