les crêpes - la recette

For those of you who would like to try to make les crêpes at home... Mix together in a blender (and blend until smooth): 1 cup whole wheat flour 2 eggs 1/2 cup non-fat milk 1/2 cup water 1/4 teaspoon salt Once blended, let it sit for 10-15 minutes. It will thicken. Pour about 1/3 cup of batter into a lightly greased (use spray Pam or something similar) pan with edges. Cook for approximately 2 minutes, flip over, and cook for another 30 seconds until lightly browned. Enjoy with your favorite toppings! Bonne Année!! ~Madame

les Questions - Food/Drink

Présentation Orale...

You will need to present your piccollage to the class, talking about the items you have pictured.  The only writing in French that I should see will be the articles (le/la/les/l').  Be sure to talk about your items in groups.  This means that you should only really need to say 4 sentences.

ex.  Je mange la glace, les escargots, les banananes et le chewing-gum.
ex. Je ne mange pas les hamburgers, les frites, le poisson ou le poulet.
ex.  Je bois le coca et le jus d'orange.
ex.  Je ne bois pas le Pepsi ou le lait.

After vacation, this will be presented in front of the class.  You should be familiar with the above sentences as well as the vocabulary you have pictured on your collage.

You will also be paired with another student to record the following questions and answers below.  You will take turns recording on each iPad so that each person can answer questions about his/her collage as well as ask questions about someone else's collage.  Once again, you should be familiar with the questions below as well as the vocabulary pictured on your collage.

Question #1:  Tu bois la limonade?

réponse + affirmative:   Oui, je bois la limonade.
réponse négative:          Non, je NE bois PAS la limonade.


Question #2: Tu manges les escargots?

réponse + affirmative:   Oui, je mange les escargots.
réponse négative:          Non, je NE mange PAS les escargots.

Question #3: Qu'est-ce que (kess-kuh) tu manges?  [What do you eat?]

réponse:   Je mange les escargots et la glace.

Question #4: Qu'est-ce que (kess-kuh) tu bois?  [What do you drink?]

réponse:   Je bois le coca et la limonade.

listen to ‘Food/Drink - les questions (2)’ on audioBoom

Food/Drink 6

listen to ‘Food/Drinks #6’ on audioBoom

Food/Drink 5

listen to ‘Food/Drinks #5’ on audioBoom

Food/Drink 4

listen to ‘Food/Drinks #4’ on audioBoom

Food/Drink 3

listen to ‘Food/Drinks #3’ on audioBoom

Food/Drink 2

listen to ‘Food/Drinks #2’ on audioBoom

Food/Drink 1

listen to ‘Food/Drinks #1’ on audioBoom

a Traditional French Holiday Song

Noël Nouvelelet

Vive le vent - chanson de Noël

This is a slightly different version of the Jingle Bells that we sang in class. BUT, the different lyrics are included with the song here.

Mon Beau Sapin - chanson de Noël

Do you recognize this one??

Rudolph au petit nez rouge - chanson de Noël

Petit Papa Noël - chanson

Ecoutez et chantez!  (refer to the pink song sheet from class)

Chanson de Nöel

How about this one??

Je te dis Joyeux Nöel

A wonderfully fun singer, Henri Dès, sings "We Wish You A Merry Christmas".

les Santons de Noël

Christmas in France is a time for get togethers with family and friends. It is a time to worship together, dine together and enjoy together.

Arranging the Nativity scene is a popular custom associated with the French Christmas season. During Christmas, nearly every home in the country displays a Nativity scene or creche which is the center of Christmas celebrations for families. Little clay figures called "santons" or "little saints" are placed in the creche. The "santons" are made by craftsmen in the south of France throughout the year. Throughout the Christmas season, the figures are sold at annual Christmas fairs in Marseille and Aix. (theholidayspot.com)

Here in the USA, the figurines in the manger are made from plastic, resin or, if they are really old or expensive, clay or porcelain. In France, 'santons' are handmade and can be found in most French homes, either in a manger or village scene for the holidays. Watch this video to get an idea of what these figurines look like and how they are made.

Chanson de Nöel

Do you recognize this one??

