e s fdr e è r s e' t s e 11.48 1. 1 L- ste usmd m aé nde ne é . ALse n so oieosui rs s ?d le' al n
1.11 Les mois de l'année The months of the year
Learning the months of the year enables pupils to talk in French about events such as celebrations and birthdays, and in what time of year they happen. This is the first stage towards establishing a regular daily classroom routine, to say today's date in French.
Films to see A1a Months: January - June A1b Months: July - December A1c Birthday months game A2 “Months” song You could also talk with pupils about the months of the year in their own country. ● What is the weather like then? ● What festivals do they celebrate?
NEW WORDS AND PHRASES
Quel mois sommes-nous? What month is it (now)? (LIT: 'What month are we?')
Watch film A1a: ‘January - June’
le mois - the month
Introducing the first 6 months Film 11 A1a shows a variety of images representing the first 6 months of the year, asking "Quel mois sommes-nous?". Each month is named at the start and end of its visual sequence. janvier, février, mars, avril, mai, juin
janvier - January février - February mars - March avril - April mai - May juin - June juillet - July août - August septembre - September octobre - October novembre - November décembre - December
Boat-trip through the marshes near Saint Omer: “mai”
see Talking Dictionary
Planning your lessons
Cultural awareness
❑ You may find that pupils wish to talk immediately about some of the images they have been watching. If this is the case, it is worth taking a little time to do this before moving on to the language activities outlined below. The “talking points” have been designed to respond to questions that the children might raise after watching this film.
This section introduces pupils to saying the French words for months - getting used to some more typical sounds. They explore what people do at different times of the year, and learn about festivals and seasonal events.
Activities
Warm up
You could open the lesson with greetings and questions to help pupils “switch” to French, and remind them of language they already know.
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1 48.E eiassr ftdr e è rrlee e aLsre-l styu m Sd to nn c tn h éd1ee s . A 'sa so e u r sF ? Get used to the sounds
KEY SOUNDS
❑ Echoing: Show the pictures representing January - June on the “Months” e-flashcards; display each picture and say which month is represented - initially with sound and text ON, and in order (not 'jumbled'). Pupils echo the words, e.g. “janvier”.
Look for typical sounds that you have met before:
as in janvier,
septembre, novembre, décembre Heard before in: blanc, grand-père juin, juillet Heard before in: bonjour, j’ai, rouge Soft
When they are ready, switch sound and text OFF; see if the class can say the month for each picture in order without help. ❑ Everyone stands in a circle with you in the centre. Throw a soft ball to different pupils. Each time you throw the ball, say one of the months from January to June. The pupil echoes the month as s/he throws the ball back to you. To begin with, say the months in order. This helps establish the pattern and rhythm of the months sequence.
as in janvier,
as in janvier, février, juillet Heard before in:
famille, bien
as in juillet, juin
Heard before in:
bonne nuit, oui
as in Quel mois? oiseau
Heard before in:
as in janvier, février, décembre
Watch film A1b: ‘July - December’
Introducing the next 6 months Film 11 A1b shows images representing the next 6 months of the year, again, asking “Quel mois sommes-nous?”. Each month is named at the start and end of its visual sequence. juillet août septembre octobre novembre décembre
Heard before in:
et, Jérémie
as in mai,
Heard before in:
juillet violet, très
as in avril
Heard before in:
six, huit
as in juillet, août Heard before in: salut
(listen to the native speakers - try to copy the typically French sounds. ) see Talking Dictionary Musical Santas play in the streets of Lille: “décembre.” ❑ Echoing: This time show the pictures that represent all 12 months, January December, on the “Months” e-flashcards; display each picture and say which month is represented - initially with sound and text
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ON, and in order (not ‘jumbled’). Pupils echo the words, e.g. “septembre”. n Now switch the e-flashcards to 'jumbled'; you ask the class, "C'est quel mois?" Pupils tell you which month is shown.
e s fdr e è r s e' t s e 11.48 1. 1 L- ste usmd m aé nde ne é . ALse n so oieosui rs s ?d le' al n ❑ Echoing: Everyone stands in a circle with you in the centre. Say the name of one of the months as you throw the soft ball to individuals; they echo the month as they throw the ball back to you. ❑ Play “It’s that sound again”
Teacher: “Attention ... avril?” Children: “Avril!” Teacher: “Oui, c’est bien, Anthony. Janvier?” Yes, that’s good, Anthony. January?
