This book is really made for a classroom situation, with mainly games for groups or teams of students. they range from the simple, like Bingo and Gossip, to more evolved like Dueling Numbers (which means solving number equations in the language) or making up new verses to familiar songs. Each game goes through the game step by step, then has a block to let you know the Skill/Aim/Resources/Classroom Management needed for it, then offers comments and suggestions, and an area for you to write your own notes and comments. So while it's not necessarily the best book for those with less than 3 kids to school, it does give you some ideas for a way to make quizzes more fun, and to get kids speaking and thinking in their new language! If you're a teach it's a must read!

Although this lovely little book is aimed at primary French, the majority of the games are transferable to any language. I have used some very successfully in teaching and training for primary Latin. The clickable links in the Kindle version are particularly helpful for rapid scanning of the content.

I have played a few of the games so far. The juniors loved the number games we played: the physical response games, kitnakitna, read my mind, and the clapping game. We're looking forward to playing some more games soon! Thanks for all the lovely ideas.

I should say at the outset that I have precisely zero experience of teaching primary French, but I did teach many Y7 classes over the years, so I might have some useful observations to make. I would expect games for primary children to involve a good deal of activity and these do.

This well-priced book of 250 pages is divided into sections with the titles Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, Numbers, Grammar and Playing with Sounds. The authors describe the book as a practical toolkit ('in' word, that) containing a wide variety of fun and engaging games for all abilities, from beginners to more competent learners. The no-tech games are designed to support existing schemes of work and are claimed to be based on sound pedagogy and years of classroom experience. All good so far!

There then follows a large number of games, one per page or two pages, many with room for you to write in your own notes at the end. Each game is very clearly laid out in steps, with an indication of whether it is for the whole class, small groups, teams or pairs; the skill type being practised, the aim of the game and any resources you might need. The latter include, for example, soft toys, hand puppets, flashcards, drawing pins, adhesive tack, chairs, pens and dice. After a step-by-step guide to each game, the authors add further tips in a comments section.

Let's have a look at three of the games.

From the speaking section they describe The Conductor/Le chef d'orchestre.

In this game you play the conductor and pupils are auditioning for an orchestra.

1. You say the word you want pupils to repeat in a specific style (e.g. like a robot or whispering). You ask them what the style is.

You say: (speaking like a robot) Bonjour! and the class respond "You're speaking like a robot"

You say: "Oui! Comme un robot!"

You do these for a number of styles.

2. You now play the audition game, pointing to individual pupils and modelling a style for them to copy, e.g:

T: (in a loud voice) Salut! Comment ça va?

P1: (in a loud voice) Salut! Comment ça va?

If the pupils do it well they come to the front and join the orchestra.

3. You ask the rest of the class to take part in the auditioning process by showing if they think the candidate did well (thumbs up). Pupils who don't repeat well get another chance later.

4. To round off the game you ask all the pupils to repeat the words after you, using different voices and styles.

That seems like a decent way of having fun with sounds and getting confident with repeating simple language. I suppose you would use that with beginners from Y4 or thereabouts.

From the grammar section Danièle and Sue describe a game called All Aboard!/Tous en bus!

The aim of this is to practise prepositions of place (devant, derrière, à côté de, à gauche de etc) and just requires chairs.

1. You set out chairs in rows to represent seats in a bus, with one seat for the driver at the front. You need the same number of chairs as players in the team or class.

2. The team or class is divided into two. They form a queue and listen to your instructions.

T: Emily, assied-toi devant, tu es le chauffeur. Kevin, mets-toi derrière Emily. They choose their seats accordingly. Team B have to watch and point out if anyone gets their seat wrong. If there is a correct challenge the pupil must get off the bus. When every pupil in Team A has had their turn you make a note of the number of correctly placed pupils.

You then repeat the process with team B and see which team wins.

I like this one. It reminds me of the principle of the TPR method (Total Physical Response), an approach strongly based on following instructions with physical actions. I could see this being used with a Y5 or Y6 class.

The third game I'll look at is from the reading section and is called What's the Word/A demi-mots.

This is for the whole class and the aim is to decipher words. You need A4 sheets of paper, scissors for the teacher and adhesive tack or drawing pins.

1. Before the lesson the teacher takes ten sheets of A4 and writes a word or short phrase in large letters on each one. You could do countries for example.

2. You cut each one horizontally and put to one side the bottom half of each word.

3. You pin up the top halves around the room.

4. When the pupils arrive they have to walk around the room and try to work out the words and write them down.

5. When they have finished you hand out the bottom halves to volunteers who pin them up in the right place with the top halves. The winner is the pupil with the most correct answers.

That seems like an OK activity for various levels, depending on which language you use. I can imagine doing that with Y7s too, perhaps as a starter or plenary.

In fact, Danièle and Sue make the point that all these games can fit in where you want them to: as fillers, starters, plenaries or to occupy the bulk of a lesson. In addition, many games do not neatly fit the categories of listening, reading, grammar and so on. The authors acknowledge this, but it is still useful to structure the book in that way. There are LOTS of games here, along with two useful appendices containing sounds and words for phonics practice and a set of rhymes and tongue-twisters.

