First Day Teaching Ideas - Returning Students

What should you do on the first day of French class? Students may be new to language learning or coming back from vacation, so is it better to have some fun or dive right into grammar and vocabulary? If you haven't already, take a look at my index of warm-up exercises. Also, you should stress the importance of practice - a few hours of weekly classroom instruction is not enough. Hand out a list of French resources like books, audio, local French clubs, and websites. This site, for example, has more than 6,000 pages that can help your students excel at French, including:

• lessons
• e-courses
• tests
• audio lab
• daily French features
• articles
• Q+A forums

For more first day ideas, read these excellent suggestions shared by teachers on the Profs de français forum.


Returning French Students
Whether you are taking over a class from a former teacher, teaching level 2 or higher, or just returning to your students after a vacation, you need to review what they've learned and figure out what to teach next. Here are some tips.


In the first couple days I review greetings and add in things that go along with ça va. Then I will start introducing classroom vocabulary like Écoutez, répétez, sortez une feuille de papier. I have a great handout with pictures of each command for students to figure out as I teach and then study from. They don't necessarily have to learn to write these words but just to recognize them. A recognition quiz of these could be their first quiz after about a week.

Take the bull by the horns, get your feet wet, and get going. If they should be up to chapter 5 or so of the book, give them short vocabulary quizzes, pull out some projects that they can do, oral discussions, etc. Allez-Viens has almost too many resources to use - so quickly find a student you can rely on and see what he/she says they have/haven't done.

I do a lot of reviewing. When my 7th graders come in, after having a little French in 6th grade, I have them sit in groups and come up with words that they remember from last year. Then I take the cards that each group made, put them together and we play a game of around the world or family feud to see what the whole class remembers. This gets them back in the French mode and lets them remember things. For 8th grade, I ask a lot of questions that review units from the year before. They also do an interview with someone where I have given a hint sheet for them to be able to answer questions.

I would start with a lighter activity than a dictée and consider a game or two.

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I use singing from the beginning to get them on my side. On day 1, for a warm-up, I have everyone stand & "give me the beat" in 4/4 time. Then I break into the alphabet to a Rap beat. Some roll their eyes, but I just laugh and keep clapping, warning them that "I can do boring, if you want - it's really a lot easier!" After a few days, I have pretty much everyone trying to keep up, that's when I inform them that in 2 weeks, they will have to do the alphabet for their first oral quiz - solo. That gets a few groans, but everyone begins to apply themselves.

Once we have our alphabet and numbers rap down, I introduce the Circle of Life (in French) for our new warm up. I've had numerous teachers and parents tell me that my class is their students' favorite. Just remember, at the middle school level, creativity and fun is really important. You're teaching introduction and developing interest - don't be too serious! This is one class that you can truly teach "across the curriculum"!
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Use caution if you say anything about the prior teacher. The first time you say something disparaging about his/her teaching, the students will use that as an excuse for not knowing anything/everything in the future.

Start off with your rules, expectations, and the tone you want to establish in the classroom. What environment are you comfortable with? This keeps us working in French as much as possible, things are positive and fun. For example, I have found my rules to be very effective:

1. Parlez en français.
2. Levez la main.
3. Écoutez.

La première chose que je fais, devant la classe avec la liste des noms :

1. Qui s'appelle Pierre ?
   D'après les réponses, par exemple Pierre, c'est moi, enchaîner sur les expressions que l'on étudie généralement la première année.
2. Vous connaissez Jean Lévêque / François Hollande ?
   Vous verrez vite ceux qui répondent. Surtout, commencez avec ce qu'ils savent ! Et faites-les parler.

If you have brand-new French students, be sure to read page one of this article, which offers tips to teachers of students that are new to French.

Keep reading: New French Students | Returning French Students

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