If you use Scrabble or Bananagrams in your Language Arts or Modern Languages classroom, these floor tiles for Scrabble (roughly 8" square) will add another perspective to the proceedings. The tile count officially required for Scrabble games in English, French, German, Spanish and Dutch are included. Run the tiles off, laminate them, push the desks to the walls - or, better yet, go outside to the playing field - and enjoy some serious play! (The "W" layout has been redone.)

A five minute filler for French teachers. If your classes enjoy my Christmas puzzles, please let me know and I'll post some of my others . . . les verbes ER, la Saint-Valentin, Hanukkah, au cinéma, etcetera.

As you count down to the holidays, you might like these four little Christmas-themed rebus puzzles as icebreakers or fillers. Thanks to their mad texting skills, today’s kids get the principle behind rebus puzzles intuitively but I’ve included a “how-to” page nonetheless. Heads up! Biblical though one of the terms in puzzle # 4 may be, I would reserve it for older students. The solution is, “Let us go for a sleigh ride” and, as you can see in the preview, the picture clues include a (jack)ass.

To generate “rien que du blabla” in the target language, try using chatterboxes. These two cocottes en papier offer your students relaxed starting points for discussing their “tâches ménagères”. The “all text” cocotte gives students the security of choosing from a number of pre-fabricated answers. The less prescriptive, illustrated cocotte uses visual prompts to guide their answers. An “ALL TEXT” cocotte sample: Question: Quelle tâche ménagère dois-tu faire tous les jours? Choix de réponses • Je dois faire mon lit. • Je dois nourrir le chien et le chat. • Je dois vider le lave-vaisselle. An ILLUSTRATED cocotte sample: Question: “Quelle tâche ménagère fais-tu chaque matin?” The picture of a bed will prompt answers like, “Je fais mon lit chaque matin.” A short “tâches ménagères” exercise is also included.

TROUVÉ est un jeu inspiré par Spot it™ ou Dobble™. Il y a toujours une expression identique entre deux cartes. TROUVÉ encouragera vos étudiants à se concentrer, à lire attentivement et à bien prononcer le vocabulaire thématique. TROUVÉ is a game inspired by Spot it™ or Dobble™. There is always one matching expression on any two cards. TROUVÉ encourages students to concentrate, to read attentively and to pronounce the thematic vocabulary carefully. Included are a “how to play” guide and a deck of 31 cards to be printed on card stock, The grade levels will vary depending on whether your programme is in core, extended, immersion or first-language French. TROUVÉ ( un jeu comme “Spot it” pour Halloween ) met l’accent sur ces expressions: une araignée un balai des bonbons un cercueil la chair de poule un chapeau un chat noir le chaudron une chauve-souris une cicatrice un cimetière crier faire du porte-à-porte les feuilles mortes un film d’horreur le danger un déguisement un diable effrayé un épouvantail un fantôme une fête le frisson un hibou une lanterne citrouille une maison hantée le maquillage le masque le papier hygiénique la sorcière le vampire

To see if these three games are right for your students, first try the free resource, “Où sont les trésors cachés? (les verbes ER): https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/o-sont-les-tr-sors-cach-s--les-verbes-er-6438862 Even my most reluctant learners listen carefully and participate enthusiastically when we play OÙ SONT LES TRÉSORS CACHÉS?, an oral “treasure” hunt. It works well as a full class, teacher directed game and as a small group activity. My answer keys are in le présent, le passé composé & le futur simple but the games can be played in virtually every tense. After the fun of the oral treasure hunt, simply assign a handful of coordinates for an instant written assignment that will reinforce your lesson. Les expressions avoir ciblées dans OSLTC? sont avoir soif avoir faim avoir froid avoir chaud avoir __ ans avoir raison avoir tort avoir hâte avoir le trac avoir de la chance avoir mal avoir besoin de avoir envie de avoir peur de avoir l’air

Let’s get to the bottom (or top) of LES EXPRESSIONS FAIRE is a competitive, repetitive game that will help your students to listen “actively” and to familiarise themselves with “les expressions faire” through the process of osmosis. There are three games in this file. To be sure that this activity is right for your class, try the free resource, Let’s get to the bottom (or top) of LES EXPRESSIONS AVOIR: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/let-s-get-to-the-bottom-of-les-expressions-avoir-6451763 Here are three sample sentences from Let’s get to the bottom (or top) of LES EXPRESSIONS FAIRE: • “Chez moi, c’est le bonhomme Pillsbury qui fait les biscuits!” avoue Mary Berry. • Elle est rentrée après son couvre-feu et ses parents en ont fait tout un drame. • Hamilton est une pièce musicale qui fait un tabac en ce moment!

