Recent additions
Stick-in "writing strips" which can be used as prompts for Higher Tier GCSE writing (intermediate). These were sent to me by Mel Bulmer and are also on the free samples page. Students stick them on the left hand side of their exercise book or paper.
I am also grateful to Chris Tanner who sent me updated versions of two A-level documents on the site: notes on the political system and the left and right in French politics. These are marked as updated on the A-level page.
Advanced video listening. This one is about electronic tags from FR3/Youtube (AQA sub-theme "Comment on traite les criminels"). Vocab to complete and questions in French for oral or written work. As always check the availability of this video.
A-level video listening. Prisons in France. Vocabulary list, true statements to tick, gap-fill. This short video talks about some of the latest facts, figures and issues about French prisons (June 2017). This worksheet replaces the one about Fresnes prison for the video link is now dead.
Video listening. This is based on the first 20 minutes of a film about the armed resistance in France during the occupation. The worksheet is broken down into seven sections and includes vocab, questions in French and English and some translation. This part of the 50 minute video focuses on the rise of the communist resistance. It will be useful for the relevant Edexcel and Eduqas/WJEC sub-themes. Interesting stuff!
A third A-level sub-theme conversation booklet, this one for the Eduqas/WJEC exam board. Same format as the others: vocab lists followed by questions for conversation practice.
A sub-theme conversation booklet for Year 2 of the Edexcel A-level course. This consists of my vocab booklet with accompanying questions to help prepare for the speaking assessment. This is in addition to the AQA version I posted yesterday.
An AQA A-level booklet for conversation on sub-themes. This consists of my vocabulary lists for each Year 2 sub-theme with accompanying questions for conversation. Other board versions will follow in due course.
Texts and various exercises on demonstrations. This is an excellent fit with on of the AQA A-level sub-themes but should be of general interest too. This chunky unit of work includes a text, vocab to complete, true/false, gap-fill, lexical manipulation, grammar, summary and translation. All your favourites! Answer key provided.
Imperfect tense crossword. Gap-fill sentences to complete.
Intermediate (Higher GCSE) reading. Five short Tripadvisor-style paragraphs about visiting the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie in Paris. Matching task, "find the French" and gap-fill with options. Good Y11 activity or excellent Y10 class.
Authentic listening for A-level (AS or first year of course). Topic: internet shopping. This is a straightforward gap-fill using a transcription of the source recording from Audio-Lingua. Plus follow-up writing/speaking task.
GCSE (intermediate) reading. Six short adapted authentic forum paragraphs on the topic of girls' favourite TV series. Matching task, vocab to find, translation, unjumbling words to make sentences and short paragraph writing. Answers provided. You could use this with a very good Y9 class.
Audio listening for advanced level. This one is from Audio-Lingua again. Elisa talks about the Puy du Fou, a historical theme park in the Vendée. Questions in English. Adult learners may find this one interesting too.
A-level text and exercises about violence against women in France. Text, questions, lexical work, translation both ways and summary. Suitable for Year 2 of the A-level course.
A document to help A-level students to improve their summary technique.
GCSE (intermediate) audio listening. Another one linked to an authentic recording from Audio-Lingua. Topic: voluntary work (food banks). False sentences to correct, phrases to translate and a short paragraph to write.
GCSE (intermediate) audio listening linked to Audio Lingua. Topic: family. This is a simple note-taking task plus oral and written follow-up. Easy Foundation level, usable with Y8/9.
Audio listening for GCSE (intermediate). This one, an authentic recording from Audio Lingua, features Guy recalling his morning routine when he was at primary school. The main focus here is on the imperfect tense as much as comprehension. gap-fill, vocab to translate into French, an oral and written task. You could use it with a quick Y9 group. Recycling much!
Another audio listening worksheet linked to an authentic Audio-Lingua recording. This one is for AS/A-level and is about Corsican food and consists of a vocabulary list, questions in French and an oral summary task. Also good for advanced adult students.
GCSE (intermediate) audio listening. Linked to an authentic recording from Audio-Lingua. This one is Elise talking about work experience. Tick correct sentences, gap-fill and translation of phrases.
A-level audio listening. This is a worksheet linked to an Audio Lingua authentic recording. Topic: national heritage days. Exercises are questions in French and translation/transcription from the recording. Expect more of these worksheets linked to Audio Lingua.
Two new listening resources for GCSE. These are worksheets linked to short audio recordings on Audio Lingua (from the Académie de Versailles). The two topics are daily routine and holidays. The first is Foundation level, the second Foundation/Higher. Expect to see more like this. As with video listening sheets these can be done in class or at home.
A-level listening, lecture style. This is a talk about impressionism. The aim is to practise listening and develop cultural knowledge for the AO4 objective of the A-level specifications. There is a growing collection of such instant listening tasks on the A-level page.