Traditional French Carol

This is a traditional bourgignon holiday song (from the Burgundy region). It is most similar to the 12 Days of Christmas but is translated to the 12 Months of the Year.

This version is sung by a class of French children and is very cute!

les sabots de Noël

According to tradition, on Christmas Eve children leave their shoes or wooden clogs by the fireplace filled with carrots and treats for Père Noël's donkey, Gui (French for "Mistletoe") before they go to bed. Père Noël takes the offerings and, if the child has been good, leaves presents in their place. Presents are traditionally small enough to fit in the shoes; candy, money or small toys.^[1]

The apparel of Pere Noel is akin to the older garb of Santa Claus in a long red hooded robe, edged with white fur. His presents are carried not in a sack, but in a basket or hotte on his back, like those carried by grape harvesters. Père Nöel is said to travel with his stern disciplinarian companion Père Fouettard who reminds him how each child has behaved during the past year.  Le Père Fouettard, who is a sinister figure dressed in black, spanks children who have behaved badly.  He carries long thin sticks to leave for parents to discipline naughty children!  A popular Christmas song for French children is Petit Papa Nöel. Children write letters to Père Nöel in the hope of getting presents from him. Their wishes are fulfilled when they wake up in the morning to find not only their gifts but also sweets, fruit, nuts and small toys hanging somewhere closeby. Adults generally wait until New Year's Day to exchange gifts.

Noël en France

France is primarily a catholic country and so it celebrates Christmas or Nöel.  However, there are some French who celebrate Hannukah, Kwanza, Diwali and other season appropriate holidays, according to their religion.

Here is some information on how the French celebrate Nöel.

On the eve of Christmas churches and cathedrals are beautifully lit with candles, church bells are rung and Christmas carols are sung by all present. In cathedral squares, the story of Christ's birth is re-enacted by both players and puppets. On Christmas Eve, after the midnight mass is over, a very late supper known as "Le réveillon" is held.

The food consumed at réveillons is generally exceptional or luxurious. For example, appetizers may include lobster, oysters, escargots or foie gras, etc. One traditional dish is turkey with chestnuts.  The menu for the meal varies from region to region within the country. While goose is the main course in Alsace, it is oysters and pat de foie gras in Paris. In Burgundy it is turkey with chestnuts.  The name of this dinner is based on the word réveil (meaning "waking"), because participation involves staying awake until midnight and beyond.(wikipedia)

Dessert may consist of a bûche de Noël.   The "bûche de Noël", meaning "Christmas Log", is a traditional Yule log-shaped cake specially prepared here for Christmas and is an indispensable part of the grand French Christmas feast.  In Provence, the tradition of the 13 desserts is followed: 13 desserts are served, almost invariably including: pompe à l'huile (a flavoured bread), dates, etc.  [The thirteen desserts are the traditional dessert foods used in celebrating Christmas in the French region of Provence. The "big supper" (le gros souper) ends with a ritual 13 desserts, representing Jesus Christ and the 12 apostles. The desserts always number thirteen but the exact items vary by local or familial tradition.^[1] The food traditionally is set out Christmas Eve and remains on the table three days until December 27.^[2]]

The custom of Christmas tree decoration has never been that popular in France. The use of the Yule log has faded in the country, though in the southern parts a log is burned in individual homes from Christmas Eve until New Years Day. (theholidayspot.com)

Do they put up Christmas lights in Paris?

les Numeros 0-69

Here is a Quizlet link to work on the numbers from 0-69.
Be sure to click the audio icon so that you can hear the numbers pronounced and check off French first.

0 - 69

les Numéros - challenge!

French Numbers - Listen and Repeat

Learn and practice saying French numbers

Learning to count in French is one thing - it's fairly easy to memorize un, deux, trois. It's another matter entirely to be able to think of a number without counting up to it, or to understand individual numbers when you hear them. Fortunately, practice makes perfect, and these sound files can help you to get better at understanding and using French numbers.

*Decide which group of numbers are the most difficult and start your listening practice there.
To date, we should be familiar with numbers 0-69.

numbers 0-9

numbers 10-19
numbers 20-69

numbers 70-99
numbers 100-999
numbers: 1000s
and to really challenge yourself, try:

Millions and Billions
Decimals

This multi-page series of exercises can help you with French numbers.

