an archive of lesson plans

Category: Advanced (Page 1 of 30)

Advanced Conversation class.

ES ADV: Podcast

Language resident: Natalia Cano

Class theme/topic discussed: Podcast

Goal of the class: The students discover new podcasts in Spanish.

Class structure:

Warm-up:

  • Do you listen to podcasts?
  • What is your favorite podcast?
  • What topics are you interested in?

Activity 1:

We watch a video of my favorite podcast: Estirando el chicle.

Activity 2: What is your favorite podcast?

We made an incredible list about podcasts in English and Spanish. My students had great taste.

Activity 3: Influencers

What do you think about influencers?

Activity 4: Malas personas https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/5068394/0/victoria-martin-anuncia-con-un-hilarante-trailer-su-nuevo-podcast-malas-personas-donde-entrevistara-a-famosos-cancelados

Backup: The worst influencers’ controversies

Resources used:

Estirando el chicle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FC6bJBugLk

What worked well? What did not work?

This class was great. We discussed a lot of different topics and we all discovered a lot of different podcast.

ES ADV: Architecture

Language resident: Natalia Cano

Class theme/topic discussed:

Goal of the class:

Class structure:

Warm up:

-What do you think about architecture?

-Do you like it?

-Is it art?

Activity 1:

What is your favorite building? Why?

All the students show each other their favorite building

Activity 2:

The students get a lot of famous buildings around the world and they have to say if they know the building, if they know where it is, if they have been there and if they would like to go.

Activity 3:

The students have to match the building pictures with their name and a short explanation about them.

Resources used:

Powerpoint, building pictures, names and explanations on paper.

What worked well? What did not work?

The class was fantastic. My students favorite buildings were beautiful and we all had a great time.

FR F22 INT/ADV Les Stéréotypes/clichés sur les Français

Goal of the Class: Students discuss on stereotypes they have on French people; they also learn about the various stereotypes existing in different regions of France and also different kind of expressions used in daily speech and referring to these stereotypes. Students practice their listening and speaking skills by watching videos in French on the topic, and then discuss about it both in groups and then with the whole class

Warm-up : 10/15 minutes

Intermediate and advanced : Par groupes trouvez 5 clichés que vous avez sur les Français (in groups find 5 clichés/stereotypes that you have about French people). I gave students 10 minutes to talk about it in groups and then I asked each group to share what discussed. Then I showed them a picture of different typical stereotypes existing about French people around the world with vocabulary included and further explanation of them if needed.

Input:

As a transition towards the first activity, I gave them three commonly used expressions in French that are related to stereotypical traits generally assigned to French people: Grande gueule (talk too much, is too direct), dragueur (flirty), nul en langues (bad at languages)

Advanced: for advanced I added more specific cultural input on various stereotypes depending on the regions in France:

  • En France, selon les régions il y a aussi des clichés différents: Par exemple, on dit qu’en Bretagne il pleut tout le temps, à Paris les gens sont hautains et arrogants (haughty and snobbish), en Alsace ils mangent que de la choucroute (plat traditionnel avec du chou), la Normandie est principalement peuplée de vaches.
  • Ce ne sont que des stéréotypes et donc pas totalement vrai! par exemple, en Bretagne il ne pleut pas tout le temps (mais souvent) et beaucoup de Parisiens sont très gentils (pas tous)

Activity 1: In groups still I then asked them to discuss the following questions revolving around stereotypes on Americans:

  • Quels sont d’après vous les stéréotypes que les personnes étrangères ont sur les Américains ? (What do you think are the stereotypes that foreign people have about Americans?)
  • Est-ce qu’il y a des stéréotypes spécifiques pour chaque états des Etats Unis? Donnez des exemples (Are there specific stereotypes for each state in the United States? Give examples)
  • Est-ce que vous connaissez des clichés sur d’autres pays Européens comme l’Italie, l’Angleterre, l’Espagne, etc.? (Do you know any clichés about other European countries like Italy, England, Spain, etc.?)

After they discussed for about 10-13 minutes, we exchange as a class and then I gave them some stereotypes we have in France about Americans:

  • Les Américains mangent mal et il y a des fast foods partout
  • Les Américains sont très patriotes
  • Il y a plus d’armes (guns) que d’Américains
  • Les Américains n’ont pas d’assurance santé
  • Les gobelets rouges (red cups) dans les fêtes étudiantes
  • Les ‘Hugs’ pour dire Bonjour

Activity 2: this second activity is centered on a video I showed them. One is on how Europeans living in France and speaking French fluently view French people, and the other one is similar but is an interview of non-European people living in France.

Intermediate:

  • En regardant la vidéo, notez les mots que vous ne connaissez pas sur une feuille de papier ou votre téléphone portable (While watching the video, write down the words you don’t know on a piece of paper or your cell phone)
  • Les Français vus par des Européens (how Europeans see French people) :
  • Quels sont les clichés/stéréotypes mentionnés dans la vidéo? (What clichés/stereotypes are mentioned in the video?)

Then I showed them some slides I created with photos on new vocabulary mentioned in the video, here is an example:

Advanced:

Quels sont les clichés que certaines personnes hors d’Europes ont sur les français?

Quelles sont les habitudes / les comportements typiquement français ?

Last activity : Les gestes et expressions typiquement francais – French also speak using gestures. This video is very funny and explains some of these common gestures used in the common speech in France:

1- j’ai les chocotes/ça fait peur/c’est flippant/j’ai peur

2- I’m drunk

3- j’en ai par-dessus la tête/j’en ai marre

4- ça m’énerve!

5- et toc! / dans ta face

6- les doigts dans le nez (it was easy)

laquelle intégreriez-vous dans votre vie de tous les jours ? (Which one-s would you incorporate in your everyday life?)

Est-ce que vous utilisez des gestes quand vous parlez?  (do you use gestures when you speak?

Feedback/end of the class: give one or two words that you learnt today, how many times do you think people do ‘la bise’ in France to introduce themselves?

Ressources used: Powerpoint, Youtube videos, images

Reflection: This class went so well both in the advanced and intermediate classes. The students were participating a lot and we ended up having very interesting points and elements of discussions raised all throughout the class. These classes definitely showed that conversation classes are much more than just practicing the target language, they can also be an opportunity to learn and enlarge point of views, knowledge on various topics/issues, etc. This class led to deep and meaningful exchanges as a whole class.

ES FA22 INT/ADV Work and future plans

Language Resident: Franco Rivas Quiroz

Level: Intermediate

Class theme/topic discussed: Work and future plans.

Goal of the class:

Students will be able to:

  • Describe job positions, tasks, different work settings and eventual future plans.
  • Talk about hypothetical situations and things that they would like using the conditional form (for example, trabajaría, ganaría, me gustaría, etc.)
  • Simulate job interviews

 Class structure:

Warm up:

Word Box: students come up with vocabulary words related to the topic and the facilitator writes them on the board. There will be a chart on the board to organize them, in terms of objects, actions and characteristics.

Students discuss the following question in a small group, then share it to the class: have you ever had a job? What was it? What kind of job would you like to have in the future?

Activity:

Students watch a video of a woman talking about her job routine and tasks. They talk in a group and then share the following: 

  • ¿A qué se dedica?
  • ¿Cuáles son sus funciones?
  • ¿Cuál crees que son las ventajas y desventajas de su trabajo?
  • ¿Trabajarías en algo similar?

Choose the right person for the job: Each student chooses one occupation for which they will be looking for a candidate. In two rotating circles (one inside of the other) students will interview each other simulating short job interviews. First, half the class will interview and the other will be interview. Those who interview have to describe the job position and ask questions to the other. After a couple of minutes, the circle rotates and they interview the next one. After the circle does a whole round, they switch and those who were being interviewed, take the other role. 

At the end of the activity, everyone shares who they would hire for that position. The person who gets more job offers wins.