Three new A-level resources:
(1) Video listening: what is the role of the president in France? Source: 1jour1question/Milan Presse/Youtube. Transcription task with an opportunity for oral summary. You could just do a straightforward summary in 90 words as per A-level.
(2) Text and questions in English about the rise of Emmanuel Macron.
(3) 30 minute instant listening (lecture format) on the Front national.
Instant 30 minute listening on the topic of living alone (under sub-theme contemporary family structures). To be read or recorded by the teacher. True/false/not mentioned and gap-fill. Designed for the second year of A-level.
A-level lecture format listening about the musician Stromae. Yesterday's new resource was a written text and exercises on Stromae. The former suits A-level, the latter AS-level.
Text and exercises about the musician Stromae. Vocab to complete, questions, gap-fill, translation two ways (sounds like Masterchef!), paraphrase and various oral activities. A nice written homework task included. Good cultural input for A-level spec. Enjoy!
Paired re-ordering dictation. Each partner has 5 sets of jumbled words to read out. The other partner has to re-order them to make a correct sentence. Grammar focus: present tense.
Five passages for dictation or translation. These are for adult or A-level students. The theme is places of cultural or historical interest. There are texts on the Musée d'Orsay, the Millau Viaduct, the Eiffel Tower and Monet's garden and house in Giverny.
DON'T FORGET MY VERY SHORT SURVEY! - see link on the left. The above resource was prompted by some survey feedback I received.
Paired dictation task for Y9 (or above). Grammar focus: perfect tense, avoir and être verbs.
Just a reminder that I am running a brief survey for subscribers here.
Easy A-level video listening about politics. This sheet is linked to a 1jour1question video and would be a gentle introduction to the topic of politics. Pre-listening, questions in French and a little pair work summary.
Just a reminder that I am running a brief survey for subscribers here.
GCSE Higher Tier instant 30 minute listening task with teacher script. Topic: poverty in France. With true/false/not mentioned and gap-fill with a choice of words. There is now a good selection of these ready-made teacher-read listening activities for revision and exam practice.
I have now completed all the updates needed from Y8 to Y13. I had to delete a small number of out-of-date files and update facts and figures for a few worksheets. I added a more answers to some sheets. Recent political events mean I made some small additions to the PowerPoint (free sample) and worksheet about French politics.
A help sheet for developing range of grammatical structures in GCSE Higher Tier essays (intermediate).
I have also finished "weeding" and updating the Y10-11 pages. That means Y8-11 is all updated. I'll be going through some A-level texts and exercises soon.
I have now been through the Y9 resources making some minor changes and checking video links.
I have gone through all the Y8 resources, made some slight alterations to some worksheets, improved the appearance of others and checked links to external videos.
Text and exercises on about banning mobile phones in school. (Based on a policy proposal by Emmanuel Macron.) Text, vocab to complete, true/false/not mentioned, questions in French, oral discussion, lexical work, summary and translation.
Two new easy video listening tasks for Y8 (or above). The topics are likes/dislikes and a typical day. The videos are simple spoken to camera clips from frello.fr. Gap-fill, vocab to complete and simple adapted writing.
Advanced text and exercises on the topic of "la diversité" on French TV. Includes a text, vocab list to complete, questions in French, gap-fill, word relationship tasks, summary and translation both ways. It is part of a larger unit soon to be published separately on TES.
Instant 30 minute listening. A-level - sub-theme "prisons in France". Source text for teachers to read or record, V/F/PM, single word gap-fill (no options) and an optional paraphrase task. All answers including model paraphrase supplied.
Check out my posh new-look blog. Google have come up with some new templates for Blogger.
Instant 30 minute listening. A-level. Young people's interest in politics. You could use these for paraphrase work too.
Another in the series of 30 minute instant, no prep teacher-read listening tasks. This one is about describing a holiday. Short text, true/fasle/not mentioned and gap-fill. level: Foundation Tier GCSE (easy intermediate).
Another instant 30 minute GCSE listening task: topic school. Level: Foundation. With true/false/not mentioned and gap-fill.
Another in the series of instant 30 minute listening tasks. GCSE Foundation Tier (easy intermediate). Topic: My House.
Instant 30 minute listening task. Topic: describing a family. This one is aimed at Foundation Tier and has true/false and gap-fill. The teacher reads aloud or records the script. Go at the pace which suits the class, repeat as much as you want.
Instant 30 minute listening lesson - describing the film Lion. This is for Foundation Tier GCSE (easy intermediate). Teacher script, true/false and gap-film with a choice of words including two distractors.
Video listening. A thirty minute activity about the Front National based on a 1jour1question video from Milan Presse. Questions in French to answer and a few transcription/translation sentences based on the listening. This would make a good starter for a "rise of the right" sub-theme and politics in general.