• The first exercise for each group of numbers is a simple list, with a pause after each one for you to repeat.
• "Exercises" are random series of several dozen numbers to help you get used to hearing individual numbers and develop your comprehension.
• The random numbers page plays the sound file for a single randomly generated French number on each click.

dictée #4

Dictée #3

dictée #2 11-16

Dictée #1 jeudi le 20 novembre (les numéros 0-10)

la Phonologie - les notes (SAS)

Here is a review of all of the Phonologie notes that we have learned about so far this year.  They should all be in your SAS Flashcards and you should be reviewing them regularly.  I will also try to put together a deck on SAS and share that with you to help you review.
~Madame
**Here is the recording of the sounds listed below:

listen to ‘la Phonologie’ on audioBoom

A (ah)
I (ee)
E (euh) --> Je
EU (euh)
U (ew - a short sound, like a monkey)
O (oh, uh)
EAU, AU (oh)
OU (oo)  --> Vous
OI (wah) --> Toi, Moi
CH (sh)
GU (hard g because the 'u' is silent)
ç (ss) --> ça va?
QU (K because the 'u' is silent) --> quatre (4)
é (ay) --> enchanté
è (eh)
ê (eh)
R (roll your r's)
H (always silent) --> Thomas
NASAL SOUNDS (a vowel before an M or an N sounds like your nose is plugged)
   examples: UN (1), bONjour, biEN
Most final letters are silent
S sounds like Z when surrounded by vowels  -->Rose
Other combinations that sound like "ay":
ai (ay) ex. J'ai, français
-er (ay) ex. écouter, regarder
-et (ay) ex. ballet, bouquet, paquet
les, des, mes, tes, ses, ces (ay)

Dictée #4 - révisez

Les Numéros/Les Chiffres (Numbers)

Listen to the numbers in order and repeat after me.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

listen to ‘les numéros 0 à 21’ on Audioboo



If there are still some numbers that are giving you trouble,
click here to listen to some hints on how to remember some
of the trickier ones.

listen to ‘les numéros 0 à 21 (hints for pronunciation)’ on Audioboo

 

Once you think you know your numbers, click on the links below to test your knowledge.
Open your notebook (or on a separate piece of paper), click on the "Listen" box, and write the lists of numbers that you hear.  Play the recording a few times if you want.  THEN, click on the "List" box and check your answers.

Send me a comment (French first name only and Period #) telling me how you did!

Bon courage!
~Madame

listen to ‘les numéros 0 à 21 (hints for pronunciation)’ on Audioboo

This link allows you to listen to and practice one number (1-19) at a time if there are certain numbers that are giving you trouble.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE 0-9 HERE

TEST: 10-19 HERE

Challenge yourself with the game listed below.  Note that this game contains the numbers 1-20.

CHALLENGE!

Révisez et jouez! (Play!) Les numéros 0-21

Révisez et jouez! (review and play)
Click on the link below and do some of the activities. Quizlet is an online flashcard site where you can (1) learn how to recognize the vocabulary word in written form, (2)practice it by playing games and (3) test yourself.


Jouez!

L'homme pendu (Les numéros 1-20) - Hangman

Play hangman to test your spelling of the numbers from 1-20.
Just CLICK on the link below.

l'homme pendu

Halloween pastries in France

C'est l'HALLOWEEN

les squelettes!!!

Au bal masqué - la Compagnie Créole

Here is the song we listened to in class today. I've also pasted a link for the lyrics just below the video if you want to sing along!

Halloween...more information

How did Halloween get to France? (www.about.com)
Some sources say that Celts in northern France also celebrated Halloween, but this is unconfirmed. In any case, Halloween is not a traditional French holiday, yet it becomes more popular every year. How and why this is so is a combination of cultural influence and corporate marketing.

The French had been hearing about Halloween from foreign residents and tourists and in their English classes for years before the holiday ever showed its (masked) face in France. In 1982, the American Dream bar/restaurant in Paris began celebrating Halloween. At first it had to explain the holiday to each customer, but since about 1995, French customers have tended to be more and more familiar with Halloween.

