Learning Strategies

Listed below are strategies from the Grade Four FSL Program of Studies that are intended to help students build on their language skills. These strategies are useful when instructing students and working with small groups:

• repeat a word, an expression, a pattern, a presentation, etc., silently or aloud

• use reference materials (e.g., vocabulary and expressions posted in the classroom)

• activate prior knowledge and experiences

• find a different way of conveying a message (e.g., gestures, drawing, pointing to an example, using a different word or expression to approximate meaning)

• ask questions to clarify understanding

• ask the speaker to repeat the message

• encourage classmates using expressions of approval or praise (e.g., Bravo!)

• ask the speaker to spell out or draw the unknown word

• indicate to the speaker that the message was not understood

• use facial expressions or mime to get the message across

• seek assistance from the teacher or a peer to clarify instructions, word meaning, etc.

• collaborate with others to brainstorm, resolve problems, rehearse and communicate messages

• read instructions thoroughly before beginning a task

• ask for clarification of a task before beginning

• use checklists, written in English, to verify the work

• reflect on and articulate, in English, what they have learned and can demonstrate in French

• articulate their understanding of the grade-specific

• develop and use memory strategies to learn, retain or recall vocabulary or grammatical structures

• combine new learning of vocabulary with previously learned vocabulary

• practice a word, an expression or a grammatical pattern

• repeat a new word or expression, silently or aloud

• repeat a new word silently and associate it with an image

• repeat a new word saying the letters or syllables that make up the word

• use physical actions in conjunction with new vocabulary

• create a rhyme or a song to help remember vocabulary, expressions or grammatical rules.