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Advice for teachers -
French

Teaching and learning activities

Unit 1

Unit 1 – Area of Study 1: Interpersonal communication

Theme: The individual
Topic: Aspirations, education and careers
Sub topic: School exchanges in French-speaking countries

Outcome 1

Exchange meaning in a spoken interaction in French.

Examples of learning activities

  • Read a blog about a recent school exchange in a country where French is spoken; take notes and highlight the differences observed between Australia and that country.
  • Skype a French speaking student who has recently completed an exchange in Australia or watch a YouTube video by such a student. Compare their answers to the blog.
  • View a video about secondary school education in a country where French is spoken. Reflect on how it differs from a school in Victoria.
  • Listen to a conversation between an Australian student on exchange and their host family. Answer prepared questions about the conversation.
  • Write six to eight questions to ask someone who has been on a school exchange. Swap questions with a classmate and answer their questions based on research material.
  • Prepare a three-minute speech to give to the class about a school exchange program (actual experience or researched via class materials), noting major similarities and differences between Australia and French-speaking countries’ schools. Create and present PowerPoint slides to support the speech. Respond to questions from other students about this topic.
  • Interview another student in the class, using prepared questions. Discuss specific aspects of the school they attended during their exchange or one that they have researched. Concentrate on classrooms, subjects studied and school routines.
  • Listen to a student from France talking about their exchange in Australia. Reflect on how this information correlates to other material on the topic by discussing it with a classmate.
  • Summarise all the findings discovered on this topic in a graph or Venn diagram.
  • Read source material about education from France’s National Institute of Statistics (INSEE). Extract information and make comparisons with information about Australian education sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
  • Note vocabulary used in any material viewed, heard or read relating to education. As a class discuss any words or phrases that are not readily translatable into English.
  • Produce an article of 250 words outlining for an Australian audience some aspects of France’s education system.
  • Read journal entries written by students to gain an insight into the personal aspects of participating in an exchange in another country and staying with another family.
  • Find a blog on the internet written by someone who has been on an exchange. Annotate it to identify key points that represent individual experiences.
  • Listen to a guest speaker talk about their experience of a school exchange in a French-speaking country. Ask prepared questions of the speaker.
  • Watch a video or film about families with school age children in France. Take notes about their lives.
  • Listen to a recorded discussion or radio programs about school exchanges. In pairs, make a list of the insights gained by the students on the exchanges. Categorise them as personal, educational, cultural, social, etc.
  • In pairs or small groups, discuss the following example topics and create draft plans to produce a piece of writing.
    1. a. Write an article about an exchange experience for your school’s website.
    1. b. Imagine you have been on an exchange and write an email to your teacher about your time on exchange.
    With the class divided into two groups, debate the topic ‘Language and education exchanges are very worthwhile’. Both sides must use evidence and examples from the research gathered.
Example icon for advice for teachers 

Detailed example

An email to your teacher about your time on exchange

  1. Create a workbook to record information, notes and bibliographic details gathered throughout the area of study. Develop a glossary of key terms and concepts.
  2. View a documentary about Australian students who participated in an exchange to a school in France. Take notes under a series of headings, which could include: type of school, subjects studied, impressions, teaching styles.
  3. Compare the different experiences of the students in the documentary. How were they similar or different?
  4. Conduct research on aspects of the education system in France. Include school subjects (elective and compulsory subjects), English language education, and senior secondary examinations. Construct a table to summarise the information found. Make comparisons to the situation in Victorian schools.
  5. Listen to a speech given on the education system in France. Note the techniques used in the presentation to convey as much information as possible and how it was made engaging.
  6. Listen to a podcast of two students discussing their experiences on exchange.
  7. Write an email to your teacher about your time on exchange.

Unit 1 – Area of Study 2: Interpretative communication

Theme: The world around us
Topic: Communication and media
Sub topic: Our connection to screens

Outcome 2

Interpret information from two texts on the same subtopic presented in French, and respond in writing in French and in English.