The Mask Museum in Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent was opened by Cesar group in 1992, and the owners started working to expand Halloween in France the following year.
Philippe Cahen, president of Optos Opus, claims that he single-handedly "imported" Halloween to France in 1995, despite admitting that Halloween already existed there (nope, doesn't seem like a logical claim to me either). Cahen created Le Samain cake in 1997 and registered the word "Halloween" as a world trademark. He also challenged 25 artists to come up with works with a Halloween theme, and the results were exhibited at the Victor Hugo Clinic.
In 1996, the village of St. Germain-en-Laye held a Halloween party on 24 October in the middle of the day, to give locals an idea of what it was all about.
Meanwhile, companies like France Télécom, McDonald's, Disney, and Coca Cola began using pumpkins and other Halloween images and ideas in publicity campaigns. This simultaneously increased French people's knowledge about Halloween and made it seem like another imposition of American culture.

How is Halloween celebrated in France?  
Halloween in France is usually celebrated by costumed people of all ages going to parties at friends' homes, restaurants, bars, or clubs. The costumes themselves tend to be traditionally "scary" - mummies, ghosts, goblins, witches, and vampires - rather than the cute costumes like princesses, superheroes, and the cartoon character of the day which are popular in the US. Some recreation centers encourage kids to make their own costumes.
Trick-or-treating is getting to be more common. It started out store-to-store, rather than house-to-house, but the latter is picking up. However, Halloween occurs during the mid-season school break, which slows it down a bit.
Stores, malls, restaurants, offices, and homes decorate their windows; pastry and candy shops make up special desserts and candies; and many different kinds of companies use Halloween in their ads. Supermarkets sell pumpkins for jack-o'-lanterns and candy companies are now marketing candy in the traditional Halloween format: one big bag filled with lots of little packages, which may encourage trick-or-treating.

The growing demand for jack-o'-lanterns during Halloween has been a boon for pumpkin growers. There is even a pumpkin patch at a farm outside of Paris where people can pick their own.
Halloween in France is rather controversial, due to the perception of corporate and cultural influence, as well as the fact that it is not a typical French holiday and some people still don't understand what is being celebrated. Because Halloween is seen as an American celebration, some French people refuse to enjoy it, having decided to include it in their anti-American boycott. It's too early to tell whether Halloween will develop into a long-term tradition; once the novelty wears off, it may turn out to be just a fad. And yet, interestingly, the French have been celebrating the ideas at the very heart of Halloween (respect for the dead) for centuries. 31 October to 2 November, collectively referred to as Toussaint, have traditionally been spent, especially by older generations, visiting cemeteries, honoring saints, and attending religious services.

Sorcerers’ Festival in Chalindrey—The Fête des Sorcières has been held for nearly a century in Chalindrey, home to a 16th-century witch hunt and the Fort du Cognelot, known as Devil’s Point. Rather than buying into the commercial side of Halloween, this festival seeks to evoke its Celtic roots – while still scaring you witless. Alongside the dance on Saturday night, there are exhibitions and screenings of scary films. And for the younger festival-goers, there’s face-painting and the election of Miss Sorcière.

l'Halloween - questions...

What is this?
What was it used for?
Where is it found?








Where can you find these?
Why are they there?











Pour se desguiser en fantome, en sorciere, etc

L'Halloween...questions answered!

I asked a friend of mine who lives in France to answer some  questions regarding Halloween.  She also explains a bit about November 1st, all Saints Day.


Well, Halloween has only been in France for about 10 years. Some stores put up decorations, but not that many. You can find some costumes for kids, but there isn't the selection like back home. It depends on the school if they have a Halloween party or not. Some kid clubs do a party as well, but there's no trick or treating. For the most part the French see it only as a commercial holiday, and don't give in to it too much because they say it's not part of French culture. In this region Nice has Carnival for Mardi gras, and that is their big day for kids to dress up in costumes. Nov 1st, All Saints day, is a holiday where the French bring flowers to a family member's grave site. The cemeteries are covered with flowers. Also schools are closed for holidays for a week and a 1/2 during this time.

