The Kate Languages Podcast - S2 Ep2 - Introducing vocab and grammar

Structuring an Outstanding MFL Lesson - Introducing vocab and grammar

This was the second episode of season two of The Kate Languages Podcast. This season, I discussed the fundamentals of lesson planning, starting with how to kick off your lessons effectively. The second episode was about how to introduce vocab and grammar to your students.

The Great Debate: Pre-learning vs. In-class Introduction

First things first, let's address the elephant in the room: should students learn vocabulary before the lesson, or should we introduce it in class? There's a bit of a debate in the teaching community about this.

Some educators advocate for giving students vocabulary lists, knowledge organisers, or sentence builders in advance, expecting them to learn the new words and phrases independently before the lesson. While this approach might seem logical, I've found it can be surprisingly challenging, even for highly motivated students.

I once tried this method with an exceptional A-level student I was tutoring. Despite her being incredibly bright and dedicated (she'd easily secured an A* at GCSE and went on to achieve a very high A at A-level), she really struggled with pre-learning vocabulary. We tried using Memrise and other techniques, but it just wasn't sticking.

So, we flipped our approach. Instead of testing her on new vocabulary at the start of our sessions, we worked through texts and used the language first. Then, a week or two later, I'd give her a vocabulary test to check retention. The difference was night and day – her recall improved dramatically, and the vocabulary started to stick.

Now, if an exceptional A-level student found pre-learning challenging, imagine how daunting it might be for a class of 30 Year 7s who might only have one French lesson a week! That's not to say we shouldn't provide vocabulary lists or resources in advance – these can be incredibly useful reference tools. But I believe the most effective approach is to introduce and practise new vocabulary within the lesson itself.

Laying the Foundations: Pronunciation Before Writing

When it comes to actually introducing new vocabulary in class, I'm a firm believer in focusing on pronunciation before students ever see the written form. This is particularly crucial for languages like French, where the relationship between spelling and sound can be rather... let's say, confusing!

One effective method is to use an interactive whiteboard with pictures representing the new vocabulary. For instance, if you're teaching pets in French, you might have a slide with various animal images. Point to each picture and model the pronunciation: "Un chat... un chien... un poisson..." Have the students repeat after you in a choral repetition exercise.

Some might consider this old-fashioned, but I think it's brilliant for getting the sounds into students' heads and refining their pronunciation. Plus, it sets the stage for some engaging games and activities.

NB Since the release of this episode, I have learnt a lot more about phonics/SSCs and how to embed them into your teaching. For more info about phonics in MFL teaching, listen to Season 5 Episode 6 of the Kate Languages Podcast and/or watch my CPD workshop on phonics, available for purchase with this bundle.

Making Vocabulary Stick: Fun and Games

Speaking of games, here's one of my absolute favourites: Beat the Teacher. It's simple, requires no prep beyond your vocabulary slide, and students love it. Here's how it works:

1. Display a slide with 10-12 (max.) pictures of the vocab to be learnt.
2. Point to a picture and say the correct word. Students should repeat after you.
3. Then, point to a picture but say the wrong word. Students must stay silent.
4. If anyone speaks when they shouldn't, the teacher gets a point. If everyone stays silent when they should, the students get a point.
5. First to five points wins!

It's a brilliant way to reinforce both vocabulary and pronunciation while adding a competitive element that keeps students engaged. I'm quite competitive myself, so I always try to win – but I make sure it's possible for the students to beat me, too!

From Sound to Sight: Introducing Written Vocabulary

Once students are comfortable with the pronunciation, it's time to introduce the written form. This is where activities like crosswords, matching exercises, and translation tasks come into play.

In my Mastering the Basics workbooks, I always start each unit with a vocabulary list, followed by picture-word matching and target language-English matching exercises. These activities help students connect the sounds they've learned with the written words and their meanings.

Another effective approach is to give students a list of target language phrases and get them to work out the meanings. This can be particularly effective if there are cognates or near-cognates they can use as clues. It gets their brains working and helps them develop strategies for decoding unfamiliar language.

Personalisation: The Secret Ingredient

Here's a little trick I've found incredibly effective: give students the opportunity to add their own vocabulary to what you've taught. For instance, if you've introduced 10-12 common pets, challenge them to find one or two more unusual ones.

I remember one student who asked me how to say "reindeer" in French. I was a bit puzzled at first, but lo and behold, a few months later at the Christmas fair, his family brought their pet reindeer along as a special treat! Not only did this student learn a piece of vocabulary that was personally relevant to him, but he also created a memorable experience that cemented that word in his mind.

This approach taps into what my colleague Liam Printer (featured in Season 1, Episode 9 of this podcast) talks about regarding food vocabulary. When students have the chance to come up with their own ideas and create their own vocabulary, it tends to stick much better in their memory.

The Magic Number: How Much is Too Much?

Now, a word of caution: don't overwhelm your students with too much new vocabulary at once. For beginners, especially younger learners, aim for no more than 10-12 new items per lesson. And remember, they probably won't remember all of these – expect them to retain maybe 4 or 5.

Interestingly, you might be surprised by which words stick. They might forget "mère" (mother) but remember "rhinocéros" because it's long and fun to say. The key is to present a manageable amount of vocabulary and reinforce it through varied, engaging activities.

Putting It All Together: A Step-by-Step Approach

To wrap up, here's a suggested sequence for introducing new vocabulary effectively:

1. Start with pronunciation: Use images and choral repetition to introduce the sounds of new words.
2. Play games: Reinforce pronunciation and meaning with fun, interactive games like Beat the Teacher.
3. Introduce written forms: Use matching exercises, crosswords, or translation tasks to connect spoken and written forms.
4. Encourage personalisation: Allow students to add their own relevant vocabulary to the list.
5. Practice, practice, practice: Use a variety of activities to reinforce the new vocabulary throughout the lesson and in subsequent sessions.

Remember, the goal at this stage is passive recognition – students should be able to understand the vocabulary when they hear or read it. We'll talk about moving from passive to active use (speaking and writing) in future episodes.

If you'd like to dive into this topic in more depth, you can now purchase my online course "Structuring an Outstanding MFL Lesson". NB This course is included in the Buy Everything package (but not yearly resources subscriptions).