Children: “Janvier!” Teacher: “Attention... juillet? Personne?”
Now that the new words and sounds are familiar, pick out ONE “key sound” from this chapter’s new words. Ask children to suggest all the French words they know that also contain that sound. As the children’s vocabulary is expanding, you can repeat this with some of the other sounds. This will help them remember the French they already know.
Attention ... July? No-one?
”Bon. Attention ... décembre?” O K. Attention ... December?
Children: “Décembre!” ❑ Divide the class into four groups. The first group begins chanting “janvier, février, mars”; the next group follows with “avril, mai, juin” and so on (as Zélie and Justine do in film A1c). To make it fun, encourage pupils to say the months quickly, then softly etc. ❑ Do a “Mexican wave” with the months. Pupils form a circle with their chairs. Beginning with “janvier”, each pupil says the next month one after the other in rapid succession. As they speak, pupils stand up and promptly sit down again as soon as they have said the month. If children normally sit in groups, the “wave” can take place round each of the class tables. See which table reaches “décembre” first.
❑ Play “Find the sound”where children find an example of a “key sound” in a number of word-cards scattered on the floor, and the whole class says that word.
Watch film A1c: ‘Birthday months game’
Saying the months Zélie and Justine say the months of the year. Birthday months game This sequence is intended for “gisting”. Pupils can work out what is happening by looking at the film and recognising some of the words. A class in a school near Saint-Omer play a game. It is not part of normal schoolwork but an activity they share with their twinned school from Britain when they visit.
Respond with understanding
❑ Play “jump to your birthday month” Play the game shown on the film. You call out a month, e.g. "C'est... novembre!" Pupils who have birthdays in that month try to be first to jump up and echo the month. ❑ "Sort the months" Select this online game. The game starts with the months shown in random order; pupils drag each month into a box to form the correct order.
Teacher: “Quel est le mois de ton anniversaire - novembre?”
The teacher calls out a month; pupils who have birthdays in that month jump up and say the month - the first one to do both correctly wins. The teacher starts: Teacher: “Mai?” Children: “Mai!” Teacher: “C’est mai pour Michelle.”
They could take turns coming up to the whiteboard. The activity attunes their ears to hearing and recognising the words, and associating them with the right month in their own language.
That’s May for Michelle.
Teacher: “Attention ... novembre?”
Attention everyone ... November? Children: “Novembre!”
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1 48.E eiassr ftdr e è rrlee e aLsre-l styu m Sd to nn c tn h éd1ee s . A 'sa so e u r sF ? 1
HOW FRENCH WORKS 1: Writing months: no capital in French
EXTRA WORDS AND PHRASES for teachers to use in class
When the months are written in French they begin with a lower case letter except at the beginning of a sentence.
C'est quel mois? What month is this? (Teacher shows flashcard)
❑ Flashcards: Working in pairs: play “snap” Pupils can use the months activity sheet to make “snap” cards. If you plan to play this regularly, use fairly thick card as a backing. Pupils play in pairs. They shuffle the twelve pairs of cards and deal them into two piles. They take it in turn to pick up a card and say the month.
Quel est le mois de ton anniversaire? What month is your birthday? Mon anniversaire est... en juin. My birthday is... in June
“C’est.. [mai] ..pour.. [Michelle].” c'est...(mai) - it's... (May) personne - no-one/nobody bon! - OK!/good! See classroom game in film A1. see Talking Dictionary
SONG: “Les mois de l’année”
If two cards are the same, they shout “oui!” The player who says “oui” first takes the cards which have been turned up. The winner is the one with all the cards, or with most cards when time is up.
Janvier, février, mars, avril, mai, juin et juillet; août, septembre, octobre, novembre, le dernier mois, c’est décembre.
