Conversation Class Lesson Summary 

Language Resident Name: Marina Simonnet

Day and Date: Thursday, April 13

Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class): Intermediate

Class theme/topics discussed: Art

Goal of the class: Work on description and argumentation using painting.

How did you structure the class?

  1. Warm-up: “Who is who” game with Keith Haring’s pictures: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1-NjIMadEKFYUZxbWJyQXRaVUU/view First, all questions are possible, secondly, the students cannot name colors, and finally, they can only use position of the body. We will work on the vocabulary of the colors and of the body parts and positions.
  2. Description & role-play: each student picks a painting she likes and has to explain it to the other students what it means (1 min). Then each student has to ask a question.
  3. Argumentation & role-play: the student who picked a painting plays the painter and the other students now play the role of art critics (I assigned them to like or dislike the work of art) and each one has to ask a question to the artist who answer.

What technology, media or props did you use? (internet resources, playmobiles, handouts, etc.)

Google Images to find the pictures and show them on the screen.

What worked well in this class? What did not work?

I gave them some works of French art for the third activity, the students loved it because they were able to discover French art as well as practice… The role-play activities worked great, all the students were very involved in the roles they had to play.

How could this class be improved/ modified?

Do not hesitate to use original piece of art like Anthropometrie by Yves Klein, or Fountain by Marcel Duchamp. The students are very curious about contemporary art and they usually have a lot to say about it!

 I also did this class with my advanced students and it worked great too!

 If you have a more detailed lesson plan, please attach it below (OK to use target language for that).