Wrap up:

Students talk about what their ideal job would be, describing hypothetical work settings, talks, routines and so on.

Resources used: Powerpoint, projector, youtube video https://youtu.be/3AgAj069znc

Reflection: What worked/did not work? How can it be improved?

Students seemed excited to go back to class after finishing the project. They seemed to have fun with job interviews and choosing the right candidate, since they ended up acting as real hr  agents and being critical about the candidate’s background. It might have been a bit repetitive but it seems that it helped them by being exposed to certain questions that they could be potentially ask one day if they ever have a job interview in Spanish

FR F22 ADV La mode écologique ou pas ? (Eco-friendly fashion)

Goal of the class: learn about a phenomenon/trend in France related to the increase production of eco-friendly clothes and the increase launching of eco-friendly brands. Learn vocabulary on ecology, fashion, and the environment.

Warm-up: Do you like fashion? Do you buy a lot of clothes in a year? Do you like buying specific brands of clothes?

Activity 1 : La mode eco-responsable

  • Students are shown 2 short videos, one providing facts and numbers about the textile/clothes industry in France, and how it came to become the second most polluting industry in the world. The second video is about the upsurge of eco-friendly clothes/fashion in France
  • After watching the videos, students are asked to state one or two elements they learnt in the videos and talk about it with the whole class. For instance:
  • Chaque année 100 milliards de vêtements sont produits dans le monde
  • Après l’industrie du pétrole, celle de la mode est la plus polluante au monde
  • 700 000 tonnes de vêtements chaque années en France
  • La mode éco-responsable
  • Les créateurs de marques étiques et écologiques
  • 70% des Français disent ne pas être intéressés par la mode

Some vocabulary was provided on colloquial words/expressions used in the videos

  • Quantité astronomique – quantité énorme
  • La fast fashion – la mode jetable
  • Se zapper – s’habiller

Activity 2: Débat – Quelles solutions pour créer une mode plus écologique ?

Students were asked in groups of 3/4 to draw a mental map with at its center : “la mode eco-responsable”. They have to find solutions to create more eco-friendly approaches to fashion and shopping. Then they make a presentation about it in front of the class, helped by the mental map they filled out with ideas and solutions:

  • dessinez et remplissez une carte mentale. Incluez plusieurs solutions pour créer une mode eco-responsable et durable (sustainable) – vous pouvez vous inspirer de ce site internet: https://www.wedressfair.fr/
  • chaque groupe fait une presentation de leur projet lorsqu’il est terminé

Ressources : Powerpoint, Youtube, handout (mental map)

Reflection : This class went very well, the topic interested the students, the presentations were very resourceful and students came up with deep and smart solutions. We ended up the class prolonging the debate and extrapolating to other areas of societies and consumerism that could be improved in a more eco-friendly way. We also ended up changing topics towards the last 10 minutes of the class and talked about Cartoons, and I showed them the opening themes of one of my childhood French cartoons and we talked about it.

DE F22 ADV Food and Groceries – Wie bereite ich deutsches Essen zu?

TopicFood and Grocery + Vocabulary for Cooking and Baking
Goals of the ClassIdentify food in a recipe and know how to cook/bake it  
Warm UpWho enjoys cooking? Who does it regularly? Has it changed with the pandemic? What’s your favorite food?
Activity 1Quick food quiz about fruit & vegetables I showed them typical German fruits and vegetables (pictures) and they had to guess the name and translation. I showed just pictures and they had to guess the name of the fruit or the vegetable. What ingredients are used for this dish?
Activity 2Everyone was given 3 vocabulary words (verbs for cooking) and had to explain them without using the word. Think of a dish that consists of the ingredients mentioned and then present it to the others. Not all ingredients have to be included and other ingredients can be used.
Activity 3How to use the ingredients to cook? potatoes, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, carrots  Apple, peach, strawberry, kiwi, banana What are the ingredients of your favorite foodShow us a picture 
What worked well in this class? What did not work (and how could it be improved)?  Especially the explanation of the cooking vocabulary worked very well, and the students were able to memorize the vocabulary and use it later. Also, the presentation of the favorite dish with ingredients and cooking instructions was well received. The fruit and vegetable quiz were a bit too easy, here one could choose more difficult products.

CN F22 ADV 自我介绍 Self-introduction

Language Resident/Assistant Name: Feiya Suo

Day and Date: 2021.08.30

Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class): Advanced

Class theme/topics discussed: Self-introduction

Goal of the class:

1.Let the students and I get to know each other

2.Set the goals for the semester

3.Create a good atmosphere among the students

How did you structure the class?

Warm-up

  1. Greetings and some chitchats with students;

2. Mini presentation about myself (7 min):

  1. 开学第一天,今天你做了多少次自我介绍呢?How many self-introductions have you done during the first day of class?
  2. About me:

① Basics  ② Some fun fact about me  ③ My summer vacation in Britain

Activities

1.Ice-breaker (13 min)

1) Brainstorm different aspects about themselves, i.e.  hometown, major/minor and hobbies etc.

2) Draw a picture briefly about yourself & introduce yourself to your partner.

My demo:

  • Group work: Listen & Draw (25 min)
  • Think about your summer break: Where did you go? What did you do? Etc.
  • Tell them to your partner;
  • Your partner draws them down on the worksheet;
  • Introduce your partner & his/her summer break to the whole class.
  • Regulations & Conversation Class Agreement (8 min)

Conversation Class requirements & regulations;

Sign Conversation Class Agreement.

  • A survey (7 min)

Write down your expectations and goals for this semester: what would you like to gain from the class? What topic are you interest in?

1)Brief introduction of the class and my requirements (and why) about the lesson(Daily proformance & LT requirements); (3 min)  I used some English here in this section.

2)Agreement form signing and returning. (3 min)

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

Powerpoint presentation

Class Agreements

Attendance sheets

Handouts

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

I had 4 students in the class yet ALL of them are very introvert kind of person. So I had to work very hard on encouraging them to speak and letting them feel safe and confident talking to each other. However, when it came to discussion, their voices volume would ALWAYS get lower and lower and ended up with whispering to each other. I told them it’s okay to express themselves out loud, and I joined for several conversations as well. But probably since it’s the first class, everyone was a bit shy. I hope it will get better in the future.

How could this class be improved/ modified?

More team work and let students to get to know each other better. But I understand that it will take time.

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

See attachment

【Handout】1.1 Survey

【Handout】1.2 Self-introduction

RU F22 ADV: Literature

Language Resident Name: Aleksandra Bystrova

Date: 08/29/2022

Class theme/topics discussed: Literature

Goal of the class:

  • Learn about Russian Literature
  • Speculate on the content of a literature piece adaptation
  • Check your knowledge on famous Russian books
  • Practice creative writing

How did you structure the class?

  1. Warm-up: 6 classic books (10 min)
    I show students the book covers of 6 Russian literature classics. After randomly reading the books back cover, students should match them to the book cover (the idea is taken from Spanish LR Natalia Cano).
  2. Activity 1. Watch a video with “literature questions for Russian high-school students” (10 min)
    Can you answer those questions?

3. Activity 2. Watch a moment from the adaptation of Bulgakov’s “Master and Margarita” (20 min)
I show students a videoclip from anadaptation of Bulgakov’s “Master and Margarita” without sound. I ask them to figure out what is going on and what is the conflict of the situation. Мастер и Маргарита
Then we watch it again with sound.

4. Wrap-up (20 min)
In pairs, create a story with this text as inspirations. Then, each pair will share their story with the rest of the class.
Если моя память меня не обманывает, и я всё еще могу считать себя здравомыслящим человеком, с нормальной способностью интерпретировать знаки календаря и часов, я укажу, что я ошибся ровно десять дней и девять часов назад.

