Planning a Francophonie unit can be both exciting and overwhelming.If you are anything like me, you mostly learnt about the Francophone world independently. However, you are not alone, fellow French teacher! I am going to share with you a bunch of the activities and resources I use as part of my Francophonie unit.
Please note that this is the unit I use to introduce my French language learners to the history of the Francophone world.
That being said, Francophone cultures are infused into every single French classroom routine and lesson. Sometimes Francophone cultures are infused minimally in the lesson and other times they are a significant part of our class that day.
Why teach a Francophonie unit in French class?
Learning a language isn’t just grammar and vocabulary lists.
Language is people. Language is culture.
My first language is Punjabi. I cannot separate Punjabi from the food, the music, the history, the recipes, customs and practices, and so much more.
Language is a vehicle for culture. We absolutely cannot separate these two!
So yes, it is not only very important to teach about why French is spoken throughout the world and to learn about the people who speak it, but it also makes French classes so much more engaging.
STOP! Before you scroll – download these Francophonie maps activities for free.
Who are these activities ideal for?
These activities are ideal for high novice to intermediate French students.
Francophonie unit overview
In this Francophonie unit, students will :
- learn basic information about the French Empire, colonization, and the current French-speaking world
- explore current statistics about Francophones and Francophone places
- research and describe a Francophone country or region for their flag project
Activity 1 : start your Francophonie unit talking about WHY French is spoken around the world
This two-page reading comprehension article is designed to teach your students about the history of the Francophone world.
This part of the unit is crucial. We absolutely do not want to glorify the French-speaking world.
We have to remember that colonization is the reason why countries in Africa, Asia, and North & South Americas speak French.
It is crucial that we understand that former colonies have complex relationships with the French language and it is okay for them to define their relationship.
This article does just that. No romanticizing. No glorifying.
Discover some fast facts about the French-speaking world with your class
Start a discussion with your class with this graphic organizer.
It is the perfect way to begin a Francophonie unit!
How many French speakers are there throughout the world? How many countries are part of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie?
Who were the founders of the OIF? Where is the OIF located?
What are most populated Francophone cities in the world?
Tip : before you read this page with your students, have them guess these questions as a class!
Francophone city capitals, new vocabulary, and flags of Francophone countries
I’ve come up with tons of activities that complement your Francophonie unit objectives.
A creative summative project – individual Francophone country research project
End your unit with this creative summative project.
Students will research a Francophone country or region of their choice.
They will then decorate this flag with information they have found.
50 different templates have been provided for you!
Play this game : où est le pays francophone ?
This is a really fun game to play at the start of the unit.
Divide your class into two teams. Have 1 representative from each team come up to the board.
Reveal the Francophone country of the round. Both participants must correctly circle the country on the map.
This game reveals how much students know or do not know about the geography of Francophone countries.
French reading comprehension activity idea : quel pays francophone suis-je ?
This a reading comprehension activity where students read a description of a Francophone country.
The objective is to correctly guess which Francophone country is being described!
After reading a few of these together, I have my students write their own descriptions for an assignment. This is a great little mini assignment for a Francophonie unit.
