Blog
Welcome to Joanne Leyland's French Blog!
Here you will discover:
- Seasonal topics to include in your French lessons
- Printable activities for your French class
- Insightful answers to frequently asked questions
Seasonal topics
It's summer! And even on a cloudy day we know the sun will be out again soon (even if we have to wait a day or two). Below you will find some topics which are ideal to teach children during the summer months. For the ice cream and drinks topics a great learning activity is to design a menu for each.
Printable Activities
Easter activity sheet
For this Easter activity sheet read the French words and draw the pictures. At the bottom of the PDF you will find a French-English vocabulary list.
To print the the Easter activity sheet click on the arrow in the top right corner of the pdf, then select print.
This pdf may be photocopied for class or home use.
World Book Day - Thursday 6th March 2025
For world book day you could talk about how often you read. To do this in French it could be fun to complete a questionnaire and ask other people how often they read.
To print the Tu lis souvent? questionnaire click on the arrow in the top right corner of the pdf, then select print.
This pdf may be photocopied for class or home use.
Christmas I spy
Over the Christmas season it would be fun to do a Christmas I spy in French!
To print the Christmas I spy click on the arrow in the top right corner of the pdf, then select print.
This pdf may be photocopied for class or home use.
World diabetes day
World diabetes day is a good opportunity to discuss in French the importance of eating healthy food and doing physical exercise.
To print the pdf about World diabetes day, click on the arrow in the top right corner of the pdf, then select print. This pdf may be photocopied for class or home use.
Le 14 juillet
To print le 14 juillet activity sheet, click on the image. Then print, colour & learn a little about the 14th July!
This pdf may be photocopied for class or home use.
Frequently asked questions
Why should my child learn French?
Learning a second language at an early age is often easier than as an adult as young leaners are more receptive to language learning and acquire new vocabulary naturally rather than having to study hard to remember it. Young children are also more likely to be enthusiastic about learning French.
How should you correct mistakes in French?
When someone is learning French it's only natural to make mistakes from time to time. However, rather than tell the young learner they are wrong many people believe it is better to say "yes" or "oui" and then repeat the correct version for them to hear as with time the child should self correct, just like they have when they learnt their native language. As adults we don't like to get things wrong as it can be demotivating and children feel the same way. So praise your child / children as much as you can to encourage them.
Speaking French abroad
If you have the opportunity take your child on a trip to France or another French speaking country so they can experience hearing French spoken in a natural environment and maybe even pick up some new words!