French Lessons, Vocabulary & Folksongs - update

I'm updating this post to include a few more resources so all our French resources are on the same page and have included a mix of vocabulary, stories and folksongs.

"...the child's vocabulary should increase steadily, say, at the rate of half a dozen words a day. Think of fifteen hundred words in a year! The child who has that number of words, and knows how to apply them, can speak French. Of course, his teacher, will take care that, in giving words, she gives idioms also, and that as he learns new words, they are put into sentences and kept in use from day to day. A note-book in which she enters the child's new words and sentences will easily enable the teacher to do this."

Home Education by Charlotte Mason 


We've used this Skoldo book for a while, mostly for the songs which are included on a CD that comes with the book. There are other books in the series but I've been using lots of free resources and hopefully these will be enough until she is ready to start Living French:

Last year I started keeping a French notebook which has been very helpful. I was inspired by the quote above to make our French language learning more in keeping with the ideas Charlotte Mason had on foreign language acquisition. It had been going ok but nowhere near 1500 words a year! I wasn't keeping up with things and much of the vocabulary that was covered got forgotten. The notebook is to help me keep a record of what is covered and for the purpose of review.

This year Moozle started keeping her own French notebook. She writes phrases and sentences from what she's been learning in her copybook a few times a week. We've been going through a free online book, Petit a Petit by A. Herding, but I only just realised I hadn't included it here as we have it saved on an Ipad. The text starts off with phrases such as un chat & une pomme around page 20, which is where I started Moozle, & by page 24 includes more lengthy phrases eg. Le chat et la souris. English translation isn't included but the book has some illustrations. Between these illustrations and the use of an English/French dictionary, the book has been easy to use so far:

  









The Three Little Pigs - love this!




Conversation








Folksongs







Translation for Sur le pont d'Avignon here.


The Months of the Year

Goldilocks and Three Bears and other stories with audio & translations

French numbers and their pronunciation.

A French Primer

This is more advanced than the one I posted above.

English translation here.

French version of 'She'll be Comin' Round the Mountain.'
English translation here.




This is more difficult and we only started it today. The BookBox website has a variety of stories in different languages and they have the story below in English if you would like a translation:






Santiano

It is a fine three-master thin like a bird.
Heave-ho, Santiano !
Eighteen knots, four hundred barrels :
I am proud to be one of her seaman

Hold fast the helm and hold fast the wind.
Heave-ho, Santiano !
By God's will, always straight ahead,
We will sail until San Francisco

I'm going away for long months, leaving Margot.
Heave-ho, Santiano !
To think of it caused me sorrow
While crossing the fires of Saint-Malo

They say that over there money flows.
Heave-ho, Santiano !
You find gold down in the streams
I will bring back several ingots

One day, I'll return with my arms full of gifts.
Heave-ho, Santiano !
In the country, I'll visit Margot
At her finger, I will slip a ring

Hold fast the course and hold fast the waves
Heave-ho, Santiano !
On the sea arching it's back,
We will sail until San Francisco

It is a fine three-master thin like a bird.
Heave-ho, Santiano !
Eighteen knots, four hundred barrels :
I am proud to be one of her seaman

Taken from http://lyricstranslate.com/en/santiano-santiano.html#ixzz3g9A9fWll




The Avion my Uncle Flew by Cyrus Fisher has been a great incentive for my daughter with her French now she's a little older.