C'est l'Halloween - Chantez!

Here are the lyrics in French, with English to the right of each line.

  C’est l’Halloween     It’s Halloween

Les sorcières sortent le soir     The witches go out at night
Les fantômes aussi                 Ghosts, too
Le ciel est tout noir             The sky is all black
Les nuages sont gris             The clouds are gray
Est-ce que tu as peur des méchants esprits ?   
                            Are you afraid of bad spirits?
Ô monsieur, oui, oui, oui, oui !     Oh, Mister, yes yes yes yes!

C’est l’Halloween, c’est l’Halloween hey
C’est l’Halloween, c’est l’Halloween

Pendant l’Halloween             During Halloween
Tu peux être ce que tu veux     You can be who you want
Un tigre féroce                 A ferocious tiger
Ou un serpent bleu                 Or a blue snake
Il se fait tard, rentres-tu à la maison ?   
                It’s getting late, are you going back home?
Ô Madame, non, non, non, non !     Oh Missus, no no no no!

Refrain

La lune, elle est pleine             The moon is full
Le hibou, il crie                     The owl, he screams
De toutes les branches             From all of the branches
Pendent des chauves-souris     Hang bats
Est-ce que tu as peur de cette nuit ?
                            Are you afraid of this night?
Ô madame, oui, oui, oui, oui !     Oh, Missus, yes yes yes yes!

Refrain

l'Halloween en France

Click below to read about l'Halloween en France!


The French have taken up Halloween with great enthusiasm, filling shop windows with ghoulish masks and broomsticks, and turning their nightclubs into haunted houses. But it's not Halloween as Americans know it. Parisians, traditionally wary of taking inspiration from the United States, have refashioned the holiday "a la française'' -- in French style. Instead of dressing up as movie characters or real-life celebrities, people in France stick to the basics, like witches and goblins.


l'Halloween

l'Halloween en France (2)


Leave me a comment as to what you found interesting, weird or whatever!

Disney Channel en France (l'Halloween)

See what kind of Halloween words you can identify. Many are cognates.

Dictée #3 (31/10/14)

Dictée #3 (31/10/14) vocabulaire

And try this to see if you really know your definitions:

Dictée #2 Hangman

Dictée Listening Practice

I have recorded a practice dictée of the vocabulary words for Wednesday, 10/22.  During the recording, I have repeated each question/phrase several times slowly so that you have a chance to write it down and really check your work.  Once you are done writing both the French and English, go to page 1 of your packet and check your answers to see where you need more study.

Bonne chance!

Madame

listen to ‘Dictée #2 Practice’ on audioBoom

Dictée #2

Use this activity below to prepare for Wednesday's Dictée. >

petit examen - la PHONOLOGIE

Review for Tuesday's quiz here:

le vocabulaire dans le sac à dos

listen to ‘le vocabulaire dans le sac à dos’ on audioBoom

dictée #1 mercredi, le 15 octobre

Etudiez et révisez le vocabulaire (et les définitions)

le livre de la jungle...

les chats :)

Bonjour!

One of my students found this cute video online and I thought I would share it with you.
If you listen carefully and read along with the subtitles, you might learn some new French expressions.

l'aphabet - PRACTICE FOR LISTENING QUIZ

Bonjour!

I have recorded 4 practice listening exercises to help your prepare for the alphabet listening quiz on Wednesday of this week.  Listen to each set of 6 letters and write them down.  I will send out a group  email with the answers at the bottom of the email for you to check your work.  Don't peek at the answers until you have tried all of the listening exercises.  Then, identify which letters are giving you trouble and then go to the link at the bottom of this posting to hear those letters again, individually.

Bonne chance!

Madame

listen to ‘l'aphabet’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘l'aphabet - exercice’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘l'alphabet - exercice’ on audioBoom

listen to ‘l'alphabet - exercice’ on audioBoom


ALPHABET, LETTER BY LETTER

Répétez les lettres - try this to prepare for le petit examen mercredit

listen to ‘Répétez les lettres’ on audioBoom

les voyelles - oral demain

listen to ‘Les voyelles’ on audioBoom

Here are some notes to remind you what we discussed in class:

Bonjour!

