Discuss the differences of celebrations among cultures in latin america and the US.
Describe a celebration that is relevant for them using frequency adverbs such as: generalmente, a menudo, la mayoría de las veces, casi nunca, siempre.
Class structure:
Warm up:
Students are asked to think about a good/funny/interesting/bad memory they had related to a holiday and share it to the class.
Activity:
The instructor shows some images/videos related to holidays that are celebrated in Chile (fiestas patrias, La tirana, Semana santa, minga etc) and then other celebrations of Latin America (Inti raymi, fiesta de las flores, carnaval de barranquilla, etc). Students see images of celebrations of other countries in Latin America and ask questions about what happens in each celebration.
Students are asked to talk about the most common holidays in their country, the differences between those and the ones that were shown to them and their favorite celebrities. They will do that in pairs or groups of three, and then share to the rest of the class.
¿Qué celebración es?: Each students is given 3 pieces of paper: an image, the description of a celebration and the name of one. Those pieces don’t match, so they have to go around walking in the room and they talk to their classmates to negotiate and exchange them, so as to match each image with the right name of celebration and its description. The only rule is that they can’t show the images or the descriptions, but they have to describe them with their own words.
Wrap up:
Students discuss whether holidays are important and whether there is something that they would change to any of the ones that they have talked about.
Resources used: Powerpoint presentation.
Reflection: What worked/did not work? How can it be improved?
Conversations about this topic with this class were very reflexive and there was a lot to talk about. Since they come from different cultural backgrounds, there were many things that they did, others that they did differently and students were interested to know more about their classmates’ celebrations.
The matching images to celebration was a bit challenging but it helped students use their own words to describe celebration. They ended up learning a lot about traditions without being explicitly taught about them.
At the end of the class, there was a little bit of a not-planned debate on whether holidays were important, since one of the participants raised the point that even though it was nice to have them, we could still live without them. At first it was going great, but then the conversation got a little bit intense among them. It was time to go anyway, so I basically thanked them for their great opinions and finished the class.
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?
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.
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?
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).
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!
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
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?
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!
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.
Know stereotypes and describe them with adjectives. Form opinions about them and be able to explain them
Warm Up
City land river game
Activity 1
Video about German stereotypes with subtitles. The text of the video was printed, and the most important adjectives underlined. Input on the descriptive features – adjectives of the video. I – You – We (Think – Pair – Share) What can you see on the picture? Describe what the picture has to do with Germany?
Activity 2
What is your experience with stereotypes? What do you think about them? True often/ True sometimes/ Not true at all?
Activity 3
What stereotypes are there about the 5Cs 😀 Which ones about other countries?Do you know any stereotypes from TV? NerdsCheerleaders egos?Athletes? What are these stereotypes like? Find adjectives to describe these stereotypes Think of a stereotype Act out the stereotype
What worked well in this class? What did not work (and how could it be improved)?
The topic of stereotypes was very well received by the class. Since many students in this class come from different countries, it was very interesting conversations about possible stereotypes. The warmup game also went very well, in which the students had to find a city, a land, a river, a food and a brand for a certain letter. Stereotypes is an interesting topic for multicultural classes.
Middle age + describe and argue in relation to castles and palaces
Goals of the Class
Describing buildings and arguing on the basis of personal feelings
Warm Up
How did you spend the weekend? How was your first week of the semester?
Activity 1
Input about Germany in the Middle Ages Presentation and description of Neuschwanstein Castle
Activity 2
Castles and palaces visit in Oldenborg Describe your castle or palace My castle has many towers ……Is surrounded by forest……..Is built on a mountainIs situated on a lake Is very big/small Has many windows/no windows Search 4 facts about the castle or palace on the internet Present us your castle
Activity 3
Why is your castle the most beautiful? My castle is most beautiful because…….What is unique about my castle is……..What I especially like about my castle……..Vocabulary: Architecture, towers, forest, fully preserved, large, walls, color, shelter, view, rocks, mountains, size….
What worked well in this class? What did not work (and how could it be improved)?
The presentation of the castles was a lot of fun for the students and the information about the castles was informative. The students showed great interest in the subject. The inclusion of my own examples was a good help for the students. You could have given a beginner course the infos about the castles – no research needed.