(the last month, it’s December)
Quels sont les mois de l’année? (What are the months of the year?) Janvier, février, mars, avril, mai, juin et juillet; août, septembre, octobre, le dernier mois, c’est décembre. Voici les mois de l’année.
n Working in pairs: “remember the month” Pupils work in pairs with two sets of shuffled cards. They set out all the cards, face down on the table. A player turns over two cards; both pupils say the name of the months as they are revealed. If the two are the same, s/he keeps the cards; otherwise they are turned face down again. The game continues until all the cards have been picked up. The winner has the most cards.
(Here are the months of the year)
Watch film 11 Part A2 "Song"
❑ Watch film A2; encourage pupils to join in with the song. ❑ Music: pupils can sing the months song from the film, which is also in a 'karaoke' version. Children can sing alongside the French children or on their own with the musical accompaniment
Use the karaoke screen to sing the months song.
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e s fdr e è r s e' t s e 11.48 1. 1 L- ste usmd m aé nde ne é . ALse n so oieosui rs s ?d le' al n CROSS CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
❑ Music: Pupils compose their own tunes or chants for singing the months of the year. ❑ Drama: Miming game Divide pupils into small groups or pairs. Give each group one of the months flashcards. The groups prepare a short mime or sketch to represent their month. Any speech must be in French. They can use key words and phrases such as greetings to enhance the mime. The rest of the class has to guess which month is being represented.
Talking point
THE MONTHS OF THE YEAR
The films show images of northern France throughout the calendar year. It may be a good idea to talk with pupils first about what different times of year are like in your community. In different months, there will be occasions when people take part in traditional activities. For example, October and November for British children may be seen as the time when they take part in Hallowe’en and Guy Fawkes Night, against a backdrop of autumn, leaves falling off trees, evenings getting darker, etc. August might be when your town has a summer carnival procession to raise money for good causes and to attract visitors. Children perhaps see December as a time when their town centre is decorated with illuminations, and they see men dressed up as Father Christmas in shopping centres and department stores. Television has made sporting events like Wimbledon national occasions that are widely discussed; in June and July children may reflect this by playing tennis in the park. Discussion will help children to see other people's festivals and celebrations in the context of their everyday lives. Most people in all countries do ordinary things most of the time, but - like us - enjoy taking part in occasional special events. This will help make the similarities and differences more interesting. Later we look at celebrations which take place on particular dates; there is more information in that chapter’s ‘talking points’.
❑ Art: Pupils design a frieze for the classroom wall showing the months of the year.
They could show their favourite activities in each month. If you have links with a French primary school, you could scan and exchange these pictures. Pupils could compare what they and the French children like doing in different months. ❑ IT: "Our Year in photos": Have pupils take photos or movies to show your school in different months and at different times of the year, e.g. playtime in January and in June, sports in different months, etc; also discuss what special festivals and celebrations should be represented, e.g. Harvest festival, sports day, Red Nose day. If you are twinned with a French school, you could discuss what might be of interest to the French pupils, and perhaps what they might find different, strange or unusual. Label each picture with the month in French (including sound recordings if possible), and make a powerpoint presentation or similar to share with your partner school and/or with an audience of parents or another school.
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1 48.E eiassr ftdr e è rrlee e aLsre-l styu m Sd to nn c tn h éd1ee s . A 'sa so e u r sF ? hidden under the skirts. Each town’s “giant” only comes out from its normal resting place on specific occasions - at Cassel, that is every Easter Monday. ■ Could you make a “giant” for your community?
Month-by-month in film A1a & b
For more information show the presentation “What happens each month”
janvier - January
Along the Channel coast of northern France, winter is very similar to that in southern Britain - it is not very far away! Inland, there is more likely to be some snow falling in January. The south of France has a more Mediterranean climate. ■ What do children think the winters will be like in the South of France?
mai - May
Springtime - the film shows tourists on a boat-trip through the marshes of Saint-Omer. a windmill and spring lambs, the countryside beginning to turn green. Windmills were as common in the flat coastal areas of northern France as they once were in Holland (and also Belgium). The power of the wind blowing off the North Sea was used to drive pumps to drain land which used to be coastal marshes, at or below sea-level. Northern France is one of the most fertile farming areas in Europe; farmers grow good crops of wheat for making flour and bread (but today in factories rather than in windmills). ■ Today the windmills of northern France are a tourist attraction. Are there any picturesque old
février - February
Even in winter storms, the fishermen have to go out to sea. Boulogne is the biggest fishing port in France. We see the fish market on the quayside where local people can buy fish caught fresh that day. ■ Are there grown-ups in your community who have to work outdoors even in the worst winter weather?