I thought I would send along a helpful reminder about the vowel quiz tomorrow.  Here is what we discussed in class to help with accurate pronunciation:

*remember that all vowel sounds are SHORT but strong

"A"    your mouth is open wide   'ah'

"E"   Think of how you say "My name is..." (Je m'appelle...) --> take the first word and drop the 'j' sound; your lips are kind of puckered and the sound comes a bit from your diaphragm (near your belly button)

"I"  smile and show some teeth  'ee'

"O"   UNLIKE English, do NOT close your mouth at all when pronouncing this vowel  'oh'

"U"  Pucker up a lot, put your hand over your belly button, and sound like a monkey

Remember "go BIG" in your vowels so that you achieve the correct sound

Bonne chance!

Madame

les Voyelles (VOWELS)

  
Listen to this recording to practice your vowel sounds.  The sound of the vowel itself is the same as the final sound in the sentence.

listen to ‘J'ai du chocolat...’ on audioBoom

J'ai du chocolat

    J'ai du chocolat  A A A A A
    Je vais le manger  E é é é é
     Il est trop petit  I i i i i
    J'en veux un plus gros  O o o o o
     Tu n'en auras plus  U u u u u
    A é i o u !

la Phonologie: les Voyelles (VOWELS)

2. Regardez, écoutez, répétez et imitez! The following video clip shows you how the French vowel sounds LOOK like as well as sound like. Écoutez et répétez!

l'Alphabet des Scouts - French Alphabet Scout Song

Here is a French alphabet song that children all over France know.  In French, each line of the song ends with a letter in the alphabet, going in alphabetical order. The last sound, of the last word of every line, rhymes with that line's letter.

In French, "w" is called "double v" ("double u") and "y" is called "i grec" ("Greek i") - in French and there are no words ending in the sounds "double v" or "i grec" - so they skipped these letters in the song. This reduced the alphabet to 24 letters. Therefore, each verse has exactly 4 lines and we have a perfect pattern for the song!

(The song is literally translated into English. Since it would be very difficult to follow the song's pattern in a translation, the English lyrics aren't following the alphabetical pattern. Therefore, we didn't write the letters at the end of each line.)

Click on the link below to hear the song and practice your alphabet.

LISTEN HERE

Alphabet des Scouts

 

Un jour la troupe campa A A A
La pluie se mit à tomber B B B
L'orage à tout casser CCC
Faillit nous inonder A B C D

Le chef s' mit à crier É É É
À son adjoint Joseph F F F
Fais-nous vite à manger G G G
Les scouts sont sous la bâche E F G H

Les pinsons dans leur nid I I I
Les loups dans leur logis J J J
Chahutaient quel fracas K K K
Avec les hirondelles I J K L

Joseph fit de la crème M M M
Et du lapin de garenne N N N
Et même du cacao O O O
Mes amis quel souper M N O P

Soyez bien convaincus Q Q Q
Que la vie au grand air R R R
Fortifie la jeunesse S S S
Renforce la santé Q R S T

Maintenant qu'il ne pleut plus U U U
Les scouts vont se sauver V V V
Le temps est au beau fixe X X X
Plus besoin qu'on les aide U V X Z

l'alphabet français

3.  Écoutez la chanson de l'alphabet.

listen to ‘l'alphabet - écoutez et chantez!’ on Audioboo

Ecoutez de la musique et dansez...le Flash Mob en France

If you have ever seen a Flash mob video, here is one that took place in France with a popular song by Keen'v.".  Listen and perhaps even try to follow the dance moves if the spririt moves you!  Enjoy!

la rentrée - the return to school

le hockey!!!!!

For those of you who watch, play, or otherwise enjoy the game of hockey, here is a video about an aspiring French goalie.  See how many cognates that you can recognize and understand.  [A cognate is a word that looks, sounds, and means the same in French and English.]

Une Chanson de Disney...en français!

If you want to try to sing along..., try this video!