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?
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.
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.
Class theme/topics discussed: Myths and Mythical Creatures
Goal of the class:
To learn more about Russian traditional mythical creatures
To practice storytelling
Ice breaking
How did you structure the class?
Warm up (10 mins): Discussion 1) What is myth/mythology? 2) Why do people need myths? 3) Do people use myths in the modern world?
2. Activity 1. Mythical creatures of your culture or region (20 min) I present to students 3 most famous Karelian (Russian/Slav) mythical creatures and explain how you can “meet” them in real life. Leshiy (the host of the forest), Vodyanoi (the host of the lakes and ponds) and Domovoi (the house creature).
After demonstrating my students those creatures, I ask them to think about one example of mythical creatures from their home region. After small research, they share their characters with the rest of the class.
3. Activity 2. Create a story (30 minutes) I ask my students to come up with a story, where every mythical creature (that students presented) meets each other. I explain my students the rules of composing any story before they begin. They create visual story (like comics), where their chosen creatures meet each other and deal with a problem.
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
It is easier for advanced students to discuss this topic. They have more vocabulary to answer questions about myths and mythology. I had only 5 students, so I decided not to split them in groups and let them work together as a team.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
I would dedicate two classes to discussing the myths and mythical creatures. It is a broad topic that deserves to be covered. I would find a cartoon or a Youtube video, where the characters from my culture are presented. For example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jva7QXMziL0
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.
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
Warm up (5 mins) I ask my students to discuss the following questions in pairs: 1) Which traditional Russian meals do you know? 2) Have you ever tried Russian cuisine? What was your experience like? 3) Have you ever been to a Russian restaurant?
2. Activity 1. Do you know this meal? (10 minutes) I show my students pictures of the most famous meals and ask them to guess names or ingredients.
3. Activity 2. Cooking Vocabulary (10 mins) I show my students a PowerPoint slide with cooking vocabulary and ask if they know those words. I prepared a handout for them with those words.
4. Activity 3. Game: Describe an action (10 mins). After that, I ask my students to come in front of the class and show a cooking action without using words. Other students should guess what they are showing. Then they change.
5. Activity 4 (20 mins) I divide my students into two groups and ask them to choose one meal that is easy to cook. They should write a recipe on a board using the vocabulary they learnt. Then they present their recipe and we vote for the meal that the majority would like to try. Next class we will cook the meal using their recipe.
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
The class went well. Food is one of the most favorite topics of my students since they had been asking me to talk about Russian cuisine or cook something from the very beginning of the semester. This class is good for practicing the vocabulary dedicated to food and cooking. It also includes the cultural element.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
I would leave it as it is. This class was created with the help of the Spanish language resident Natalia Cano. You can include an activity, where students should describe a picture to practice food and cooking vocabulary.
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:
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?)
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 June
Class theme/topic discussed : the New Year in Russia
Goal of the class :
Introduce traditions of the New Year celebration in Russia
Practice the usage of adjectives in the text
Practice the food vocabulary
Listening and comprehension of a song
How did you structure the class?
Warm-up. I put my students in pairs and ask them to discuss the following questions: 1) Do you celebrate the New Year? How and with whom? 2) Do you sum up the results of the year? 3) Do you create goals to accomplish in the following year?
Activity 1. The New Year’s table I show my students a picture of a traditional Russian New Year’s table with different meals. I ask them to name what they see and come up with more dishes. This activity is focused on creating a perfect table for the New Year’s celebration and practice food vocabulary.
Activity 2. Prepare a traditional New Year’s toast I give my students a handout with a long traditional Russian toast. There are blank spaces that students should fill up with adjectives. They can be creative and funny while choosing words.
Activity 3. A song about 5 minutes I show my students a video of a must-listen Russian song, which sounds in every house 5 minutes before the New Year. I also provide students with lyrics of the song. I ask them to feel free to sing along.
Activity 4. President’s Speech. It is impossible to imagine Russian New Year without the President Putin’s speech. We watch a piece of a video from 2020 and discuss the content of this speech. This activity was performed with Advanced students.
Activity 3. A song about 5 minutes
Intermediate. What worked well in this class? What did not work?
