How Innovative Routines Catapult Students to Success
In the heart of language acquisition, French routines are the compass that guides hesitant learners to eloquent communicators, where each habitual step taken opens a gateway to understanding the intricate layers that compose French culture and language.
These structured patterns of classroom activities play a pivotal role in creating a conducive learning environment and fostering student engagement. French routines offer a consistent framework that empowers learners to develop linguistic skills, French proficiency, cultural awareness, and a deeper appreciation for the language. In this blog post, we will explore the significance of French routines in the classroom and delve into different fun and engaging French routines that you can incorporate into your intermediate and senior French classes!
The Power of French Routines
Routines act as a glue that binds a classroom together. They provide a sense of predictability, allowing students to feel comfortable and secure in their learning environment. Moreover, routines help establish clear expectations, smooth transitions at the start of the lesson and enhance overall classroom management. In the context of second language acquisition, routines offer several additional benefits such as:
Establishing a Positive Learning Environment: regular routines will help set the tone for the classroom by creating a sense of consistency and order. They can contribute to a positive and focused learning environment where students feel comfortable and know what to expect
Consistency in Practice: Regular routines ensure that students are consistently engaging with the language, reinforcing vocabulary, grammar syntax, and conversational skills over time.
Skill Integration: Regular routines promote the integration of various language skills – listening, speaking, reading, and writing – by incorporating them into daily activities
Confidence Building: over time, students will become familiar with the routines and their confidence in using the target language will naturally increase.
Reduce anxiety: predictable routines can help reduce anxiety for students, especially those who may feel uncertain or stressed in new situations. Knowing what to expect can create a more relaxed and confident learning atmosphere, which is essential for second language acquisition
7 Engaging French Routines for the Classroom
With the many obvious benefits of incorporating engaging French routines into your class, it is important that you choose routines that not only captivate your students’ attention but also seamlessly integrate cultural exploration, interactive learning, and linguistic development. Here are a few French routines that I would recommend for Intermediate and Senior French level students.
Mot du jour
One of the popular French routines that I use in my class is “Mot du jour.” Each day, as part of our routine, I will have the word of the day and its definition on the board as students come in. They will observe the word, reflect on it, and think of a sentence where they could use the word in context. Afterward, once the bell has rung and class has started, students will share their sentences in front of the class. Students are then encouraged to use the new word of the day in their daily speaking and writing tasks. The word will then be put on our word wall so that there is a visual reminder for the rest of the semester.
Mot du jour is the perfect vocabulary builder activity and will improve your students’ reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. This is one of my students’ favorite French routines because they are learning a new French word every day and trying to find as many opportunities to use this word during our class time.
If you choose to implement this French routine in your classroom, I would suggest trying to find French words appropriate for your students’ French proficiency level. I have a few resources that highlight essential A2 – B2 vocabulary. Check them out below
Expression de la semaine
Expression de la semaine is another one of my students’ favorite French routines! Students will explore 1 French idiom each week and incorporate it into their daily interactions. I often display the idiom on the board, give students time to reflect on the idiom, have them discuss what they think it means with a partner, and then share their guesses with the class. I will then show the idiom in context, reveal the definition of the idiom and the possible English equivalent. Finally, students will have the opportunity to create their own sentences using the new idiom and share their work with the class.
There are SO many French idioms that you can use with your students. Here is a bundled resource that could keep your students busy learning idioms all year long!
Lecture du lundi
French Monday Readings are the perfect way to start your class after students have had a rejuvenating weekend. Each Monday, I have a short reading that students will analyze when they come into class and answer 5 short reading comprehension questions. We will then take up the answers to these questions at the beginning of class.
While you can use any reading that relates to your learners’ proficiency level, I tend to pick cultural articles so that students are able to read about francophone countries, places, cities, and destinations. Here is an example of two resources that I use to implement this French routine in my classroom every Monday all year long!
