Beyond the Basics

BEYOND the Basics Susan Forrester

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! e n o Z C MyCE Series Editor Marie Turcotte

Contents

Acknowledgements............................................................................... VII Introduction .............................................................................................. 1 Chapter 1: Building confidence through mastery............................. 5 Developing students’ understanding of second-language learning................................................................................................... 6 Supporting success for every student................................................... 8 Guiding students in setting attainable short-term goals............ 10 Teaching students to manage their own learning...................... 12 Providing frequent opportunities for student–teacher conferences.................................................................................... 13 Encouraging peer support and feedback..................................... 14 Helping students move beyond the basics and master French skills.......................................................................................... 16 Compelling comprehensible input............................................... 16 Steps to mastery using the gradual release of responsibility model ............................................................................................ 17 From input to mastery: the gradual acceptance of responsibility....................................................................... 22 Reinvesting and refining knowledge, skills, and strategy use.... 23 Opportunities to internalize and synthesize language structures.................................................................................. 25 Conclusion ............................................................................................ 27 FSL Book Club....................................................................................... 27 Chapter 2: Expanding proficiency through aural input.................

Planning aural input............................................................................

Aural input for different purposes...............................................

Planning aural input to meet students’ needs.............................

Aural input from a variety of sources...........................................

Developing understanding of authentic aural French......................

High-frequency synonymous expressions.....................................

Exploring formal and informal interactions................................

Providing rich aural input to develop oral and written production............................................................................................

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IV

Importance of rich aural input......................................................

Qualities of rich aural input..........................................................

Explicit teaching to complement exposure to input...................

Modelling social interactions........................................................

Developing vocabulary through aural input.........................

Exploring les faux-amis..................................................................

Conclusion ............................................................................................

FSL Book Club.......................................................................................

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Chapter 3: Reaching all students........................................................

Reaching the reluctant student..........................................................

Recognizing the reluctant student...............................................

Nurturing a growth mindset.........................................................

Evoking positive emotional responses.........................................

Building on past experience..........................................................

Differentiating aural input...........................................................

Awe-inspiring input.......................................................................

Cultivating supportive, inclusive learning environments..................

Nurturing enthusiasm for learning French.........................................

Conclusion ............................................................................................

FSL Book Club.......................................................................................

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Chapter 4: Developing listening comprehension...........................

Listening comprehension: a complex process....................................

Approaches to listening comprehension......................................

Receptive language skills: a focus on listening............................

Strategic planning to improve listening comprehension..................

Understanding CEFR listening descriptors...................................

Listening for a reason....................................................................

Connecting oral and written language........................................

Different levels for different purposes.........................................

Developing bottom-up listening skills in context........................

Using the GRRM to strengthen listening skills...................................

Connecting classroom practice to real-world situations.............

Conclusion ............................................................................................

FSL Book Club.......................................................................................

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Chapter 5: Beyond the drills: enhancing accuracy as well as fluency..................................................................................................

Improving grammatical accuracy: factors to consider.......................

Incorporating grammar into meaningful tasks...........................

Grammar for oral proficiency.......................................................

Limiting grammar to “need to know” lessons............................

Oral error correction: beyond répétez, svp..................................

Explicit teaching to address errors................................................

Developing students’ appreciation for grammar..............................

Considering the students’ perspectives........................................

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Grammar: a useful tool................................................................. 96 Grammar beyond the drills........................................................... 98 Conclusion ............................................................................................ 99 FSL Book Club..................................................................................... 100 Chapter 6: Nurturing success through assessment...................... 101 Promoting positive attitudes toward assessment............................ 102 Listening to students................................................................... 103 Fostering positive responses to feedback.................................. 104 Descriptive feedback: more effective than marks..................... 105 Frequent comprehension checks................................................ 106 Promoting student autonomy through choice.......................... 107 Assessment for and as learning: beyond the basics......................... 108 Strengthening assessment practices........................................... 110 Beginning with meaningful learning goals............................... 111 Establishing clear learning goals.......................................... 111 Clarifying success criteria............................................................. 113 Focusing on specific criteria.................................................. 115 Beyond basic Je peux statements............................................... 116 Focusing on proficiency............................................................... 117 Gradual acceptance of assessment responsibilities................... 120 Conclusion .......................................................................................... 121 FSL Book Club..................................................................................... 121 Conclusion............................................................................................. 122 References............................................................................................. 126

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contents

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Introduction

Students are eager to learn and anxious to move forward. Beyond the Basics provides support for you to ensure your students are ready for their French adventures.