Text and exercises about young people's engagement with politics (AQA). Exercises include a vocabulary list, correct statements to identify, translation, 90 word summary, word morphology and discussion. Answers provided.
Another 30 minute instant listening task. This one is aimed at Foundation Tier GCSE (easy intermediate) and is about the environment. These tasks are zero preparation listening activities where the teacher reads the script as many times as they want. Answers are provided.
A new 30 minute instant listening task. This is aimed at Foundation Tier GCSE (low intermediate). The topic is healthy living. The two exercises are gap-filling of sentences from a list of words and identifying and correcting differences from an altered transcript. As usual with these you can read them as many times as you want to tailor them to your class or record them.
The first two in a series of "30 minute instant listening" tasks for A/AS-level. These two are about mobile phones and volunteering and fit with the AQA cyber-society and volunteering sub-themes. There a text for the teacher to read or record, followed by two exercises - true/false/not mentioned and gap-fill. These are like the GCSE ones I have posted, but harder.
Simple writing template for describing a school. In Y9 but this could be used for Foundation GCSE preparation.
PLEASE NOTE I AM OUT OF OFFICE FROM 26TH JAN TO 12TH FEB SO CANNOT HANDLE CHEQUE PAYMENTS PROMPTLY.
Another in the series of instant 30 minute listening exercises for GCSE Higher Tier overlap standard (intermediate). This one is about ideal families and features a set of seven short pieces followed by matching and gap-fill.
PLEASE NOTE I AM "OUT OF OFFICE" BETWEEN JAN 27 AND FEB 12 SO CANNOT HANDLE ANY CHEQUE PAYMENTS.
Another in the series of instant 30 minute listening exercises for GCSE Higher Tier (intermediate). This one is about healthy living. Wake up at the back!
PLEASE NOTE I AM "OUT OF OFFICE" BETWEEN JAN 27 AND FEB 12 SO CANNOT HANDLE ANY CHEQUE PAYMENTS.
CHECK PEPPA PIG VIDEO LISTENING TASKS - I HAVE CHANGED SOME LINKS ON THE WORKSHEETS
Three more instant listening tasks for GCSE Higher Tier (intermediate). These are about the environment, volunteering and horseriding. Teacher transcript for reading/recording + two exercises for each task. They take around 30 minutes to do including correcting.
Intermediate (GCSE Higher Tier) listening tasks. These are the first of a new series of instant 20 minute listening tasks. The teacher can read them aloud or have them recorded, e.g. by a native speaker. These two are a description of a TV series, Mr Robot, and the film Interstellar. You'll find the scripts and two student exercises (true/false and gap-fill). You could exploit the resources further if you wish.
Advanced level video listening. A short video about the appalling Fresnes prison south of Paris. A story of neglect, overcrowding and insecurity. Vocabulary list, true statements to spot and a gap-fill passage in french. Answers provided. Written with the AQA specification in mind.
New GCSE Foundation Tier general conversation practice questions with lightly scaffolded model answers. These are in addition to the Higher Tier ones uploaded previously.
A set of new GCSE Higher Tier (intermediate) general conversation questions to match the AQA themes.
Vocabulary booklet for year 2 of the Eduqas/WJEC A-level specification. This completes all the vocab booklets for the three exam boards used in England and Wales.
A-level Year 1 (AS-level) vocabulary booklet for Eduqas/WJEC specification. The year 2 booklet will appear in due course.
Vocabulary booklet for the Year 2 A-level Pearson Edexcel sub-themes. This is in addition to the Year 1 booklet previously posted. AQA and Edexcel now both complete.
Vocabulary booklet for the second year of the new AQA A-level. Word lists for each of the sub-themes. This can be added to the existing one for Year 1 (AS-level).
Low intermediate video listening. Trotro part en vacances. Vocab search, true-false and gap-fill. You could exploit this further too with dictation, story re-telling, translation etc. Free sample (see Samples page).
Easy video listening for near beginners. Trotro a un beau cartable. Short video with French subtitles featuring your favourite donkey-small boy hybrid, French to English matching exercises and true/false.
Four short and very simple gapped dictations for beginners. Introductions, town, home, pastimes. Individual letters are indicated in the gaps.
Text and exercises on Peppa Pig, her family and friend Suzy. Text, tick off correct statements, questions in French, rewriting and gap-fill. Groin groin!
A set of eight GCSE Higher tier role-plays, AQA-style, with example answers.
Intermediate (GCSE) video listening. Isabelle describes her holiday in Venice. Gap-fill summary sentences. Answers provided. Linked to a YouTube video from France Bienvenue.
A task-based, problem-solving discussion game called Murder Mystery. This works very well with A-level groups and could be a nice task for groups of competent adult learners.
I have updated a Y10-11 text about French TV with the articles all taken out. The information was out of date.