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

Students enjoyed reading summaries of works of Russian classics. I made sure to include key words in these descriptions and encouraged them to search. In addition, I made the annotations as close to real Russian as possible, so they had difficult vocabulary, but the students did a great job determining the general idea. I was worried that my students would not be able to answer the questions of the second assignment, but to my surprise, they knew almost all the answers. As for The Master and Margarita, students came up with creative interpretations. Although one of my students knew the plot, he participated in creating a new story. The last assignment also went well; it was a good way to end the lesson, although I expected it to be more massive.

How could this class be improved/ modified?

I would leave it as it is. It was a great class and I really enjoyed it!

ES FA22 INT/ADV Movies and series

Language Resident: Franco Rivas Quiroz

Level: Advanced

Class theme/topic discussed: Películas y series

Goal of the class:

Students will be able to:

  • Express interests using expressions such as “me gusta, me encanta, me fascina, prefiero, detesto”.
  • Describe movies considering elements such as plot, characters, genre and setting.
  • Use the present subjunctive in adjective clauses using expressions such as “buscamos a alguien que…” “necesitamos un ____ que…” 

Class structure:

Warm up:

Juego de la Canasta: In a circle, one of the students chooses a subcategory of the main theme (example: horror movies that start with A, comedy movies of the 80’s, etc.) and each one says a movie or series without repeating what someone else said. When someone repeats a word or  says something that does not belong to that category, that person loses and starts another subcategory. They have to use titles in Spanish only.

Activity:

Students talk about their interests in movies using expressions such as: me gusta, me encanta, me fascina, prefiero, detesto”, etc. The following prompts will be displayed on the screen as well as examples of how to respond. After that, they share it with the whole class.

  • Películas/series que encuentras interesantes
  • Películas/series que consideras raras
  • Tus placeres culpables
  • Películas animadas que te gustan
  • Películas /series que te decepcionaron
  • Películas/series que son aburridas
  • Películas/ series que nunca verías

Movie producers: In groups, students are the producers of a new movie that’s going to be released. They discuss what kind of movie they want to make, how they want it to go, what kind of director they need; using expressions such as: “buscamos a alguien que…” “necesitamos un ____ que…” . They will focus on the following aspects:

  • Genre
  • Plot
  • Setting
  • Director
  • Actors
  • Budget

They will present their idea to the rest of the class

Wrap up:

Adivina la película: They play in groups. In turns, each student gets a random movie genre and picks a card, where there will be the name of a movie. That student describes the movie and his group has to say the name of the movie in order to get a point. The group that has more points wins. 

Each card will not only have the name of a movie, but also 3 words that are related to that movie. Students are supposed to describe it without saying any of those words. If they do, they lose their point.

Resources used: Powerpoint presentation. Printed out pieces of paper.

Reflection: What worked/did not work? How can it be improved?

The topic seemed to be engaging to students. First activities were easy to follow, and for the “movie producers” it was a bit more challenging. They had been practicing the uses of the subjunctive in previous classes so I went around giving them some extra support and asking questions. They ended up doing a great job and they laughed a lot. The activity that probably worked the most was the Adivina la película. The restriction of words that they could use made them have to find other ways to use the language to explain something, and they managed to do it eventually. 

RU F22 ADV: Origin and Hometown

Language Resident Name: Aleksandra Bystrova

Date: 09/01/2022

Class theme/topics discussed: Introduction – Origin and Hometown

Goal of the class:

  • Get to know each other
  • Learn about each other’s origin and hometown
  • Introduce new vocabulary (Cities, Transportation)
  • Create arguments and debate on a given topic

How did you structure the class?

  1. Warm-up. CATEGORIES. (5 mins)
    Teacher writes categories on the board. Students brainstorm in groups and write vocabulary on the board. Write vocabulary connected to cities. Everything that you can think of in the board. 3 Categories: Тип поселения, Виды транспорта, Места досуга в городе, Государственные учреждения
  2. Activity 1. My hometown: Speaking cards. (10 min)
    Work in pairs. Ask questions to fill information about a home city of your partner. Name, Type, Population, Transportation, Center, Likes, Dislikes.
  3. Activity 2. Present information about your partner’s city to others (10 min)
    Students show their partner’s city in the google maps and say what their partner like/dislike about their city.
  4. Activity 3. Debate— FOR/AGAINST (15 min)
    Controversial Russian saying: Где родился, там и пригодился. Where you were born, there you come in handy. Students are divided in three teams: “for”, “against” and judges. They have time to discuss their arguments and then they start the debate. Judges evaluate the quality of the arguments and determine a winner.
  5. Wrap-up. A typical citizen of your city. Типичный житель вашего города (20 min)
    Students are divided in pairs. They choose one of their home cities. Together they draw a picture of that citizen and then present it to others, describing a picture.

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

It was one of my favorite classes so far. I divided them in pairs for the first activity to brainstorm on vocabulary. They took time to prepare a list of words. I also appreciated their energy when they were working in pairs, discussing their hometowns, and presenting them to others. The discussion on controversial topic was successful, students came up with a list of arguments trying to persuade each other. I was afraid that they might argue in a negative way, but since they were not defending their own opinion, it went well. The only difficult part was to involve not active speakers in this activity. That’s how last minute I came up with an idea of the judges. I figured not participating speakers and allowed them to be listeners who later decided on a winner. Last activity, where students had to draw a picture, was very funny and it’s a nice way to wrap up and go over descriptions.

How could this class be improved/ modified?

In a debate activity, I might have tried switching active speakers and not active, so that active speakers could be listeners (judges), and quiet students could have a space to talk more. It could have been interesting.

FR F22 ADV l’Histoire de France (French History)

Goal of the class: learning about important figures and periods of French history

Warm-up: in pairs or groups of 3 they start discussing the following questions related to French history and historical figures

  • Est-ce que vous aimez l’histoire?
  • Quelle est la période de l’histoire de votre pays, et/ou d’un autre pays, que vous préférez?
  • Si vous pouviez remonter le temps, dans quelle période de l’histoire iriez-vous et pourquoi?
  • Y a-t-il un/des personnage-s historique-s que vous admirez?
  • Connaissez-vous les noms de personnages historiques connus dans l’histoire de France?
  • Y a-t-il une période de l’histoire de France que vous connaissez mieux que d’autres?

Activity 1: Les personnages clés de l’histoire de France

The main activity was a game I created for the students to learn about important figures of French history. I created 4 groups of students who had to work together and match different pictures/paintings of popular French historical figures with their main role in French history, their profession/main activity (what they are basically well-known for) and the century they lived in. (Associez les images des figures historiques françaises à leur nom, le siècle dans lequel ils ont existé et leur rôle/activité principale pour laquelle ils sont célèbres)

Activity 2: l’histoire coloniale de la France

This second activity was designed to conclude the class talking about a significant aspect/part of French history that is colonialism. I started by giving the students information and dates related to French colonies, etc. Then students watched the first 10 minutes of a documentary in French showing archive videos and images on this period of French history.

  • les Colonies Françaises:
  • La France des colonies (1830-1939): « À partir de 1830, la France se lance à la conquête du monde et au début du siècle suivant (20eme siècle) elle contrôle 1/10ème de la surface de la terre. Son empire, le deuxième après celui de la Grande-Bretagne, comprend le Moyen-Congo, la Côte d’Ivoire, le Dahomey, la Haute-Volta, le Soudan français, la Centrafrique, la Guinée, le Niger, le Tchad, la Mauritanie, Madagascar, l’Indochine, le Maghreb et des terres en Océanie” – (Source:  caminteresse.fr)

Ressources : Powerpoint, Youtube, a game that I created (matching photos of great figures from French history with their role in history/profession/main activity, and the century they lived in)

Reflection: This class was extremely interesting both for me and the students. It was challenging to match all the pictures/figures with who they were and when they existed, but it was fun, interactive, and instructive. This class opened further discussion on French history, history in general, and colonialism

RU F22 INT/ADV: Medicine and Health

Language Resident Name: Aleksandra Bystrova

Date: 12/01/2022

Class theme/topics discussed: Medicine and Health

Goal of the class:

  • Learn vocabulary about diseases, health concerns, and treatment
  • Get acquainted with Russian medication and traditional medicine
  • Describe symptoms in Russian

How did you structure the class?