I would thoroughly recommend this book. I can imagine primary French teachers using this as a bible with their own notes added. Some teachers will work out their own variations on the games. Spanish and German teachers will also be able to adapt these games for their own language. The lack of need for technology is a bonus - you can imagine many of these games being used in an emergency.



Well-thumbed copies of this toolkit may be discovered one day by aliens searching through dusty old cupboards.

http://frenchteachernet.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/games-for-teaching-primary-trench.html

Games for Teaching Primary French has been a lifesaver. I volunteer as a parental helper in my children's primary school and, as a competent French speaker, have somehow ended up planning, resourcing and running the weekly French provision for my daughter's Y4 class. As I am not formally trained, and am lacking in teaching experience, a delve into this book has immediately given me the confidence I need to run fun and engaging activities for the class. Even a last-minute flick through its pages before a class will deliver a range of fun and feasible ideas - with many requiring absolutely no budget whatsoever. Its clear format, and step-by-step instructions take the stress out of lesson planning, and the -˜useful phrases' section for each activity bolster my confidence, even as a French speaker.

I feel so fortunate to have discovered this book - I'd recommend it to anyone who finds themselves teaching French to primary-age children, whatever their own language ability.

The book is very interesting and very helpful - lots of games, lots of approaches, all together in one place. It has been a piece of valuable reading for students and colleagues interested in the place and use of games in the classroom, and for colleagues wishing to refresh their practice.

Teaching modern foreign languages can be challenging, and a daunting prospect for teachers who are not language experts themselves. What can you do to make a language interesting and fun for the pupils, whilst learning a little something yourself?

Games for Teaching Primary French, devised by Danièle Bourdais and Sue Finnie is designed to support teachers with easy to follow, ready to use ideas. The flexible games can be adapted to suit any topic and any ability level. For more experienced French teachers, there are plenty of new, imaginative and fun ideas to refresh your practice.

The book includes a wide range of games, from 5-minute starters or plenaries to longer, more challenging games where learners can make substantial progress. It has been devised specifically for busy teachers with limited resources, budget and planning time, who want simple and effective ideas to use in the classroom.

The games in this book cover all core aspects of the primary French curriculum and are organised into the key skills areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing, with additional parts on grammar, number games and sounds allowing learners to absorb and explore language in a variety of mediums, building up skills, knowledge and confidence in the process.

The book is packed with techniques and games to support existing schemes of work and offers plenty of inspiration and ideas for teaching primary French. The straightforward, reliable, no-tech suggestions are based on sound pedagogy and years of classroom experience, and will help deliver great learning outcomes lesson after lesson.

The book is perfect for Key Stage 2 teachers who want ideas for teaching French and don't have unlimited resources and planning time.



See the original article here: http://ukedchat.com/2015/12/07/book-games-for-teaching-primary-french-by-frenchmatters-sue-finnie/#

As the introduction states, -˜games aren't just for fun', and this resource provides a clear rationale for their value in primary language teaching. There are ideas aplenty for the purposeful use of games to further speaking, listening, reading and writing skills, as well as knowledge and application of numbers, grammar and sounds/phonics.

Each page is clearly set out: text is split up with helpful key information boxes, speech bubbles to indicate helpful vocabulary and light bulbs for further ideas. Very simple and attractive.

The activities are at a variety of levels with word, phrase/sentence and text level games, and suggestions for adding challenge are also given making it a broadly useful resource. I also like the ideas for ensuring that all abilities can succeed; for example, giving pupils more than one chance and introducing joker cards so they can -˜phone a friend' encourages those who are less confident to join in and have a go.

There are ideas for individual, pair, group and whole class activities. Some very familiar games are given a new twist and others are completely new. You could use them for starters, plenaries or for revision, to introduce or consolidate new vocabulary, or as an activity to support language learning throughout the week. There's even a section giving ideas of how to add a competitive element to any language activity.

Particularly helpful to the non-specialist teacher are the clear notes on language they might need. There are clear references to the Languages Programmes of Study in each section and activities to address each objective. The provision of examples for rhymes and tongue twisters to rehearse French sounds is a nice touch, saving lots of research time.



An excellent compendium of games for the French classroom; although the title suggests its use in the primary classroom, I'm sure that secondary colleagues would find it as useful.

This book contains a wide variety of games for the primary French classroom. They cover the core aspects of the Key Stage 2 curriculum for languages. There are 20 games for each of the following skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, numbers, grammar and phonics. The introduction of each section links the games closely to the statements of the Key Stage 2 curriculum, and the numbers section makes direct links across the curriculum with maths. There are also appendices containing a list of French sounds and tongue-twisters and other rhymes to practise specific sounds. A further appendix lists suggestions for turning any language activity into a competitive game.

