IT STARTED IN 2018…
…when I was in France and I was running out of money. I was looking for a job, but what I really wanted was to teach. But how? Foreigner teaching French in France? It isn’t going to work. “Maybe I should try online” I thought. I wrote an ad, I put it online and done! A little later I shot a short video which helped me find students from all over the world.

MATTER OF TRIAL

I tried to conduct lessons as well as I could in a way I used to know, which means teaching online like not online. Other methods didn’t come to my mind at all. Moreover, My computer was unable to connect to Skype / didn’t support (it wasn’t powerful enough). I didn’t know that there is something like screen sharing. Skype on my phone, Google Drive on my computer and go!

ONLINE NOT LIKE ONLINE

Let’s be honest, constant screen sharing, especially with children, is boring! I don’t mean we shouldn’t do it at all because sometimes there is no other way, but not always, come on!

Well, which is it?

PICTURES AND OTHER PROPS WHICH IS THEATER

I am for using maaany pictures. I also often print materials to show pupils something instead of screen sharing. If there is a person/animal/creature in the picture then I often play him/her/it. I change my voice, I introduce myself or I ask questions. I also have some toys which I use for the same purpose.
A hat and a mustache?
Of course! They allow me to be a Madame or Monsieur.

Let me share short movies from my Instagram with you . They are in Polish but the point is that you see how do I show.

A DESK AND A PLASTICINE

Oh yes! They are marvelous and not all that expensive. I just happen to have a paper whiteboard in A4 format but you can also use a cardboard box, stick a regular sheet of paper in A4 format to it and write on it with a regular marker. Believe me, it’s much better than sharing tabs on computer.

USE OF WHITEBOARD PART 1 OR CONNECTING + PRETENDING YOU DON’T KNOW

As you may have gathered, numbers on the sheets I keep in the videos are witten out in full and also given in figures. Chidrens’ task is to connect them but in that moment this is me who has a sheet of paper so they have to help me. I pretend not to know so I wait for their commands.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF PLASTICINE OR PUTTY

My board isn’t magnetic so we won’t need magnets. I’m glad that so-called putty was invented, though. Thanks to it you can stick more elements to the board. The example is to teach weekday names using a song and place them in right order after listening to it.

WHY THROUGH PLAY?

Because children have a lot of fun doing it! I tell you! They are really excited when you play different roles. They laugh when you pretend you don’t know. They learn because they try to teach you 🙂 And this is beautiful.

I THINK THAT’S ALL FOR TOADY

Because post turns out to be veeeery long. I hope it would be useful and that (if you’re a teacher) you’ll take advantage of my ideas on your classes.

And now, let me know, but seriously,
was this article helpful? 🙂

Take good care of yourself and till next time,
~Klaudia.

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It could seem to be problematic if I don’t know their mother tongue. How then I cope with that when they’re just getting started with their adventure with French?

SOME OF THEM SPEAK ENGLISH

In spite of the fact that most of them (even 7-year-old children) know English, I try to avoid speaking it. We’re learning French, so every task is in this language and I only use English if something is really unclear.

By the way – it’s amazing how fluent in English present 7-year-old children are!

GESTICULATION, PICTURES, PHOTOGRAPHS, SOUNDS

Yes, it is essential. Even if whole may seem to be unclear, elements like gesticulation, pictures or photographs help to understand the meaning. One can not forget about making various sounds – it also helps much in understanding. Of course, concerned word or sentence in French should be repeated later because the child has to get acquainted with language.

Here it must be noted that child has to look at the teacher at that time, otherwise it isn’t going to work.

Recently there was such a situation.
Two pupils almost whole lesson were saying “I don’t understand”. But if they were looking at me, they would know what am I talking to them. How can I know? Because only when they were looking, their reaction was correct.

WHAT IF THE DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH?​

Pictures and once again pictures! Many pictures and gesticulation. And repeating. Child learns his first language in exactly this way, isn’t it? Mum sits and asks “where is your nose? Ears? Now show me something red”. This is exactly the same. There will be time when child catches that.

I personally believe that not using first language is the best way of teaching. There’s no other way, you are forced to get along with someone, to understand each other.

Now, what about English? Well, it is a kind of facilitation. And child? Child picks up another foreign language 🙂

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