Yesterday, I shared my rationale for teaching grammar in context and why we should not frame our units around grammar topics.

Today I share an example for Novice-Mid students. My French 1 students are currently in a unit on city life.  The essential question for my unit is “What makes an ideal city?”.  Before students can explore world cities and answer this question, they first need to be able to talk about what is in their own cities and what places they go to in their cities.  In French, choosing how to say TO is problematic.  It is determined by the gender of the place they are going and if the place begins with a consonant or a vowel.  So- how to teach this concept without overtly teaching grammar rules?

The students had already begun to discuss what was in their towns.  They were familiar with how to express what was in their towns: “Il y a un café / une bibliothèque, etc. à…” (There is a coffee shop/a library, etc. in their city).   Here are the steps I took to teach “I go to…”:

1. We watched a cute little video/song, “Quand je vais à l’école” (When I go to school).  While listening to the song, the students checked off on a list all of the places that the girl mentions she passes on her way to school.  They were asked where the girl was going and what words she used to express that.  Here is the link to that doc:  Check off list-Quand je vais à l’école.  Boom- They just learned the expression: Je vais- I go.  You can find this song on Youtube or use this link: Quand je vais à l’école

2. Students were put into groups of 3 and given an envelope with 9 pictures of places in the city and 9 sentences.  The sentences matched the pictures and said “I go to…”  I made sure to use places with a variety of genders and consonants and vowels.  Students had to take all of the cut-out pictures and sentences from the envelope and match them up. Here are those pictures and sentences and the link for the doc: Place preposition match:

 

3. Next, students in the group were asked to determine what was similar and different in all of the sentences.  They quickly figured out that there were 3 different ways to say “to the”.

4.  Groups were asked to brainstorm why there was a difference in the wording.  They were allowed to look at their vocabulary list to help them.  (Note:  My vocabulary lists are really just reference lists with pictures and French words)  Each group reported back with their ideas. I am happy to say that most groups were able to determine why the “to the” changed.  They were able to express that places that had an “un” before them take “au”, an “une” took “à la”, etc.

5.  After we figured out the why, as a class, we crafted a “rule” to help us remember what to use.

My bell ringer the next day asked them to tell me 3 places they go in their city and almost all could do it accurately.  Tomorrow, I am giving a speaking quiz where each student will tell me 5 places they usually go in their town.  I’m anxious to hear how they do!

In the past, I would have presented this with an explanation about masculine and feminine nouns (which most kids really don’t get) followed by a fill-in-the-blank with the correct preposition practice and quiz.  Then, when I would be grading a writing prompt later in the unit, I would be astounded and annoyed that kids were writing: “Je vais au pharmacie” and “Je vais à la école”.  In addition, by having students tell me in a quiz where they go, they are using words that have meaning to them and thus, the use “au” or “à la” will stick better.

I leave you with this:  What unit are you now covering where you can teach some grammar in context?