Many of the games cover more than one skill, and the introductions to each section show those games which can be cross-referenced to other skills. The games address word level work through to text level work. Some of the games are calm, others noisy. Teachers will find something to suit every class and every time of day. Some games involve moving around the classroom or a larger space; others are played at the table.

Vocabulary, phrases or sentences are suggested for each game, but they are easy to adapt to any topic, and can be planned using simple equipment and no technology! There are games for the whole class, for pairs or groups and for individuals.

Each game includes clear and useful step-by-step instructions, often with diagrams for further clarification, which show the teacher how to prepare for the game and then how to play it. Each game also has a key box, which shows who the game is for, which skills it practises, its aim and the resources that are needed. There is also a section at the end of each game with ideas for varying the activity and for increasing the challenge for more able or older learners. The instructions include useful French phrases that the teacher or children may wish to use while the game is in progress. Non-specialist teachers may require some support with the pronunciation of these phrases. The title of each game is also given in both English and French, again to help with using the target language.

This book is a must-read for all teachers of primary French, whether they are subject specialists or non-specialist classroom teachers. All teachers will find in this book a few games that they already know, other games that they had forgotten but are now reminded about, and also many new games with which to refresh and revitalise their repertoire and to enable their pupils to practise the language in new, motivating and fun ways.



Some educationalists dismiss games in the languages classroom as -˜the bells and whistles approach', but these games are far from being trivial or frivolous activities. They provide powerful learning opportunities and allow children to make progress while interacting and co-operating with their peers.

This practical toolkit contains engaging classroom activities covering the core aspects of the primary French curriculum. Games are organised into the key skills areas.

The introduction of language teaching into primary schools, while long overdue, has had a difficult start in life and now, after more than ten years, is still a toddler struggling to make its first hesitant steps. The virtual four year moratorium while the coalition government vacillated did nothing to help its development, and some serious issues remain unresolved.

One of these issues is that of confidence among the primary workforce. Many colleagues feel threatened by having to teach a subject which they themselves may have abandoned at the age of 14. How will I cope when my Year 6 pupils know more than I do? I know my accent isn't secure - I'm not giving my pupils the best possible learning experience. Secondary colleagues also feel apprehensive when there is such variability in pupils' exposure to language learning and they have to cope with Year 7 classes of pupils with widely differing experiences.

This publication makes a valuable contribution in this vexed area of teacher confidence. It is a veritable compendium of games. Many are tried and tested - the authors make no secret of this aspect, and this is one of the things by which primary colleagues can be reassured. Nobody expects them to be concert standard performers, yet they teach music. Nobody expects them to be gold medal elite athletes, yet they teach PE. In the same way, the message here must be that nobody expects them to be fluent, confident professional linguists. We are simply grafting a carefully controlled core of language onto what they already do very well - teach primary aged children.

Games for teaching Primary French is a cornucopia of activities for whole classes, small groups and pairs, from energetic team games that require larger spaces to card games that can be played by two pupils in a classroom setting. There is a roll call of old favourites - bingo, battleships, snap, Pelmanism - together with new games and some innovative twists on a few of the hardy annuals. Many of the games, while having an authentic French feel about them, will be recognisable to English children, and this presents teachers with a real opportunity for discussion of the two cultures.

The games are helpfully grouped into the four skill areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing. There is inevitably some overlap, as speaking activities will involve an element of listening. Instructions are clear and easy to follow, along with suggestions for resources. Instructions are also helpfully included in French with a translation, so that a colleague who feels insecure can be supported in introducing as much of the target language as possible. Many of the games require minimal or no preparation. There is an entire section which focuses exclusively on number practice. It is also very gratifying to see sections dedicated to grammar and phonology.

The importance of the phoneme-grapheme relationship cannot be overstated, as it is one of the foundation stones of fluency and the ability to apply accurate pronunciation and intonation to unfamiliar language. It is particularly significant in French, with its array of pronunciation hurdles (e.g. the letter blends é, ais, et, ez and er all produce very similar sounds, and there are many words that finish with non-vocalised letters or blends, e.g. chat, appellent). This section is a very welcome inclusion.

The authors have also tackled grammar head-on, which again is a positive aspect of this work. They use appropriate terminology throughout, and deal effectively with some of the trickier aspects such as conjugation, gender, word order and negatives.

Each game has helpful suggestions as to how levels of challenge might be increased, and this means that it will prove relatively straightforward to evidence progression across a year, or even a key stage, by recording pupils' responses to the games. Playing a game in Year 3 and then playing the same game in Year 6 with much more demanding stimuli and expecting and eliciting much more sophisticated responses should demonstrate how far pupils have come on their language learning journey. Keep that video camera handy!



In summary, this work should be a welcome addition to the resource base of any primary school teaching French. Equally, it should provide a real antidote to -˜Sunday afternoon brain freeze' - Monday morning is looming, and you don't know what you're going to be doing. A quick flick through this admirable resource should leave you buzzing with a wealth of ideas and ready to transmit that enthusiasm to your charges. Can't wait for the Spanish!