Starter activity With your partner, discuss: What a dictionary is What a dictionary is Two types of dictionary Two types of dictionary Three reasons why you might use a dictionary Three reasons why you might use a dictionary You have 2 minutes!

Dictionary Skills Objectif: to be able to use a dictionary effectively to look up words

Why do we use a dictionary? To look up the meaning of words we do not know To look up French words in a text which we do not already know to find out what they mean in English. To look up English words in a text which we do not know how to say in French, so that we can use them in our work. To check the spelling of words we already know. To check the gender of words so we know how to use them To learn new words by ourselves so that the teacher doesn’t have to tell us everything!!

For your GCSE coursework it is essential to be able to use a dictionary well (and so be a good independent learner in MFL )by:-...knowing the different types of words which make up sentences (verb/ noun/ adjective)...having the skill to identify/select the correct word(s) from a dictionary....using the information in dictionaries successfully to your advantage

Different types of dictionary An English dictionary An English to French & a French to English dictionary

French to English/English to French dictionaries These dictionaries are the ones we use most often in our French lessons. The first half of the dictionary is the French half. The words are in French first. When would we use this half? That’s right: to find out the meaning of a FRENCH word which we do not know. Task: Look up the word ‘plume’. What does it mean? (1 point to the first person to find it and tell me the meaning and what other information it gives!!)

What does it say? plume f n feather the French word the gender: in this case, la/une (fem). It might say m (le/un) or pl (les/des) the English word The type of word: in this case, ‘n’ stands for ‘noun’. It might say a, which would be adjective or v, which would be a verb

Hmm… How do I know if a word is MASCULINE or FEMININE??

Use your dictionary to decide whether the following words take (le/un) or (la/une) 1.Pamplemousse – le/un - grapefruit 2.Banane – la/une - banana 3.Citron – le/un - lemon 4.Framboise – la/une - raspberry 5.Ananas – le/un - pineapple What does each word mean in English?

une vue la mer la chambre une terrasse une piscine la piscine un cinéma la plage

dimanche 17 mai 2015 Hmm... The next problem... How do I find the correct meaning??

dimanche 17 mai 2015

The second half of the dictionary The second half of the dictionary is the English half. The words are in English first. When would we use this half? That’s right: to find out how to say a word in French which we do not know. Task: Look up the word ‘foot’. How do we say it in French? (1 point to the first person to find it and tell me the meaning and what other information it gives!!)

What does it say? foot n pied m the English word the gender: in this case, m (le/un). It might say f (la/une) or pl (les/des) the French word the type of word: in this case, ‘n’ stands for ‘noun’. It might say a, which would be adjective or v, which would be a verb

Task: Find the French word and write it on your whiteboard. When you have done it and spelled it correctly, hold up your whiteboard – first 5 people to do so will get a point each. How many points can you get? garden bed computer football lamp cinema guitar bathroom to dance mirror jardin lit ordinateur foot lampe cinéma guitarre salle de bains danser miroir

A noun is an object or a thing, which can usually be preceded by ‘a’ or ‘the’ in English. E.g. Dog, Table, Bottle. Bear in mind that in the language you are studying, the word for ‘a’/’the’ depends on the gender – un/une or le/la You can recognise these in a dictionary by the letter ‘n’...and in most dictionaries a m / f will tell you the gender Remember that the noun you find in the dictionary is for just one. If you want 2, then look for the brackets to show you how to make the plural

e.g….....un poisson bleu …une tortue verte An adjective is a word which describes a noun. E.g. A short story, the friendly doctor, the wooden table. Remember, in a foreign language, you may have to change the endings depending on the gender of a word. You can recognise these in a dictionary by the letters ‘adj’...

Most verbs in French end in –er, -ir, -re A verb is a doing or action word. E.g. do, went, will, to eat. Verbs that are in the main section of the dictionary are in the infinitive (in the form “to drink”/”to sing”) so if you find a verb in the Foreign Language, you will probably have to change the verb using the endings you have learnt in class. (the endings of many common verbs are also found in the verb tables section - usually in the centre of the dictionary) You can recognise these in a dictionary by the letters ‘v’/ ‘vt’ / ‘vi’...

Use your dictionary to find the French for: to help - verb help (support) - noun match (to light a fire) - noun match (football/tennis) - noun bat (cricket/rounders) - noun to fly - verb to book (holiday) – verb What mistakes could be made here?!

Dictionary skills: The essentials 1.Use your common sense – if a word ‘feels’ wrong, it possibly is. If in doubt, look the word up in the opposite section of the dictionary. 2.If a word has two or more unrelated meanings (e.g. Bat), the dictionary will generally have two separate entries for it. 3.Always read the examples given under the entry – you may find something useful. 4.If in doubt about plurals, the French – English section of the dictionary (front section generally) will give this information, so find your word there. 5.Remember that most of the time, you will not be able to use the French verb as it is in the dictionary – it will need conjugating

dimanche 17 mai 2015

Question 1

Which of these is not a good use of a dictionary AA A to look up the meaning of a word BB B to hit your partner with CC C to find the gender of a word DD D to check the spelling of a word

Which of these is not a good use of a dictionary? A A to look up the meaning of a word B B to hit your partner with C C to find the gender of a word D D to check the spelling of a word

€100

Question 2

What does the ‘n’ stand for next to a word? AA A noun BB B no CC C name DD D none

What does the ‘n’ stand for next to a word? A A noun B B no C C name D D none

€500

Question 3

Which letter(s) signify a verb? AA A vb BB B ve CC C v DD D vr

Which letter(s) signify a verb? A A vb B B ve C C v D D vr

€1,000

Question 4

Which letters may signify the gender of a word? AA A n/v BB B adj C C C le/la DD D m/f

Which letters may signify the gender of a word? A A n/v B B adj C C le/la D D m/f

€4,000

Question 5

What is a noun? AA A a describing word B B B a subject CC C an object DD D a doing word

What is a noun? A A a describing word B B a subject C C an object D D a doing word

€16,000

Question 6

What is an adjective? AA A a describing word BB B a subject CC C an object DD D a doing word

What is an adjective? A A a describing word B B a subject C C an object D D a doing word

€32,000

Question 7

What is a verb? AA A a doing word BB B a subject CC C an object DD D a describing word

What is a verb? A A a doing word B B a subject C C an object D D a describing word

€64,000

Question 8

Why do we need good dictionary skills? AA A to be independent learners BB B to identify correct meanings CC C to improve accuracy DD D all of the above

Why do we need good dictionary skills? A A to be independent learners B B to identify correct meanings C C to improve accuracy D D all of the above

€125,000

Question 9

What does the word ‘carte’ mean? A A A map BB B all of these CC C playing card DD D menu

What does the word ‘carte’ mean? A A map B B all of these C C playing card D D menu

€250,000

Question 10

Which of these means ‘a pound’ (coin)? AA A le livre BB B la livre CC C un livre DD D une livre

Which of these means ‘a pound’ (coin)? A A le livre B B la livre C C un livre D D une livre

€1,000,000

dimanche 17 mai 2015 Now you know how to use a dictionary effectively Alors on danse!??