  1. Warm up (10 min): Discussion
    1) How often do you get sick?
    2) Do you prefer to take medicine or wait for symptoms to go away?
    3) Do you believe in traditional medicine? What methods do you know?
    4) Do you know how to provide first aid?

I ask students to discuss those questions in pairs.

2. Activity 1. Vocabulary (10 min)
I show students pictures of people having common symptoms and ask them to try naming what they see. It helps me to learn how much they know. I also provide them with the printed handout with vocabulary, so they can use it for future activities.

3. Activity 2. What kind of medication is appropriate? (10 min)
I show my students pictures of people with different symptoms and popular medication that you can find in a pharmacy. They have to describe a picture using vocabulary from the past activity and find the most appropriate medicine reading its package.

4. Activity 3. Situation: Your friend is sick (10 mins).
We look at the pictures of people being sick. Students have to “go to a pharmacy” and describe a pharmacist their friend’s symptoms. A pharmacist has to recommend a customer medicine from the past activity that they think suits their need the best.

5. Activity 4: Traditional Medicine (7 min)
I show my students pictures of common traditional ways to treat some symptoms. Then, I ask for students’ opinion on what the purpose of the products they see is.

6. Activity 5: Help them with traditional medicine (10 min)
I show students situations of people being hurt or having symptoms. What kinds of Russian traditional medicine they would use?

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

Students loved the topic. We had many real-life situations and role plays that students seemed to enjoy. I believe that gradual development of vocabulary and descriptions work well in the class. The only thing is we did not have enough time to finish all the activities that I have prepared.

How could this class be improved/ modified?

I would dedicate two classes to this topic. There are more activities that could be added, and it would not be as rushed.

CN F22 ADV 传统节日Traditional Festivals

Day and Date: 2022.09.06

Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class): Advanced

Class theme/topics discussed: 传统节日 Traditional Festivals

Goal of the class:

By the end of this class, students will learn more about Mid-Autumn Festival and the stories and legends of it. By the end of the class, they are expected to make a video to families and friends and send their best wishes to them.

How did you structure the class?

  1. Warm-up: Labor Day

Where did you go? What did you do?

  • Do you know which Festival is coming soon in China?
  • When is Mid-Autumn Festival? & How do Chinese people celebrate it? – Top Activities & Traditions
  • Stories & Legends of Mid-Autumn Festival
  •  嫦娥奔月 ‘Chang E Flying to the Moon’
  • 玉兔捣药 Rabbit in the Moon
  • 吴刚伐桂 Wu Gang Chops the Tree
  • 朱元璋和月饼起义Zhu Yuanzhang and Moon Cake Uprising
  • What phrases do people usually use for this Festival?

Make a lantern!

  1. Make a video to your family/friend and give him/her your best wishes on this festival.

写一段祝福,并录下来,发送给你的老师/朋友

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

PowerPoint slides

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

Things that worked well:

The class went really well! Since I had some inventories(lanterns) from last semester’s study break, and I only got 2 students in this group, an idea popped up just before the class began: why not making lanterns, writing wishes on them & making videos to loved ones(families/friends)? So I added two slides of lantern-making traditions and did this activity in class. It went so well! I think my students love it!

The thing that did not work:

Actually everything worked really well. The students were not as shy as last week and I could see that they engaged more and more in this class. We had a conversation about their Labor Day break at the beginning of the class and they even started making jokes about each other. At the end of the class they asked me to airdrop them the videos and I think one student actually sent the video to her mom. Since I had the experience from last semester that the stories maybe too hard for them to understand, so instead of showing the videos on Youtube, I told the stories myself with easier sentences and phrases(+ an amount of body language). So I think they understood the cultural background and the stories really well.

How could this class be improved/ modified?

I’d say nothing much. Just this class would probably only works for a small group of students. Any class with more than 5 may not work as well.

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

JP F22 INT/ADV: 言語学習する上でのあるある〜!Momentについて語ろう!Why do you study Japanese?!的な

Conversation Class Lesson Summary

Language Resident Name: Cozy Enrique NAKADA (Koji NAKADA)

Day and Date: 3rd week (13th and 15th September 2022) 

Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class):  Advanced

Class theme/topics discussed: Why do you study Japanese?

Goal of the class:

              To be able to talk about language learning related topics.

How did you structure the class?

13th and 15th  September 2022

16:15            

              16:15            

              Gathered at intl’ theater, small talk among students to wait

for HVM students (Playing some J-POP music)

16:20      Introduction to the topic

Q1. なんで◯◯語を勉強しているの?どうして◯◯語を勉強しているんですか。 

Q2. ◯◯語を勉強してる時、どんなことが難しい?

◯◯語を勉強している時、どのような点が難しいと思いますか。

Q3. 逆に、どんな時に「勉強してて良かった〜!」って感じる?

では、どういったタイミングで「勉強して良かった」

Q4. 勉強する時にいつもすることって何かある?例えば、コーヒーを飲む、とか。

  勉強する際、ルーティーンのようなものはありますか。例えば、コーヒーを飲む、など。

Q5. 将来、◯◯語を使ってどんなことしたい?

       将来的に◯◯語を使う予定はありますか。ある場合は、どういったことをしたいとお考えですか。

Q6. 日本語以外に別の言語を勉強するなら何を選ぶ?その理由は?

Q1. Why do you study Japanese?

Q2. What is the most difficult thing while learning Japanese?

Q3. In contrast, when do you feel “I am glad to know the language~!!”

Q4. Do you have certain routines while learning Japanese? Such as listening to J-Pop, drinking green tea, etc?

Q5. Do you have a plan to use Japanese for your job / hobby in the future?                    

Q6. What language would you like to learn other than Japanese and why?

              Changing partners, interacting,,,

17:15

              End

What technology, media or props did you use?  

Handout

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

Students really enjoyed this topic, so they required to repeat it since they could not finish to answer at the first class. And, when it came to the Q5, everyone was passionate talking about it.

↓Advancedで使った資料。実際の僕の回答を、大阪のことばで書くことによって、実際にネイティブスピーカーがどのような回答をするのか例を提示した。

<回答例>

Q1. なんで◯◯語を勉強しているの?どうして◯◯語を勉強しているんですか。 

せやねー、もともと両親が日本語じゃない言葉話してたのを子どもの頃から見てきたから、言語とか文化にすっごく興味あってん。ほんで、大学生の頃言語学とかにも興味出てきたから、色々勉強してみた、みたいな。

そうですねー、幼い頃から両親が日本語ではない言葉を話していたのを見ていたため、言語や文化にとても興味があったんですね。それで大学で言語学にも興味が湧いて、色々な言語に触れてみたという感じです。

興味がある→

興味が湧く(わく)→

◯◯に触れる(ふれる)

せやね →そうだね

Q2. ◯◯語を勉強してる時、どんなことが難しい?

◯◯語を勉強している時、どのような点が難しいと思いますか。

スペイン語やってた時はー、やっぱ何言うても動詞の活用がホンマに難しかってんなー。発音はたいしたことなかってんけど、ただ最初はものっそい速くて、何言うてるかわからへんかったけど。

 スペイン語を勉強していた時は、やはり動詞の活用がとても難しかったですね。発音自体はそこまででしたが、始めの頃は速すぎて相手が何を言っているのか、わかりませんでした(笑)

動詞の活用(どうしのかつよう)

ものっそい →ものすごい →物凄く

Q3. 逆に、どんな時に「勉強してて良かった〜!」って感じる?