Vocabulaire - Chapitre Préliminaire

 

CLICK HERE

Click on the link above to practice the vocabulary that we have been learning since the beginning of school.
**Be sure to click on the AUDIO so that you can hear, read, and look at the words that you are practicing.

Comment ça va?

Here are two videos to help practice "Comment ça va?". The first will give you several examples of how you could answer this question in class. The second video is an upbeat video from Fandarama, a musical group from Madagascar, that has a lot of the vocabulary that we have and/or will be learning. I think you will enjoy it!

Je m'appelle Funny Bear

Funny French Commercials

Here are a few examples of French commercials...

Why Study French?

Why Study a Foreign Language?

Justin Bieber parle français!!

 Check out this second music video...he sings most of the song en français!!!

 

The importance of Learning a Second Language

Let me know what you think of the following video...leave a comment for me.

NEWSLETTER - septembre

septembre

Bonjour et bienvenue à la classe de français! Welcome to the first monthly Newsletter for your child’s French class. My name is Madame Heather Leger and I am looking forward to a great year with your child! Last week, I sent home the Foreign Language Newsletter and Student Pledge for you to read and discuss with your child. On the newsletter was listed my contact information as well as the link to my French Blog. By now, these papers have already been read and signed and should be in your child’s binder to keep for future reference.

This month, after choosing a French name , your child will learn how to ask someone’s name and how to answer “My name is…”. They will also learn greetings and expressions of goodbye, basic classroom commands, and other questions such as where you live, how you are feeling, and how old you are. All of this information will be combined into a variety of short conversations that will be practiced in class. Towards the end of the month, students will begin learning the French alphabet and how to spell words with French accents.

As soon as your child has access to their iPad, I would ask that you download the following apps (if they are not already on their iPad) that will be used periodically throughout the beginning of the year: Morfo, Voice Record Pro, Socrative, and SAS Flashcards. If your child has difficulty locating these apps, please ask them to see me during class.

As stated in my Welcome Letter, I maintain a French blog that is available to your child at mmehleger.blogspot.com Please have your child navigate to this site on his/her iPad and save it to the iPad homescreen. Students are encouraged to read, watch, listen and interact with the blog as it offers culture, French learning games, and review before quizzes/tests. If there is anything that you would like to share with me regarding your child that would help them have a successful year learning French, please email me. I can be reached at HLeger@shrewsbury.k12.ma.us.

Thank you for allowing me to teach your child French. ☺

Devoirs: Ecoutez la chanson! - les salutations

listen to ‘Bonjour! Salut! *chanson’ on Audioboo

What is school like in France?

Here is a short video on how children in France spend their schoolday.  How different is this from school here in the US?

la Rentrée

Louise se préparait hier à accueillir ses élèves de CP-CE1./Photo DDM, Caroline Muller. ladepeche.fr

La rentrée roughly translates to "the coming in" or "the re-entry." In France, it marks the end of les vacances, the languid July-August period when nearly all small businesses close for at least a week or two (some take a whole month off). ~www.examiner.com

"A la rentrée!"--along with "Bonnes vacances!", it's the last phrase on everyone's lips as they head joyfully off on long July and August vacations. It means "(see you) at the return" or more literally, the re-entry, as I like to think of it. Because after the famously long French vacation (5 weeks per year mandatory, most of it taken in late summer), you've been away so long that you do feel like you're re-entering--like astronauts re-entering the earth's atmosphere after orbiting around in space. Re-entering the world you left behind after what seems like eons of days that you experienced in the slow-motion time warp of vacation. And from a distance that often seems as great as that to the moon, if you've spent those weeks in a very different culture or perhaps halfway around the globe. ~ www.frenchgardening.com

In August, major sectors of France slow down or close up shop completely. School is out, of course, the government is more or less AWOL, and many restaurants and other businesses are closed as well. Therefore, many French people are on vacation for all or part of the month, which means that la rentrée, in September, is more than just students and teachers going back to school; it's also everyone else returning home and going back to work, returning to normalcy.

À la rentrée ! is a valediction, similar to bonnes vacances ! (have a nice vacation), a way of saying good-bye and an acknowledgement that you'll see the other person when you both re-enter the real world after your prolonged vacation. ~www.about.com