5 activities to spark your high schooler’s interest in French

Photo comics are like comic books, but contain photos instead of drawings. It may be a little old school, but this art form has made a bit of a comeback among young people. Here’s how to get started:

• Choose a topic
• Fill out a character chart
• Decide which narrative structure you’ll use
• Take the photos
• Design the layout and insert French text
• Etc.

A scrapbook is an album of photos, quotes, illustrations, and personal texts. The goal is to collect a variety of elements that, together, describe who we are. It’s a fun mashup of art and writing. To help your child make their own, make these suggestions:

• Choose French song lyrics that are meaningful to them 
• Write funny “slice of life” excerpts
• Create their own French proverbs
• Write about their favourite sport
• Add drawings, stickers, and photos
• Etc.

Sometimes, it doesn’t take much to make someone happy. A pretty card with a thoughtful message, slipped into a mailbox or hidden under a pillow, can do a world of good. Plus, making cards can help foster your child’s love of French. To make the activity even more engaging and educational, suggest that they do the following:

• Choose a recipient (e.g., a friend, a family member)
• Decide on a theme
• Choose a French language register
• Determine the letter’s tone 
• Use stylistic devices 
• Etc.

Proverbs—phrases of common wisdom that explain a way of thinking or behaving—can be found online or in a good old-fashioned dictionary. Have fun discovering French proverbs as a family! Together, you can do the following:

• Discuss their meaning
• Learn new words
• Reflect on life in general
• Etc.

All you need to play the dictionary game is . . . a dictionary! This game guarantees a ton of giggles, but also helps teens enrich their vocabulary and general knowledge. Take turns:

• One player opens the dictionary and finds a word they don’t know
• They say the word out loud
• The other players write down what they think the word means (watch out for spelling mistakes!)
• Each person reads their definition out loud
• The true definition is finally revealed

Depending on your mood, the winner can be the one with the funniest or the truest definition.