L

earning some French is good. Learning a lot of French is better!

Students want to be able to interact in French in the world outside the classroom, without teacher support. Beyond the Basics invites educators to think about ways to help students become increasingly autonomous learners and users of French, in the classroom and beyond.

Beyond the Basics provides suggestions and materials to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-life use of French through: • • • • •

focusing on mastery for all students integrating various forms of aural input explicitly teaching aural comprehension responsive teaching to students’ needs to foster learner autonomy using assessment practices that motivate and guide all students to higher levels of competency • making grammar relevant to students’ needs

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introduction

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Chapter 1 discusses how to help students understand second-language learning processes and identify how they learn best through setting personal goals for improving their French; articulating in French what they need to learn; and having a voice in how they will learn. Chapter 1 introduces three key pedagogical practices that are explored in subsequent chapters: • providing compelling comprehensible input • using the gradual release of responsibility model • ensuring students are reinvesting and refining previously taught French language skills Chapter 2 addresses the role of aural input in developing student competency and confidence within the classroom and beyond. We explore factors that affect planning aural input, and provide examples and reproducible line masters to heighten students’ understanding of language registers and to develop their awareness of regional French.

Chapter 3 explores ways to increase student competency and autonomy through a balance of strategic planning and responsive teaching. Examples and suggestions are provided for implementing cooperative learning strategies, differentiating instruction, and enabling students to set goals, self-assess, and provide meaningful peer feedback.

Chapter 4 focuses on developing listening comprehension skills, especially in oral interactions in authentic situations. Practical examples, suggestions, and reproducible line masters are provided to enable students to use strategies to increase comprehension.

Chapter 5 considers ways to help students develop accuracy as well as fluency through relevant, purposeful tasks rather than with grammar drills. We discuss how to connect teaching grammatical structures to communicating, by asking ourselves if the grammar supports effective oral and written productions and interactions. We examine student perspectives on grammar and suggest ways to help them see grammar as a tool for effective communication.

Chapter 6 investigates ways to show students that assessment for and as learning contributes to their success. Questions for discussing assessment practices with students are provided as well as ways to develop effective learning goals, success criteria, and feedback in an assessment cycle that is precise and personalized to meet all students’ needs.

The graphic on the following page illustrates pieces of the languagelearning puzzle that are addressed in this resource.

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Supporting Student Success – Beyond the Basics

How can I help all students master the basics?

What should I consider when planning aural input?

How can I maximize in-class learning time for all students?

What can I do to improve students’ listening skills?

How can I make grammar meaningful and relevant?

What can I do to ensure assessment improves success?

By exploring the questions above, we can add to our toolkit of practices to help students become increasingly proficient in French, and to prepare them to interact with confidence in and beyond the classroom.

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introduction

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Chapter 1

Building confidence through mastery

By the time FSL students reach the intermediate grades, they have learned numerous French language expressions, like the pebbles on a beach.

Learners build mastery of a language through accumulating single words, then a repertoire of expressions, which they refine as they interact with the linguistic environment over time, and which they can eventually manipulate and combine into meaningful structures.

F

or students in intermediate and senior grades, mastery of the French language may sometimes feel like an elusive and overwhelming goal. As FSL teachers, we play a critical role in developing students’ confidence in their ability to use and understand French for authentic purposes and in nurturing a love of French language and culture. We should help our students understand that achieving mastery is a journey; there is no end point, but rather many stations along the way and a range of competencies and skills involved.

Once students have mastered some language, such as introducing themselves, they have placed the first stone in their language “structure” and will continue to add building blocks as their learning progresses.

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By reflecting on how our students experience learning French, thinking deeply about how second languages are learned, and planning strategically to reach and motivate all students, we can increase our effectiveness and enjoy a sense of accomplishment that comes from knowing our actions have a positive and lasting impact on our students’ lives.

This chapter addresses fundamental aspects of teaching French through an exploration of the following questions: • How can we increase students’ understanding of second-language learning processes?