では、どういったタイミングで「勉強して良かった」

と感じますか。

 やっぱ僕の場合、少しでも言えるフレーズとかあって、言ってみると相手が喜んでくれたりとか、そういう会話のきっかけというか。それが嬉しいかな。あとは、誰か好きになった人がいてて、その人のことをもっと知りたいな思って勉強したっていうのはあるかな。なんやろ、スペ語とか。やっぱそれは動機付けとして強いよね、モチベーションの維持的な。

 そうですね、例えばですが、少しでも話せるフレーズがある場合にそれを使ってみて、相手の反応を見るのが好きですね。良い会話のきっかけになりますよね。他のタイミングと言えば、誰かのことを好きになって、その人のことを深く知りたいと感じて勉強したというのはありますね。特にスペイン語はそうです。それは語学の動機付けとして強いですよね。モチベーションの維持に繋がるというか。

例えば(たとえば)→

〜〜な場合(ばあい)→

相手(あいて)→

反応(はんのう)→

きっかけ

深く(ふかく)→

動機付け(どうきづけ)→

維持(いじ)→

繋がる(つながる)→

Q4. 勉強する時にいつもすることって何かある?例えば、コーヒーを飲む、とか。

  勉強する際、ルーティーンのようなものはありますか。例えば、コーヒーを飲む、など。

うーん・・・あれかな、勉強法はシャドイングばっかやってんねんけど、歩きながらやることが多いかな。あんまり部屋の中でちまちまするんは好きちゃうから。

  そうですね、勉強法としてはシャドイングを歩きながらしますかね。あまり部屋の中で机にむかってというのが好きじゃないので。

〜する際(さい)=〜する時

部屋(へや)→

ちまちまやる →

Q5. 将来、◯◯語を使ってどんなことしたい?

      将来的に◯◯語を使う予定はありますか。ある場合は、どういったことをしたいとお考えですか。

 せやなー、いまアラビア語勉強してんねんけど(笑)、そもそもアラブの人たちがどんなこと考えてんのか知りたい思って始めたから、色々対話してみたいなー思てるよ。

 そうですね、いまアラビア語を勉強していて(笑)、アラブの人々がどのようなことを考えているのか知りたいと思って始めたので、色々と対話してみたいと考えています。

Q6. 日本語以外に別の言語を勉強するなら何を選ぶ?その理由は?

 うーん、スラブ語系は一切やったことないから、興味はあるかな。チェコ語とかw キリル文字覚えんでええからw あとはタイ語もっかいやり直したいかも。適当に勉強してたから、もすこしちゃんと話せるようになりたいなー思てるよ。タイ語話す友達結構いてるから。

 そうですね、スラブ語族にはまだ手を出したことが無いので、興味はあります。チェコ語なんかは新たにキリル文字を覚えなくて良いので、穴場かなと思っています。あとは、タイ語をもう一度やり直したいと思っています。これまであまりしっかり勉強して来なかったので、もう少し話せるようになりたいですね。タイ語話者の友人がいるので。 

もっかい→

やり直す→

語族(ごぞく)→

穴場(あなば)→

話者(わしゃ)→ 

キリル文字→

DE F22 ADV Job Interview in Germany

TopicJob Interview in Germany
Goals of the Classstudents should be able to conduct parts of an interview in German. Prepare for possible questions and answer them correctly. Know the procedure of a job interview in Germany.
Warm Uphave you ever had a job interview? How did you prepare? How did it go?
Activity 1We watched a video of a job interview and then discussed and wrote down the typical mistakes. After that we watched the following video, in which the mistakes were pointed out. We compared them with ours and discussed them.
Activity 2We discussed the 4 stages of a job interview: Greeting Main part Questions Goodbye I gave the students questions for each category, to which they had to come up with individual answers and then present these answers to each other.
Activity 3conduct an interview Role play 2 persons play the interviewer – 1 person the applicantPick a job offer and try to conduct a job interview  I brought the students 4 job ads with which they were to conduct a real job interview. After every Job interview, we gave each other feedback
What worked well in this class? What did not work (and how could it be improved)?  I would actually change very little about this class, as it worked out very well and the subject was also considered very important by the students. The only thing that could be done is to adapt the job ads to the students in order to make the interview more accessible and easier.

FR S22 INT/ADV – Votre Week-End idéal

This class was done online and could also be done in person.

Warm –up (10 minutes) –group discussion = (main zoom chat : send the link of the Google Doc with vocabulary on the routine as well as the following questions students have to discuss in breakout rooms)

•Quel est selon-vous le WE idéal? Qu’est-ce que vous aimez faire en général le WE? – What do you think is the ideal WE? What do you usually like to do on weekends?

Activity 1: Video ‘French people describe their WE’ (20 minutes –8 minutes for the video, 10 minutes for the group discussion) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unmu4yKfBg0

Instructions: jot down what you understand from the video –écrivez sur une feuille de papier / sur votre ordinateur -ce que vous comprenez dans cette vidéo: Quelles sont les activités que les personnes interviewées aiment faire le week –end ? – What are some activities that the persons interviewed like doing on Weekends? Qu’est-ce qu’ils aiment faire avec leurs amis ? – What do they like doing with their friends?

Then we discuss it as a class and the students share what they understood and think about it –10 to 15 minutes –

Vocabulary input: What do these words mean? (Habituellement, Je bosse, aller en boîte, le confinement, se balader, faire un tour à…, profiter, la province); If there is some time left I propose a game they would play in Breakout rooms– ‘Qui est-ce?’ OR ‘Tu préfères’:

Tu préfères…Voyagez dans le monde entier sans pouvoir revenir à ton pays d’origine ou jamais sortir de ton pays ? Arriver toujours 1 heure avant à tes rendez-vous ou toujours arriver 1 heure en retard ? Passer toute ta vie à manger de la junkfood ou ne plus jamais manger tes plats préférés ? Vivre dans la maison de tes rêves dans un quartier chaud ou vivre dans une maison moche dans le quartier de tes rêves ? Être pauvre aux côtés de l’amour de votre vie ou être multimillionnaire sans jamais connaître l’amour ?

Resources:Vocabulary sheet (google doc provided)with expressions and words to be able to talk about one’s routine, Zoom Screenshare, Youtube, Powerpoint

RU S22 ADV: Limericks (Chastushki)

Language Resident Name: Aleksandra Bystrova

Date: 02/08/2022

Class theme/topics discussed: Russian Limericks (Chastushki)

Goal of the class:

  • Learn about Russian folklore – limericks
  • Develop translation skills

How did you structure the class?

  1. Warm up (10 mins): Discussion
    1) What is the definition of “chastuska”?
    2) Why do you think people compose them?
    3) Which topics do they raise?
    4) Do you have something similar in your culture/country?

I ask students to discuss those questions. Even if they don’t know what is chastuska, they can be creative and just guess. Students present their thoughts and results of a discussion by writing the main ideas on the board. Then, I show them a slide with an official definition and main elements of “chastushka”.

2. Activity 1. Read “chastuski” and translate (10 mins).
I give my students a handout with several limericks to read them and analyze. While they translating them, I add some cultural background for them to better understand the lyrics. We read it together and I also show the rhythm.

3. Activity 2. Watch a piece of the cartoon and translate the limerick (25 mins).
I show my students a piece of a cartoon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv5lIQPRCPY (11:03-12:50). In the video, folklore characters sing a limerick. Before watching I give my students handouts with lyrics. After watching I put them in two groups and ask to come up with an English translation of the limerick. While translating they realize, how unexpected the lyrics are.

4. Activity 3. Chastuskki in Modern Russia (10 mins).
We watch youtube videos of limericks in modern Russian culture.
TV-show “Voice” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjJtiSKPTz4
Political Satire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgYrPV_d3tg

What do you think of limericks now? Do you like them?

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

Students loved the topic. During the warm-up students found a lot of facts about limericks and managed to create the right understanding of their implementation. Their research made it easier to work later. Even though listeners of chastuska have to possess the certain cultural background to understand the content, students were open-minded and tried hard to understand them. While working in groups, students managed to come up with correct translations of Baba Yaga’s chastuska and were surprised, when we summarized the meaning of it.

