First course of a French language teacher: lesson 0

Below, we will explain in detail what any teacher should teach in their first period or their first two periods (it depends on the length of your periods) with completely beginner learners. This is what we call lesson 0. No FLE (French as a foreign language) method is needed. You will start using your FLE textbook after this lesson 0.

We would like to thank Mr. Lionel SOURISSEAU for writing this lesson 0. We have allowed ourselves to make some slight modifications and additions.

The principle of lesson 0 is to give your first lesson mainly orally. Depending on the size of your group, you should spend 2 to 3 hours. We advise you to write the sentences only at the end of the periods so that the learner tries to reproduce the sounds he has heard and not what he is reading. That is, to make sure that the students do not try to transcribe in their notebooks what they think they hear, but are attentive to the exchanges and receptive.

At the end of lesson 0, advise learners to work at home from the following videos:

1) For your learners to learn how to introduce themselves, give them this link: https://youtu.be/H6JeFsRUbnU

2) In addition to the 1st video, this video presents a good example of a simple dialogue between two people introducing themselves in French: https://youtu.be/1ob3A8KAGTw
3) For your learners to learn how to introduce someone, give them this link: https://youtu.be/L37WkNJgrNk

Thus, they will be able to review this lesson 0 as they wish and consolidate their learning of these first speech acts which are essential to ensure the good continuity of their progress in French.

Also recommend these 3 videos to your absent learners during lesson 0 to fill in their gaps. Indeed, for completely beginner learners, lesson 0 is very important. If they have been absent, being behind the group can put them in difficulty and cause them to quickly give up learning French.

Encourage your learners to do the oral production and interaction and writing activities of the lesson introduce yourself in French and of the lesson introduce someone in French.

The first period of lesson 0 in French as a foreign language

Communicative objectives: say “bonjour”, introduce yourself (say your first name, profession, nationality, say in which city you live) + know how to ask the corresponding questions.

Grammatical content: French verbs s’appeler, être, habiter, parler. 1st person singular (je) + 2nd person plural (vous). Interrogation (intonation).

Principle: question / answer game (between the teacher and each learner, then the students rest the questions among themselves under the teacher's control).

• Je m’appelle X. Et vous ? Vous vous appelez comment ?
Comment vous vous appelez ?

→ Je m’appelle Y.

• Je suis français. Et vous, vous êtes français(e) ?

→ Oui, je suis français(e).
→ Non, je suis américain(e).
anglais(e).
coréen(ne).

• Quelle est votre nationalité ?

→ Je suis américain(e).

anglais(e).

coréen(ne).

• Je suis professeur. Et vous ? Qu’est-ce que vous faites dans la vie ?

→ Je suis étudiant(e) / secrétaire / architecte / journaliste / professeur(e) / médecin / lycéen(ne), etc.
→ Je ne travaille pas. Je cherche du travail. Je suis sans profession.

• Vous êtes étudiant(e) ?

→ Oui, je suis étudiant(e).
→ Non, je suis secrétaire.

• Qu’est-ce que vous faites (dans la vie) ? / (Quelle est votre profession ?)

→ Je suis informaticien(ne).

• J’habite à New-York. Et vous ? Vous habitez où ?
Où habitez-vous ?

→ J’habite à New-York.
à Paris.

• Où à New-York ? Dans quelle rue ?
→ J’habite rue Lafayette à New-York.

• Vous parlez anglais ?
français ?
japonais ?

→ Oui, je parle anglais.
→ Oui, je parle un peu français. J’apprends le français.
→ Non, je ne parle pas japonais.

The second period of lesson 0 in French as a foreign language

Resumption of the elements of the first session + 3rd person singular: il / elle.

Communicative objectives: same as 1st session + présenter quelqu’un (say their first name, profession, nationality, say in which city the person lives) + know how to ask the corresponding questions.

Grammatical content: French verbs s’appeler, être, habiter, parler. 1st person singular (je) + 2nd person plural (vous). Interrogation (intonation). 3rd person singular (il / elle). French stressed pronouns (moi, lui, elle). Introduction of the french verb « faire ».

Principle: question / answer game (between the teacher and each learner, then the students rest the questions among themselves under the teacher's control).

• Je m’appelle X. Et lui/elle ? Il/Elle s’appelle comment ?
Comment il/elle s’appelle ?

→ Il/Elle s’appelle Y.

• Il est américain. Elle est américaine.

• Il est américain ? Elle est américaine ? (travail sur l’intonation)

→ Oui, il est américain. / Oui, elle est américaine.

• Il est français ? Elle est française ?

→ Non, il/elle est américain(ne).
anglais(e).
coréen(ne).

• Quelle est sa nationalité ?

→ Il / Elle est américain(e).

• Je suis professeur. Et lui/ elle ? Qu’est-ce qu’elle fait dans la vie ?

→ Il/Elle est étudiant(e) / secrétaire / architecte / journaliste / professeur(e) / médecin / lycéen(ne), etc.
→ Il/Elle ne travaille pas. Il/Elle cherche du travail. Il/Elle est sans profession.

• Il/Elle est étudiant(e) ?

→ Oui, il est étudiant(e).
→ Non, il/elle est secrétaire.

• Qu’est-ce qu’il fait(dans la vie) ? / (Quelle est sa profession ?)

→ Il est informaticien(ne).

• J’habite à New-York. Et lui/elle ? Il/elle habite où ?
Où habite-t-il/elle ?

→ Il/Elle habite à New-York.
à Paris.

• Où à New-York ? Dans quelle rue ?

→ Il/Elle habite rue Lafayette à New-York.

• Il/elle parle anglais ?
français ?
japonais ?

→ Oui, il/elle parle anglais.
→ Oui, il/elle parle un peu français. Il apprend le français.
→ Non, il/elle ne parle pas japonais.

Conclusion on the 1st course of a French language teacher: lesson 0

After the first period of this lesson 0, learners are able to introduce themselves simply and ask the corresponding questions. We get to the heart of the matter, in French, without resorting to translation. The tone of the training is set. The second period of lesson 0 consolidates the achievements of the first period and opens up to the third person singular il / elle. This lesson 0 works very well and every time. It allows learners to gain confidence and realize that they are very quickly able to present themselves and communicate in French. This lesson 0 is essential for the rest of their learning. We strongly recommend that you systematically start with this lesson 0 before starting with units (or steps) 0 of the various FLE manuals and methods.

Don't forget at the end of the second period of lesson 0 to give your learners the links to the video “introduce yourself in French”: https://youtu.be/H6JeFsRUbnU, to the video “introduce yourself - dialogue in French”: https://youtu.be/1ob3A8KAGTw and to the video “introduce someone in French”: https://youtu.be/L37WkNJgrNk so that they can work them at home according to their desire and availability. Remember to point out these three videos to your absent learners during the lesson. It will be very useful to them.

Have your learners complete the oral production and interaction and writing activities of the French lesson introduce yourself and the French lesson introduce someone.

As part of a spiral teaching / learning, do not hesitate to come back to this lesson 0 during the progression of level A1.1 by devoting small sequences of 15 minutes to it from time to time.

New content for French teachers to come very soon. To be informed of the publication of new videos and new articles, subscribe to the Youtube channel Flemotion : apprendre le français (video 100% in French but still useful for English speakers to learn French) and to the Youtube channel Learn French with Flemotion (videos with explanations in English) and to the Facebook page Flemotion : apprendre le français.