• How can we teach in a way that supports success for every student?

• Which teaching and learning strategies can help students to move beyond the basics and achieve a mastery of French skills; to become confident, motivated learners who continue to develop their language competencies; and to increase their understanding of Francophone cultures?

DEVELOPING STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDING OF SECOND-LANGUAGE LEARNING Students today live in an era of information overload. Developing critical-thinking skills that enable them to locate pertinent information and evaluate its validity is essential to their education. In order to be successful communicators in French, students must understand, retain, use, build on, and adapt language structures as well as higher-order thinking skills. Thinking skills from both ends of Bloom’s taxonomy – from remembering to synthesizing – are vital to success in second-language learning.

You may wish to use the following chart to help you plan your program and create daily lessons.

Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching

Bloom's Taxonomy

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Most students do not enjoy memorizing, and memorizing is not considered a skill that engages the brain in higher-order thinking. However, students must build a wide vocabulary if they are to be able to communicate with precision about an expanding range of topics. The good news is that vocabulary building does not need to be based on rote memorization and oral or written drills. Use fiche d’activité 1.1, Je peux améliorer mon vocabulaire, to prompt students to pay attention to new language structures; to use a variety of strategies to strengthen receptive language skills; and to incorporate new language structures in their oral and written productions. Encourage students to use fiche d’activité 1.1 every time they listen to or read a new text.

Nom :

Date :

Fiche d’activité 1.1

Je peux améliorer mon vocabulaire J’écoute / Je lis le texte : Les mots et les expressions que je ne connais pas dans ce texte sont :

Stratégies pour m’aider à comprendre et à utiliser de nouveaux mots et de nouvelles expressions Nouveaux mots ou nouvelles expressions

Stratégies

Exemple de la stratégie utilisée

Je dessine une image drôle.

J’écris un synonyme.

J’écris un antonyme.

J’utilise le nouveau mot ou la nouvelle expression dans une phrase personnelle.

Je fais une action.

Although memorization has a bad reputation, it’s just another term for committing new knowledge to our long-term memories.

When students have completed fiche d’activité 1.1, invite them to share how they used strategies to retain new vocabulary with partners or in small groups. As they progress, encourage them to reflect on the most effective strategies for recalling the vocabulary they learned from reading and listening.

Chapter 1 • Building confidence through mastery

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Fiche d‘activité 1.1 Note: To access the reproducible line masters, create an account on the Ma Zone CEC platform (www.mazonecec.com) and use the following activation account: ECKEKKQF

You can develop students’ vocabulary by exposing them to interesting aural and print texts; by asking questions to draw their attention to new language structures; and by introducing techniques such as visualization to help them retain and use language in personally meaningful communications.

It is critical that students understand that learning a second language is a cumulative process. In order to achieve communicative competence, learners build on the foundation of structures they have already mastered. As students focus on mastering increasingly complex sentence structures, it becomes important for them to remember previously learned expressions.

teacher talk Vous connaissez déjà beaucoup en français. Tous les jours, on apprend un peu plus... apprendre une langue, c’est une accumulation de connaissances.

Aujourd’hui, nous allons apprendre quelque chose de nouveau pour ajouter à ce que vous connaissez déjà.

We can help our students unlock their potential as FSL learners by discussing how individuals prefer different strategies or types of learning experiences. Exploring theories of second-language learning can inform our

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Nom :

Date :

Fiche d’activité 1.2

Comment j’apprends le mieux ?

Lis les questions. Choisis la réponse qui décrit comment tu apprends le mieux.

Est-ce que tu apprends plus facilement ou mieux quand tu lis ou écoutes un texte qui contient de nouveaux mots ou des expressions idiomatiques ?

Oui, je préfère quand il y a de nouveaux mots.

J’apprends mieux le français et je m’améliore de cette façon.

Non, c’est plus facile quand je lis un texte qui ne contient pas de nouveaux mots parce que je peux lire plus vite.

J’apprends mieux le français et je m’améliore de cette façon.

Est-ce que tu apprends plus facilement ou mieux quand tu lis ou écoutes un texte qui est plus difficile à comprendre?

Oui, parce que je peux apprendre beaucoup de nouveaux mots et de nouvelles expressions.

Non, quand je lis ou écoute un texte trop difficile, ça me frustre et j’abandonne.

