A Neurolinguistic Approach to Language Acquisition

This year, I have the privilege of teaching FSL (French as a Second Language) to Grades 1-4 students.  My approach is based on that of Intensive French, which is a neurolinguistic approach to language acquisition.  This approach makes a distinction between "internal grammar" (implicit competence) and "external" or "conscious" grammar (explicit knowledge).  In first language acquisition, internal grammar precedes the learning of external grammar.  

During class, I aim at creating an environment for students to develop an "internal grammar" which is acquired through the development of oral language by modeling after the teacher.  Last week, Grade 1 and 2 students learned four colour words:  bleu, vert, jaune and rouge (blue, green, yellow and red.)  It is important to note that the words were not taught as isolated words but were learned in the context of a sentence, in this case, J'aime... (i.e. I like...)  

Grade 3 and 4 students continued to consolidate their speaking skills on how to introduce their family by saying J'ai _____ frères.  J'ai ______ sœurs.  (I have ____ brothers.  I have ____ sisters.)  They also reinforced their knowledge of the different body parts by responding to the command:  Touchez la tête (Touch the head).  Again, the vocabulary is not introduced as isolated words but as part of a sentence.  Over time, not only will students build a list of vocabulary but they will also have access to a number of common sentence structures which enable them to converse with others.

As I said two weeks ago, "little by little, the bird makes his nest."  Be courageous and start speaking one or two French sentences a day!

C'est en forgeant qu'on devient forgeron

C'est en forgeant qu'on devient forgeron.
"It is by forging that we become blacksmith."

What a beautiful way to say "practice makes perfect."  One can only master a language by "doing" it; so, I encourage your child to be your French teacher at home.  Start with a simple "bonjour" or "ça va bien."  With time and consistent practice, your child will get a better sense of the rhythm of the French language.

Last week, Grade 1 and 2 students continued to build on what they had learned from Me voici.  They learned to respond to Comment ça va? and worked on the numbers (1 to 5.)  As a way to reinforce the knowledge of the numbers, students learned how to sing Happy Birthday, or Bonne fête à toi.     

Grade 3 and 4 students worked on greeting each other by asking Comment ça va? as well as responding to them.  This is their first step in creating a dialogue with their peers.  They reviewed the first verse of Tête, épaules, genoux, orteils, (i.e. the French version of Heads and Shoulders, Knees and Toes) and learned the second verse.  As a way to reinforce the concepts, we played the game Jacques a dit or Simon says. 

    

Petit à petit, l'oiseau fait son nid

Petit à petit

l'oiseau fait son nid

This French expression ---- "little by little, the bird makes its nest" ---- sums up beautifully what I hope to accomplish with the FSL program this year.  Learning any language is not easy and mastering a language takes time.  While this may sound daunting at first, with consistent effort over time, I believe all learners can make progress at their own pace.  

During the past week, we focused on Me voici, i.e. "Here I am."  While Grade 1 and 2 students focused on introducing their name and age, Grade 3 and 4 students tried to "interview" their peers.  Over the next few weeks, we will continue to build on this topic.

Your child may have already shared with you that we do a lot of singing and games in class.  Singing songs is one of the most effective ways to learn a language as this allows us to experience the rhythm of the language.  Action songs are great as they help us connect words to actions, hence, another way to reinforce new knowledge.  Games are equally effective as they provide learners the opportunity to practice both speaking and listening skills.  

The first action song we learned is Tête, épaules, genoux, orteils, i.e. the French version of Heads and Shoulders, Knees and Toes.  You can easily find different renditions of this song on the internet.  Please feel free to sing along with your child!

    

Welcome back!

Bonjour!

Welcome to the Elboya Grade 1-4 FSL blog.  My name is Mme Ling.  Most of you know me as the Elementary music specialist.  This year I'll be working with students in the capacity of a music teacher and a French as a Second Language teacher.  I look forward to getting to know the students in a different way.

Have a great weekend!