After you’ve introduced LE SUBJONCTIF, here’s an active listening game that will have all your students participating enthusiastically. “LET’S GET TO THE BOTTOM (OR TOP) OF LE SUBJONCTIF” works bilingually and in the target language only. And, thanks to its competitive and repetitive elements, your students will pick up many of the key expressions through the process of osmosis. To be sure that “LET’S GET TO THE BOTTOM (OR TOP) OF LE SUBJONCTIF” is the right kind of activity for your students, try the free sister resource,“LET’S GET TO THE BOTTOM (OR TOP) OF LES EXPRESSIONS AVOIR”: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resources/dashboard/resource-management/uploads

Thanks to Diana Martínez, a brilliant young colleague from Mexico, here is the second Spanish game in the ¡Busquemos el tesoro escondido! series. The focus in ¿Dónde están mis regalos de navidad? is self-explanatory. This resource works both as a teacher-directed activity and as a small group game. Even reluctant learners will be motivated to listen carefully and the promise of “treasure” always generates enthusiastic oral participation. After the oral treasure hunt, assign a handful of co-ordinates for instant written conjugation practice. The answer keys are in thebpresent and future tenses but the game can be played in virtually every verb tense. We have used Mexican Spanish wherever possible. To see if this activity is right for your students, please download this free sister resource, ¡Busquemos el tesoro escondido! (AR-ending verbs): https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-busquemos-el-tesoro-escondido-ar-ending-verbs-2-0-11522811

Thanks to Diana Martínez, a brilliant young colleague from Mexico, here is a ¡Busquemos el tesoro escondido! game that concentrates on SER and ESTAR. This resource works both as a teacher-directed activity and as a small group game. Even reluctant learners will be motivated to listen carefully and the promise of “treasure” generates enthusiastic oral participation as well. After the oral treasure hunt, assign a handful of co-ordinates for instant written conjugation practice. The answer keys are in the present and past tenses but the game can be played in virtually every verb tense. Please note that we have opted to use Mexican Spanish wherever possible. T To see if this activity is right for your students, download its freesister resource, ¡Busquemos el tesoro escondido! (AR-ending verbs) https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-busquemos-el-tesoro-escondido-ar-ending-verbs-2-0-11522811

Thanks to Diana Martínez, a brilliant young colleague from Mexico, here is a ¡Busquemos el tesoro escondido! game that concentrates on verbs like gustar. This resource works both as a teacher-directed activity and as a small group game. Even reluctant learners will be motivated to listen carefully and the promise of “treasure” generates enthusiastic oral participation as well. After the oral treasure hunt, assign a handful of co-ordinates for instant written conjugation practice. The answer keys are in the present and past tenses but the game can be played in virtually every verb tense. Please note that we have opted to use Mexican Spanish wherever possible. To see if this activity is right for your students, download its free sister resource, ¡Busquemos el tesoro escondido! (AR-ending verbs) https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/-busquemos-el-tesoro-escondido-ar-ending-verbs-2-0-11522811

As its name suggests, this is a simplified variation of the “Où sont les trésors cachés?" game. It provides the subject and the conjugated verb to allow students to focus on learning clothing vocabulary and using the appropriate definite, indefinite or partitive article. There are two game boards in this file. One labels each item of clothing. The other is illustrated but not labelled, making students responsible for providing the name for each garment. As in the original, "Où sont les trésors cachés?" games, students will think and speak in full sentences as they try to locate hidden “treasure”. There’s also a simple hack for extending the lesson to written work. To see if “Où sont les trésors cachés? (Les vêtement JUNIOR)” is right for your students, download the free “Où sont les trésors cachés? (Les verbes ER)”: https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/o-sont-les-tr-sors-cach-s-les-verbes-er-6438862

YOU DON’T SAY! is a themed variation of Taboo® that can be played in two very different ways. If your students are confident and articulate, they can play YOU DON’T SAY! following traditional Taboo® rules. If, however, you have students who are uncomfortable giving clues, turn the rules upside down. Tell them to use some or all of the words beneath the pink and white banner in their descriptions! This topsy-turvy approach encourages and empowers everyone to participate. You won’t believe what a positive game-changer it is. This file includes 40 “Valentine” cards about friendship, relationships and love. I’ve also appended a template for students to make their own YOU DON’T SAY! deck.

