5 TAPIF Lesson Plan Ideas for Your First Semester
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Teaching English in France is an exciting adventure, but it can also feel intimidating if you have never taught a class before. I remember feeling lost when I sat down to plan my lessons for the semester — how can I help my students excel in English? What are they really interested in learning? How do I even run a class?
My teachers offered me very little guidance on how to teach my classes and what content to present to my students. There is a lot of freedom in preparing your lessons which can make lesson planning seem both effortless and challenging. If you are looking for some ideas for your classes, here are some lesson plans that my students loved from the first half of the school year.
During my experience with TAPIF, I taught high school students, but you can easily adapt these lesson for any level. I had two types of classes — discussion classes for advanced students and grammar/vocabulary-focused classes for beginner to intermediate students. In the resources below you will find both types of lessons.
Looking for more TAPIF resources and tips? Check out my Ultimate TAPIF Guide!
5 TAPIF Lesson Plan Ideas for Your First Semester
1. First Day
The first two weeks of classes I introduced myself to each of my classes. I prepared a simple PowerPoint presentation about myself, my hometown and life in America. I’d recommend that you create your introduction PowerPoint before your first day; some teachers will ask if you want to introduce yourself right away. I added lots of pictures and words to help students of all levels understand my introduction. At the end of the presentation, I asked each student to introduce themselves with the question prompts on the presentation. Afterward I encouraged the students to ask me questions about myself and life in the United States. Many students are shy, so I included some question topics to help them think of questions.
Tips for this lesson:
First impressions are important! In this lesson you will set the tone for the rest of the year. While I wouldn’t advise you to act overly strict, you should demonstrate to your students that you are in charge of the classroom.
Include a picture of your house in the United States. Many French people are fascinated by seeing how Americans live — the differences between French and American homes makes a great discussion topic too.
When your students introduce themselves, ask follow-up questions. For example, if your student says they like soccer, ask them if they have a favorite team. If students start to lose focus, ask group questions too. For example, if a student says they like soccer, ask the class, “Who watched the FIFA World Cup?” It is a great way to make individual introductions a class activity.
2. Innovation & Technology
A topic that almost anyone can discuss is technology. In this discussion lesson I asked students to work in small groups and brainstorm a list of technological advancements. After we discussed their ideas as a class, I had each group decide on what they thought was the most important technological achievement. Students shared their ideas again as a group. I followed our brainstorm activities with some short videos and group conversation questions — I recommend you print the questions for the students too. A great way to make students feel more comfortable speaking is to allow students to talk in small groups and then ask them to share their ideas as a class. I also called on students to share their thoughts if I noticed that they were not participating. Check out the PowerPoint presentation for this lesson here.
Tips for this lesson:
Discuss italicized words and ensure students understand their meanings. During your lessons — especially discussion lessons — it is important that the students understand the questions and vocabulary you present, so try to take time to read the questions on the PowerPoint and ask if students need clarification.
If your students are a bit quiet, try placing them in pairs to ease any apprehension about speaking in English. In your first few lessons, you’ll begin to get a better feel for whether your students are talkative.
Play videos with subtitles. Ask students if they need to watch the video again — silence usually means yes. It’s usually a good idea to play a video more than one time to ensure that students understand all the information.
3. Halloween
My students absolutely loved my holiday lesson! It is also a great opportunity to share about uniquely American celebrations and traditions. I started my lesson by asking my students to form words using the letters from the word “Halloween.” Then we did a short group conversation on the students’ experiences with Halloween. Next I gave a short PowerPoint presentation of Halloween traditions in the United States and featured a lot of photos. I asked my students to discuss some questions as a group. For my longer classes I added a section on Halloween idioms and encouraged my students to try to use them in a sentence.
Tips for this lesson:
Share childhood photos of yourself in Halloween costumes. Students love to see funny photos of their English assistant, and it is a great way to keep their attention throughout the presentation. If you made your own costume or have an interesting trick-or-treat story, share it with your class.
Americans love to dress up their pets too! Ask the students their thoughts on dressing up pets for Halloween.
If you are sharing a lot of information on a topic, include questions through out the presentation to keep your students’ attention. For example, in this Halloween presentation I asked my students if they liked scary movies, if they would ever visit a haunted house, and what candy they would give out to trick-or-treaters.
If you have some extra room in your luggage, it’s a fun idea to bring some American candies to give to your students on Halloween.
4. Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is another unique holiday to share with your class. I briefly discussed the history of Thanksgiving and some controversy about the celebration (this can make a great discussion topic for more advanced groups). Then I shared some activities that are part of a typical Thanksgiving day and included some small discussion questions and activities in between. I ended my lesson with a short clip from Friends and some discussion questions about it. Check out the PowerPoint presentation for this lesson here.
Tips for this lesson:
In the United States, Thanksgiving can be a sensitive subject, but don’t be afraid to share some current discussion and debates about the holiday. It’s important to share both the fun traditions as well as the more serious issues surrounding the holiday.
If you want more discussion ideas related to Thanksgiving, Black Friday and consumerism are great topics for more advanced group.
Many students know about American holidays and traditions, so before your lesson, ask to see what students already know about the holiday. Include traditions that are special to your family and Thanksgiving photos to keep your students interested.
5. Christmas
The week before winter break, I shared some American Christmas traditions. I began by asking my students about their holiday traditions — this was a great way for them to share their own experiences in France. Then I showed them a short Christmas “vlog” that my little sister kindly made for my classes. She showed the students the decorations in our house, Christmas lights, Christmas cookies and other holiday things. I discussed the video with my students and presented more Christmas traditions. Check out the PowerPoint presentation for this lesson here.
Tips for this lesson:
Have a family member create their own Christmas vlog for your class! Of course, you can use my video, but your students would be excited to see Christmastime at your house and in your city.
If you have extra time, sing some Christmas carols. This is a great way for your students to learn new vocabulary and partake in a fun Christmas tradition. You can print the lyrics and even make a fill-in-the-blank worksheet as an additional activity.
Keep this lesson low-key. Many students are excited for break and busy with exams, so keep your lesson fun and simple and save a grammar lesson for another day.
Which lessons are you planning for your first semester? Let me know in the comments below.
The goal of this guide is to support you during each stage of your TAPIF journey from applying for the program to departing from France. Each chapter discusses a different topic in-depth. I’ve researched everything you’ll need to know and included lots of useful information that you won’t find in the official TAPIF handbook. You’ll also discover a checklist at the end of every chapter that will help you throughout your TAPIF journey.
This guide also includes my experiences participating in the 2019-2020 program. My personal observations about the program are not universal to all assistants, schools, regions, etc., but they will hopefully give you insights into life as an assistant in France.
This Guide Includes…
How to step-by-step apply for the TAPIF program + my statement of purpose
How to successfully obtain your visa and prepare for France
How to find housing, open a bank account, and get settled in France
How to plan your lessons and be an amazing teaching assistant
How to navigate daily life in France, make extra money and make friends
How to depart from France and renew your teaching contract
