{"id":5172,"date":"2017-03-01T13:00:48","date_gmt":"2017-03-01T13:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/?p=5172"},"modified":"2021-08-18T13:40:19","modified_gmt":"2021-08-18T13:40:19","slug":"tutor-resource-library-french","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/tutors\/tutor-resource-library-french\/","title":{"rendered":"Tutor Resources: How to teach French GCSE"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>a{color:#2787FF}p span{font-family:'Source Sans Pro';font-size:16px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400}.collapsemenu__link span{color:#2787FF;cursor:pointer}.collapsemenu__link .arrow{font-size:26px;margin-right:5px}blockquote{line-height:1.5;text-align:center;color:#1fb6ff;margin:40px 0}blockquote:before{color:#1fb6ff}blockquote p{font-size:22px;line-height:1.5}<\/style>\n<p>French is a bit like Marmite for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/view-tutors\/GCSE\/\">GCSE students<\/a>: generally either they love it, or they hate it. Though students often say, \u2018Oh, I just CAN\u2019T do French\u2019, I\u2019ve found that students who struggle with French have often found their teachers uninspiring, or struggle to see the \u2018point\u2019 in learning French.<\/p>\n<p>I see my job as a tutor as not only helping my students to understand the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/view-tutors\/French\/\">French language<\/a>, but also showing them that French can be fun!<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"TextRun SCX186072924\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX186072924\">Preparing for your first tutorial<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Teaching your first tutorial can be a bit daunting, but if you prepare properly, you\u2019ll be just fine! It\u2019s important to find out what your student wants to get out of their tutorials and to set a 5-tutorial plan in the first tutorial. A student might want to work on their grammar, or prepare for the speaking exam \u2013 or they might want to do a bit of everything.<\/p>\n<p>Use the first tutorial to get to know your student by asking them what they like about French (if anything!), and what they find hard. If your student can\u2019t pinpoint what they find hard, assess their speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in the first tutorial, so you know what to focus on in subsequent lessons. You might want to start off by asking a couple of basic questions such as \u2018Comment t\u2019appelles-tu?\u2019 and \u2018Quel \u00e2ge as-tu?\u2019 to get your student in French mode. You\u2019ll know how much to push your student, based on how confidently they reply. Following this, ask your student if they find any of the topics especially challenging, and work through some questions related to this topic. Make a note of the topics your student would like to focus on, so you can prepare a list of relevant vocabulary for the next tutorial. Bring some interesting listening and reading materials to the first tutorial (more on this below!) which you can listen to or read with your student. Discuss the extract (using English as little as possible), and ask your student to underline\/highlight any new vocabulary or grammatical structures. Ask your student what they think about the extract \u2013 are they pleased to hear this piece of news? Do they agree with the speaker\/writer?<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>You might want to start off by asking a couple of basic questions such as \u2018Comment t\u2019appelles-tu?\u2019 and \u2018Quel \u00e2ge as-tu?\u2019 to get your student in French mode.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Most importantly, make sure your student is engaged throughout the tutorial, so they look forward to the next one! I like to end each tutorial with something light-hearted, in the hope that my students will enjoy French culture throughout the week. All students are different, but lots of my students have enjoyed listening to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=oiKj0Z_Xnjc\">Stromae<\/a> recently!<\/p>\n<p>Here is a sample 5-tutorial plan:<\/p>\n<table style=\"height: 160px;\" width=\"774\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 21.6719px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21.6719px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX219890412\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX219890412\">Tutorial 1<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21.6719px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX219890412\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX219890412\">Tutorial 2<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21.6719px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX219890412\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX219890412\">Tutorial 3<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21.6719px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX219890412\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX219890412\">Tutorial 4<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21.6719px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX219890412\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX219890412\">Tutorial 5<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 21px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><em><span class=\"TextRun SCX203898576\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX203898576\">Comment <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX203898576\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"SpellingError SCX203898576\">t\u2019appelles-tu<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX203898576\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX203898576\">? <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX203898576\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"SpellingError SCX203898576\">Quel<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"TextRun SCX203898576\" lang=\"EN\" xml:lang=\"EN\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX203898576\">\u00e2<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX203898576\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"SpellingError SCX203898576\">ge<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX203898576\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX203898576\"> as-<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX203898576\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"SpellingError SCX203898576\">tu<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX203898576\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX203898576\">?<\/span><\/span><\/em><span class=\"TextRun SCX203898576\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX203898576\"> And other questions\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><em><span class=\"TextRun SCX209474023\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"SpellingError SCX209474023\">Qu\u2019est-ce<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX209474023\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX209474023\"> que <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX209474023\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"SpellingError SCX209474023\">tu<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX209474023\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX209474023\"> as fait <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX209474023\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"SpellingError SCX209474023\">hier<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX209474023\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX209474023\">?<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><em><span class=\"TextRun SCX35620063\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"SpellingError SCX35620063\">Qu\u2019est-ce<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX35620063\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX35620063\"> que <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX35620063\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"SpellingError SCX35620063\">tu<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX35620063\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX35620063\"> vas faire <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX35620063\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"SpellingError SCX35620063\">demain?<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><em><span class=\"TextRun SCX208972781\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"SpellingError SCX208972781\">Aimes-tu<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX208972781\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX208972781\"> la <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX208972781\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"SpellingError SCX208972781\">musique<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX208972781\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX208972781\">?