Let’s talk about a hot topic plaguing so many French teachers in my DMs and emails — what to do when French students hate learning French. Honestly, this request had me shook. How can students hate learning French??? My teenage Core French students LOVE French class. It is the highlight of their year sometimes (I’m not flexing). So the question is – how do we begin cultivating a love for learning French?
In this post, we are going to talk about changes French teachers can make in order to increase student engagement in French classes and foster passion for learning French. However, as a high school French teacher, I admit that there are definitely students who will never love learning French. That is OKAY. In this video and blog post, we are talking about actual changes French teachers can undertake to continue inspiring French language learners.
Also, please note that I am not talking about behavioural challenges that make teaching and learning French very challenging. To reiterate, we are talking about circumstances we actually have control over.
Let’s begin with a self-reflection – why do your students hate learning French?
As mentioned in the video above, a lot of my Grade 8 students come to me from elementary school and they are not shy about sharing that they HATE learning French. As a matter of fact, they’d rather be anywhere else than in French class!
Most say that French was extremely boring in elementary school. Some say that they had Francophone teachers who only spoke French and they had no idea what they were saying the entire time. Others say that they were forced to speak when they just weren’t comfortable.
All of these experiences are so valid. French teachers need to recognize and understand that students’ comfort and safety levels and confidence are intricately connected.
So, when your young Core French students express that they hate French class, ask them why!
Don’t assume that you know why.
Tip : ask them via an anonymous survey if you don’t feel comfortable having an open discussion. I personally do both so I can hear from all of my students.
Start with open lines of communication
When students express to me that they hate French class, I tell them that I am so sorry to hear that. I thank them for feeling comfortable and safe sharing that information with me. Then, I tell them that I am going to do my best to change their opinion.
Then I ask them the following questions :
- what makes you feel unsafe in a French language class? What do you need to feel safe taking risks?
- what kinds of activities do you like to do? What do you not like to do?
I share my findings with them and then I work hard to adjust my lessons and activities to incorporate their feedback.
These are the surveys I use at the start of the semester in all of my classes. I have been doing student surveys since practicum. The information students share in these is always so valuable.
If you don’t already have student surveys, go check these out.
Ultimately, students feel valued and heard when you ask what they need. In order to cultivate a love of learning French, communicating and incorporating student feedback is critical.
Is it a safe learning environment for ALL students?
Establishing a safe learning environment for ALL of your students needs to be the very first task.
French is a class that requires significant risk-taking. If students feel unsafe (e.g. they are mocked for their accents or made to speak when they don’t feel ready), then of course they are going to dislike the course.
Again, poll your students and ask them what they need to feel safe and comfortable in French class.
Is your passion for teaching French evident? How do you expect your students to love learning French if your love of teaching French is absent?
Listen, this isn’t math or socials. In a class like French class, your passion and energy need to be contagious.
For example, I am obsessed with French music. From the moment I met my current Grade 11s when they were in Grade 8, I shared my passion with them through all sorts of activities and projects. From the very beginning, they too have LOVED French music to the point where they told me they’d go to Gim’s concert with me.
If my passion and enthusiasm weren’t contagious, do you think they would have been as excited about French music?
The answer is no.
If you are not having fun teaching French, they aren’t having fun learning it. That’s not to say that every day has to be fun. My teens and I have boring “work” days too. However, the overall energy of the course does need to be exciting and infectious. The French teacher’s overall energy is critical in cultivating a love for learning French.
If you’re interested in learning about the following sub-topics connected to this blog post, do go ahead and watch the video.
- being flexible
- stepping away from grammar
- putting students before the course requirements
- mixing things up
- ensuring your assessment is fair, equitable, and ethical
Cultivating a love for learning French by mixing it up and trying new activities
From my personal experience, all kinds of subject teachers can get stuck in doing the same things year-after-year. Whether it’s using the same textbook published in 1991 or photocopying that one worksheet from 12 years ago – there is very little change.
Listen – the world has changed so much since the publication of textbooks in the 1990s. Also, there are so many new pedagogies like Comprehensible Input. Technology has changed so much in the last 10 years.
We need to continue to strive to be better French teachers by changing things up.
Start small – follow teachers on Instagram that inspire you. Join a Facebook group. Try out one new activity. Ask your students what they thought of it.
I have a blog post I wrote on 10 Mistakes I made as a first-year Core French teacher. In the post, I share my reflections on practices I’ve dropped since that first year. I also have a blog post on how NOT to teach French to beginner students.
These are all of the activities, tasks, projects we do in my French classes that foster passion for French and motivate my French language learners :
- doing wild projects like music videos and vlogs
- going on a field trip to a local Francophone community
- making crêpes in class
- learning about the social, political, and historical origins of the Francophone world
- incorporating French music into all sorts of activities and lessons
- doing fun daily and weekly routines that prioritize building students’ confidence in French
- learning French slang every week
- starting each class with question du jour
- going on walks when we need a break
- playing fun games
- changing up the lesson based on the needs I am observing and what my students are communicating to me
- ensuring that lessons are different and we’re not doing the same type of tasks every day
- learning in French and not learning French
- laughing and joking with my students