mars - March
The white horses are a rare preserved breed of heavy horses (“Boulonnais” horses) that were used in the 19th century in their thousands to pull carts and farm implements, in the days before lorries and tractors. ■ Do children know of any animals in your community that are left out in the fields all winter? The film shows sand yachting on the beach. It is a good cold weather sport because you need wind but do not get wet! ■ What do children play in the winter?
Tourists and local people visit a restored windmill - “mai”.
buildings that visitors come to see in your area? ■ Does your school routine change as the weather gets warmer in spring?
avril - April
If children are making their own giant ("géant" ) for your school (see Ch 1.2), they will be particularly interested to see those in the town of Aire-sur Lys , which are mounted on wheeled trolleys, rather than being carried by bearers
juin - June
In the warmer weather, people in inland areas flock to the nearest lake for activities like waterskiing and swimming. The film shows another new use for old
Waterskiing on reclaimed old colliery drainage lake: “juin.”
“Giants” parade in the streets of Cassel: “avril.”
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e s fdr e è r s e' t s e 11.48 1. 1 L- ste usmd m aé nde ne é . ALse n so oieosui rs s ?d le' al n industrial land: water-skiing on a man-made lake, which was once a bleak drainage pond for polluted water pumped out of coal mines. ■ Are there areas of waste land abandoned by closed-down industries in your area? You could talk about what new more attractive uses could be developed there. (see also October).
see which has the largest pile of mussel shells outside their door! ■ How do people sell things they do not want any more in your community? ■ Do you have a traditional street market like the Braderie?
octobre - October
juillet - July
The film shows children learning to ski on a huge dry ski-slope that has been made out of an old slag heap in this former coalmining area. In winter, they might go with their families to ski on snow in the French mountains.
French school children have a long summer holiday through most of July and August - their teacher wishes them, "Bonnes vacances!" ('Have a good holiday!). In the long break, children enjoy family trips to places like theme park Dennlys Parc - they'll also join in the 14th July celebrations.(see Ch 1.15). ■ What do children play in the summer?
août - August
The film shows cycling along the beach, and more sand-yachting in the height of summer. French families leave the big cities like Lille and Paris for the whole month to stay on the coast. Seaside towns often have good summer activities for children, like the supervised beach club, and the sailing school shown.
Some French children celebrate Hallowe’en: “octobre”
At the end of the month, they may also celebrate Hallowe'en (see Ch 1.15) ■ What is autumn like in your area?
novembre - November
Towards the end of November, families start getting ready for Christmas. In northern France, many towns have Christmas markets, where people can still buy traditional food, drink, presents, and decorations to prepare for the great feast. ■ Talk about what things children’s families would buy before important festivals such as Christmas?
French children learn to sail in the holidays: “août.”
■ What do children do in their summer holidays? ■ Are there summer holiday activities organised for children in your area? Why do children think it is a good idea to have such activities available?
décembre - December
The film shows scenes in the town of Lille in the days before Christmas. Every year the giant Ferris wheel is erected in the large square in the town centre; the stalls and funfair rides of the traditional Christmas market spread out through the adjoining streets. (In Ch 1.15, we look at the customs associated with St. Nicholas’ Day on 6 December; and in Ch.1.17 at Christmas.) ■ What happens in December in your community?
septembre - September
Every September children go back to school, but in Lille , it is also the time for a famous street market, “la Braderie” . The streets are closed to traffic, and anyone is allowed to set up a stall in the street to sell anything from works of art to antiques or old junk. Hundreds of thousands of visitors travel from miles around to explore many stalls for treasure. All the cafés sell “moules-frîtes” , the traditional snack of mussels-and-chips. They compete to
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Je m'appelle
This page may be photocopied for classroom use
Š Copyright 2018 Early Start Languages
Je m'appelle
This page may be photocopied for classroom use
Š Copyright 2018 Early Start Languages