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What's on frenchteacher.net?


As the new academic year begins in English schools and others in the northern hemisphere, I thought I'd give a plug to my website with a description of what's available on it for any teachers who have not yet come across it.

I set up frenchteacher.net in 2002 as a way to store and freely share worksheets for French teachers When I retired from teaching in 2012 I decided to keep it going on a low-cost subscription basis, partly as a source of income, partly because I just enjoy writing and sharing resources. I have continued to add resources on a regular basis since then, so that there are now over 1750 separate resources, including texts, worksheets, PowerPoints, crosswords and sentence builder frames. nearly all are editable and downloadable to keep (the exceptions are the pdf crosswords I make with the aid of armoredpenguin).

Let me tell you in more detail what there is.

Firstly, there are resources from beginner level up to advanced, including A-level, IB and US college level. Although I always keep my core subscribers in England in mind by including resources related to exam specifications (GCSE and A-level), nearly all the resources can be used around the world by anyone teaching French. I'll outline the types of resources below, in no particular order:

1.  Grammar worksheets and handouts

These are generally in the form of drills which can be used orally or in writing (preferably both). Pretty much all key grammar areas are covered, including tenses, adjectives, adverbs, articles, the subjunctive mood and pronouns of all sorts. Most sheets are sentence-level drills, but there are also handouts for reference and whiteboard notes for presentation.

2.  PowerPoint presentations

These are almost all in the beginner and low-intermediate pages (Y7-Y10-11). They are uncluttered, contain clear and unambiguous images (from pixabay.com) and suggest a clear teaching sequence. The emphasis is on interaction, not just presentation or explanation. Topics include grammar (key tenses) and common areas of vocabulary. My blog includes a description of how you can exploit PowerPoint effectively to maximise listening and speaking. On the Y01-11 page there are lots of  presentations of common street signs.

3. Texts with exercises

These are a staple of the site at all levels, particularly from Y9 up. A written text is accompanied by a range of exercises to encourage intensive exploitation and recycling of language. An answer key is usually provided. My intention is that the texts form the basis for classroom listening, speaking, reading and writing. But they can just be set for independent work or homework. At A-level the texts are grouped by sub-theme in liner with exam board specifications in England, Wales and NI, but the topics are of general interest.

4.  Listening resources

These take various forms:

a) Video listening

Worksheets linked to online videos at all levels, but especially intermediate and advanced.

b) Audio listening

As above, but links are audio only, e.g. audio-lingua.eu.

c) Read aloud instant listening

These are ready-to-go teacher-read resources with exercises (in the Y10-11 section). These are grouped according to GCSE tier (Higher or Foundation).

5.  Sentence builder frames

These are to be found from Y7-10 and include a suggested teaching sequence to make best use out of them. they are similar to substitution tables of old, but exploitable in interesting and multiple ways.

6.  Crosswords

These are focused on reading comprehension, vocabulary and grammar. and are largely in the Y7-10 /11pages.

7. Exam preparation resources

These are on the Y10-11 and A-level pages and include conversation, role play and photo card booklets, translations, summaries, vocabulary lists, A-level stimulus cards and other exam prep guides.

8. Translations

These include guided translation both ways for beginners up to A-level passages and sentences. The A-level sentences come with answers.

9. Games

These include battleship grids, dominoes, bingo games and conversation board games.

10, Situational dialogues

these are included on the adult learners pag and Y8 page and cover transactional language used in various situations such as at tourist office, car rental or restaurant.

11. Parallel reading

These are on the Primary/Y7 page and Y9 page. I chose topics of interest to students. Each pair of passages, one in French, the other in English, is accompanied by some comprehension exercises. the Y7 ones can be put together as a booklet of 20 passages.

12.  Task-based discussions

These are on the A-level page and include specific tasks, board games, lateral thinking stories and picture exploitation activities, for example.

13. Film and literature

I have some resources relating to books and films studies at A-level and in other courses. These are in the form of worksheets, including comprehension questions, gap-fills, summary and translation.

14. Miscellaneous

As well as the above there are numerous other resources which are harder to categorise, e.g. an A-Z of grammar terminology, Christmas resources for all levels and vocab lists. a few wordsearches (for beginners) and code-breaking tasks.

Get in touch with me if you would like more information. Nearly 1500 schools/teachers/tutors are subscribers. Some stay for just a year, others, as I mentioned above, sign up year after year, I imagine because they like using the new resources as they come online or simply because it is convenient to have a go-to website as storage space.

From September 1st a subscription costs £30.


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