<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><em><span class=\"TextRun SCX23001475\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX23001475\">Quelle <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX23001475\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"SpellingError SCX23001475\">est<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX23001475\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX23001475\"> ta<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX23001475\" lang=\"FR-BE\" xml:lang=\"FR-BE\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX23001475\"> mati\u00e8re<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX23001475\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX23001475\"> pr\u00e9f\u00e9r\u00e9e<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX23001475\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX23001475\">?<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 21px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX138690575\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX138690575\">What do\/don\u2019<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX138690575\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX138690575\">t they<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX138690575\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX138690575\"> like about French?<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX147946363\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX147946363\">General discussion about family and friends.<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX117768519\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX117768519\">Mock speaking exam &#8211; using a past paper!<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX12740494\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX12740494\">General discussion about education.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCX12740494\">\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\">Mock speaking exam &#8211; using a past paper!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 21px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX198963702\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX198963702\">Grammar: revise the <\/span><\/span><em><span class=\"TextRun SCX198963702\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX198963702\">pass\u00e9 <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX198963702\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"SpellingError SCX198963702\">compos\u00e9<\/span><\/span><\/em><span class=\"TextRun SCX198963702\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX198963702\">.<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX92587820\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX92587820\">Grammar: revise the <\/span><\/span><em><span class=\"TextRun SCX92587820\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"SpellingError SCX92587820\">futur<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX92587820\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX92587820\"> simple<\/span><\/span><\/em><span class=\"TextRun SCX92587820\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX92587820\">.<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX259140603\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX259140603\">Grammar: revise the present tense.<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX148589468\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX148589468\">Grammar: revise<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX148589468\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX148589468\"> conjunctions.<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX20593049\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX20593049\">Grammar: revise negation.<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 21px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX175607133\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX175607133\">Listen to an extract and discuss.<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX71796936\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX71796936\">Read an extract and discuss.<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX265796013\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX265796013\">Listen to an extract and discuss.<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX18363766\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX18363766\">Read an extract and discuss.<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX62420708\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX62420708\">Listen to an extract and discuss.<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 21px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX188786955\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX188786955\">Listen to Stromae<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX188786955\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX188786955\">!<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX52209477\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX52209477\">Watch an<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX52209477\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX52209477\"> extract of \u2018A bout de <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX52209477\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"SpellingError SCX52209477\">souffle<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX52209477\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX52209477\">\u2019.<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX155968512\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX155968512\">Listen to Fran<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX155968512\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX155968512\">\u00e7<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX155968512\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX155968512\">oise Hardy.<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX72855301\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX72855301\">Wa<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX72855301\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX72855301\">tch an extract of \u2018Jules et Jim\u2019.<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 148px; height: 21px;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX77561925\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX77561925\">Watch a<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX77561925\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX77561925\">n extract of \u2018Un sac de <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX77561925\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"SpellingError SCX77561925\">billes<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX77561925\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX77561925\">\u2019.<\/span><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h2><span class=\"TextRun SCX2458020\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX2458020\">Resources<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"TextRun SCX197162311\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX197162311\">Speaking<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX197162311\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX197162311\"> and listening exams<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX197162311\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX197162311\">:<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX197162311\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX197162311\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Most GCSE students are especially nervous about the speaking exam, because they\u2019re not used to speaking exams, and they feel \u2018put on the spot\u2019. It\u2019s important to help students to feel as prepared as possible for this exam, so practice really is key. Start each tutorial by asking your student a few questions in French to ease them into speaking French aloud.<\/p>\n<p>I find these resources invaluable for helping students to improve their French:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li data-listid=\"2\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/schools\/gcsebitesize\/french\/speakingf\/http:\/www.bbc.co.uk\/schools\/gcsebitesize\/french\/speakingh\/\">BBC French Bitesize<\/a> is great for finding example questions and listening exercises<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li data-listid=\"2\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\">More advanced students might enjoy the range of podcasts <a href=\"https:\/\/savoirs.rfi.fr\/apprendre-enseigne\">here<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li data-listid=\"2\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Even more advanced students might enjoy listening to the <a href=\"https:\/\/savoirs.rfi.fr\/fr\/apprendre-enseigner\/langue-francaise\/journal-en-francais-facile\">Journal en fran\u00e7ais facile<\/a>, which is produced daily<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Remember, speaking and listening are two sides of the same coin so preparing for the speaking exam will help your student with the listening exam, and vice versa.