A detailed teaching sequence based on using flashcards with beginners. This Y7 resource looks in detail at how you could exploit a set of simple hand-held flashcards. It's part of a new book I am working on over the next few months which will dissect lessons and teaching sequences in details. Scroll down to the bottom of the Y7/primary page.
Advanced video listening about Les Restos du coeur. This is a gap-fill task demanding very careful listening, with some true/false and oral work added. Answers are provided. There are now three different video listening tasks about Les Restos. Volunteering is a sub-theme in the new A-level exam. As with all these video listening tasks they can be done in class, during private study or at home.
Text and exercises about the recent burkini controversy in France. One page article, vocabulary to complete, questions and a translation passage into French. Enough for about 50 minutes' work or a homework.
A detailed lesson plan on the subjunctive written by Sarah Shaw. This consists of a detailed lesson plan with five support resources (two PowerPoint slides and three Word docs, two with cards to cut out, one with a reading task. Great stuff! Many thanks to Sarah Shaw.
Text and exercises for intermediate level (GCSE Higher). The topic is stress in children. Vocab to complete, true/false/not mentioned, oral work, gap fill and summary in English.
Text and exercises on global warming for advanced level. 2015 was the hottest year on record. 2016 will be even hotter. This text looks at the issues and is followed by various language exercises: vocab to complete, true/false/not mentioned, oral work and summary.
Video listening for intermediate (GCSE) level. She's back! Peppa Pig - Noël. Intensive listening. Vocabulary list to complete. Groin groin!
Advanced level video listening. Elodie talks about her work helping the homeless in Lorient. Gapfill and questions in English and French. Answers provided. I also posted this on the blog.
Advanced level video listening. This video explains the concept and history of laïcité (secularism) in France. There are questions in English and some translation. This will fit very well with the new A-level exams and their greater emphasis on knowledge of the culture. It can be found on the A-level and Adult student pages.
Video listening - advanced level. Interview from F2 with Daniel Cohn-Bendit about Brexit. Gap-fill, vocabulary and questions. Transcript provided.This resource was kindly donated by Jo Beamish from St Peter's RC High School.
Worksheet to drill si clauses with the imperfect and present conditional. 20 examples in two groups. Can be done orally and in writing. Good for intermediate level or even low advanced for revision. Free sample.
'Truth or lie' - a simple pair game for low advanced level. Partner A asks if Partner B has done certain activities from a list. Partner B claims they have done each one. Partner A asks follow-up questions and has to guess if the answer is really true.
Text and exercises on free movement across the EU. A good one-off lesson for advanced students with a text, vocabulary to complete, lexical work and conversation questions.
Text and exercises on the new Cité du Vin, just opened in Bordeaux. Article, vocabulary list to complete, true sentences to identify and translation into English. This fits well with the cultural heritage sub-themes for the new AS/A-levels. Easy advanced level. I have also placed this on the Adult Student page.
Video listening linked to a BFM TV report about French families today. Short news report, vocabulary to spot, matching task, questions in French. A useful 20-25 minute task to supplement work about changing family structures (AS/A-level).
Two model summary tasks for the new AS-level exam. Include source text, strategies and model summaries.
Vocabulary booklet for the new Pearson Edexcel AS/A-level (sub-themes 1-6). This is designed to be handed out to students for reference.
A four page document on essay language for AS/A-level. This is to help students write about film and literature. The support materials for AS/A-level are building up fast. Check out the blog for reviews of other A-level courses.
Two concise guides to writing AS-level essays on film and literature, one for AQA, the other for Pearson Edexcel. Includes model essays.
I have created a booklet of all the existing AS-level cloze/multi-choice worksheets. These are aimed at low advanced students (AS-level). All the answers are supplied at the end. You could do these in class or hand out for revision and self-study. The focus is mainly on verb forms and adjective agreements.
Lesson plan, poem and video listening worksheet on the subject of Alzheimer's disease. There is a touching short silent video also as part of this lesson. This should raise awareness of the illness and help improve students' listening and reading skills. The poem is delightful. A good way to bring a literary text into your work with good intermediate pupils (higher Tier GCSE). Would need handling with sensitivity.
Text and exercise on volunteering. Elise is a runner who volunteered to help with a race in Paris. She blogs about her experience. Vocabulary list to complete, true sentences to tick, questions, translation both ways, lexical work, oral practice. Good for new AS/A-levels.
A guide to writing good GCSE essays (Higher Tier). There is a PowerPoint version and Word handout, with mark schemes, advice and a model essay. I have previously posted a similar resource for Foundation Tier. This is for the new GCSE, first teaching from September 2016. You could adapt it to help with composition writing in general.
20 Higher Tier short translation paragraphs for the new GCSE specifications (intermediate level). I took examples from the AQA, Pearson and OCR specimens and designed more in the same style and of a similar level of difficulty. Model answers supplied.