À ton avis, quelle est la meilleure façon d’apprendre à parler en français?

Je dois parler beaucoup pour apprendre à parler.

Oui, parce que je peux imiter la prononciation même si je ne comprends pas tout.

Je dois écouter beaucoup de français avant de parler.

Je dois lire beaucoup de français pour apprendre à parler.

Je dois répéter ce que notre enseignant(e) dit.

Je dois essayer de parler toujours en français.

Quelle situation préfères-tu pour parler en français ?

own beliefs and enhance our teaching. When you discuss language learning with students, prompt them to reflect on how they learn best. Continue to use fiche d’activité 1.2, Comment j’apprends le mieux ?, throughout the year to encourage student reflection.

By discussing questions such as these, students will gain an appreciation of the mental processes, steps, and options involved in learning a second language, and of the connection between their efforts, choices, and progress.

Je préfère parler avec une autre personne de la classe parce que je n’aime pas faire des fautes devant toute la classe.

Je préfère parler avec une personne de la classe parce qu’elle peut m’aider si je cherche des mots ou fais des erreurs.

Je préfère parler en petit groupe parce que je peux entendre les réponses des autres et on peut s’entraider.

Je préfère parler devant toute la classe parce que l’enseignant(e) peut m’aider.

Je préfère utiliser la technologie (par exemple, m’enregistrer avec mon téléphone) au lieu de parler avec une autre personne, en petit groupe ou devant la classe.

Chapter 1 • Building confidence through mastery

When students have completed fiche d’activité 1.2, let them know that you will consider their learning styles when you teach. Periodically, remind students that their comments continue to inform your teaching.

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Fiche d‘activité 1.2

SUPPORTING SUCCESS FOR EVERY STUDENT Every student can learn French. Belief in this fundamental concept is a first step toward creating a safe and inclusive learning environment for all. It is important that we communicate this belief to our students. They will arrive in class with a variety of experiences – not all of them positive – learning French and with preconceived notions about their ability to learn French.

Students may have unrealistically high expectations regarding the development of language skills. They may have heard about bilingualism and wonder what the word means in terms of their own learning journey. You might wish to describe bilingualism as a continuum to students.

Like mastery of a language, bilingualism is not a final destination; it’s a journey.

Encourage students to think of what they can do in French, rather than asking themselves if they are bilingual. Changing the way we talk about bilingualism can empower students to value their language skills at every stage, and encourage them to embrace lifelong language learning. You may wish to post the following graphic and discuss with students the approach to take as they strive to master the language.

teacher talk Vous pouvez apprendre le français, tout le monde peut le faire. Regardez l’illustration. De quoi avons-nous besoin pour communiquer en français ?

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Pour communiquer en français...

On apprend à comprendre quand quelqu'un parle en français.

On apprend à former des phrases complètes et correctes.

On utilise des stratégies qui nous aident à apprendre le français.

On apprend à communiquer avec les amis et les étrangers.

On apprend On apprend quel son à poser des les lettres font questions. quand on lit.

On apprend à comprendre quand on lit en français.

On apprend des stratégies qui nous aident à communiquer en français.

On apprend à bien prononcer les mots.

On apprend à écrire nos idées.

An important goal of FSL teachers is to ensure that all students believe in their ability to learn, value their accomplishments, and want to continue learning French. How students feel about learning French is as important as their level of achievement. Every FSL course and extracurricular FSL experience is an opportunity to develop students’ positive attitudes about French and its value.

Many instructional strategies can help meet students’ differing needs, such as providing: • a choice of input (audio, print, and graphic resources at varying levels of difficulty) • oral, written or graphic cues to support oral production and interaction (graphic symbols with key terms, sentence starters, options for sentence completion, personalized references) • differentiated materials to support written production (personal dictionaries, individual anchor charts, graphic organizers, lists of high-frequency expressions) • additional time for completion of written productions • opportunities for assessment of oral production and interaction

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When students can see their progress, they enjoy the learning experience.

Support your students’ learning through practices that develop a growth mindset and encourage them to take responsibility for their learning.