How could this class be improved/ modified?

The activities did not take as long as I expected. Students managed to finish the activity very fast. We had 15 minutes left, so I had to improvise and show them videos of modern performances of chastuska. If I could modify this class, I would provide students with lyrics of those songs as well. If the students are comfortable with composing rhymes, the instructor could ask them to come up with their own limericks.

DE S22 INT/ADV: Subjunctive & Artistic Freedom (Part 1) [Zoom-class]

Language Resident/Assistant Name:
Nicolai Diener

Class theme/topics discussed:
Konjunktiv & Kunstfreiheit (Teil 1) [Zoom-class]

Goal of the class:
Learn about “Konjunktiv II” (When and how to use it)
Discuss “Kunstfreiheit” (artistic freedom)
Put pictures in relation to “Kunstfreiheit” and discuss their historical context
Compare artistic freedom in Germany and the US
Discuss the content of a music video based on isolated pictures

How did you structure the class?

4.15 – 4.20:        Welcome (Welcoming students to class, talking about how they feel and getting all the technology starting)

4.20 – 4.33:        “Was würdest du machen, wenn…” (Practicing the Konjunktiv II with the “würde”-form, e.g. “What you would do if you were to win a million dollars?” “I would buy an island if…”. Students join breakout rooms and ask each other one of the two questions in groups of 2-3 people. Three rounds with 2 questions each + always different groups)

4.33 – 4.37:        Review Konjunktiv II (short review of when to use and how to use the Konjunktiv II with its two forms. One of them the “würde”-Form, which we practiced in the task before)

4.37 – 4.45:        “Kunstfreiheit” + pictures (The term “Kunstfreiheit“ (artistic freedom) is introduced and students are then asked to look at 4 pictures, describe them, tell the group what is depicted in the pictures (and the context) and then put that in relation to “Kunstfreiheit”. If the students do not know about some of the pictures, the teacher can help them and explain their context. After that we take a quick look at how artistic freedom is embedded in the basic law for Germany)

4.45 – 4.55:        “Kunstfreiheit” experiences (students join breakout rooms first, and then come back to share with the group. They are asked to share their experiences with artistic freedom. Either because something that they themselves were involved, or something they have heard of and that has a relation to artistic freedom

4.55 – 5.00:        “Danger Dan” impression (“Danger Dan” is the name of the musician we are going to hear a song from. The students are asked to share their impressions when hearing the name)

5.00 – 5.05:        Pictures from the song (students see 4 pictures from the music video to the song “Das ist alles von der Kunstfreiheit gedeckt”. They are rather provocative and can be interpreted in different ways and the students are supposed to share their impressions of those pictures, and also what they think the video could be about and what it is supposed to express. Students discuss that in breakout rooms)

5.05 – 5.10:        Watch music video

5.10 – 5.15:        Music video impressions (students share their impressions from the music video and compare it with what they had shared before, when they just saw 4 isolated pictures from the music video)

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

Power Point Presentation
Zoom (+ Breakout rooms)
Pictures & videos (see Power Point Presentation)

What worked well in this class? What did not work (and how could it be improved)?

The introduction worked really well because the students seemed to be really engaged with the questions, as they had a lot of fun thinking about those scenarios and “what they could do, if…”. Also, it was a really good introduction and transition to explaining the Konjunktiv II, which is used a lot by Danger Dan in his song and therefore offers a great grammatical foundation for working with the song later on.

When we looked at the pictures, the students were able to identify most of them and put them in connection to artistic freedom. I chose the pictures because two of them are important pieces in the history of Germany, the Charlie Hebdo-picture is important in the context of contemporary European affairs, and the last one was a fun, little story that is connected to artistic freedom. We took a look at the basic law, and the exchange of their “Kunstfreiheit” experiences was really interesting. Same can be said for talking about the name “Danger Dan” and the pictures from the music video. Finally, we watched the music video and the students shared their impressions. Generally, it was a good mix of learning about current affairs in Germany, pop-culture and Konjunktiv II on the one hand, and sharing their impressions, thoughts and experiences on the other hand.

DE S22 INT/ADV: Subjunctive & Artistic Freedom (Part 2) [Zoom-class]

Language Resident/Assistant Name:
Nicolai Diener

Class theme/topics discussed:
Konjunktiv & Kunstfreiheit (Teil 2) [Zoom-class]

Goal of the class:
Analyze the lyrics of a song (describe in own words/research context/interpret what artist wants to express)
Compare different parts of a song with each other
Discuss differences and possible interpretations
Discuss whether the song “Das ist alles von der Kunstfreiheit gedeckt“ is an example for Kunstfreiheit or Beleidigung (insult)
Discuss whether Böhmermanns „Schmähgedicht“ is an example for Kunstfreiheit or Beleidigung

How did you structure the class?

4.15 – 4.23:        Recap (Recap last class and thereby make a transition to this class’ topic)

4.23 – 4.35:        Group work (students have to get together in 3 groups and analyze the lyrics of one verse based on 3 questions that ask them to describe the lyrics in their own words, research the context of the song and interpret what the artist wants to say and how he writes his song in order to achieve that message. Each group meets in one breakout room, while they have access to the questions and a vocabulary list on our GoogleDoc)

4.35 – 4.55:        Presentation group work (Each group presents their findings according to the 3 questions that were given to them – there is a particular emphasis on finding the Konjunktiv-forms, as they are an important instrument for Danger Dan in his song and also connect to the last class and the grammatical topic)

4.55 – 5.00:        Bridge (We look at the bridge of the song and try to analyze in which ways it is different from the rest of the song and why that is the case)

5.00 – 5.07:        Positionsline + discussion (students have to locate themselves along a position line ranging from Kunstfreiheit to Beleidigung. Based on that they have to discuss their own position)

5.07 – 5.13:        Böhmermann-Affäre introduction + video (Most students probably see the song as an obvious example for Kunstfreiheit, thus I present them a case that could be more critical to evaluate. The so-called “Böhmermann-Affäre” is introduced in a few minutes, and then we watch the video of it)

5.13 – 5.20:        Positionsline + discussion (students are again asked to locate themselves along the same position line and then discuss what led them to their judgements)

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

Power Point Presentation
Google Doc (Questions + vocabulary list)
Zoom (+ Breakout rooms & annotate functions)
Pictures & videos (see Power Point Presentation)
(Jan Boehmermann Erdogan poem) https://vimeo.com/163537121

What worked well in this class? What did not work (and how could it be improved)?

This class worked really well! It was a good conclusion to this 2-class-topic, which connected a song as a cultural element, with an important contemporary topic and a grammatical input. The class had different elements (discussions, group work, interpretations, media consumption etc.), a coherent structure and a few take-home messages.

The addition of a vocabulary list to the group work was very important and ensured efficiency, which allowed for a greater focus on the presentations and the discussions later. In those discussions, the students were really engaged and seemed interested in both the topic as well as the others’ opinions.  The position line worked really well and also as I expected (everybody saying it is Kunstfreiheit), which allowed me to introduce the “Böhmermann-Affäre” as a less clear-cut example for that topic. It is worth mentioning that the class ended about 5 minutes later – which is acceptable considering the complexity of the topic and the importance of the last discussion.

DE S22 INT/ADV: Music & The Voice

Language Resident/Assistant Name:
Nicolai Diener

Class theme/topics discussed:
Music

Goal of the class:
Learn about German music from the last ~25 years
Discuss music by elaborating on what you dis/like about it

How did you structure the class?

The class started of with an Introduction, explaining the rules of the game which focuses on German music. It doesn’t necessarily matter how many different artists you take and which one you focus on – I took 8 artists and tried to have a diverse range of artists (from Herbert Grönemeyer to Nena to Helene Fischer to Rammstein [the latter being rather well known in the U.S., though maybe not so much for their criticism, which can be talked about in class]).

