Introduction to AIM Stephen Lai French teacher, grades 1-5 RIchmond - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Introduction to AIM

Stephen Lai French teacher, grades 1-5 RIchmond Christian School Blogs.richmondchristian.ca/slai slai@richmondchristian.ca

5 Key Elements of AIM


(AIM - Accelerative Integrated Method)

1) The Gesture Approach 2) Pared Down Language (PDL) 3) Stories/Plays/Music/Dance 4) Language Manipulation Activities (written and oral) 5) Transfer to Spontaneous Speech and Creative Storytelling

• 1. Gestures
• Increase student comprehension
• Enhance memory retention
• Help students learn vocabulary without

reverting to translation

• 2. PDL - Pared Down Language
• 700 most frequently used words in the French language are presented in the first

year and a half: almost all have gestures

• The words used with the highest frequency are taught first
• Emphasis on verbs

– Type of verb is irrelevant (eg. reg./irr.; er/ir/re/oir; reflexive). Instead, we teach verbs which are needed to communicate in French eg. Veut, doit, sait, peut, va, fait, dit, s’appelle, s’assoit, se lève, se rappelle, etc. High frequency opposites taught together - donne/prend, ouvre/ferme, met/ enlève… Gestured word associations taught with verbs Eg. met… le chapeau, le manteau, le soulier, etc. mange… la pomme, les frites, le hamburger, etc. fait... un cercle, le travail, une salade, etc.

• Plurality and gender is included in PDL and is easily taught with gestures

• bonjour
• tout le monde
• dit (…un mot, une phrase, l’histoire, la pièce, la date, la question,

la réponse, quelque chose, merci, s’il te plaît, bonjour, au revoir)

• fait (…le travail, beaucoup de choses, une faute, une soupe, une

salade, un cercle, du bruit, une danse)

• je
• m'appelle
• Madame
• Monsieur
• tu
• t'appelles
• il
• elle
• s'appelle
• comment ça va?
• ça va (bien, très bien, mal, comme ci comme ça)

PDL:Word List Sample

• 3. Story, Theatre, Drama, Music

WHY DO STORIES?

“Children new to [a language] find in a story context for

• understanding. It is not word lists that command their

attention, but the lives of characters that fill the tales they read or listen to,…in the literary stories they meet. How painful it must be for those children alien to [a language] to sit day after day without feeling connected to what is happening in the classroom. And yet, through storying, how quickly they enter the activity, making sense of what is happening, building their own versions, listening, telling, retelling, talking about, reflecting upon - responding.”
 
 David Booth and Bob Barton

• 4. Language Manipulation

Activities

Les Questions Totales et les Questions Partielles

How to succeed in French class:

• Pay close attention in class;
• Have/develop a positive attitude for learning;
• Review at home;
• use the DVD and/or mp3s;
• ask others and Mr. Lai for help;
• Help others in class if it comes naturally to you;
• Finish worksheets at home if you're not done at

school;

• (different set of expectations for new students)

"Mr. lai! I don't speak French! How can I help my child??"

• Show interest in the language!
• Get them to teach YOU
• DVDs. 2 ways after words are taught:

1.Turn off volume and child says the words (parents read along)

• 2. Student listens to DVD, but stands next to tv, parents check if

the actions are the same. Set them up the mp3s on iPods, iPads, iPhones or on the computer

• share the DVDs amongst families!
• set aside 2-3 times a week to work on French with everybody

Helpful websites

My RCS elem. french website: Blogs.richmondchristian.ca/slai

http://mmeduckworth.blogspot.com

Helpful websites

HAVE FUN WITH YOUR CHILDREN! Have a positive attitude towards learning!

http://www.FSLHomeworkToolbox.ca/ Check iTunes for French for podcasts to listen to! Edmodo (grade 5 only)

www.estudiodefrances.com

Tell me and I will forget; Teach me and I will remember; Involve me and I will learn. (Ancient Chinese Proverb)

Email me if you have concerns about your child! Thanks for coming! slai@richmondchristian.ca