100 Foundation Tier translation sentences for the new GCSEs. You could use these with younger pupils too, but they would work well for practice in the run-up to exams. Answers provided.
Article and exercises on the rise of the far right in France. This topic features in at least on of the new A-level specifications. Article, vocabulary list to complete, lexical work, true statements to tick off, summary, translation both ways and gap-fill. Answers provided.
Vocabulary booklet for the new AQA AS/A-level specification. This one covers the first six 'sub-themes': family, cyber-society, volunteering, cultural heritage, music and cinema. This would be a useful reference handout for students. The specifications contain no vocab lists.
Article with exercises about the occupation of France during the second world war. Recollections of four women. Vocabulary to complete, tick true statements, questions, gap-fill, summary, translation both ways.
Please note that the reading texts with exercises on the A-level page have been reorganised to better fit the themes from the new AS-level and A-level specifications being used in England and Wales from September 2016. They are all still there and will be added to.
Six translations into French from stimulus texts for the new AS=level exams, June 2017.
Conversation booklet and vocabulary lists for the new Eduqas (WJEC) specification. This is the third resource of this type. AQA and Edexcel/Pearson already posted.
Booklets of vocabulary lists and oral questions for the new AQA and Edexcel/Pearson AS oral exams. Six themes for each. Other boards will follow later. AQA is not yet accredited but the topics should be the same.
Higher tier reading exam for the new GCSE specifications. You could use it for the current specs too. Answers provided. This follows two Foundation tier papers which I recently posted.
Guidance on how to do a good Foundation Tier essay for the new GCSEs (first teaching September 2016). There are two resources, one a PowerPoint, the other a Word document. Extracts from AQA mark scheme, advice for students.
A second Foundation Tier reading exam for GCSE practice (new format, but can be used now too). Answers provided. This would be a useful low intermediate assessment for students outside England and Wales.
GCSE Foundation tier reading exam. This is written to closely resemble the format of the new AQA GCSE but could be used as a practice paper for the current format. Scroll down the right hand column to the exam-related material. For users outside England and Wales this would make a good low intermediate assessment.
Intermediate reading for adults/GCSE. TripAdvisor-style reviews of the Pont du Gard. This comes with a TL matching exercises, gap-fill and sentences to translate into French. Adults in particular might find this a useful activity to lead into discussion of French holidays.
Easy text for adults about the history of French gastronomy. Vocabulary to complete, questions in English for comprehension and questions in French for general discussion about food.
Video listening. Short news report on the terrorist bomb attack in Brussels on 22nd March 2016. Questions in French with model answers. Would suit both AS and A-level, perhaps even excellent Y11 pupils.
Intermediate level text and exercises about poverty in France. This is one of the new GCSE topics. Text, vocabulary to complete, true/false/not mentioned, oral work and translation.
A set of ten very short literary extracts with exercises. These are specifically to help students prepare for the new GCSE reading exams (higher tier) to be done in June 2018. Answers are provided. I would use them in Y11 for practice.
Low advanced video listening (AS-level). Bullying at school. From the 1jour1question series. Gap-fill from a choice of words and questions in French. This would work well in a sequence of lessons about education issues and should generate good discussion.
Advanced level reading and questions about the key dates in the history of the European Union. This should be informative for young people, particularly those who will be able to vote in the UK referendum on June 23rd. Long but fairly accessible text, questions in English and model answers provided. This historical perspective may help students understand the issues better. Adult learners may find this useful too. Free sample.
Article and exercises about sugar: its health dangers and advice for avoiding it. Text, vocabulary list to complete, true/false/not mentioned, pair work and summary to write in English. Suitable for good intermediate level.
Video listening based on a 1jour1question video series. This is called C'est quoi, le djihad?. Short linked video from Youtube, identify true sentences, sentences to translate into French and discussion questions. You might try this with an excellent Y11 class to challenge them.
Advanced level text and exercises about online bullying. Based on a recent UK survey of teenagers. Text, vocabulary list to complete, lexical work, questions for oral and written work, gap-fill and translation into French.
Foundation tier role-play examples for the new AQA GCSE specification. Example scripts provided. See my recent blog post for some commentary on role-plays.
A second adapted and abridged extract from Le Petit prince, this time with a vocabulary list to complete and questions in English. About the futility of amassing wealth.
A short extract from Le Petit prince (adapted) with a true/false/not mentioned exercise and translation. In line with new GCSE content. A very good Y9 class could do this.
A second set of Higher Tier AQA GCSE photo card practice examples. There are now four sets of photo card stimuli on the site, with a total of about 36 examples. All for the new specification starting next year.