You might consider: • • • •

setting attainable short-term goals for developing French skills explicitly teaching students ways to manage their learning providing frequent opportunities for student-teacher conferences encouraging peer support and feedback so that students realize that all learners face challenges, but are heartened by their peers’ success

GUIDING STUDENTS IN SETTING ATTAINABLE SHORT-TERM GOALS It is important for all students to experience success, especially for those who have struggled in FSL class in the past. We can build student confidence by assessing students’ prior knowledge and skills, by helping them develop a plan for success, and by setting attainable goals. To set the tone for learning, let students know that you empathize with their struggles to learn French. Perhaps you could tell them a brief story about your own challenges, and then let them know how you overcame them. Let them know that your goal is to help them succeed, and that you will be taking time to celebrate their successes throughout the year.

teacher talk Vous avez peut-être trouvé qu’apprendre le français est difficile. Cette année, je vais vous aider à réussir. Nous allons arrêter de temps en temps pour vous donner le temps de dire : Je peux le faire ! Je peux parler français ! Vous allez voir.

Learning French is not a linear process; there are many options for next steps. For example, if students have just achieved the learning objective of communicating orally and in writing about a favourite activity, their next step might be to develop additional language skills related to this same learning objective, such as: • adding more specific details about the favourite activity, orally and then in writing (equipment, location, duration, frequency, the names of their partners) • describing past events related to the favourite activity, orally and then in writing • discussing future plans relating to the activity, orally and then in writing • questioning classmates about their interests, orally and then in writing

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• developing listening comprehension skills and cultural understanding by listening to Francophones talk about their interests • developing reading skills by studying authentic French texts about others who practise the same activity

As teachers, we have many choices when it comes to next steps.

Our focus should be on ensuring that students progress through engagement in a task with a purpose that is designed to reflect success criteria.

With so many possibilities, it is important to provide students with guidance while respecting their wishes. Using Je peux, Je veux, and J’ai besoin d’apprendre statements can help students recognize what they can do, set attainable short-term goals, and reflect on what they need to learn to accomplish those goals, as illustrated in the following table:

FSL in action Mes buts pour progresser en français Le but : Parler de nos activités préférées Je peux...

• décrire mes activités préférées

Je veux...

• savoir quelles activités aiment les autres élèves de la classe

J’ai besoin d’apprendre...

• comment poser une variété de questions

At the beginning of each new task, activity or project, provide students with fiche d’activité 1.3, Mes buts pour progresser en français, to help them set attainable goals. This fiche d’activité is a planning tool for students to use throughout the year.

Nom :

Date :

Fiche d’activité 1.3

Mes buts pour progresser en français La date : Le but : Je peux…

Je veux…

J’ai besoin d’apprendre…

Maintenant, je peux…

La date : Le but : Je peux…

Je veux…

J’ai besoin d’apprendre…

Maintenant, je peux…

La date : Le but : Je peux…

Je veux…

J’ai besoin d’apprendre…

Maintenant, je peux…

Chapter 1 • Building confidence through mastery

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Fiche d‘activité 1.3

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You may wish to help students improve general aspects of their French proficiency, such as pronunciation, clarity, and fluency, which can be developed regardless of the focus task or specific learning objectives, as shown in the following tables:

FSL in action Pour améliorer mon français oral...

J’ai besoin de pratiquer...

• la prononciation correcte de la lettre « u »

J’ai besoin d’apprendre...

• quand faire les liaisons

Pour améliorer mon français écrit...

J’ai besoin de réviser...

• les homonymes : a, à • le passé composé de quelques verbes : j’ai pris, j’ai lu, j’ai eu, je suis allé • les terminaisons des verbes qui ont le même son (j’ai travaillé / je vais travailler)

J’ai besoin d’apprendre...

• comment exprimer mes idées de façon logique dans des phrases plus longues en utilisant des marqueurs de relation et des mots liens

Taking the time to explicitly teach students to communicate in French about how to learn French is an important step in establishing French as the language of all communication in FSL class and encourages development of metacognitive skills.

If students are not accustomed to thinking, talking, and writing about how they learn, they will initially need models, sentence starters, examples, and multiple-choice menus.

Once students have achieved their first goal, direct them to complete subsequent goal-setting tables by recording what they have learned in the Je peux row. This step will help them monitor their progress and recognize that they are improving.

