Prep 4 - Prep 6: Les Pays Européens

Have a look at this map of Europe. It has the names of all the countries in French and shows you how to say all the nationalities too. Use it to help you next time you are talking about holidays.

Prep 6: Qu'est-ce que tu aimes comme matières?

Prep 6 have been learning how to give opinions about their school subjects and say what they are good at. I have set up a Wallwisher wall for them to write what they think about school in French and they will be doing this over the coming week. Click here or look above to see what they have written.

Prep 5: Tu joues d'un instrument?

Prep 5 have been learning how to talk about what music they like and what instruments they play and enjoy. This week and next they will be answering the question "Tu joues d'un instrument de musique?" on the Wallwisher website, just like Prep 6 did last year. Click here or look below to see what they have written. All visitors please feel free to contribute too!

If you're not sure what to write, take a look at this talking dictionary for inspiration!

Reception - Prep 6: Café de l'école

Here is the vocabulary you need for the Café de l'école next Wednesday! Have you noticed the NEW DRINK? What is it? Are you going to try it next week?

View more presentations from Bonnie Rafferty.

Form 2: Les Formes et les Couleurs

Watch this simple video with some of the shapes and colours we have learnt! How do you say star in French? If you can come to me and say the word to me in French then I will give you a star!

Prep 6: Spellings for 22nd November 2011

This week's spellings aren't really spellings at all. Prep 6 are learning the French alphabet this week for a test next week.
You can practise by listening to the French alphabet here or here or by watching the video below with a catchy song!



Well done to Anousca and Jonathan for getting full marks in their number test last week!

Form 2: Les Mois

Form 2 are finding out how to say the names of the months in French. Here is a good song to help you remember them!

Prep 3: The French Alphabet

Prep 3 are learning how to recite the alphabet in French and spell their name aloud. Take a look at this video to learn a new catchy alphabet song!

Prep 5: Les Instruments de Musique

This week Prep 5 listened to different types of French music and we shared our likes and dislikes. Next we are learning how to talk about musical instruments in French. Take a look at this video to learn some extra ones!

Prep 4: Les Jouets

Prep 4 are learning how to talk about their favourite toys. Have a look at the French toyshop website we looked at in class and see how many words you recognise.
Qu'est-ce que tu aimes?
Qu'est-ce que tu n'aimes pas?

Prep 3, Prep 4: Nausicàa

Take a look at the Nausicàa website to bring back some memories of our great trip in September!

Prep 6: Spellings for 9th November

Prep 6 have their first French vocabulary test next week. Remember you can choose whether you want to learn just numbers 1-10 or 1-20! Try the exercises below to get some practice before the test...
Numbers 1-12
Word maths (1-12) in French
Word maths (13-20) in French
Numbers 1-69
Number practice 1-80
Number labelling 1-9
Number labelling 10-18
Number quiz 1-100
Spell numbers 1-10

Petit Déjeuner Français

We had our first French breakfast of the year on Friday. The weather held out and it was a beautiful crisp morning. Mrs Groom and her team again did us proud with a feast of croissants, pains au chocolat, chocolat chaud, café and jus d'orange. It was lovely to see lots of new pupils and their parents there and I am looking forward to all our French activities this year. Next Monday 26th September is the European Day of Languages and we will be celebrating with a French Storytelling Session for Forms 1 - 6, hosted by the Freshwater Theatre Company, followed by a day in Boulogne on the Wednesday for Preps 3 and 4. All very exciting!

Reception - Form 2: Au Bord de la Mer

In readiness for our last few lessons on the topic of the seaside, here is a video featuring a multi-lingual seaside song. Can you spot how many languages they sing in? We will have a go at singing the chorus ourselves!

French Breakfast June 2011

The weather could not have been better for our last French Breakfast of the year. Children, parents and teachers sat at tables outside the school in the sun enjoying croissants, pains au chocolat, hot chocolate, orange juice and coffee. Many thanks to Mrs Groom and her team for their hard work!

Prep 3 - Prep 6: The World's Gone French!

We were lucky enough to have a visit from Onatti Productions this morning who performed The World's Gone French! for Prep 3 - Prep 6. The play was partly in French and partly in English and as well as being hugely entertaining, gave the children an opportunity to learn and revise lots of useful vocabulary. The acting was great and the children were engaged from beginning to end. Lizzie in 4W told me afterwards that she wanted to watch the whole play over again!