I've just uploaded a second set of photo card stimuli for oral work. These are based on the AQA speaking test model (first teaching September 2016) and include five questions each. There are now three sets of these photos, two Foundation Tier (easier), two Higher Tier. You could include these in your future schemes of work.
Texts and exercises about voluntary work. An example of "narrow reading" - several short texts with recycled vocabulary, followed by various tasks: matching, "find the French", lexical study, gap-fill, translation both ways and oral work. For English and Welsh teachers this topic fits perfectly with AQA's new AS-level syllabus (low advanced level.
Parallel reading and exercises on zombies. Text, true/false/not mentioned and gap-fill. Answers provided. You could make a booklet of the parallel reading material for independent reading.
For beginners I have added two simple gapped translations into French (My dog and My town). These could be used as follow-up tasks to their equivalent translations into English. These may suit teachers who wish to develop their pupils' translations skills from an early stage.
Video listening for low advanced level (AS level). A 2 minute TV report about working for Les Restos du coeur. Questions in French and "find the French". Answers provided. I wrote this with an eye on the new AQA AS specification from September.
Article and exercises about integration in France. Based on a recent in-depth report, the article looks at how successfully France is integrating migrants and their descendants. Exercises include identifying true sentences, lexical work, translation, questions and oral work.
Two resources for the new AQA GCSE Photo card section of the Speaking test. Photos with questions and model answers for Foundation and Higher tiers (10 each). For teaching from September 2016, but could be used before that.
Reading task with exercises based on reviews of the TV series Les Revenants (the one about zombies). Probably how you're feeling after Christmas and the new year. Six short texts with a range of exercises, including matching, "find the French", vocab completion, gap fill, speaking and writing.
Article and exercise on the historic climate change agreement in Paris. Questions in English with model answers. Available free as a sample on the Free Resources page.
Article and exercises on the first Syrian family to be taken in by a Belgian volunteer. Adapted authentic text, vocabulary to complete, false TL sentences to correct, summary in English and translation. This topical resource would work with a very good Y11 class or an AS level group.
Literary text and exercises for intermediate (GCSE). This is a passage from L'Etranger by Camus. There is some highlighted and glossed vocabulary, questions in English and some simple analysis of character. This could be tackled by a very good intermediate class in class or at home.
Updated parallel texts and exercises on the Islamic State (ISIL) organisation. I have just put in a reference to the recent events in Paris. Don't forget there are many parallel texts from beginner level through to intermediate (GCSE) level.
Article and exercises on changing meat eating habits in France. Text, pre-reading questions, questions, lexical recycling work, gap fill and translation. Low advanced level.
Two new PowerPoint presentations on the new GCSE and A-level courses (all modern languages). Teachers in England may find these useful for presenting to colleagues, for example. They were made for a training day I did with trainee teachers at York University. They are freely available on the Samples page. Feel free to download and use them.
Short article and exercises on favourite foods in France. Questions in French, pair work and translation.
Video listening for advanced level. An introduction to terrorism from the 1jour1question series. Short and quite easy for this level. Pre-listening and questions in French.
I have uploaded a complete, indexed booklet of the parallel texts with exercises for primary/Y7. This would be useful if you wanted to use the resource to hand out for independent work, or just keep as a standby for class work.
Advanced level video listening. This is a sheet linked to a short video in the 1jour1question series. It would fit in well with a unit of work on education. The exercise is to retranslate a set of sentences using the exact language from the video. This would suit lower advanced students (AS-level). Teacher's answers provided.
A-level video listening. This is a BFM TV report on the Alan Kurdi, the poor young Syrian boy whose body was found washed up on a Mediterranean beach. It is only short, at 1m 40s. There are pre-listening questions, questions and retranslation sentences. Also posted on the Adults page and on my blog.
Text and exercises for low advanced level (AS) on how younger drivers seem to be getting better in France. Article, vocabulary to complete, questions in French and pair work exercises. Would work with an excellent Y11 class.
Intermediate video listening. C'est quoi, un migrant? Linked to the 1jour1question video series. True/false/not mentioned and a vocabulary list to complete.
Parallel reading texts on migrants to Europe. With true/false/not mentioned and retranslation sentences. Low intermediate level.
A text with questions in English about migrant smugglers working in Calais. Apparently most of the trafficking networks are British and are thought to launder their earnings through night-clubs, for example. This could be used with a good Y11 class or for AS-level (high intermediate).
Parallel texts and exercises on fair trade. Easy text, true/false and vocabulary to complete. Could be used from Y8 to Y10, depending on ability.
Four new parallel reading texts with exercises: the first about a girl left behind at the motorway services, the second about a drunken man who falls from a third floor balcony as he tries to spit on a police van, the third about a heroic charity walk, and the fourth (in Y10-11 section) on dogs who can detect cancer. All texts have true/false/not mentioned exercises and other comprehension tasks.