The class went well. Students enjoyed talking about New Year in Russia. We focused more on the activity dedicated to food. I wanted to practice vocabulary with them, since they hadn’t known many words before we had our class about Russian cuisine. I decided to skip the activity with the President’s speech, because the language of the speech is too difficult to comprehend. We also didn’t do the “toast” activity because I felt like it could be too challenging for them. I decided to spend more time with the song instead. I asked my two students to come up with a translation of this song and give their opinion about it.
Advanced. What worked well in this class? What did not work? My advanced students enjoyed this class. They knew a lot of words dedicated to food and Russian cuisine. The activity with inserting words turned out to be amusing. They came up with funny and sometimes unsuitable words. That made the toasts activity very lively. We skimmed the song and spent more time with the President’s speech. Students had a hot discussion about the content of his speech because some of them found it ambiguous.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
The president’s speech is an interesting text to analyze and discuss with advanced students. It consists of many topics, which students find curious to talk about. I would make a separate class about politics to discuss leader’s speeches. In the context of New Year and holiday atmosphere it is a challenging issue to discuss.
Learn about Russian folklore and rules of creating a traditional fairytale
Practice storytelling
Class structure:
Warm-up. I ask my students to discuss the following questions: 1) What is “сказка” (traditional Russian verbal fairy tale)? 2) Did you like reading fairy tales or listening to them when you were a kid? 3) Do you know any Russian fairytales?
Activity 1. Reading a fairytale “Сказка об Иване-царевиче, жар-птице и о сером волке” (The fairytale of Ivan-tsarevitch, a firebird and a grey wolf) (one and a half page, adapted, with vocabulary). Students seat in a semi-circle. We read the text aloud making stops at the end of each paragraph. I make sure they understand everything by asking them questions. I draw a plan of a fairytale on a board while they are reading. At the same time, I have a powerpoint presentation opened with drawings of this fairytale, so students have a visual image of what is going on.
Activity 2. Analysis of a fairytale I ask students to name all characters from the fairytale (7). Then, I ask them about the role of those characters. What do they do? We do it on purpose, so later we could discuss the thesis from the book “Morphology of the Folktale” by a Soviet folklorist and scholar Vladimir Propp. After we wrote all characters and their role (functions) on the board, I present my students Propp’s concept and give them a handout with a plan of creating a folktale.
Activity 3. Create your own fairytale! I ask students to use the Propp’s concept of creating a folktale (7 main characters and 31 functions, which constitute the plot). They can choose any quantity of characters and functions to create a folktale.
What worked well in this class? What did not work? While reading the folktale in the class, I tried to use visual materials, gestures and paraphrasing as much as possible. Students seemed interested in the plot, because they laughed when something funny happened and answered context questions. The fairy tale was not long (adapted 1.5 pages), but it took almost 30 mins to fully analyze it (which was more, than I expected). Students seemed overwhelmed with Propp’s concept, but I was ready for it — I simplified the functions, put pictures to them and printed it out in a handout. We did not have time to complete the last activity (composing a folktale), but when students discussed their plots, they were very engaged and came up with really funny ideas. We will continue talking about it next class.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
I would devote two classes to this topic. I would spend more time reading and analyzing a folktale and explaining to students the Propp’s concept, and during the next class I would ask students to create a folktale and present it (in a form of a performance).
Language and Level (intermediate or advanced class):Advanced
Class theme/topics discussed:客套和礼节 Courtesy & Manners
Goal of the class:
By the end of this class, students are expected to know more about the cultural differences between Asian countries and western countries, and be able to talk about their own experiences and act three scenarios with their partners in the class.
How did you structure the class?
Warm-up: A short review of the traditional festivals → Introduce the topic of Courtesy & Manners
Question: 在中国，过春节时人们一般会有哪些习俗呢？What traditions do Chinese people have for Spring Festival in China?
How about Christmas in your country? What do you say /do when accepting a present?
那在西方国家呢？比如圣诞节的时候，你会收到别人的礼物吗？你会说什么（怎样表示感谢）？
但你知道中国人在接受别人礼物时要怎样做吗？要说什么？Do you know what should Chinese people say/do when accepting a present from a family member/friend/colleague/teacher?(There are certain things that you should do and you shouldn’t.)
