Modern Foreign Languages and Early Years

Personal, Social and Emotional Development  Activity 1: Please and thank you This is an extremely simple game to practise the words for ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. Give a child an object, such as a ball. The child sitting next to him/her asks for the object in target language politely (e.g. “si vous plait”), the child with the objects hands it over and the child receiving it thanks him/her (e.g. “merci”). This continues around the class or circle (Cave, 2006: 44).  Activity 2: Musical greetings As the music plays, the children walk about the room. When the music stops, they must each find a partner and greet them with target language phrases they have learnt: “Hello”, “How are you?”, “I am fine thank you” (Drinkwater, 2008: 124).  Resources: ‘Pilote Moi- interactive.’ A CD-ROM based French course for young beginners.

Communication, Language and Literacy  Activity 1: Flashcards/pass the bag Have a set of flashcards in the target language for categories such as colours, numbers or animals and put them in a bag. Play music as the children pass the bag around the circle. When the music stops the child holding the bag picks a card and tries to say what is on the card in the target language.  Activity 2: Reading a story written in the target language. Choose a simple story in the target language to read to the children, to give them an opportunity to hear the language and the differences in the way words are pronounced compared to their first language. Puppets are also a great aid when telling stories and the children can use them to recount or perform the story.  Resources: ml See also the partner site for Spanish. ml

Problem solving, Reasoning and Numeracy  Activity 1: Number Up 1! Children standing or sitting in classroom, facing the front. Ask the children to write the number 1 in the air with their right hand, then their left hand. Can they say the number in French as they draw it? In pairs or a line ask the children to write a number on someone's back and see if the partner/people in the line can pass the number along and say it in French. (Take 10, No.7).  Activity 2: Numbered Cards Once the children know some numbers in the target language, stick flashcards onto a whiteboard and write a number next to each one. Call out a number in the target language and the children say the word for the picture on the flashcard (Cave, 2006: 14.)  Resources:

Knowledge and Understanding of the World  Activity 1: Birthday dash Children stand in a circle. Begin slowly chanting the months of the year in the target language. Each child must listen out for the month of their birthday; when it is chanted they must run across the circle to a space on the other side. Anyone who bumps into another child, does not run when their birthday month is mentioned or runs at the wrong time is out. Repeat 2 or 3 times (Drinkwater, 2008: 148).  Activity 2: Scavenger hunt This is a little easier to organise than a treasure hunt. Give the children pictures labeled in the target language, for example things found in the outside environment such as leaves. The winners are the first group to come back with all the items and try to say what they are in the target language. You could ask the children to draw other objects in their local environment for others to find, (Cave, 2006:92).  Resources: Interactive bilingual calendars -Calendar/dp/B001EX80VI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys&qid = &sr=8-1

Physical Development  Activity 1: Traffic Lights. Children spread out around the room. The teacher shouts out the instructions in the target language. The last person to start doing the action, or whoever does the wrong action is out. The instructions are red, green, amber, crash, bridge, and traffic jam in the target language (Drinkwater, 2008: 246).  Activity 2: Fruit Squash Teacher writes the names of 4 or 5 fruits on the board and reads them through with the children, adding simple drawings if necessary. Teacher calls out “Fruit March!” and all the children begin marching on the spot. Teacher calls out a variety of actions linked to each fruit by its initial letter sound, e.g: leaping lemons, bouncing bananas and skipping strawberries (Take 10, No. 4).  Resources: The ‘Take 10’ series in French and Spanish- A resource for integrating the target language into daily physical activity in the primary school.

Creative Development  Activity 1: Actions to a song Print out the words to a song in target language – this could be a simple action rhyme for younger children. Read through and discuss the text as a group – ensure children understand any new vocabulary. Make up actions to fit the words, and finish off by singing/dancing through the song (Drinkwater, 2008: 208).  Activity 2: Animal drawing One at a time children come up to the board/take a piece of blank paper and a pen and begin to draw an animal – the rest of the class must raise their hands to guess in target language which animal is being drawn. Whoever guesses correctly takes the next turn (Drinkwater, 2008: 62).  Resources: ‘Chantez Plus Fort- 20 French Songs’. With CD and sheet music.

References  Bevis, R et al, (2007) Chantez Plus Fort!- 20 French Songs. Dunstable, Brilliant Publications.  Cave, S (2006) 100+ fun ideas for- Practising Modern Foreign languages in the Primary Classroom. Poole, Brilliant Publications.  Drinkwater, N (2008) Games and activities for Primary Modern Foreign Languages. Harlow, Pearson Longman.  Devon County Council, (2004) Take 10 en français. Exeter, Devon Education Services.  Kent County Council (2002) Pilote Moi- Interactive. Kent, Kent Educational Television.