Warm up/ice breaker (15minutes):

  • Qu’est-ce que vous avez fait ce Week-end? est-ce que vous êtes allé quelque part, vous avez regardé la casa del papel sur netflix, vous avez dormi?
  • Small Game : ‘Tu préfères…’ – Tu préfères vivre sans café ou sans chocolat ? Tu préfères pouvoir voler partout où être invisible ? Tu préfères voyager dans le passé et rencontrer tes ancêtres ou aller dans l’avenir et rencontrer tes arrière-arrière-petits-enfants ?
  • Create groups: Depending on the number of students one has in their class, they can make 2 to 3 groups of 3/4 people.
  • Give the students a vocabulary sheet with words, expressions, idioms about music, musical instruments, types of musics, celebrations, verbs, etc.
  • Vocabulary sheet I designed and provided to the class:
fiche VOCAB La Musique avancésDownload
  • Activity 1: ‘La musique et vous’ (15/20 minutes) in groups.
  • Start by asking them to discuss the following questions: Quel-s genre-s de musique préféré vous / vous écoutez? pourquoi? (What type of music do you prefer listening to and why?) – I personally first gave my example using elements I included in the Vocabulary sheet and we discussed with the class my musical tastes. I asked them to also share with their group why do they like listening to a specific type music: Does it relax them? help them to focusing on a specific activity? help them sleep, etc.
  • Cultural input: Les expressions/ proverbes qui s’inspirent du vocabulaire de la musique (French expressions and famous saying that include music-related words/phrases): La musique adoucit les mœurs = la musique est un bon moyen d’éduquer les gens / mettre un bémol = lorsque deux personnes discutent ou débattent de quelque chose, l’une d’elle peut interrompre l’autre pour expliquer qu’elle n’es pas d’accord avec cette personne, elle pourrait dire «je mets un bémol sur ce que tu dis», ce qui veut dire, «I disagree» d’une manière plus subtile et moins directe / ça me chante = ça me dis, «I feel like-doing it», «if I want to»
  • Activity 2: La fête de la musique
  • Start by asking them if they have ever heard of or have ever been to a ‘fête de la musique’ in France which occur every summer (generally around the end ofJune) in almost every French cities and villages.
  • Video screening of Paris’ 2017 ‘Fête de la musique’: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpWKBc8eCdg) – after watching the video, discuss with the whole class the following questions: Avez-vous déjà participé à une fête de la musique en France ou dans votre pays d’origine? si oui décrivez votre expérience, si non pensez-vous qu’il existe une fête similaire dans votre pays / région? (Did you ever participated in one before? if yes describe your experience/opinion of it; if no, is there any similar celebration-s/annual event-s where you’re from?)
La musique et vous AVANCESDownload
  • I used a powerpoint to structure and guide the unfolding of the class. This class was very interesting because I noticed how curious and interested students were when I talk about French cultural aspects, traditions and linguistic peculiarities of the French language. From there a lot of them started asking questions and compare/associate with how it is back home for them, or in California.They really liked the fact that I showed a video on «la fête de la musique” in France, which is a well-known musical celebration taking place all around France in Juneevery year in June all around France. I had prepared a comprehensive and detailed vocabulary sheet on vocabulary and expressions in relation to music but they seem to have not needed it that much which showed me that the advanced class needed more to learn idioms, specific expressions and even colloquialism.