Mon opinion mardi
Mon opinion mardi will get your students motivated as soon as they enter your classroom! Have a controversial statement on the board and have students pick a side and argue their point of view orally. The discussions can definitely get heated as students share their opinions and are generally passionate about their perspectives. Some mini-debate examples for intermediate students would include:
Les élèves devraient porter un uniforme scolaire
Les devoirs devraient être interdits
Les cours d’éducation physique sont plus importants que les cours d’art
Les cours en ligne sont aussi efficaces que les cours en personne
For senior French students, I tend to pick more mature and debatable topics that can last 5-10 minutes. Some examples would include :
Les aliments génétiquement modifiés devraient être interdits
La peine de mort devrait être abolie dans tous les pays
L’intelligence artificielle représente une menace pour les emplois humains
La censure sur Internet est nécessaire pour protéger la société
These “mini-debates” encourage active participation and will make their learning experience memorable and enjoyable. My students love the friendly competition that it brings to the classroom and the relevance of authentic conversations that they would also have with their peers in their native language. If you are looking for fantastic mini-debates that will provide a dynamic and interactive learning experience for your students, check out some of these Agree or Disagree Resources!
Musique mercredi
On Wednesdays, start your class off by showcasing a francophone song. I mean, who doesn’t love music!? There are SO many great French songs on YouTube and Spotify and this routine can spark their interest in learning French, especially if you choose genres that your students enjoy.
Second language acquisition through music can expose students to authentic native pronunciation and intonation that will help improve their own speaking skills by mimicking the correct patterns of speech. It will also enhance their vocabulary acquisition, listening comprehension, and gaining insight into French culture, history, and way of life. After each francophone song, you can have students reflect on some questions. For example:
Qui est l’artiste de la chanson ?
Y a-t-il des mots ou des expressions dans les paroles que vous ne comprenez pas ?
Quel est le thème général de la chanson ?
Existe-t-il des éléments culturels dans cette chanson qui sont liés à la francophonie ?
Avez-vous aimé la chanson ? Expliquez.
You can cultivate your own francophone music list, or here is a ready to go music list with more than 100+ francophone songs that your students will enjoy! The best part? All links, titles, singers and themes are categorized in this editable Google Sheet that will save you HOURS of prep time for an unbeatable price!
Journal de jeudi
Every Thursday, you can have students write in their journals with a “question of the week.” As students come into the classroom, simply display the question on the board. Students will then take the first 5 minutes to write an answer to the specific question. Afterwards, they can submit their journal and you can read them and give your students feedback. Some simple questions that you can have students answer :
Quel est votre film préféré ? Pourquoi ?
Que ferez-vous pendant le week-end ?
Quels sports aimez-vous jouer ?
Quelle est votre matière préférée à l’école ? Pourquoi ?
Quelle est votre nationalité ?
Journal writing will help your students improve their language skills, including their vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, and overall written communication. Regular writing practice also enhances their ability to express themselves effectively. If you are looking for some great questions to use in your classroom, check out this Question du jour bundled resource that will provide limitless opportunities to enhance your students’ French proficiency.
Virelangue vendredi
Every Friday, spark a friendly competition in your classroom by introducing a French tongue twister. You can start by modeling the tongue twister for your students and then have them practice saying it with a peer. They can then take turns, completing the tongue twister in front of the class and if they make a mistake, they are eliminated until one person is left. You can also have students practice saying the tongue twister in different voice tones (scary, funny, whisper, etc.)
Tongue twisters are designed to challenge the speaker’s ability to articulate and pronounce words clearly and accurately. Repeating challenging sounds and combinations will help improve your students’ enunciation and speech clarity, while emphasizing specific phonemes in French. Their phonetic awareness will eventually lead to developing strong speaking and listening skills. Here is a fantastic resource that includes French fluidity passages and tongue twisters that you can use with your students every Friday. It is the perfect warm-up activity for getting your students ready to speak French!
Conclusion
In conclusion, French routines are the threads that weave together a seamless and enriching learning experience. By incorporating engaging routines tailored to the needs of intermediate and senior French students, educators can spark a lifelong passion for the language, while nurturing linguistic proficiency and the confidence to communicate effectively in the global francophone community.
If you are looking for ready to go French routines that will eliminate your prep time and start your French class off with a BANG – be sure to check my popular French routines. All the best and happy planning!
I’ve got a weekly routine somewhat like you’ve described here but you’ve given me even more ideas (and super great ones too!). I REALLY appreciate this post, and throughout the year I will check out the resources you’ve linked to each of the different daily activities 🙂
That is the sweetest reply Lauren! Thank you so much and I hope you have the BEST transition back to school. Routines have certainly changed my classroom dynamics in such a positive way ❤️