OÙ SONT LES TRÉSORS CACHÉS? works well as a full-class, teacher directed activity or as a small group game. After the fun of the oral treasure hunt, assign a handful of co-ordinates and, voilà, an instant written assignment that reinforces the correct spelling of the verb endings. You’ll find that even reluctant learners will be motivated to listen carefully and the promise of “treasure” tends to generate enthusiastic oral participation as well. My answer key is for le présent, le passé composé and le futur simple but the game can be played in virtually every verb tense. To see if this activity is right for your students, try the free, “Où sont les trésors cachés (les verbes ER): https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/o-sont-les-tr-sors-cach-s-les-verbes-er-6438862

Chaque phrase dans ces deux marelles comprend un participe présent. Each sentence in these two hopscotch games includes a present participle. Les phrases cachées dans cesmarelles sont: The sentences hidden in these hopscotch games are: • Je fais toujours mes devoirs en écoutant de la musique sur mon téléphone. • C’est en rappant qu’on devient rappeur. • Normalement, ma famille et moi, nous mangeons le dîner en regardant les nouvelles à la télé. • Cet homme est devenu célèbre en mangeant un sandwich. Pour savoir comment, regarde le clip à gauche. • C'est en lisant le roman, The Hunger Games, que je suis devenu fan de la science-fiction. • Ma pauvre grand-mère s’est encore cassé la jambe en faisant du ski acrobatique • La talentueuse Béyoncé exécute souvent des danses compliquées tout en chantant. • Malheureusement, le parachutiste a oublié d’ouvrir son parachute en descendant alors il est descendu TRÈS vite. SPLATTT! • Moi, j’aime écouter de la musique relaxante en faisant du yoga. • Rédige le brouillon de ton texte en t’aidant de tes notes préparatoires pui demande à un camarade de classe de corriger ta copie. • En marchant pendant trente minutes, vous brûlez environ 125 calories. • Selon la police, le chauffeur de la voiture s’est retrouvé dans le lac en suivant son GPS défectueux. • Vous pouvez changer de mot de passe en cliquant ici. • En mangeant un beigne glacé au chocolat, vous consommez 300 calories! • Chaque matin, Maman boit son café en lisant le journal.

This resource will help visual learners master the following idioms: aller droit au but avoir du pain sur la planche avoir la langue bien pendue avoir le bras long avoir le coeur sur la main avoir une peur bleue c'est dans la poche c’est simple comme bonjour ce n’est pas la mer à boire ce n’est pas sorcier connaître les ficelles couper la poire en deux coûter les yeux de la tête en faire tout un fromage faire la court échelle à quelqu'un faire la pluie et le beau temps faire la une faire le pont il y a quelque chose qui ne tourne pas rond je suis un vrai tombeau les doigts dans le nez mettre la main à la pâte parler français comme une vache espagnole plier bagage quand les poules auront des dents un ours mal léché If you like this resource, please let me know and I will make more like it.

This file includes • my Dr. & Mrs. van der Tramp poster • alternate Dr. & Mrs. van der Tramp mnemonics • a mini-lesson on verbs conjugated with être and their agreement with their subjects • Dr. & Mrs. van der Tramp exercises • The Transformers: a mini-lesson on “special snowflake” van der Tramp verbs and when they revert to the AVOIR auxiliary.

Originally designed as a Modern Language tool, this virtual scavenger hunt encourages even students who are usually reluctant to participate in class to jump right in and to speak in full sentences. You’ll experience the phenomenon of an entire class listening “actively” because no one wants to waste a guess choosing a square from which the gift has already been claimed. After the oral treasure hunt, assign a handful of co-ordinates for an instant written assignment that will reinforce verb conjugations and vocabulary acquisition. “Where are my Valentine’s gifts?” has been designed to review virtually any tense. I have appended answer keys for four of them: the present, the simple past, the simple future and the conditional perfect.