Young children's innate ability to pick up rhymes in English is transferable to French, but it tends to be under-used. Through learning rhymes, children increase their spoken ability and at the same time find out about the French sound system, which will be invaluable for later learning to read and write creatively in French.
Children generally love French rhymes and learn them quickly, especially the interactive ones. Saying a rhyme in French seems to give children a special buzz that is different from saying a few words or phrases in a dialogue, and it gives them pride and confidence in their ability.
Selecting rhymes
The choice of rhymes for young children is important if children are going to be capable of picking them up quickly and using some of their language. Rhymes need to:
- be short and simple
- be interactive between child and adult and easy to dramatise
- include useful phrases and words that children can transfer to other dialogues within the setting or away from it.
Finding rhymes
Children's rhymes can be found in books and on websites, including:
- Dans Paris il y a by Paul Eluard (Petits Collections Geants, ISBN 2-912084-46-6)
- Un Deux Trois - First French Rhymes (see Reader Offer)
- www.mamalisa.com/world/france. html
- www.momes.net/comptines
Information on training and useful materials can also found on:
- www.cilt.org.uk (The National Centre for Languages)
- www.blen.org.uk (independent language and education forum).
Saying rhymes
There is a special language technique used when saying rhymes to young children known as parentese, which makes picking up language easier for young children. Many practitioners use it naturally in English and just need to transfer it to saying French.
- Say the rhymes slowly, stressing the important words and phrases without distorting the language.
- Pause to give children time to join in, especially with the final word or phrase.
- Use a higher-pitched voice, as children find this easier to understand.
- Use exaggerated gestures and dramatise the rhyme to make the meaning clearer.
- Add suspense by altering your voice or making an added hesitation.
- Use a whisper to translate any phrase or word into English, and only translate once. Children will soon work out the meaning from context and gesture.
- Personalise rhymes by altering names and localising them by adding extra verses or activities.
- If children make a mistake in pronunciation, make no comment, or you risk demotivating them. Just repeat that part of the rhyme correctly, making sure that the child is listening.
Children are continually refining their pronunciation to match that of their adult model in learning English and they can do the same in French.
Pronunciation
Don't get overly worried about your own pronunciation as young children have a remarkable ability to alter their own pronunciation to match that of the French speakers around them or on a cassette or video.
In the beginning stages of learning French, it is vital that each child feels positive about their ability in French and feels sufficiently confident to take part in simple dialogues and show off their ability to say rhymes. These simple dialogues provide the child with opportunities to hear more French and use the same skills to start picking it up as they used initially in learning English.
Introducing a rhyme
Introduce a new rhyme sandwiched between rhymes that children already know and can say.
Day one
The first time you introduce a rhyme you may feel that it is not necessary to introduce the complete rhyme. Make sure you say it slowly, repeating the actions and giving children time to copy them. Say the rhyme a second time and then change to a familiar rhyme. The first time children hear a rhyme they may copy some of the actions but are not yet ready to repeat words or phrases.
Day two
Repeat the same rhyme, completing it where necessary. As you repeat it a second time, make the pauses longer so that any children who are ready to say it themselves will have enough time to join in. If children seem enthusiastic to join in, repeat it a third time.
Day three
Repeat the rhyme several times, encouraging children to join in. By now some children may, with the help of a prompt, be able to say complete lines by themselves.
Day four
By now some children in pairs or small groups may want to try to recite parts of the rhyme by themselves. Offer small prompts to give the children confidence until some of them feel ready to go solo.
Instructions and praise
Before switching into French rhymes, warn the children, as they need to get ready to switch languages. Say, 'Now let's say some rhymes in French.' Give instructions and praise in French, for example:
- Dites-le encore (Say it again)
- Encore une fois (Once more)
- Ecoutez-moi (Listen to me)
- Ecoutez bien (Listen carefully)
- Give praise where it is due, to motivate children further - Tres bien (Very good), Magnifique! (Great!), Bravo! (Well done!)