The game works somewhat similar to “The Voice” – the students hear an artist for a maximum of 1 minute (they have the chance to raise their arms when they already know what they want to vote – if every student raises their hand, the song will be stopped before the minute is over – which happened when Rammstein was playing for example) and think about whether they like it and want to give it a vote to get to the next round or whether they dislike and want the artist to be “disqualified”. Then, they have 2 minutes to discuss the artist in the group and then vote on whether they want them to be in the next round or not.

In the first round there are 8 artists, in the second round 5, in the third 3 and then you can go for a winner. In my class I had 7 students, and when one artist had 4 upvotes they got into the next round. But that also means that when the students have already voted 5 artists in the next round before having heard the last ones, they won’t get a chance to go in to the next round (vice versa: if the students have already disqualified 3 artists in the first round before having heard the remaining artists then the remaining ones make it to the next round nevertheless the actual vote).

BUT there is one more rule to make it a bit more interesting: every student gets the name of one artist who bribed them. They get one point by having their candidate win “The Voice” (thereby you have students arguing for one artist who most dislike). Also, to give them something to “do” when “their” artist should have been disqualified in the first round – every student also writes down the name of one artist who they don’t want to win. If that candidate doesn’t win, they also get a point.

Rules for 2 students: For 2 students (in my conversation class intermediate) I slightly changed the rules. The students get 8, 7, 6, 5… points for the first round and can give each point-number to any artist. They listen to the song – they discuss it (which is a point where they can deceive or trick the other student, by saying they really like that artist but then giving only little points) and then they give points: for example student A gives 7 points, student B gives 4 points: artist has 11 points and depending on how many points the other artists get will make it to the next round or not. Student A cannot give 7 points to any other artist in this round, student B cannot give 4 points to any artist in this round.

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

Computer with music + music box
Whiteboard to write down names of songs, voting results and rules

What worked well in this class? What did not work (and how could it be improved)?

Generally, the class worked really well. The students learned about different German singers/bands (which they specifically asked) for and I incorporated that into a game which forced them to discuss and engage with each other, while trying to convince the others from their point of view and being somewhat embedded in the structure of a show that most of them know (“The Voice”).

I did not tell them the names of the singers before they were disqualified to make it more of a challenge for them to decipher which candidate is actually the one that they support (e.g. if their singer-name seems like a female, and there are 3 female singers, they know that one of them has to be their candidate, but they do not really know which one exactly is their candidate) – I’m not sure if this was necessary though and if it might not have been even more engaging when they would know the names right out of the gate.

Other than that I wouldn’t really change anything. The introduction took about 10 minutes, which was fine, because the timing of the rest worked out really well.

Intermediate: The rule change for the intermediate class (with 2 students) worked really well. They were very engaged and tried to deceive each other a lot – which was particularly fun for me, as I always knew why they would say or do something (because I knew who they supported). Great class here as well!

FR S22 INT/ADV – La routine matinale (the morning routine)

Warm-up (15 minutes): Questions to discuss in group around Morning Routines and habits

The students have to discuss the following questions in groups of 3 to 4 students: Avez-vous une routine le matin? Que faites-vous habituellement après le réveil? (petit-déjeuner? Douche? Sport? Yoga? Lecture? Méditation?) – Do you have a morning routine? What do you usually do after waking up?

Qu’est-ce que tu fais en premier le matin?–What is the first thing you do after you wake up? Quelles sont les bonnes habitudes que vous aimeriez prendre le matin?–What are some good/healthy morning habits you would like to develop?

Qu’est-ce que tu manges au petit-déjeuner?–What do you usually eat for breakfast?

Est-ce que tu es un/une «lève tôt» ou un/une «couche tard» – are you an early bird or a night owl?

Provision of a vocabulary sheet with a lot of words, expressions and idioms pertaining to the morning routine in French (I included more difficult expressions/turn of phrases and idioms for the advanced level class). This sheet is designed to be a support for the following activities as well.

Activity 1: (20/25 minutes)

The first activity is based on creativity (writing) in groups of 2/3 students. First, I ask them to individually write on a small sheet of paper one word in relation to the word ‘Morning’. Then they all give them to me, I shuffle them, I create groups of 2/3 students, and each group randomly picks two papers. Based on the words they picked, they have to come up with a short story of about 100 words. This activity not only calls on to students’ imagination and creativity, but the way it is designed (team work) also makes it a good way for them to practice speaking in French by working on writing their story. They really liked this activity and it took them approximatively 20/25 minutes to write their story, after which each group chose to either tell the story or act it out. The whole class had a lot of fun!

Activity 2:

Another activity that could be done in this class is the following:

Les Français nous racontent leur routine matinale dans les rues de Paris –French people tell us about their morning routine in the streets of Paris : Video screening of Parisians interviewed in the street on their morning routine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lMIShoMuIk.

This video is very good not only for the vocabulary and expressions used by the persons interviewed but also because it teaches the most accurate ways of expressing one’s habits in a colloquial manner.

Instructions: Jot down what you understand about the interviewees’ daily routine; what did they understood about the interviewees’ morning routines: Quelles sont les routines matinales des personnes interviewées dans la video?

The last part of the activity can be a little quiz on words and expressions mentioned in the interviews that are either colloquial or idiomatic. Activity 2: Another activitythat could be done in this class is the following:•Les Français nous racontent leur routine matinale dans les rues de Paris –French people tell us about their morning routine in the streets of Paris -: Video screening of Parisians interviewed in the street on their morning routine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lMIShoMuIk. This video is very good not only for the vocabulary and expressions used by the persons interviewedbut also because it teaches the most accurate ways of expressing your habits in a colloquial manner. •Jot down what you understand about the interviewees’ daily routine;•After watching the video, I ask them to tell me what they understood about the interviewees’ morning routines: Quelles sont les routines matinales des personnes interviewées dans la video?•The last part of the activity can bea little quiz on words and expressions mentioned in the interviewees that are either colloquial or idiomatic.Resources: PowerPoint, Vocabulary sheet, Youtube

DE S22 INT/ADV: Rap & Poems

Language Resident/Assistant Name:
Nicolai Diener

Class theme/topics discussed:
Rap & Poems

Goal of the class:
Learn about German poems & rap
Create & present your own poems

How did you structure the class?

4.15 – 4.20:        Welcome (Welcoming students to class, talking about how they feel)

4.20 – 4.25:        Introduction to topic (talk about “Gedichte” and rap to introduce to the topic)

4.25 – 4.35:        Rap OR Poem (students receive 8 “texts” of which half are German rap and the other half are German poesy – students have to guess in groups which is which)

4.35 – 4.45:        Rap OR Poem – Solution (solution + discussion)

4.45 – 4.50:        Elfchen – Group/Modelling (teacher and students create an “Elfchen” together)

4.50 – 5.00:        Elfchen + Presentation (students have to create their own “Elfchen” and then present it to the class)

5.00 – 5.10:        Create your poem! (students are put in groups and then have to write down 1 topic and 2 words – they then give that topic and the words to the next group. The next group has to write a poem (at least 4 lines) about the topic that the other group gave them and include the two words that the other group gave them)

5.10 – 5.15:        Poem – Presentation (Students present their poems)

What worked well in this class? What did not work (and how could it be improved)?

The class worked well. Introduction was interesting for the students, as they were very curious to find out which text is rap and which is poem – the solution of that provided funny moments. The “Elfchen” was a nice way to get them going themselves on the poems, and the writing of a 4-liner, where the other group gave them a topic and words to be included provided creative and very funny poems. Well-rounded class without too much hick-hack.

DE S22 INT/ADV: Role Playing

Language Resident/Assistant Name:
Nicolai Diener

Class theme/topics discussed:
Rollenspiele

Goal of the class:
Communicative practice and fun!
Learn how to have an argument
Learn about basic vocabulary connected to state founding

How did you structure the class?

