Port Chester Middle School sixth and seventh graders from Rebecca Peters’ French classes recently participated in a variety of educational activities when they welcomed a special guest from Québec, Canada, to their school.

During their lessons, they interacted with native French speaker Alexandra Demers, an English and Spanish college professor in Canada, and practiced French vocabulary. They classified animals by where they are found – whether in the air, land or sea. They also created sentences using new verbs and worked in groups to correctly complete the sentences. In addition, the seventh graders practiced terms about extended family and transferred their knowledge of family members to a new vocabulary about male, female and baby animals.

“French is an official language in 27 independent nations and every region has a different accent,” Peters said. “I want to expose the students to as many francophone accents and cultural experiences as possible.”

Peters said the experience allowed the students to actively engage with a native speaker to continue to practice their French speaking skills. The students have also been communicating with pen pals from Belgium, France and Québec to work on their written skills.

“They did a great job replying to Alexandra’s questions and were able to play the typical French-Canadian game with their classmates,” Peters said. “I hope they realized that they’ve learned more French than they think they have, gained a little confidence in themselves, had some fun, and learned more about Québec.”

Demers said she was impressed by the Port Chester Middle School students whom she described as bright, eager and endearing.

“It was wonderful to see a school that values so many languages and cultures and where each student’s linguistic and academic development is supported by a wonderful team that works together,” she said.

Date Added: 6/3/2024