Translation of Victor Hugo’s poem “Demain, Dès l’Aube”
How did you pick this theme or topic?
One student from this group is going to recite a poem for the French Dinner, so I thought it would be nice to have the other students translate it so that everyone could understand it during the Dinner. And it would also be a way to make them take part in it.
How did you present the material? (Handouts, group work, general discussion, student presentations, etc.)
Work in two groups and then group discussion
How did students react?
They reacted well, but they spoke mainly English since it was a translation from French to English. However, I think they liked it because it was a bit different from what we had been doing.
Did they engage with each other and you?
They engaged with each other and discussed the best ways to translate the lines.
What materials or media did you use? (articles, satellite tv, digital projector, etc.)
Youtube,
Handouts
Please attach a copy.
Below is the plan I had with me in class
Would you recommend this activity for a future class?
Not for a regular conversation class because it didn’t involve French.
Advanced 10/15
1. Warm-up
2. Workshop: Victor Hugo’s poem “Demain, Dès l’Aube”
– Jenna introduces it
– They read the text in French
– They listen to the way it should be recited (youtube video)
– Explanation of some terms
3. Translation
– they work in two groups: each group translate a part of the poem
– then they switch what they translated and correct the other part they didn’t translate
– then they all talk about the problematical translations