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How to Teach French Verbs

When teaching French to students of any age, it is imperative that you help your students to master verbs to expand their vocabulary and improve their French speaking and writing skills. There are many rules for conjugating verbs in French depending whether they are regular or irregular verbs. There are 14 different tenses for students to learn as well, which can make learning French verbs difficult. Learning French can take years to master, so starting with basic verbs gives students the building blocks they need to continue their French education. Fun activities and practice ingrain French verbs in your students' minds and help them retain the lessons they have been taught.

Instructions

    • 1

      Teach your students regular verbs first. French verbs all end in -er, -ir or -re. Regular verbs have a specific pattern as to how they are conjugated. Have your students practice conjugating regular verbs in all six of the pronoun categories: je, tu, il/elle/on, nous, vous, and ils/elles. Take for example, the regular verb "parler" which means "to talk":

      je parle

      tu parles

      il/elle/on parle

      nous parlons

      vous parlez

      ils/elles parlent

      The stem of the verb is "parl" while the suffix depends upon the pronoun. The same basic endings, e, es, e, ons, ez and ent, apply to all regular verbs.

    • 2

      Teach your students the irregular verbs; they each have their own conjugation, so there is no set pattern for irregular verbs as there is for regular verbs. For example, the irregular verb "dormir" (to sleep) doesn't follow the regular verb conjugation pattern. Instead it is conjugated:

      je dors

      tu dors

      il/elle/on dort

      nous dormons

      vous dormez

      ils/elles dorment

      Learning irregular verb conjugation takes memorization and practice; give your students regular exercises to help them learn them.

    • 3

      Teach your students which verbs are conjugated with the verb "etre" (to be) in the past tense. There are sixteen of these verbs. There is a mnemonic device that can be used to help students memorize these verbs: Dr/Mrs. Vandertramp. Each letter represents a verb conjugated with "etre" in the past tense: descendre, rentrer, mourir, retourner, sortir, venir, arriver, naitre, devenir, entrer, revenir, tomber, rester, aller, monter and partir.

    • 4

      Teach your students how to conjugate in the the past tense; there are 13 other tenses they will eventually need to know, but the past tense will be most useful to them when learning the bases. For example, to say that you had eggs for breakfast you would say "j'ai mange les oeufs." Note the the "e" on the end of "mange" should have an accent above it.

    • 5

      Teach mnemonic devices and songs to your students to have them memorize the rules for French verbs. These tools will help them retain what they have learned. Provide daily homework and exercises that have your students practice pronouncing and conjugating verbs.

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