今天我们就一起来看一看。So today let’s have a look at them.
Presentation:
While watching the video about Chinese ways of being polite, think about the following questions:
你知道哪些中国人客套的方式？
① 接受赞美 How to accept a compliment?
② 吃饭结账 What do people usually do after a meal? Split the bill v.s. Pay the whole amount?
③ 和陌生人聊天 How to make a small talk with strangers?
④ 怎么说“不”How to say “no” in China?
⑤ 回别人微信时的注意事项 A kind reminder of replying to others’ on social media (How to use 嗯 &嗯嗯 & 嗯嗯嗯；How to use 哈 & 哈哈 & 哈哈哈）
Discuss about the questions in groups of 3 and discuss in the whole class
Activity 2:
小故事：文化差异 Act: Your own experiences of cultural difference & act three scenarios with your partners in the class.
Topic: 当你遇见了中国人——在中国 v.s. 在美国 In China v.s. In America(or your home country)
时间、地点、人物
What technology, media or props did you use? (internet resources, playmobiles, handouts, etc.)
PowerPoint slides (12 in total)
Handouts
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
Things that worked well:
Students were really into the topic as well! Their performances were also really funny. Comparing with the intermediate group, they focus more on the level of social phenomenon. For example, a group of students acted a scene in hospital. An old woman had cancer. Her family members were there with her. Should the doctor tell her or not? In China, there is a high chance that the doctor and family members decide not to tell her, in order to let her have a happy rest of the days. But according to the students, in America, the doctor should tell her because it is her right to know about her health condition. It’s quite interesting to jump into this topic in the class and discover those different perspectives between cultures.
Also there is another thing worth mention. In warm-up session I did a short review of traditional festivals, and asked a question: What traditions do Chinese people have to celebrate Spring Festival?
[potential answers: dumplings & dinner & firework ……→ 红包！Red envelopes! ]It is super important to get THIS feedback(Red envelopes) from the student. I found a picture with a red envelope on it(a clue) and in both classes, my picture trick worked! So we switched the topic from Festivals to Courtesy & Manners smoothly by asking what should you do when accepting a present from someone? And then the class went really well.
Things that did not work:
This time the handout was pretty clear so no one had a problem with what they should do. However, there was a problem with time control. Since I had 3 groups of students, the class was more tight than yesterday’s intermediate group. Also after the 2nd group’s performance, we spent a few minutes on the doctor-patient topic. So after the 3rd group’s performance, we didn’t have much time for feedback and discussions. Next time I’ll probably shorten the 1st discussion session(after video watching discussion ), and pay more attention on time-control.
How could this class be improved/ modified?
I feel that time management is really important in conversation classes. So next time I’ll pay more attention to it and try not to give too much feedback to one certain group, but to each and every group equally.
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.
Time/step
Teacher focus
Student focus
PresentationWarm-up (10 mins)
A short review of the traditional festivals1)Question: 在中国，过春节时人们一般会有哪些习俗呢？What traditions do Chinese people have for Spring Festival in China? 吃饺子 & 年夜饭 & 放鞭炮 & 串门 & 打扫房间…………→ 红包！Red envelopes! 2)在西方国家呢？比如圣诞节的时候，你会收到别人的礼物吗？你会说什么（怎样表示感谢）？How about Christmas in your country? What do you say /do when accepting a present? 3)但你知道中国人在接受别人礼物时要怎样做吗？要说什么？Do you know what should Chinese people say/do when accepting a present from a family member/friend/colleague/teacher?(There are certain things that you should do and you shouldn’t.) 今天我们就一起来看一看。So today let’s have a look.
– Answer the questions
Presentation (8 mins)
1.While watching the video about Chinese ways of being polite, think about the following questions:你知道哪些中国人客套的方式？① 接受赞美 How to accept a compliment?② 吃饭结账 What do people usually do after a meal? Split the bill v.s. Pay the whole amount?③ 和陌生人聊天 How to make a small talk with strangers?④ 怎么说“不”How to say “no” in China?⑤ 回别人微信时的注意事项 A kind reminder of replying to others’ on social media (How to use 嗯 &嗯嗯 & 嗯嗯嗯；How to use 哈 & 哈哈 & 哈哈哈）https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Ux411V7u5?spm_id_from=333.999.0.0
-Think about the questions given while watching the video- Be ready to answer questions and give their own opinions
Guided & Communicative practice (12 mins)
Discuss about the questions in groups of 3.Discuss in the whole class.In the mean time, I’ll type them on the slide.