Thanks Onatti and see you next year!

Prep 5: The Book!

Au Château de la Baudonnière du 5 au 11 juin 2011 | Make Your Own Book

Take a look at the book. If you like the look of it, you are welcome to order yourself a copy! Happy memories...

Prep 5: Château de la Baudonnière Video

Here is a video of our best photos!

Prep 6: Devine Qui C'est!

Click to Play!

Prep 6 will be playing Guess Who? (Devine Qui C'est?) in their French lessons this week. I found this version of the game online that we might use - shame the names aren't in French!

Château de la Baudonnière: merci!

I just wanted to thank Prep 5 for being such great company over the week. I've been looking forward to taking them since I had them as my form last year and I'm very excited that I will be their teacher again next year! Thank you to all the Prep 5 parents for letting them come, to the Château staff for the fantastic organisation and wonderful activities (can I have a bigger room next year though, please?!) and especially to Phil and Dee for keeping me company, helping me massively and making me laugh so much!

Prep 5: Les Trois Petits Cochons

After our winning performance of Les Trois Petits Cochons at the Château talent show last night, I couldn't help laughing when this was recommended by another teacher this morning! I must show it to Prep 5 in class next week.

Château de la Baudonnière: dimanche

Nous sommes arrivés! After a long day in the coach we are here at last. We were met by Alice, who showed us to our dormitories and helped us find a very tasty dinner of fromage, pain and jambon. New word learnt within ten minutes of arriving: perroquet. We are sharing our dining room with a parrot called Jam. Just time for a run around outside and for meeting the hundreds of tame rabbits, then pyjamas and bed! Bonne nuit!

Prep 5: En route!

Get some last minute number practice before we go to France by working your way through these activities!

Why don't you check here to see what the weather will be like for our trip?

And don't forget to learn your lines!

Prep 6: Descriptions

Prep 6, after you get back from Wales you will be practising how to describe yourself, your friends and your family. Why don't you get a head-start by working your way through these activities. You could even print out the activity sheets and I will mark them after half term!

Prep 4: Les animaux

Listen to this song Prep 4! How much of it can you understand? It is full of animals and adjectives.

Then try and match the words to the pictures on this exercise!
You could even print out the song and learn it.

Form 1, Form 2, Prep 3, Prep 4: Les animaux et les couleurs

Try this exercise for practising animals and colours. Can you paint the animals correctly? Then listen and match the animals in this activity.

Form 2: Les Prepositions

After half term we will be learning how to say where something is. Watch this video to get a sneak preview of some of the new words we will be learning!

Nursery, Reception: Un, deux, trois

Listen to this song all about picking cherries. How many cherries do they pick? Can you recognise all the numbers in French?

Prep 3, Prep 4: Grand et petit

Can you remember what grand and petit mean? Try this exercise to practise them. Why do grand and petit sometimes have an e on the end?

Nursery, Reception, Form 1: Tête, épaules, genoux et pieds

Watch these two singing Tête, épaules, genoux et pieds. They sing a different version from us, but they are very good at singing it fast!

Form 1: Les animaux domestiques

We will be learning some words for pets after half term. See how many of the ones in this exercise you already know! Then watch this and try this!

Form 1, Form 2: Les Transports

Have a look at these types of transport and listen to the words. Which do you recognise? How many can you remember? We will be revising some of them after half term.

Café de l'École

Prep 6 held their final Café de l'École on Wednesday. As always, they worked brilliantly as a team, taking turns greeting the younger pupils at the door and serving pains au chocolat, croissants, limonade and orangina. Their language skills have really improved and I was proud of how nicely they helped the younger ones with their French. Well done for being such good role models!

Take a look at the slideshow of pictures on the right. It was lovely to be joined by Reception this time!

Reception, Form 1, Form 2: Les Animaux du Zoo

Can you help the zoo keeper count the baby animals? Watch and see how much you can understand. Don't forget to join in with the counting!

