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Advice for teachers -
French

Teaching and learning activities

Unit 2

Unit 2 – Area of Study 1: Interpersonal communication

Theme: French-speaking communities
Topic: French cultural perspectives
Sub topic: A novel, short story, poem or film extract

Outcome 1

Respond in writing in French to spoken, written or visual texts presented in French.

Examples of learning activities

  • Read a novel, short story or poem or watch a film extract about a personal issue or theme (Jacques Prévert’s poetry; Le Petit Prince by de Saint-Exupéry; Guy de Maupassant stories, for example). Individually, focus on its key aspects and make notes. Present to the class a general overview of the written or visual text noting significant features.
  • Write a summary of one of the texts. Read it aloud to the class and answer their questions about it.
  • Write personal journal entries to highlight main points, themes and personal reactions to the selected texts.
  • Watch a video about the author of one of the texts. Take notes about any relationship between the author’s life, the text and your own life as well as any other significant and relevant connections or comparisons.
  • Listen to a radio interview about one of the texts, or any aspect of it that is most relevant to you. Write dot point notes on the significant aspects.
  • Read critical writing about the selected text and note the points made, highlighting any similarities and differences between the critics.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Write an email to a friend to convince them to see a film with you even though they have read unfavourable reviews of it.
  • Choose a favourite French character and write a poster of the character’s life, characteristics and relationships.
  • Interview a native French speaker about their memories and perceptions of one of the texts and how it related to them personally.
  • Prepare an extract for a written text to read and present to the class. Explain the choice of extract.
  • Write a review of one of the texts studied during this unit.
  • Explore texts through listening, reading and viewing. Synthesise information, ideas and opinions into a persuasive speech.
Example icon for advice for teachers 

Detailed example

An email to a friend

  1. Listen to or view a section of the text. Identify the major events taking place, which characters are involved and how it fits into the overall plot and theme.
  2. Read reviews of the text that might offer different opinions. Discuss positive and negative views in small groups.
  3. Write a 100-word response to each of the reviews.
  4. Select a section of a text. In pairs, write questions about this section.
  5. Swap questions with the other groups and proceed to answer them.
  6. Complete comprehension exercises based on a text and discuss responses with the class.
  7. Read an email written in a persuasive style. Identify its main features.
  8. Write a plan for the piece of writing to be undertaken.

Unit 2 – Area of Study 2: Interpretative communication

Theme: The world around us
Topic: Technology and science
Sub topic: Scientific and technological issues – manufacturing

Outcome 2

Analyse and use information from written, spoken or visual texts to produce an extended written response in French.

Examples of learning activities

  • Watch a documentary about manufacturing in France. List all major centres of manufacturing, what is produced and any other significant characteristics mentioned. Note whether it is predominantly artisan or large-scale.
  • Research statistics about this manufacturing industry and its economic contribution to France and to its town or region as well as identifying any negative aspects or downside to this industry.
  • Listen to a discussion about a manufacturing company in France. Note key information about it in terms of size of operation, number of employees and how the manufacturing is carried out. Prepare a poster about the company to highlight its major features. View a series of captioned illustrations that depict information about a particular manufacturing industry and analyse them.
  • Research the state of manufacturing in Australia in comparison to the state of manufacturing in France. Discuss findings as a class.
  • Debate, in small groups, the topic ‘Is manufacturing vital to a country’s wellbeing?’ Use information gleaned about manufacturing in general and examples from the individual company studied.
  • Write a 250-word evaluative report on the debate topic for an economics magazine.
  • Present a report on the debate as a PowerPoint presentation.
  • Read an article on manufacturing in France and answer comprehension questions on it.
  • Listen to a news item about a company and answer comprehension questions on it. Synthesise answers to produce a 100-word summary of the article and news item.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Write a formal letter to the director of a science museum in a country where the French is spoken to persuade them to mount an exhibition about your choice of manufacturer and its product from France, stating how it might inspire others to value the positive impact of manufacturing.
Example icon for advice for teachers 

Detailed example

Formal letter to the director of a science museum

  1. Conduct research into products from France that are available in Victoria, or that you would like to see available in Victoria. List them on a class poster.
  2. Individually or in pairs, choose a product. Read and listen to at least three different pieces of information about it.
  3. Write notes about the product, adding information. This might include: the company that manufactures the product, where they are situated in France, how many of the products are sold or used in Australia, plus any other significant information.
  4. Look at formal letters written in French. Annotate an example to highlight salient features.
  5. Look at the website of a science museum to ascertain its current interests, structure and style of exhibitions. Note points that could be used in your letter.
  6. Read two examples of persuasive writing from France. Analyse the writing for specific vocabulary and/or grammar features used.
  7. Write the formal letter incorporating all the prepared content and ideas.

Unit 2 – Area of Study 3: Presentational communication

Theme: The French-speaking communities
Topic: French cultural perspectives
Sub topic: Modern architecture in Paris or a large town

Outcome 3

Explain information, ideas and concepts orally in French to a specific audience about an aspect of culture within communities where French is spoken.

Examples of learning activities

  • Research an arrondissement of Paris or a large town in a French-speaking country and write a time-line of its recent development.
  • Note the major architectural styles and periods of the town (perhaps limit to the 20th and 21st centuries). Read extracts about each of the styles and summarise the elements as dot points.
  • Watch a video about the latest wave of construction in the town. Discuss opinions on the styles of construction as a class.
  • Work in small groups to identify the reasons for this latest range of construction and its key elements. Prepare a poster of one of the exemplar buildings of the latest style and explain your choice to the class.
  • Interview another student about their favourite building and how it is unique and/or representative of this style.
  • Research one or more of the architects associated with these buildings. Outline, in a short oral biography, their influences on the development of the buildings.
  • Identify a particular street or district that features this latest architecture. Address the questions: Where in the town is it? Why was it built here? Is it a residential or business building? Identify any similar architectural elements in buildings in Melbourne or another town in Australia.
  • Listen to radio broadcasts about modern architecture in France. Take notes about how the locals perceive these new buildings. Read online blogs by architectural commentators about this modern development.
  • Example icon for advice for teachers
    Prepare a series of images and an accompanying 200-word informative article to explain the latest architectural developments in a town in France.
Example icon for advice for teachers 

Detailed example

An article on the latest architectural developments in a town in France

  1. Watch a documentary about architecture in France.
  2. Read an article about the latest buildings in the town chosen for this unit.
  3. Create a glossary of appropriate architectural terms to support this topic.
  4. Identify cultural features/meaning in the new buildings constructed in this modern style.
  5. Research a range of the latest buildings in this town. Tabulate similarities and differences between the buildings.
  6. Discover if these are private or public buildings and consider why this might be significant.
  7. Create a montage of images to illustrate this latest architectural trend.
  8. Listen to local people talking about these new buildings. Note their reactions and grade them as positive, negative or neutral. Note also examples of language used to describe the buildings.
  9. Draft your article explaining each image chosen and some of their history. Combine content, language and cultural information to make connections and comparisons.
  10. Research the elements required for an article and choose grammar elements to best support the writing.