– Answer the questions and give their own opinions
Communicative practice (25 mins)
小故事：文化差异 Act: Your own experiences of cultural difference & act three scenarios with your partners in the class.Topic: 当你遇见了中国人——在中国 v.s. 在美国 In China v.s. In America(or your home country)要求：①写出时间、地点、人物；②简历三个情景③和你的队友一起表演出来
– Prepare for the show;- Perform 3 scenarios with partners in the class
Summary (5 mins)
– Give Feedback – Have a look at the cultural differences mentioned in the performances together
Give directions in a subway setting of a Chilean city.
Use expressions to express directions such as “Toma el metro en la estación…”, “avanza dos estaciones en dirección”, etc.
Determine the best way to use the subway taking into consideration some eventual difficulties
Class structure:
Warm up:
Students see images of people lost in a city and discuss whether they have been in a situation like that in the past, or have had the chance to help someone in that situation.
Activity:
Students remember words and expressions related to giving directions and giving direcions using the subway. “toma la línea _____ en la estación ___”, “avanza tres estaciones en dirección ____”, etc.
Students see a map of Metro de Santiago and practice with three different destinies:
From Las Rejas to Estación Central
From Cerrillos to San Miguel
From Los Dominicos to Grecia
“¿Cómo llegar al aeropuerto?”: Students discuss the best way to help somone to go from Trinidad station to the Airport in Pudahuel station, considering that some of the stations are closed during certain hours. (sheets of paper were printed out with the map of the metro, and some difficulties were added afterwards)
Wrap up:
Students talk about whether they found that easy or not, whether they would see themselves using those expressions in the future, etc.
Resources used: Projector, imovie
Reflection: What worked/did not work? How can it be improved?
The class went well. I realized in the class that students did not know very much about giving directions in Spanish, so I ended up using some more time at the beginning to help them get not only the expressions that they were going to use for the main task, but also other kind of expressions that they could come across when giving directions. They seemed to appreciate the class, because they said that it was very useful if they ever went to a Spanish-speaking country; and that it is something that they are not usually taught in Spanish classes.
The funny aspect of gesture, reflection from students
16:45
Explain each Japanese gesture
17:00
Students start discuss with partner to make a short skit
17:18
Starts presentations (everyone)
17:30
End
What technology, media or props did you use?
Students’ mac laptop, handouts
What worked well in this class? What did not work?
Almost everyone seem to enjoy. But compared to intermediate class, they are not fully satisfied with the lecture. ( I do not know the needs of students,,, ) (Or it is just because they are too tired to do things due to mid term examination.)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ handout ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2021年11月16日（火）
ちょっと文法コーナー！〜否定疑問文の答え方〜
日本語の日常会話でもよく使われる否定疑問文。返事の仕方を練習しましょう。
今日ってテストじゃないよね？We don’t have exam today, right?
⇨ うん、テストじゃないよ〜。No, we don’t have one.
⇨ いや、テストだよ！ Yes, we have!
ごめん、先月借りた30ドル、まだ返してなかったよね？
Oh, I didn’t give you 30 dollars back yet which I borrowed from you last month, did I?
Class theme/topic discussed: Soviet Poetry of the Khrushchev Thaw (1960s)
Goal of the class:
Learn about the poetry during the Khrushchev Thaw
Practice translating and listening skills
Get to know the Soviet director, screenplay writer and poet Gennadiy Shpalikov
Class structure:
Greetings and warm-ups. Discussion in pairs: Do you like poetry? Who is your favorite poet if you have one? Do you know any Soviet or Russian poets?