These records will help you guide students to balance listening, speaking, reading, and writing competencies, as well as enriching the breadth and depth of their understanding and use of French. Encourage students to frequently review their Je peux statements as a reminder of their accomplishments.

TEACHING STUDENTS TO MANAGE THEIR OWN LEARNING We are more motivated to complete a task that we have set for ourselves rather than one imposed upon us. As FSL teachers, we should encourage students to take an active role in managing their learning. Setting their own goals is one way in which students have a voice in their own learning.

We can also help students become more aware of how they learn by allowing them to make decisions regarding factors impacting the learning process, such as:

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• • • • •

resources and reference materials strategies student groupings technology when and how to demonstrate their learning

The following planning chart is an example of how to help students take greater control of their learning:

FSL in action Ce que je peux faire pour apprendre Pour m’aider, je peux choisir...

Mes ressources

• Je vais trouver des sites web.

Mes stratégies

• Je vais écouter le modèle plusieurs fois.

• Je vais changer le modèle.

Mes partenaires

• Je vais travailler avec deux amis : (leurs noms).

La technologie

• Je veux enregistrer une conversation.

Comment je veux montrer mes progrès en français

• Je veux faire une présentation orale devant un petit groupe.

You might wish to provide students with fiche d’activité 1.4, Ce que je peux faire pour apprendre, to complete, following your model. Consider using their charts as discussion points throughout the units of work.

Nom :

Date :

Fiche d’activité 1.4

Ce que je peux faire pour apprendre Mon but : Apprendre à parler de ce qui m’intéresse. Pour m’aider, je peux choisir…

Mes ressources

Je vais trouver des sites web.

Je vais chercher des revues à la bibliothèque.

Je vais utiliser les livres dans la classe.

Encourage students to pay attention to language for talking about learning plans so that eventually they will be able to complete a blank template.

Mes stratégies

Je vais m’enregistrer pour analyser ma fluidité.

Mes partenaires

Je veux travailler avec : Je veux travailler seul(e).

La technologie

Je veux enregistrer une conversation.

Je veux utiliser la technologie pour…

Comment je veux montrer mes progrès en français

PROVIDING FREQUENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENT–TEACHER CONFERENCES All students benefit by hearing what they do well and what to improve on or do next, but they are not always eager to ask for help or seek feedback.

To be most effective, student–teacher conferences should be frequent, but not necessarily long. In fact, the shorter they are, the more likely students will act on feedback. To provide a framework for conferences, give students fiche d’activité 1.5, Je peux parler de mes progrès en français, and use it to provide feedback based on students’ self-assessment.

Je vais écouter le modèle.

Je vais répéter le modèle.

Je vais changer le modèle.

Je veux faire une présentation orale devant un petit groupe.

Je veux faire une présentation orale devant la classe.

Je veux faire une présentation orale à monsieur / madame…

Autres choix

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Fiche d‘activité 1.4

When student–teacher conferences are part of the daily classroom routine, students know they have regular opportunities for individual attention.

They realize that they are accountable for their progress when you are occupied with other students. Perhaps most importantly, student–teacher conferences show students that you care about them as individuals as well as learners of French.

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Nom :

Date :

Fiche d’activité 1.5

Je peux parler de mes progrès en français La date :

Prepare students for productive student–teacher conferences by having them practise language they may need to use or understand. For example, you might ask:

La tâche : Le but : Mes progrès J’ai lu…

J’ai écrit…

J’ai écouté…

J’ai discuté…

J’ai appris à / comment…

Les stratégies utilisées

Mon plan pour continuer d’améliorer mes compétences en français Lecture

Écoute

Écriture

Interaction orale / Production orale

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Fiche d‘activité 1.5

• • • • •

Peux-tu me parler de... ?

Est-ce que tu peux me lire ce que tu as écrit ? À ton avis, comment peux-tu améliorer ta production orale / écrite ?

Qu’est-ce que tu peux utiliser pour vérifier cela ?

Qui pourrait t’aider à... ?

Asking precise questions, rather than Ça va ?, Tu comprends ?, or Tu as une question ? will help students focus on specific aspects of the task, on their proficiency, and on steps for improvement. Before individual conferences and periodically throughout the course, role play typical questions and answers in whole and small groups to help students develop the fluency and confidence necessary to speak in French during their conferences with you.

