Le French Factor!
Esther Mercier, authoress of Atantot and AST in MFL at Longridge High School has been encouraging her Yr 7 pupils to think out of the (X)box and promote their creativity in Le French Factor!
"I introduced it in class telling pupils they would have to create a song using either a rap, a melody they know or their own tune. Then lesson 1 they wrote it. I collected it and marked it. Lesson 2 they practiced it and by the end of the lesson they groups who were ready. We recorded it in class with Audacity. Lesson 3, we finished the recording then listened to them all."
Pupils voted for the best compositions and winners won their own French Factor trophy (Les Frenchies for short?) made by Esther's husband Dave using Corel Draw 12, a laser cutter, some perspex and balsa wood (See below). Runners up were awarded a novelty rubber each imported from Canada.
"They are very cool in the shape of flip flops, footballs, big flowers, stars etc and you put them on the end of your pen. I traffic rubbers from Canada every time I go. Once I got stopped and the people looking in my bag laughed their head off, when I said they were prizes for my pupils."
The overall winner was the excellent Dans la ferme il y a beaucoup d'animaux (the middle X on the right).
Esther's pupils also took part in the recent LAFTAs competition. Check out Learn a language, I can speak french really! Elephant and Mouse and my personal favourite Ich liebe deinen Hut. Great work guys!
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This is a fantastic idea! Just when I was looking at opportunities for cross-curricular work for Y7 next year.
Well done Esther and thank you Joe for blogging about this.
Isabelle
http://isabellejones.blogspot.com
Posted by: Isabelle Jones | 17/05/2008 at 21:33
The French Factor...grrreat! My year 7 have done something similar, but I failed to present them with a trophy...thanks for the suggestion! Any idea for cross-currricular activity is more than welcome!
Le petit cochon story proved a hit with the year 3 I visit once a week for French. We had just finished the 3rd lesson on food when I found le petit cochon rond rond rond on your site and the children loved it. Keep writing them please!!!
Posted by: Colette Chew | 17/05/2008 at 23:55
Hi Colette,
Thanks for your comment. Just to clarify the le petit cochon song is on Esther's site not mine.
Best wishes
Joe
Posted by: Joe Dale | 18/05/2008 at 00:25
Will do! I have a couple more stories to add...I need more time in a day!
Esther
Posted by: Esther | 18/05/2008 at 08:38