Prep 4: Saint-Saëns - Le Carnaval des Animaux

We will be listening to some of Le Carnaval des Animaux by  a French composer called Saint-Saëns this week. Your job will be to guess which animal each piece of music represents. This video, made by Walt Disney in 1999, features flamingos (des flamants roses!) dancing to the finale of Le Carnaval des Animaux. I hope you enjoy it!

Prep 5: Les Trois Petits Cochons!

Prep 5 I've decided what you can do for the spectacle final at the Château! This is a clue...

Prep 3: Les Quatre Amis

We are reading the story of Les Quatre Amis in Prep 3 this half term. Why don't you watch this video which tells exactly the same story? How much can you understand?

Form 2: Les Animaux

Form 2 can you match the animal names in this exercise to the right picture?

Prep 6: Spellings for 4th May

Here are your spellings for this week:

Bonjour!
Comment t'appelles-tu?
Je m'appelle...
Quel âge as-tu?
J'ai...ans
Où habites-tu?
J'habite à...
Au revoir!

This exercise will help you remember how to ask and answer your name.
This one will help you ask and answer how old you are.
This one will help you remember how to ask and answer where you live.

Good luck!

Prep 3, Prep 4, Prep 5, Prep 6: Easter In france

It's almost Easter! Why don't you find out how they celebrate Easter (Pâques) in France? Take a look at this website to find out.

Prep 4: Sports Presentations

Prep 4 spent some of last term learning how to give their opinion on various sports. At the end of term I recorded each pupil talking about which sports they like and dislike and I am very proud of the results! When we finished recording, each Prep 4 class listened to the recordings done by the other class, and together we chose three people from each class who we felt had worked especially hard on their accent and had included a good range of vocabulary and opinions. Here you can hear the winning six presentations, so congratulations to Sofia, Polly, Emily N, Lara, Lauren and Grace for some fantastic French work. We hope you enjoy listening to it.

Form 2: Nous allons au Zoo!

I recorded Form 2 singing this song all about going to the zoo at the end of last term. I think you will agree that they sang it beautifully!

Prep 3, Prep 4, Prep 5, Prep 6: Days and months quiz

Choose a Study ModeScatterLearnFlashcards

Study these flash cards | Study french flash cards

Look at the days and months flashcards above and then try testing yourself by choosing a study mode. How many can you get right? There are no accents I'm afraid - can you remember which three months should have accents in them?

Prep 4, 5, 6: Pronunciation

I've found a really good site to go to if you are not sure how to pronounce a word in French. Just type it in on this website, click on French and you will hear it being said. You can use it for other languages too.

Form 1 - Prep 6: Crickweb

This website has some great interactive reading exercises for practising vocabulary. Amongst other things, you can test yourself on numbers, colours, food, transport and animals.

Prep 6: Spellings for 30th March

Prep 6 - don't forget your test will be on Wednesday this week. You have chosen your own animals to be tested on, but why don't you try this animal exercise, this animal crossword or one of these exercises?

Prep 3: La marelle

At the beginning of this term, Prep 3 learnt the French names for some playground activities. One of them was la marelle (hopscotch). I found this great video of some French children playing la marelle. It will help you revise your numbers too!

Nursery - Prep 3: Savez-vous planter les choux?

Here is a version of Savez-vous planter les choux? which we read and sang together a couple of weeks ago. Can you spot which four body parts are used to plant cabbages in this version?

Nursery, Reception: T'choupi app for iPad and iPhone

Those parents who have an iPad or an iPhone might like to get this lovely app. It features the character T'choupi, who most of the children will recognise from their French lessons. It has various games and activities which provide great colour practice, all in French.

Nursery, Reception: Caillou

Nursery and Reception children might enjoy some of the games on the Caillou website. There is lots to do and although all the instructions are in French, it is easy to navigate and play on.

Form 1: Les fruits

I found this song all about fruit that Form 1 might enjoy as we have been learning the names of some fruit as part of our work on The Hungry Caterpillar. Which word means peach, and which word means apricot, do you think?

Prep 3: Le fermier dans son pré

We sang this song back in January. I wonder how much of it Prep 3 can remember? What do the following words mean?

le fermier
la femme
l'enfant
la nourrice
le chat
la souris
le fromage

Nursery: Ah les crocodiles!

We have been learning the names of some zoo animals in Nursery, so I thought the children might enjoy this song about crocodiles.