Examples of learning activities

  • Read an article about ‘screen addiction’ and extract vocabulary for a class glossary for the topic.
  • Listen to an interview and read an article about screen use in France. Answer questions about each one. Write a 100-word summary of all the views expressed in both texts.
  • Search the internet for stories in French on the topic of ‘When being on screen is harmful’.
  • View a series of photos that depict young people using screens in their daily lives and analyse them.
  • View a video/vlog/YouTube clip where young people discuss how and when they are ‘on screen’.
  • View a documentary about the usefulness of screens in modern life.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Discuss the themes mentioned in the French article on ‘screen addiction’. Prepare a two- to three-minute presentation to the class about your personal screen usage.
  • Discuss the positive aspects of screen usage with a classmate. List your combined positives on a poster for the classroom wall.
  • Compare the salient points from the documentary with the class posters. Discuss any differences in small groups. Using the lists and summaries, debate the issue ‘Screens are ruling our world today’.
  • List the types of screens that could be part of the topic ‘Screens are ruling our world today’. Write a 200-word letter to a friend in which you express your concerns about being ‘on screen’ so much.
  • Create a list of positives and negatives about screen use. Write a 100-word summary of the list.
  • Research statistics relating to screen use in Australia and France. Tabulate the results.
  • Write an imaginative short story in which you project current screen usage into a utopian future.
  • Write an article of 200 words, based on two texts you have studied for publication in a school magazine on the topic of screen use by young people.
Example icon for advice for teachers 

Detailed example

Two- to three-minute presentation to the class about your personal screen usage

  1. Read an article about how people are using screens in France today.
  2. Identify the key points made in the article and create a matrix to find any overlap in positive and negative points.
  3. Conduct further research to discover any material that can be added to the matrix.
  4. Listen to an interview about this topic. Identify key vocabulary and expressions associated with the major concepts.
  5. In pairs compare the number of hours spent ‘on screen’ each week.
  6. Prepare in writing a presentation that could be given to the class.
  7. If time allows, rehearse the presentation with a partner prior to a class presentation.

Unit 1 – Area of Study 3: Presentational communication

Theme: The world around us
Topic: Communications and media
Sub topic: French cinema

Outcome 3

Present information, concepts and ideas in writing in French on the selected subtopic and for a specific audience and purpose.

Examples of learning activities

  • Watch a film, or extracts from a film, and take notes under the headings: plot, main characters, actors, soundtrack, special effects, themes or ideas.
  • Read film synopses and critiques in French, identifying the vocabulary used.
  • Identify cultural differences between film critiques in France and Australia.
  • Search for statistics on France’s film industry.
  • Read one or two articles on French films and/or the film industry. Answer comprehension questions about them.
  • View footage of interviews with French actors, directors and producers in order to answer a set of questions.
  • Write about a French actor, director or the film industry in general in 50 to 100 words.
  • Identify cultural elements from your reading, viewing and listening. Consider the questions: Are there any particular elements that could only come from France? How can you tell? What identifies them? Compare these ideas to films produced in Australia.
  • Research notable actors or directors in France’s film industry, or who appear in other country’s films. Note their general filmography.
  • Listen to directors speaking about their films. Identify their main concerns: artistic, economic, other.
  • Write draft outlines for one of the following topics:
    • A journal entry about a film recently seen.
    • Imagine a film that you would like to direct. Write the script of a conversation you have
      with a leading actor that you would like to star in the film.
    • Write an informative article about an aspect of France’s film industry that interests you.
  • Write a letter to a French film director about an idea that you have for a film.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Create a three- to four -minute video about your favourite films, actors or directors from France. Do this with another student.
Example icon for advice for teachers 

Detailed example

Three- to four-minute video about favourite films, actors or directors from France

  1. View one or more films from France.
  2. Take notes under headings: plot, main characters, actors, soundtrack, special effects, themes or ideas.
  3. Decide which elements are to be included in the final video. Discuss the outline with the teacher.
  4. Plan the structure of the video to be filmed. Write it up as a series of dot points.
  5. Research the particular elements to be discussed.
  6. Write a script.
  7. Draw a storyboard.
  8. Film.
  9. Edit as necessary.
  10. Show video to the class.
  11. Other students give oral and written feedback to each pair and the teacher.