ENCOURAGING PEER SUPPORT AND FEEDBACK When you invite students to provide peer feedback without explicit teaching, the result can be an exchange of non-productive comments, such as C’est bien or J’ai aimé ta présentation. On the other hand, there are numerous benefits for students when they learn to provide effective peer feedback and to support each other’s learning and progress.

Nom :

Date :

Fiche d’activité 1.6

On peut s’entraider Quand j’écris, je peux demander à un(e) élève de la classe : • Est-ce que tu penses que cette phrase est correcte ?

• Est-ce que tu penses que ce paragraphe est logique ?

• Est-ce que tu penses que j’ai utilisé le mot juste ?

• Est-ce que mon introduction est assez intéressante ?

• Est-ce que tu penses que ma conclusion est juste ?

• Je ne sais pas comment commencer. Est-ce que tu peux m’aider, s’il te plaît ?

Pour aider un(e) élève de la classe, je peux dire : • Je pense que…

• Selon moi, …

• Je me demande si…

• Je suggère que…

• Tu pourrais…

Par exemple : • Je pense que ce serait bon d’ajouter des détails ici.

• Je pense que ce serait une bonne idée de vérifier…

• Selon moi, ton introduction est assez intéressante. J’ai lu la première phrase de plusieurs livres pour me donner des idées.

• Je me demande si ce mot est un anglicisme.

When we encourage peer support and feedback throughout the writing process, we promote a collaborative environment where students find support to help them continue working rather than getting stuck on a problem.

As an example, consider sharing models of oral or written texts before students begin their own compositions and then provide time for them to share their work. Students benefit from having opportunities to learn how their peers approach a written task and to share their thinking and strategy use. You might wish to give students fiche d’activité 1.6, On peut s’entraider, as a reference when discussing the writing process with peers.

• Je suggère que tu vérifies les verbes.

• Tu pourrais utiliser ce tableau de référence pour vérifier…

Pour aider un(e) élève de la classe, je peux poser des questions, par exemple : • Est-ce que tu as fait un plan ?

• Est-ce que tu as rempli l’organisateur graphique ?

• Est-ce que tu as utilisé le tableau de référence ?

• Est-ce que tu as regardé l’exemple ?

• Est-ce que tu as utilisé le modèle ?

Chapter 1 • Building confidence through mastery

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Fiche d‘activité 1.6

When students work collaboratively to find evidence of success criteria in their written and oral productions, they gain a better understanding of what success looks and sounds like. Show students how to discuss the quality of the examples and to ask questions that help clarify thinking, demonstrate different perspectives, and improve language use.

For example, if success criteria include Je justifie mes opinions avec des exemples clairs et logiques, you could model peer feedback, such as: • C’est bien, tu as donné deux exemples pour justifier ton opinion.

Est-ce que tu peux expliquer le deuxième exemple ou donner plus de détails pour le clarifier ?

• Quel exemple est le plus important ? Est-ce que tu penses que l’ordre est important ?

• Je me demande si le lien entre cet exemple et ton opinion est vraiment logique. Est-ce que tu peux donner un meilleur exemple ?

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Encourage students to analyze and discuss one another’s work, comparing it to the success criteria.

In order for feedback to be effective, it must be provided in a timely manner, ideally as students are in the process of creating written productions or recording oral productions. Once students submit their work, they may feel that feedback is too late to help them improve.

Students can act as sounding boards for their peers when they are writing or practising oral presentations. To help students provide focused and constructive feedback, model examples based on the success criteria discussed, as illustrated in the following table:

FSL in action Success criteria

Possible feedback

Le texte contient des détails descriptifs.

• Tes descriptions me donnent une image claire de... mais tu as utilisé les mêmes mots plusieurs fois. Est-ce que tu pourrais varier ton choix de mots ?

• J’aimerais avoir plus de détails à propos de... Est-ce que tu pourrais ajouter une phrase ?

Il y a une variété de phrases (longueur, structure).

• Ton texte est intéressant avec la variété de phrases déclaratives, exclamatives, impératives et interrogatives.

• Je ne vois pas beaucoup de phrases complexes. Est-ce que tu pourrais relier quelques phrases avec des marqueurs de relation ou des mots liens ? Regardons le modèle.