4.15 – 4.20:        Welcome (Welcoming students to class, talking about how they feel while introducing the topic)

4.20 – 4.45:        Role play (students get a role card and have to discuss the topic on their card with their respective partner. They have about 5 minutes to come to a compromise. After that they draw a new card and thus get a new partner (if more than 4 people), a new role and a new topic to discuss about)

4.45 – 4.50:        Discussion (quick follow-up discussion on how students handled the different situations and what solutions they found)

4.50 – 5.10:        State foundation (students get a worksheet that gives them the task to found a new state)

5.10 – 5.15:        State foundation – Presentation (students present their new state to the other students – after that, students are asked which state they would like to join

What worked well in this class? What did not work (and how could it be improved)?

The class worked really well. The role playing was very communicative and lots of fun – students had to get into new roles all the time, adjust to the situation and the person they are talking to and at the same time trying to find a compromise with a person that has the opposite opinion to theirs. The short discussion afterwards was helpful in order to compare the different solutions – on one hand as an exchange of knowledge, but most importantly to give the students a stage to share their interesting/funny solutions. I decided not to do it after every round in order to give students the chance to experience a new situation without having heard before how another group has solved it.

The state foundation task was a nice addition, even though – for the sake of coherence – it would be nice to find a smooth transition from one task to the other. If not, it’s two really neat tasks – which is also fine.

Students were really creative and came up with “interesting” states – some of the vocabulary might be a bit too complex – but they also did not really have that much time to take a deep dive into all the aspects but should rather focus on a general idea and for that the task was certainly sufficient while giving them the chance to create something creative as a group together. The following presentation gave them the opportunity to present their state and make other people join that state – either because the idea is very funny or because the state seems really promising. Students can certainly take different paths to finding a solution to that task.

FR S22 ADV- La Francophonie

This class is designed to introduced students to the French speaking world. After this class, students will know about the French speaking countries, the distribution of the french language in the world, some linguistic specificities/differences between the various French-speaking countries

Activity 1:

  • 1) Par groupes de 3, au tableau, notez tout ce que la Francophonie représente pour vous​ (In groups of 3, on the board, write down everything that ‘La Francophonie’ means to you)
  • 2) discutez et choisissez dans votre liste l’élément qui représente le plus la France pour vous. Justifiez votre choix​ (Discuss and choose from your list the item that most represents France to you. Justify your choice)

Activity 2:

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wIwTn61huA – Que nous apprend cette vidéo sur la présence et l’importance de la langue Française dans le monde?​ (What does this video tell us about the presence and importance of the French language in the world?​)
  • Combien de personnes parlent le Français dans le monde? ​(How many people speak French in the world today?)
  • Quel est le top 5 des langues les plus parlées dans le monde? (what are the top 5 languages most spoken in the world today?)

Cultural Input:

Liste des pays ou régions où on parle français (list of the countries/places where French is spoken): ​

La France et:

• La Belgique, le Luxembourg, la Suisse, Monaco. ​

• En Afrique: l’Algérie, le Burkina Faso, le Bénin, le Cameroun, le Congo, la Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, le Gabon, la Guinée, Madagascar, le Mali, le Maroc, la Mauritanie, la République centrafricaine, la République démocratique du Congo (ex-Zaïre), le Sénégal, le Tchad, le Togo. ​

• Certaines îles: les Comores et les Seychelles, Vanuatu, Haïti. ​

• Le Québec,  Louisiane aux États-Unis, Nouvelle-Écosse et Nouveau-Brunswick

• En Inde (Pondichéry), au Moyen-Orient (Égypte, Israël et Liban), au Cambodge, au Vietnam, au Laos, à l’île Maurice et en Afrique du Sud. ​

Activity 3 + cultural input:

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zf9WATdZK7E​ (8 Colloquial French Expressions You Should Know)
  • Parmi les expressions qui sont mentionnées dans cette vidéo, quelle est votre expression favorite? (What is your favorite expression amongst those presented in this video?)

mots et expressions de la Francophonie (words and expressions from the Francophone world)​:

  • chafouin rusé, sournois. Il viendrait de l’ouest de la France (je l’utilise pour dire que je suis de mauvaise humeur = ‘Grumpy’)​
  • « il est fada! » (Il est fou!) ou « fada! » comme ponctuation de phrase (Dingue! / fou!)​
  • vigousse, en Suisse, signifie « vif »​
  • tap-tap: un mot haïtien pour désigner une camionnette servant de transports en commun​
  • poudrerie: un mot québécois pour désigner la neige poussée par le vent…​
  • lumerotte: mot belge pour parler d’une source de lumière de faible intensité​
  • dracher: s’emploie lorsque la pluie tombe à verse (pouring rain), en Belgique​
  • champagné: un mot d’Afrique centrale pour désigner quelqu’un qui a de l’influence, ou de multiples relations

To wrap up this class, the last activity can be the following:

Activity 4:

Par groupes de 3, trouvez et partagez avec les autres des situations/anecdotes personnelles durant lesquelles vous vous êtes sentis (In groups of 3, find and share with others personal situations/anecdotes in which you felt):​

  • chafouins (de mauvaise humeur)​
  • Vigousses (Energiques)​
  • BG (beaux)​
  • En PLS (mal/malade)​
  • Frais (se sentir bien)​
  • Enjaillé (motivé)​​

Ça peut être des situations de tout les jours, des souvenirs spécifiques, des moments embarrassants ou drôles 

DE S22 INT/ADV: Art & Picture Description

Language Resident/Assistant Name:
Nicolai Diener

Class theme/topics discussed:
Art & Picture description

Goal of the class:
Students know locations in/within a picture
Students can describe the location of objects to each other (positions)
Students are able to describe a picture
Students can interpret pictures

How did you structure the class?

4.15 – 4.30:        Warm-Up: Who are what am I? (students get either the name of one person or one object (e.g. painting, building) or the corresponding description to a person or an object. By asking each other questions they have to “get to know each other” and thereby find out whether their role fits the other person’s role)

4.30 – 4.35:        Review: Picture description (short review of important vocabulary when describing pictures and the different directions (e.g. in front of, behind, next to… in the centre/right hand side))

4.35 – 4.50:        Describe & Draw (depending on class size either 1on1 or 1 describing and 2 drawing: one student sits with the back to the board and the other one with the front. Then a picture is faded in so that only the student with the front to the board can see it. That student now has to describe the picture to the other student, and he/she/they has to draw it based on the descriptions of the other student. 5min per turn, then they can look at the board to compare how good the drawing was. Then they switch position, and now the other student has to describe and the other to draw. With 3 students, 2 are drawing and sitting with the back to the front and they make 3 rounds with every one describing at least once)

4.50 – 5.05:        Group work (students can choose between 6 paintings by German artists and then analyze that picture in 3 steps. They have instructions on the power point and are allowed to use their phones)

5.05 – 5.15:        Presentation (each group presents their painting, according to the 3-step-analysis that was given to them)

What worked well in this class? What did not work (and how could it be improved)?

I taught a similar class last semester, but wasn’t really happy with it – thus, I wanted to teach it again with improvements. These improvements have worked really well! The warm-up was a nice way to walk around the room, talk to each other, ask each other questions, while at the same time starting to familiarize with the topic. The “Describe & Draw” is a really well-working, engaging and fun activity. The group work about paintings from German artists was a well-rounded conclusion to this lesson and put it on a higher level than the first time I taught that class. The students were able to learn about German art, had lots of discussions in class and had to present something as well. Thus, I would say that this class worked really well, I was happy about how it worked and wouldn’t really change anything.

One possible modification: instead of giving them pictures, the group work could also work if they choose their own paintings. Upside: more personalized and individualized, but several risks: no sufficient resources (maybe not everyone has a mobile phone/laptop handy), not sure what paintings, no German paintings.  

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