Introduction. Gennadiy Shpalikov I briefly introduce the biography of Gennady Shpalikov to the class. Why he was important for the “Ottepel” (the Khrushchev Thaw) and what the general atmosphere in the culture at that time was. I ask students if they know something about 1960s culture in the Soviet Union. “В воздухе была надежда на свободу, и мы дышали этим воздухом, а как точно заметил Сергей Соловьев, Шпаликов этот воздух создавал” (Юлий Файт)
Activity 1. Translate a poem. I give students a handout with the Shpalikov’s poem “Людей теряют только раз” (“You lose people only once…”) translated in English and ask them to come up with a Russian translation for this poem. I put students into two groups, so every group come up with their own translation. Then, I ask them to present their poems to the rest of the class.
Activity 2. Comparison with an original. Александр Яценко – “Людей теряют только раз” I show students a video of a Russian actor Alexander Yazenko reading this poem in a studio. Before that, I give them a handout with an original text, so students can compare their poems with the original.
Геннадий Шпаликов Людей теряют только раз, И след, теряя, не находят, А человек гостит у вас, Прощается и в ночь уходит. А если он уходит днем, Он все равно от вас уходит. Давай сейчас его вернем, Пока он площадь переходит. Немедленно его вернем, Поговорим и стол накроем, Весь дом вверх дном перевернём И праздник для него устроим.
Gennady Shpalikov Translated by Igor Skryagin and Aleksandra Bystrova All people may be lost just once, And a lost trace may not be found, When a person, who is staying with you, Leaves into the night, saying «goodbye». And if they leave in the afternoon, They leave you anyway. Let’s return them right now, While they are crossing the square. Let’s return them immediately, And talk to them, and set the table, Turn the whole house upside down And arrange a feast for them.
Activity 1. Translate the poem.
Activity 2. Comparison with the original
What worked well in this class? What did not work? Students came up with beautiful translations of the poem. They were very engaged into translating it. If students are interested in the Soviet culture and poetry, it can be a very enjoyable class. However, if students don’t like poetry it might be challenging. The level of the poem is appropriate for advanced learners. The groups of two students in each group worked well.
How could this class be improved/ modified? I would leave it as it is. If you have more time left, you can do the same with another poem from the Thaw’s poet Bella Ahmadulina “В тот месяц май, в тот месяц мой…” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbhaPvhokqM)
Class theme/topic discussed: Food and beverages II
Goal of the class:
Students will be able to:
Describe food and use expressions to order food in a restaurant (for example: “me gustaría ordenar”, “quisiera pedir”, “¿Qué lleva el ___?”, “¿me podría traer la cuenta?”, etc)
Class structure:
Warm up:
Students remember vocabulary of ingredients of food by seeing last class’ images of Chilean food and saying the ingredients that they can see.
Activities
-Students watch a video on “how NOT to order food in Spanish” and are asked to identify the expressions that are used to order food, as well as answering: how should the customer have said those expressions in a better way?. After that, the facilitator writes on the board relevant expressions for ordering food.
-Students see an open-ended dialogue at a regular restaurant setting and practice the expressions filling in the blanks the information that they want to add to the situation. They practice asking about ingredients and describing plates in the process.
Roleplay: One of the students is the waiter and the others are customers. They simulate a restaurant setting in which some difficulties happen (they take turns so that someone is not always the waiter):
Their favorite plate is not available that day and they have to find something that could be enjoyable for them.
While eating, they realized that there was meat on what they ordered. They are vegetarians.
While eating, the restaurant is about to close, but they only started eating about 5 minutes ago.
Wrap up:
Adivina el plato de comida: Each students describes a plate, and the rest of the participants guess what the plate is.
Resources used: Projector, Power point presentation, youtube video
Reflection: What worked/did not work? How can it be improved?
Students participated well during the class. They had practiced describing food on the previous class, so it was easier for them to do it that class. It was surprising for me that they remembered so many things about Chilean food ( I thought that they would forget it right after the class). In general, they seemed to have fun, but I realized that, even though I still tried to model before each activity, I could have done it more; because there were a couple of situations in which students were not so sure about how to proceed, so then I would try to show them again.
Food ordering dialog (for controlled practice stage)
Mesero: Buenas tardes, bienvenido/a al restaurante ____________. Mi nombre es ____ y voy a ser su mesero. ¿Qué desea tomar/beber?
