Big Issues in French

Thea SearleGrantown Grammar School & ML

Subject Supporter for HighlandSALT, 7th November 2009

Big Issues

• What? How? Why?• Case studies – conflict, human rights,

environment• Workshop activities

Global citizenship

• “Global Citizenship is about understanding the need to tackle injustice and inequality, and having the desire and ability to work actively to do so. It is about valuing the Earth as precious and unique, and safeguarding the future for those coming after us. Global Citizenship is a way of thinking and behaving. It is an outlook on life, a belief that we can make a difference.” (Oxfam website)

Knowledge & understanding

• Social justice & equity• Diversity• Globalisation & interdependence• Sustainable Development• Peace and conflict

What topics could you look at to address these issues in your Languages classroom?

Skills

• Critical thinking• Ability to argue effectively• Ability to challenge injustice & inequalities• Respect for people & beings• Cooperation & conflict resolution

What types of activities could you do to develop such skills?

Values & attitudes

• Sense of identity & self esteem• Empathy• Commitment to social justice & equity• Value & respect for diversity• Concern for the environment & commitment

to sustainable development• Belief that people can make a difference

Conflict

Modern Studies

SCIAF

Podcast

Francophone country

Free time

Conflict – Critical thinking

• Man versus nature – mining• Man versus society - dictatorship• Man versus man – civil war• Man versus self – ethical & moral dilemma

Francophone country - RDC• Map of African countries & languages• Background information in English & quiz

Podcast – Social justice

• Raise awareness of conflict in RDC

• Look at the work of SCIAF

• Develop language skills

Pupil feedback

• Good fun• Learnt their lives are different but we have a

lot of things in common• We enjoyed not using text books• Our vocabulary has got bigger.• We found out Africa had French speaking

people• It was new.

Conflict unit of work

• GGS French Blog

Social justice - Human Rights

• Human rights – match English & French• Kroo Bay• Fact file Kroo Bay• Day in Life & communication via blog• Reading from text books / past papers on aid

organisations, children working in developing countries, poverty.

Pupil feedback

• The writing activities were 'exciting' as made me think about life over there. They made me use more complicated French.

• Really enjoyed it was completely different & interesting.

• Very good as see where people live and the situation they live in.

• Improved my French because required to use French in challenging and interesting situations

Human rights

• What countries/events could you focus on?• What issues could you look at?• What language skills could you develop?• What activities could do in your Languages

classroom?

Conservation

Description•Adjectives•Dictionary•Miming

Personal details•Basic Q & A•Survey

Actions•Verbs•Whiteboards

Animal vocabulary•Genders•Pelmanism

HWP Visit•Quiz•Observation•Discussion

Conservation•Reading texts

Animal profiles•Writing

Ils veulent sauver leur zooLe zoo de Vincennes, souffle ses 70 bougies toutes portes fermées. En effet, le personnel ne veut plus y travailler car il le trouve en trop mauvais état et donc dangereux.Le zoo de Vincennes, à Paris, a été fondé en 1934. Mondialement connu, il a attiré l’an dernier 750 000 visiteurs. Pourtant de nombreuses zones sont interdites au public : les rhinocéros ne reçoivent plus de visites depuis 2 ans, les lions et les tigres ont déménagé vers d’autres parcs et les ours vont bientôt les suivre. En effet, le zoo ne pouvait plus accueillir les visiteurs en toute sécurité. Les énormes faux rochers qui constituent son originalité s’effritent et menacent de s’écrouler. Les soigneurs et les gardiens ont alors jugé que la situation devenait trop dangereuse pour eux. C’est pour cette raison qu’ils ont décidé d’arrêter de travailler. Ils veulent également attirer l’attention des Français sur l’état du zoo. Ce dernier appartient au Muséum d’histoire naturelle qui affirme que plusieurs projets de travaux sont à l’étude.

Une loutre

Les loutres vivent dans et autour des rivières. Elles sont carnivores. Elles mangent les poissons, les oiseaux et les petits mammifères. Elles ont un territoire deà propos d ’ onze miles de longue. Elles vivent dans la rivière Spey. Elles sont petites, marron avec un fourrure impermeable. Elles ont de longues moustaches. Elles adore la chasse et jouer.

Conservation

• How could you look at conservation in a French / German speaking country?

• How could you structure a debate about zoos in the foreign language?

• What language structures could you develop?

Next steps - Climate change• Age of stupid film trailer

Environment

Workshop

• Choose 1 context to bring a global dimension into your classroom.

• Consider what knowledge, skills, values are key.

• Think about what vocabulary, language structures, grammar or phrases you want to develop.

• Choose particular language skills as focus areas.