Contributor:
David Vellani
This is an idea for getting children to talk simply to one another in French.
You need a small soft toy (I have a frog – no pun intended) that will fit into a desk. It should have a French name. Mine is called Georges.
Choose someone who will have to locate the toy and ask them to leave the room or cover their eyes while you give the toy to another child. They should hide the toy. The task is then for the child who left the room to find the toy. They can ask anyone but must say, “Bonjour, Je m’appelle (child’s name), et Toi?”
The child they have asked should respond with,”Bonjour, Je m’appelle (their name),” or “Bonjour, Je m’appelle Georges,” if they have Georges.
To make the task easier, inform the guesser which table the toy is on (or which part of the class the toy is in).
I find that three guesses are enough. If the toy isn’t found, then a rousing chorus of ‘Ou est Georges?’ usually brings him out.
Wendy says…
My students of all ages love this activity! We do it in French, and her name is Fifi, and also in Spanish, and we call her Chi chi, which works especially well for grades K – 4. You can also play with where you live or where you are from and make your animal be from a certain place.