A-level text and exercises on refugees. Article, vocab to complete, questions for discussion on the text, fluency task and translation into French.
Check out the blog for latest information and commentary on language teaching issues.
Parallel reading for intermediate (GCSE) level. A heroic deed. This one is based on an authentic article about a 13 year-old who takes the wheel of a bus when the driver has a heart attack. I sometimes imagined that scenario on school trips to France. Never happened fortunately. Anyway, there are parallel texts, true/false/not mentioned and a gap fill summary to do. You could exploit this in other ways too.
Don't forget to check the blog for comment on language teaching matters, exam news and comment.
Parallel texts on the Tour de France. Comes with correct sentences in French to identify and gapped sentences. This adds to the stock of parallel texts in Y7 and Y8.
A parallel text/gapped French-English translation about Minecraft. Each gap has the starting letter of the missing English word.
Text with questions in English. "An act of heroism." Optional oral or written extension task. Based on an authentic magazine article.
Text and exercises about the impressive and popular chanteuse Taylor Swift. Text, vocabulary to complete, true/false/not mentioned, translation into English.
Parallel reading for intermediate (GCSE). This is about Maglev trains (magnetically suspended trains or trains à sustension magnétique in French). Parallel texts, true/false/not mentioned and a gapfill text in French. You could give this to a good Y9 class.
Parallel text about robots for near beginners/low intermediate. Texts in French and English with correct French statements to identify, general discussion points (in English) and sentence completion in French. I hope to add more texts to the Y8 page in due course.
A set of eight GCSE level (intermediate) English to French gapped translations. Each one has a particular grammatical emphasis. Presented as parallel texts, the French version with gaps. Model answers provided. these could also be given out for AS level revision.
Gapped translation and exercises on the weather for near beginners. Same format as before: parallel texts, English one gapped. Correct sentences in French to identify and a written task.
Guided translation and exercises for near beginners. Ma maman. Parallel texts, English version gapped, correct sentences in French to identify and a short composition. This is the latest in a series of scaffolded translations.
Guided translation and exercises for near beginners - ma maison. Parallel texts, gapped English version on the right, correct sentences to tick and a short writing task.
Another guided translation task for near beginners. Ma ville. Parallel text/gapped translation, correct sentences to spot and easy writing task. This is offered as a free sample too.
Two guided translations for beginners. Daily routine and free time. Gapped translation into English, plus correct sentences to tick and completion tasks.
Web task. Men's clothing vocabulary. Students search the jules.com website to identify men's clothes vocabulary. Jules is a popular, moderately priced men's clothes store. Nice 20-30 minute browsing activity for the computer room or iPad.
Guided translation task called Mon chien. This is like partial parallel reading with an easy text in French and gapped English version to complete. True/false and gapped French sentences also provided to keep emphasis on target language.
Translation into French worksheet on prepositions for near beginners. I would use this for revision and possibly work through it orally at first, depending on the class.
Text and exercises on overcrowding in French prisons. Article, vocabulary list to complete, questions about the text, general questions on prison and law and order.
Video listening for near beginners: Trotro fait un bonhomme de neige. Linked video with sentences to recognise, gapped translation and a mini story in French to complete. By the way, if you didn't know, Trotro is a cute little donkey much loved by toddlers in France. Fortunately, unlike most donkeys, he speaks French slowly and clearly.
Parallel reading passage and exercise on the organisation Islamic State. Some useful background knowledge for students.
Parallel reading. The story of three Mexican fishermen rescued after drifting 8000km across the Pacific. True/false/not mentioned exercise and an idea for written exploitation.
A French to English translation on the subject of the cartoon book market in France. Model answer provided as for all the translations on the site.
Two parallel readings for intermediate level. Weird hotel complaints and phobias. Parallel French-English text, true/false/not mentioned and other exercises.
Two parallel readings for intermediate level. The first is about young people's changing online behaviour in France, the second about superheroes. Parallel texts (French and English) with true sentences to identify and some gap fill. Could work with excellent Y9 pupils.
Video listening. The Ariane rocket launcher. Link to short video from 1jour1question. Correct sentences to identify and vocab to complete. Teacher's answers provided. You could do this with fast Y10s, Y11 or Y12 (high intermediate/low advanced). The 1jour1question videos are really good for this level.
Three new parallel reading for beginners. The Eiffel Tower, the Channel Tunnel and the EU - short parallel texts (on in French, one in English) with true or false sentences to identify and a vocabulary list to complete. I've also posted a front cover page if you want to make the parallel texts into a booklet, Felicity! -:)
Parallel reading task for beginners. This one is about kangaroos. Text in French on the left, English on the right. Second sheet with sentences to identify and a vocabulary list to complete. Easy language with plenty of cognates. Check out the other easy parallel reading tasks on the site. Meerkats, dolphins, spiders, sharks, whales... I have quite a bit of the animal kingdom covered.
