The French Market comes to School!

Le Marché Français comes to school!

It's a dream come true: pupils in Years 4 and 5 are given euros and invited to go on a spending spree for French fare - and it's amazing what they can buy for fifty centimes at St.Bede's French Market!
Each December, the dining hall changes into a covered market and houses a selection of stalls ‘à la française' - amongst them a ‘boulangerie', a ‘pâtisserie' and even a ‘crêperie'- as well as a variety of activity areas. This joint venture for the Modern Foreign Language Departments of both the Prep School and the Senior School benefits all the pupils. The stalls and activities are competently managed by students from the Senior School French ‘A' Level group who prepare signs and games in advance and are under strict instructions that this is a ‘French only' afternoon.
Meanwhile, with teachers on hand to assist where needed, the children go on a round of fun activities for almost an hour - encouraged to speak as much French as possible as they go along. While one small group is interviewed by a student about themselves, their families, their likes and dislikes and where they live, another group is undergoing a nailbiting round of bingo questions. Meanwhile yet another group is pitting its wits in a gruelling quiz about France and French culture (English is allowed here!), whilst the final group is doing what everyone is waiting for - buying those ‘pains au chocolat' and ‘bonbons' with their plastic euros...and eating them, of course!
French lessons in the lead-up to the popular market focus on the vocabulary and dialogue skills necessary for managing in this challenging situation. All the pupils spend at least one session in the ICT suite where they watch a powerpoint presentation of the key elements of a shopping dialogue, and then return to the classroom to act out role-play situations just like the ones they meet at the market itself. The student helpers make some clear posters for the actual day, to remind the children of these phrases whilst they are caught up in the buzz of buying. It all works very well and the pupils approach each activity confidently and enthusiastically. They are rewarded for their hard work with lots of smiles and praise from the students - and even more of those delicious ‘bonbons'!
Our thanks go to Mademoiselle Ganivet and her team of teachers and students from the Senior School for their hard work and enthusiastic participation in what is certainly a very memorable experience for our young pupils. Here's to Marché 2008!