Form 2, Prep 3, Prep 5: Les formes et les couleurs

Have a go at this exercise for learning the names of shapes and colours. Read the names of the shapes then answer the questions. How many can you get right?

Form 2: Quel temps fait-il?

Form 2 have been learning to talk about the weather this term. Try these exercises from the BBC website and see how much you remember.

Prep 6: Poems

I thought you might like to read some of Prep 6's fantastic poems in French about the seasons. I showed them the basic structure on the whiteboard and then they made use of online dictionaries and their own knowledge and imagination to change the original version and make it their own. The poems are all on show in the Prep 6 classroom.

Dans la montagne ce matin,
Un rouge-gorge m’a dit:

<<Viens, viens, viens, viens,

L’hiver est sur le chemin

La neige est blanche

Les sapins sont verts

Je m’amuse bien!

L’hiver est sur le chemin>>.

Becky

Dans le jardin ce matin

Un lapin m’a dit: 

<<Viens, viens, viens, viens,

L’été est sur le chemin.

Les fraises sont mûres,

Le blé est prêt

Je m’amuse bien!

L’été est sur le chemin>>.

Victoria

Café de l'école

Prep 6 organised another successful Café de l'école on Wednesday. We sold a huge number of croissants and pains au chocolat and I was really pleased with how well both the café organisers and their customers spoke French to one another. Any profits will help to subsidise future school visits to France. A special mention goes to the following children for their careful French and lovely accents: Victoria, William M, Joshua, Katie, both Olivers, Jade, Anousca, Ben, Freya, Sapphie, Alice, Caitlin and Eloise. A big MERCI to Prep 6 and to Mrs Groom and her team for making it possible!

Prep 6: Spellings for 21st March

Congratulations to Holly, who was the only one to get full marks on last week's test. Here are this week's spellings. They are all words to do with nature, as we have been looking at and describing impressionist beach scenes. They are trickier than the previous lists, so see if you can persuade someone to test you on them. Why don't you record yourself saying the word and spelling it out and then listen to your recording as many times as you can before the test? Good luck!

l’étoile – star

l’herbe – grass

la mer – sea

le sable – sand

la plage – beach

le ciel – sky

le soleil – sun

la lune – moon

la montagne – mountain

le lac – lake

l’arbre – tree

la feuille - leaf

Prep 5, Prep 6: Impressionism

Why don't you visit the Metropolitan Museum in New York and learn some more about Cézanne, Degas and Van Gogh?

Prep 5, Prep 6: Les Infos

Have you noticed that right at the bottom of this page there are some links in French? If you follow these you will be taken to a current news article from a French children's magazine called Journal des Enfants. See how much you can understand - it is great reading practice. Have a go at understanding this report about the Japanese earthquake. You can always use an online dictionary if you get stuck.

Prep 3: Les Couleurs

Why don't you try these colour exercises from the BBC website or this exercise with the words for light and dark to practise your colours for next week?

Prep 4: Mardi Gras

Prep 4 have been learning how to talk about what they eat and whether or not it is healthy. Definitely not healthy but very tasty looking is this recipe for chocolate pancakes. How much can you understand? Why don't you try following the recipe and making some?

Form1: La Chenille Qui Fait Des Trous

Form 1 have been working hard on their numbers, fruit and days of the week ready to read La Chenille Qui Fait Des Trous next week. We read a simplified version this week and I was really pleased with how many of the words they understood. For a sneak preview of the whole story in French they could have a look at this slideshow made by a teacher and see how many words from the text they can say or read.

Nursery, Reception: Poisson Rouge

Poisson Rouge is my  favourite website for younger children. There are so many activities and mini-games to explore on it, from Frère Jacques to the night sky to famous works of art to life under the sea, and the navigation is clear and simple enough to allow children to explore the site independently. And it's French! Try it!

Prep 3, Prep 4, Prep 5, Prep 6: Pronunciation

I have been talking a lot about pronunciation with the older pupils this year and looking at the many sounds in French that are different from English. I found this sounds page on the new BBC Primary French site which shows you how to pronounce some of the main sounds. There is also a game to reinforce four of the sounds. I wonder if Prep 4 can spot which sounds we have practised recently that are not on the page?