Worksheet on finir. Re-ordering, translation, then make up some more.
Text and exercises about superheroes from Greek mythology to the present day. Article, vocabulary to complete, true/false/not mentioned in French and gap fill in French. French Teachers Assemble! This would work with good Y10 up to Y12.
Short reading comprehension with questions in English. This is based on a forum post from momes.net. Good for low intermediate (Y9). Pupils could then write their own.
Four new worksheets for using faire, jouer, regarder and manger. Re-ordering and translation + making up more sentences.
Worksheet on aller for beginners. Verb paradigm followed by a reordering exercise and the chance to create more sentences.
Advanced level text and exercises on the decline of traditional marriage in France. Text, vocabulary to complete, true/false/not mentioned, questions, lexical work, gap fill. All in target language. Good for AS level or even A2.
10 short dictations which could be used as part of a planned sequence or as a standby. They feature common topics and verb tenses and would suit low intermediate level. The document includes instructions for teachers not so familiar with dictée. These could be done in the traditional way or as "running dictation" or paired dictation, for example. You could use these with good Y9 or weaker Y10-11s.
Video listening for beginners. Trotro fait un gâteau. With a short vocabulary list to help and simple true/false statements. If you were unaware Trotro is a little cartoon donkey.
Video listening. A newsroom interview about wage inequality in France between men and women. Pre-listening discussion, gap fill and questions in French for discussion. Linked to a video from France 24/Youtube.
Translation from English to French on deaths from air pollution. Model answer provided.
Translation into French about the need for immigration in Europe. Model answer provided.
Listening. Interview with Christelle who talks about going to the cinema and a film she has seen. Worksheet linked to a France Bienvenue video. Pre-listening questions, questions and vocabulary to complete. Teacher's answers provided.
Video listening for intermediate level. Jérôme talks about drawing tags and "graffs". With true/false/not mentioned and questions in French. Linked to a video from the excellent Le FLE par les médias site.
Video listening. This is about a French tradition "l'enterrement de la vie de garçon" - nearest equivalent a "stag night", but not the same. Very clear recording with gapped sentences to complete. The linked video comes froma super site called Le FLE par les média - http://www.french1959.eu/. This would work well with the AS topic of marriage.
Text and exercises on using mobile phones while driving. Article, vocab to complete, multi-choice questions, questions for discussion, gap fill and translation into French. Good for AS level, very good GCSE pupils or adults.
Adverbs gap fill task. 20 sentences in French with a selection of 20 adverbs to fit in as appropriate. Good reading task for Y11 or even Y12.
Video listening. Trotro fait de peinture. Trotro is a friendly young cartoon donkey. In this exciting instalment he gets into a mess with paint. Students tick off the French sentences they hear and answer a few questions in French. This could work with very good Y8s up to Y10.
Vacances aux Etats-Unis. Diary prompts in French to elicit lots of oral and possibly written work in the perfect tense, with some imperfect. Based on our own recent holiday to California, Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon! Teacher's notes provided.
Text and exercises about Homer Simpson. Text, vocabulary to complete, true/false/not mentioned and matching. This is an updated version of an older text which had no exercises to accompany it.
Text and exercises on a proposed French government bill to ban model agencies and fashion houses from employing ultra thin models. Text, vocabulary list, questions in French on text and for general discussion and translation into French. Good AS level topic resource.
Long text and exercises on the state of the French environment in 2015. This is a bilan covering air, water, CO2 and biodiversity. True/false/not mentioned, sentence creation, translation into French. This is a chunky text which could lead into all sorts of work on this topic.
Video listening for annual International Women's Day on 8th March. Christine Lagarde of the International Monetary Fund talks about the economic contribution of women around the world. Questions in French. Model answers given. Available as a free sample.
Video listening for advanced level. Greenwashing. A song about excessive consumption and human hypocrisy. Gap fill and questions for discussion in French. Good for A-level and advanced adult students.
Another set of perfect tense translation sentences. This time with avoir, être and reflexives mixed up. Answers provided.
Two new sets of translation sentences to practise the perfect tense (passé composé) with être and reflexive verbs. Model answers provided. These go with the ones I did yesterday on avoir verbs. Some vocabulary help provided. Good for Y9, very good Y8 or for revision in Y10-11.
Perfect tense, regular -er, -ir and -re and irregular avoir verbs. Three sets of translation sentences from English to French. These could work with Y8 or Y9 (low intermediate).
Video listening. Short cartoon video from Energivores.tv about the environmental consequences of eating meat for protein. I have placed it in Y10-11 (intermediate) but it could be used for AS level. Pre-listening questions for discussion, true/false/not mentioned and a simple vocabulary list to complete. Also on Adult Student page.