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"TextRun SCX16306599\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX16306599\">Reading<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX16306599\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX16306599\"> and writing exams:<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Here again, practice is crucial. Go through past paper questions with your students, encouraging them to read and translate questions before answering them.<\/p>\n<p>Highlight that it\u2019s important to give as much detail as possible and point out that, in the writing exam, you don\u2019t need to tell the truth \u2013 it\u2019s better to say \u2018je suis all\u00e9e au cin\u00e9ma\u2019 if you know how to spell \u2018le cin\u00e9ma\u2019 than \u2018 je suis all\u00e9e au theartur\u2019, even if you went to the theatre, not the cinema.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"TextRun SCX155638619\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX155638619\">FAQs<\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cWhy are French verbs so weird?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This is the question I\u2019m asked most often by GCSE students. There\u2019s no real answer \u2013 unless you want to delve into the history of French \u2013 but students do need to get their heads around French verbs.<\/p>\n<p>My students have often found it helpful to spend a couple of tutorials making big verb tables where they conjugate around 10 key verbs such as avoir, \u00eatre, aller, faire, jouer, dire, voir, vouloir, pouvoir, savoir.<\/p>\n<p>I encourage my students to revise one verb for each tutorial (or more, depending on how soon the student\u2019s exams are).<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>I encourage my students to revise one verb for each tutorial<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It\u2019s also important to set out which verbs are conjugated with \u00eatre in compound tenses (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/schools\/gcsebitesize\/french\/grammar\/verbsf\/perftenseetrerev3.shtml\">MRS VANDERTRAMP<\/a> verbs):<\/p>\n<p>Test your students, and encourage them to test themselves by covering up parts of the verb table and filling in the gaps.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"TextRun SCX22815554\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX22815554\">Why I love tutoring French<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"TextRun SCX96829377\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX96829377\">Teaching French<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX96829377\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX96829377\"> is rewarding<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX96829377\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX96829377\">\u00a0because I\u2019m passionate about the French language, and <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX96829377\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX96829377\">it\u2019s great <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX96829377\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX96829377\">to see students grow to love (or at least like!) <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX96829377\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX96829377\">speaking French. For me, the best thing about teaching French is that<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"TextRun SCX96829377\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX96829377\">as <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX96829377\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX96829377\">a student\u2019s French improv<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX96829377\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX96829377\">es, their confidence grows too.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5332 size-full aligncenter lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/french.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"144\" height=\"144\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/french.png 144w, https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/french-64x64.png 64w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 144px) 100vw, 144px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 144px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 144\/144;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5332 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/french.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"144\" height=\"144\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/french.png 144w, https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/french-64x64.png 64w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 144px) 100vw, 144px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"TextRun SCX27654317\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX27654317\">Anna <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX27654317\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX27654317\">Tankel studied<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX27654317\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX27654317\">\u00a0French at the\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX27654317\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX27654317\">University <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX27654317\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX27654317\">o<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX27654317\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX27654317\">f Oxford<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX27654317\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX27654317\">, and now she works for MyTutor. She has completed over 200 hours of private tuition.<\/span><\/span> <span class=\"TextRun SCX27654317\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX27654317\">Her interests include yoga, dance and <\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX27654317\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX27654317\">French culture<\/span><\/span><span class=\"TextRun SCX27654317\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCX27654317\">.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Interested in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/view-tutors\/French\/GCSE\/\">tutoring\u00a0French GCSE<\/a>?<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/tutors\/apply.html\"> Follow this link to become a tutor with MyTutor<\/a>\u00a0and start tutoring today.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>French is a bit like Marmite for GCSE students: generally either they love it, or they hate it. Though students often say, \u2018Oh, I just CAN\u2019T do French\u2019, I\u2019ve found that students who struggle with French have often found their&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5495,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[790,796],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Tutor Resources: How to teach French GCSE<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"French GCSE. A student might want to work on their French grammar, or prepare for the speaking exam \u2013 or they might want to do a bit of everything.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/tutors\/tutor-resource-library-french\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tutor Resources: How to teach French GCSE\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"French GCSE. A student might want to work on their French grammar, or prepare for the speaking exam \u2013 or they might want to do a bit of everything.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/tutors\/tutor-resource-library-french\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/en-gb.facebook.com\/MyTutorUK\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-03-01T13:00:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-08-18T13:40:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/french.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"396\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"MyTutor\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"MyTutor\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/tutors\/tutor-resource-library-french\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/tutors\/tutor-resource-library-french\/\",\"name\":\"Tutor Resources: How to teach French GCSE\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/tutors\/tutor-resource-library-french\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/tutors\/tutor-resource-library-french\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/french.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-03-01T13:00:48+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-08-18T13:40:19+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mytutor.co.uk\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c73140197d1bbf1aa85ec442089e7403\"},\"description\":\"French GCSE. 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