How to differentiate for a variety of skill levels and keep everyone happy, engaged or, at least, in the same parking

lot.

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Traditionally French …

is a read and write grammar subject

teachers do most of the talking and teaching

many of the Applied students feel out of the loop

they don't do well in their own language

a second language is unimaginable for most of them

let alone irrelevant.

How do Applieds and Academics learn French in the same room?

How do you keep the able (not necessarily always the Academic) students challenged?

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How do you keep the weaker (not always the Applied) students encouraged?

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Make it…….

ManageableA well-supported

challengeRelevantAuthenticFunA team effort

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Success is more likely if:

The activity seems manageable or within reach because of scaffolding and aids.

The focus is on what they CAN do and not on what they CAN'T do.

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Scaffolding possibilities include:

vocabulary lists word banks resource sheets anchor charts reduced

expectations

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The reason for the activity seems relevant

Play to adolescent interests or travel possibilities, or cross-cultural pollination, or linguistic connections.

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What if you meet a hot French boy or girl?

Learn how to talk about yourself so that if you meet someone you are interested in you can have a conversation and send les textos (mais pas en classe!)

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What if you meet a hot French boy or girl who

needs directions?

You can ask and give directions.

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You can talk about what you like or don't like…

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What if you want to take a hot French boy or girl to a

restaurant?

What if you need to talk about what you did

yesterday?

You’ll need vocabulary (jeux vidéo)

And grammar (J’ai joué aux jeux vidéo - pronouns, past tense, agreement of adjectives and exceptions)

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30% of English words have a French derivation

Parcours(Une activité très

cool qui a commencé en France!!)

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fondue

Fondre - to meltFondue chocolat - miam miam

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Much of the work emerges from authentic French

sources. Newspaper articles Weather forecasts Maps French songs French culture:

Tintin, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hugo Cabret

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Pressure is removed by partner and group activities

such as:placemats

Qu'est-ce qu'on a fait?Décrivez votre famille.Qu'est-ce que tu aimes? Qu'est-ce que tu n'aimes

pas?

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Student Teaching

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Interviews

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Translating exercises

Sharing vocabulary tasks

Introducing and completing new online interactive activities as a class, or as partners

Skits

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An element of fun or a compelling story helps

Génies en Herbe (Reach for the Top)

Movies Online Activities (Quia,

Interactive Exercises)

Competitive activities Use of manipulatives

(flashcards, broken up sentences and charts)

Student constructed grammar/vocab aids

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Same focus for Applied and Academic students, but

different…..Activitieso Same tasks for mixed

ability group worko Similar but parallel

tasks by levelo Different tasks by levelo Quantity differenceso Open-ended tasks for

self-selection

Evaluation expectationso Quantity differenceso Similar expectations in

‘reception’ (Knowledge & Understanding)

o Different expectations in ‘expression’, particularly written - spelling and grammar (Application and Communication)

Differentiating by activity

The whole class:

- watches the film of The Count of Monte Cristo

- Accesses French vocab necessary to discuss the story

- Helps teacher create sentences about the story

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Differentiated expectations

Academics:- Translate from English to

French the previously created sentences

- Read a comic book version of the story

- High expectations of vocab acquisition

- Increased focus on vocab acquisition and precision and eloquence of expression.

Applieds:- Fill in blanks of previously

created sentences from word banks

- Illustrate the previously created version of the story.

- Lower vocab acquisition expectations in terms of # and precision

- Focus on comprehension and basic expression.

Academics & Applieds Some are going to want to

lead Some are going to want to

follow Some will want to fight in

the back and bite each other

Some will go further down the track - the destination is the same though

Widen the track so that there is room for lots of ability levels

Be willing to push the sled some days

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