Early Start French 1 - 4a Alphabet

Ch.4A: L'Alphabet: The Alphabet

Early Start French 1: CONTENTS | HOME

Some famous French people (link to another page)

'Le graphisme' - how French schools teach hand-writing

Railways in France

What you will learn in Section 4A

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You see animated letters perform in the circus ring., and hear the French names of each letter.

The alphabet is a big help to getting used to French sounds. If learning all 26 letters is too much, why not start by just learning to spell your own name?

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How French schools teach hand-writing

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Teachers TV video about handwriting in French schools
Activity sheets with section 4a

(For teachers) In France, every child is taught a particular style of handwriting - 'le graphisme' - with methods and an educational philosophy that encompasses all creative subjects in their early years at school.

Traditional but creative
The style - 'la Ronde' - was developed 50 years ago, and is based on the fluid strokes of calligraphy. In this Teachers TV video, find out how the French believe that equipping children with the ability to write will free their minds to perform creatively throughout their lives. As such, handwriting is taught as a subject in its own right.

A uniform style of handwriting is taught throughout primary education; using traditional calligraphy to produce a distinctive, ornate hand. Children practice the strokes with brush and ink as well as pen, and learn 'joine-up' writing from the start.

Lessons in a school in Lyon
This programme visits a school in Lyon to see how students in Year 1 and Year 6 develop this ability. Here is a link to watch the video online:
http://www.teachers.tv/video/24021 (you can also download it to show clips to your class)

Activities
Use the two activity sheets with section 4a, and show children clips from the Teachers TV video. They can try writing some words in French style, and some of the graphisme exercises they see french children do.

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Railways in France

In France, people refer to things by initial letters every day - like 'SNCF' and 'TGV' in the video.

French railways have been owned and run by the French government since the 1930's. It has spent lots of French taxpayers' money on making many of the trains fast and modern, whilst keeping the fares quite low. French railway workers often go on strike for more wages - they have more strikes than any other group of workers in France.

France is a big country, so the fast trains between big cities are very popular. Many French people also travel by train into the cities to work.

But 3 out of 4 French families have a car, and they prefer to drive in their leisure time. There are big traffic jams on French motorways when everyone goes away for their holidays.

SNCF
Sign pointing to Saint-Omer station
TGV
The TGV train departs

Here is a link to the SNCF web site, which has a timetable in English:
http://www.theotherside.co.uk/tm-heritage/travel/france-rail.htm

Suppose you take a cross-Channel ferry from Dover to Calais. Can you plan a trip by train from Calais to the big city of Lille and back again, in one day?


Ch.4A: L'Alphabet: The Alphabet

Early Start French 1: CONTENTS \| HOME

What you will learn in Section 4A
# You see animated letters perform in the circus ring., and hear the French names of each letter.
The alphabet is a big help to getting used to French sounds. If learning all 26 letters is too much, why not start by just learning to spell your own name?