• Semester 2 (Day)

Synopsis

The  aim  of  this  unit is to give the learners a  wide  coverage  of
topics which will be dealt with essentially orally and aurally  -   as
they  would be in primary schools.  It is important that the  learners
become  comfortable with using the French language in a  communicative
way before embarking upon the intricacies of the written language.

A  unique  aspect of the unit is that it will not merely be  a  French
Language course.  Rather it will combine language, teaching styles and
methodologies  which  will  be appropriate  for  people  who  will  be
teaching in a primary school environment. To achieve this the  primary
experienced  French  lecturer will teach  the  class  as  though  they
themselves  are primary school children.  This will not only  help  in
the  development  of  their language skills, but will  give  them  the
appropriate modelling of how languages are (can/should be)  taught  in
primary schools.  Having experienced this learning method and acquired
their  language  skills in this manner they will be able  to  transfer
their  knowledge of both French and how to teach primary LOTE directly
to   teaching in the primary LOTE classroom.  To that end, the teacher
will   speak  almost exclusively in French and use games,  activities,
songs,  chants,  rhymes,  children's stories,  big  books,  children's
videos and cartoons, etc.  As this approach combines both content  and
methodology,  is  communicative  and  student  centred,   there   will
necessarily  be  a high commitment to participation in  the  classroom
activities.