Writing

I have been marking the writing.
Here is a summary of typical mistakes, corrected
mon anniversaire est le cinq mai (formula for date : le + cardinal number (except premier) then month, no “of” no “c’est)
j’aime les chats et les chiens mais je n’aime pas les souris (plural –s which you don’t pronounce, use of the definite article (the) after likes, dislikes)
use of avoir (have) with age il a 20 ans / ils ont 5 et 7 ans
elle est petite et a 3 ans (you need the a as the verb has changed)
je ne suis pas + adjective = I am not tall/ happy/ married etc
je regarde la télévision / j’aime regarder la télévision
j’aime le théâtre / j’aime aller au théâtre (j’aime followed by the infininitive –er)
du vin / beaucoup de vin / un verre de vin use of “de” after beaucoup and amounts
l’école / une école difficulty with l'
et = and
the ability to spell some basic voc eg soeur frère deux

Rather belatedly, I found some quia exercises to help practise
http://www.quia.com/cz/126852.html family description etre or avoir
http://www.quia.com/cz/4057.html family description
http://www.quia.com/pop/40912.html questions about the Simpsons
http://www.quia.com/cz/3536.html family information the Simpsons


http://www.quia.com/cz/132271.html food du or de
http://www.quia.com/pop/194466.html food du, de la
http://www.quia.com/pop/194465.html food likes

http://www.quia.com/jg/1331211.html match numbers 1-20
http://www.quia.com/rd/6820.html number order
http://www.quia.com/jg/523758.html quel and quelle

Explaining your lesson in French

Using aller + INF is a really easy way of explaining what you are going to do.
(see the Nicolas' game )
eg Je vais cacher … I'm going to hide sth
Vous allez fermer les yeux. you're going to shut your eyes
Aujourd'hui on va apprendre les parties du corps. Today we're going to learn the parts of the body
Maintenant vous allez desssiner…. now you're going to draw …

Only gets complicated with reflexive verbs or when using pronouns
eg
Vous allez vous asseoir you are going to sit - better to say asseyez-vous
Vous allez me montrer you are going to show me - better to say montrez-moi

Amounts - grammar

a cup of tea, a bottle of beer, a kilo of cheese, a box of chocolates, lots of presents, a bottle of oil

in all of these, the word for “of” is de or the shortened form d’

une tasse de thé
une bouteille de bière
un kilo de fromage
une boîte de chocolates
beaucoup de cadeaux
une bouteille d'huile

This is quite straightforward and the same as English.
QUiA exercise here

Confusion occurs because of the Partitive (du, de la, de l’ and des)
je voudrais du thé I would like tea or I would like some tea
il y a de la bière there is (some) beer
tu veux du fromage? do you want (some) cheese?
il y a des chocolats there are (some) chocolates
j’ais reçu des cadeaux I got (some)presents

Note that de (d’) is a different entity to the Partitive (du, de la, de l’ and des)

The same set (du, de la, de l’ and des)can also mean “of the” or “from the”
le sommet de la colline the top of the hill
le coin de la rue the corner of the street
le mari de la femme the husband of the woman the woman’s husband
une lettre de la Mairie a letter from the Town Hall

Question words practice

Here is how you form "What"

Que is basic word for what in sentences like "what are you doing?" Que fais-tu?
est-ce que is a common way of forming a question (instead of inversion) and means is it that?
to put the 2 together you need to change que to qu'
so Qu'est-ce que Qu'est-ce que tu fais?

If the next word begins with a vowel the that last -e becomes '
Qu'est-ce qu'il y a …? What is there …?

If what goes with a noun then it is quel, quelle, quels, quelles depending on the noun.
eg Quel temps? Quel âge? Quelle heure? Quelle couleur? Quels sont tes passe-temps préférés?

There are notes with examples in the GRAMMAR folder in My Teachig Files

Here is a quia exercise on question words to practise.

Grammar Homework

I have posted the handout on Articles and the handout on Questions forms along with audio of question forms to the GRAMMAR folder.

Exercise on
food likes http://www.quia.com/pop/194466.html
what would you like to eat http://www.quia.com/pop/194466.html
articles http://www.quia.com/hm/86932.html

verbs exercise

Try this quia exercise. If you are not sure of the answers click I give up. Read the answers and start over

update - grammar, chants de Noël

The French for glitter appears to be "paillettes"!

The MFLE has just published grammar for primary teachers

Vive le vent (jingle bells) words:
Vive le vent, vive le vent,
Vive le vent d'hiver,
Qui s'en va sifflant, soufflant
Dans les grands sapins verts, oh !

Vive le temps, vive le temps,
Vive le temps d'hiver,
Boule de neige et jour de l'an
Et bonne année grand-mère.

Mon beau sapin (Christmas tree):

mon beau sapin, roi des forêts
que j’aime ta verdure
quand par l’hiver, bois et guérets
sont dépouillés de leurs attraits
mon beau sapin, roi des forêts
tu gardes ta parure

more words to carols = chants de Noël here