Prep 5, Prep 6: Monet's garden at Giverny

With both Prep 5 and 6 looking again at colours this half term, I showed Prep 5 a presentation in French about Impressionism on Thursday and was really pleased with the way they used the knowledge gained in art lessons to help them understand a very demanding text. They recognised many of the paintings I showed them and were even able to say who they were by. We looked at some of Monet's pictures of his garden at Giverny as well as his famous series of haystacks painted in different lights and seasons. Next week both Prep 5 and Prep 6 will be learning some seaside vocabulary to help them describe this beach painting by Degas in French.

Prep 6: Spellings for 7th March

Prep 6 have been revising their colours in French this week for a test after the weekend. It was again Ellie, Alex S and Holly who got top marks in their vocabulary test last Monday. Well done! The class spent Thursday's lesson in the ICT room finishing some fantastic poems about the seasons which I hope to publish here next week. They have learnt how to use online dictionaries to find the words they need and the results are great.

For extra colours practice, try the following activities:

Colour matching game

Languages Online colour writing activity

Colour quiz

Another colour quiz

Four simple colour activities including a writing exercise

Colour memory game

Form 2: Promenons-nous dans les bois

This term, Form 2 have been learning how to talk about what they are wearing. We sang a version of this well-known French children's song, as well as reading some popular French books which follow the same storyline. Will the children be caught by the hungry wolf at the end?

Nursery, Reception: The Lingo Show

This new CBeebies show looks like a great way to get little ones interested in learning a language. Featuring French, Spanish, Mandarin, Welsh, Punjabi, Urdu, Polish and Somali, The Lingo Show introduces children to the magic of language and different cultures through its collection of colourful characters.

Prep 4, 5, 6: Qu'est-ce que tu préfères?

Have a look at this video of children in Fort de France, the capital of the Caribbean island of Martinique, talking about their likes and dislikes. They talk about their favourite foods, season, sports and types of music. See how much you can understand and if you get stuck, take a look at the vocabulary below.

Quel est ton plat préféré ?

le gratin de bananes – baked bananas

des pâtes avec des saucisses – pasta with sausages

un gâteau au chocolat – chocolate cake

Quelle est ta saison préférée ?

la saison sèche – the dry season (in Martinique there are 2 seasons instead of 4 – the dry season and the wet season)

Quel sport préfères-tu ?

le tennis - tennis

l’équitation - horseriding

la boxe - boxing

le football / le foot

Est-ce que tu préfères la musique rap ou la musique traditionnelle ?

la musique pop - pop

la musique rap - rap

la musique traditionnelle / le zouk - a style of rhythmic music originating from the Caribbean islands

le RnB – R’n’B

Form 1, Form 2: Les couleurs

Forms 1 and 2 have done lots of colour practice so far this term. Form 1 have been learning the names and colours of 2D shapes and Form 2 have been learning clothes vocabulary and talking about what colour each item of clothing is. For extra practice they could visit the Cartoonito site or try this trickier French Colour Test.
Another good page to explore is the French alphabet section of the excellent Poisson Rouge website. Find out what j is for...

Prep 5: Tu joues d'un instrument de musique?

Earlier this term Prep 5 did some lovely presentations on musical instruments in the ICT room using PowerPoint. As preparation I asked them to write a sentence about what instrument they play, if any, and post it to a page I had created on a site called Wallwisher. Click on the link to see the results, and feel free to add your own "sticky" (en français bien sûr!).

Prep 6: Spellings for 28th February

Well done to Prep 6 who had their first weekly spelling test in French this week. They had to learn the days of the week, and top marks went to Holly, Ellie and Alex S. The next test, which will take place after half term, will be on the months of the year.
Prep 6 - why don't you try some of the exercises on the Languages Online Website to get some extra practice before the test?

Nursery, Reception: Chanson des Chiffres

Younger pupils will enjoy this number song - especially the little ones in nursery who are getting quite good at counting now. This video will help them do it backwards!

Welcome to the Blog du Bosquet!

The Blog du Bosquet will be full of activities, videos, links and fun for all those learning French at Spring Grove School. I hope to show off some of the lovely work our pupils have been doing in their French lessons and show the children how they can practise their language skills at home using the internet.