La prononciation est claire et correcte, avec les liaisons appropriées.

• Il me semble que ta prononciation est correcte. Est-ce que tu veux vérifier si on doit faire la liaison entre ces mots ? Est-ce qu’on s’exerce ensemble pour améliorer notre fluidité à parler ?

You might wish to provide students with fiche d’activité 1.7, Je peux donner de la rétroaction à un(une) élève de la classe, to help peers focus their feedback on the success criteria and to record their suggestions for future reference.

Nom :

Date :

Fiche d’activité 1.7

Je peux donner de la rétroaction à un(e) élève de la classe On discute de notre production : orale écrite Titre de la tâche ou du texte : Je donne de la rétroaction à :

An audience, even a peer audience, can incentivize students to put extra care and effort into their work. All students benefit by seeing how others respond to their work, and they will develop their ideas when you encourage them to ask themselves questions about audience response, such as:

Mon nom : Les critères de réussite :

Je fais de la rétroaction positive et je donne des exemples de la production qui suivent bien les critères de réussite :

Je fais une suggestion pour aider l’élève à améliorer sa production :

• Est-ce que les autres trouvent que mon texte est intéressant ?

• Pensent-ils que mes idées sont logiques ?

• Est-ce que mes camarades de classe me comprennent quand je lis ou quand je parle en français ?

By helping students focus on positive feedback and by celebrating their successes, we can support the development of a positive mindset toward learning French.

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Je pose une question à l’élève pour l’aider à trouver comment améliorer sa production :

Chapter 1 • Building confidence through mastery

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Fiche d‘activité 1.7

Chapter 1 • Building confidence through mastery

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HELPING STUDENTS MOVE BEYOND THE BASICS AND MASTER FRENCH SKILLS As you plan how to present learning objectives and develop students’ competencies and confidence, you might ask yourself questions such as: • How can I most effectively introduce increasingly complex language to ensure that students use a variety of strategies to master new structures?

• How can I efficiently monitor student progress in listening, speaking, reading, and writing?

• How can I help students become confident learners and users of French?

• How can I help students retain prior knowledge as they continue to expand their competencies?

It is equally important to consider learning from the students’ perspective. We should consider ways to promote student autonomy and responsibility. Our planning should provide opportunities for students to ask themselves questions such as: • What learning tools and strategies do I use most successfully to make sense of unfamiliar language input? What strategies do others use that I might find helpful?

• How can I effectively monitor my own progress in listening, speaking, reading, and writing?

• What can I do to boost my confidence in using and understanding French?

• What actions can I take to ensure that I retain prior knowledge?

Three key pedagogical practices are outlined below and explored further in subsequent chapters: 1. providing compelling comprehensible input 2. using the gradual release of responsibility model to develop skills and strategies in listening, speaking, reading, and writing 3. planning learning situations so that students regularly use previously learned knowledge and skills in new situations COMPELLING COMPREHENSIBLE INPUT Linguistics professor and author Stephen Krashen has made significant contributions to the field of second-language learning and acquisition.

Krashen theorizes that second-language learners must be exposed to comprehensible input. In more recent years, in the hypothesis of “compelling comprehensible input”, Krashen and others have highlighted the importance of motivating students to want to learn (Krashen & Bland, 2014).

Comprehensible input is language you use that students can understand without knowing all the vocabulary and structures in the statements.

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BEYOND the Basics

Creating a classroom environment that encourages Intermediate and Senior students to use French in real-life situations, beyond the classroom!

Beyond the Basics is designed to help FSL educators strengthen our students’ proficiency and confidence in French by suggesting effective ways to enable students to learn and use the language, and by instilling in them a love of learning French.

Students want to be able to use French, not only in the classroom, but beyond. They want to communicate in French when they travel and when they interact with Francophones around the world.

Beyond the Basics is designed to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-life use of French.

Feeling successful is intrinsically motivating for learners. This resource supports teachers in offering students a learning experience that ensures success at each step and leads them by stages toward mastery.

Beyond the Basics guides us, as FSL educators, to reach and motivate all students, and awakens in us a sense of accomplishment that comes from knowing our actions will have a positive and long-lasting impact on our students’ lives.

PRODUCT CODE: 219317 ISBN 978-2-7617-8207-4

9 782761 782074