Unit 1: Teaching Geography in French. Authors : Bernard Elissalde and Sylvie Persec, Institut Universaire pour la Formation des Maîtres (IUFM), Paris. Topic : The notion of a transport network using the French motorways as an example. Class : Students in Secondary Education (age14).

Previous knowledge of L2: Students are in their third year of learning French.

Previous knowledge of subject: Students are in their fourth year of geography.

Time Allowed: One hour and thirty minutes including assessment.

General Objectives:

• To enable the students to understand the concept of a network, how it works and how speed contributes to time-space contraction.

Specific Subject Knowledge Objectives: Students will : • be able to understand the concept of spatial analysis;

• appreciate the emphasis placed on accesibility, centrality and territorial equity;

• be able to show how a network contributes to setting up a framework for the spatial organisation of a territory in all developed countries.

Linguistic Objectives : Students will : • benefit from the interaction between subject matter and language; • be provided with the linguistic tools required for them to understand the notions involved and perform the tasks expected of them. Learning Process:

The didactic perspective is incremental, leading students from one stage to another. Within that perspective, error is part of the learning process.

The aim of this unit is to illustrate the interaction between subject matter and language. We chose a simple lesson, which could be easily divided

into several steps, and endeavoured to connect the different stages with the linguistic tools required. The linguistic elements presented are based

on the classification of language acts known as the notional-functional approach.

The lesson draws on scientifically reliable materials, with which the teacher focuses on concepts belonging to what we call, in geography, ‘spatial

analysis’. The main point is how networks help to increase economic integration and to give a framework to the spatial organization of a

territory.

As the lesson progresses, students come to understand the concept of a network and the key factors in its framework. This method does not aim

to lead students into error, but rather to make them discover the concept through a process in which their knowledge is gradually broadened

through the use of maps.

General Language Support : As stated in "Teaching Social Studies in English" (page XXX), teachers will need to help students acquire new vocabulary and use a variety of ways of achieving this. For example: • Show or draw (‘point’, ‘lien’, ‘plan(e)’, ‘déséquilibre’, ‘nœuds’, ‘tracer’); • Explain the new words or translate (‘réseau’); • Explain the notion (‘position périphérique’, ‘organisation politico-administrative’,‘configuration des réseaux’); • Discuss possible translations (‘ville’ = ‘town’ or ‘city’?, ‘agglomération’); • Use cognates (‘densité’, ‘hierarchie’, ‘facteur naturel’, ‘population’). Sources: Bonnafous, A, Circuler demain, DATAR, Editions de l'Aube, 1994. Offner J, “Réseaux, territoires et organisation sociale”. In: La documentation française, revue PPS no.740, 1994. Barrot , J. et al, Europe/Europes, Vuibert, 1997. Abler, Ronald, Spatial Organization: the geographer's view of the world / Ronald Abler, John S. Adams, Peter Gould, Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, 1971. Cole, J, A Geography of the European Union/ John Cole and Francis Cole. - 2nd edition London, Routledge, 1997.

The Notion of a Transport Network.

STAGE TEACHER ACTIVITY STUDENT ACTIVITY MATERIALS

AND RESOURCES

LANGUAGE SUPPORT

1. Questioning the purpose of motorways.

1. Teacher (T) asks a series of questions, such as, why motorways are useful, why they are built.

" Quelle est l'utilité des autoroutes? Pourquoi les construit-on?" 2. Map 1 is presented by T.

1. Students (S) are expected to say that motorways channel the flow of goods and people and that they are useful for international trade.

• Map 1. • The language function is to present and define a concept: 'Un réseau est constitué de carrefours et de liens.', 'un réseau, c’est….. '.

STAGE TEACHER

ACTIVITY STUDENT ACTIVITY MATERIALS

AND RESOURCES

LANGUAGE SUPPORT

2. Designing an ideal motorway network.

1. T gives S a map showing French boundaries and the main French cities.

2. T asks S to draw an ideal network and says that all the cities must be connected i.e. the more links they draw between cities, the better it is.

3. T asks, what the links are and where the nodes are.

"Quelles sont les liens et où sont les nœuds?" 4. T explains, that from a geographical point of view, large population settlements, and especially the main cities of a country, form the nodes of networks. " D'un point de vue géographique, ce sont les grandes agglomérations et tout particulièrement les villes principales d'un pays qui forment les nœuds d'un réseau."

1. S look at map. 2-4. S link up the different cities on their maps.

• Map 2. • The language function is to give instructions using the imperative.

• Vocabulary: ‘dessiner’, ‘relier les principales villes’, ‘modèle de réseau idéal.’

STAGE TEACHER

ACTIVITY STUDENT ACTIVITY MATERIALS AND

RESOURCES LANGUAGE SUPPORT

3. Introduction of orographic factors in designing a motorway network.

1. T asks S how far they have taken into account the physical geography of France when designing their networks and whether they have missed anything. "Dans quelle mesure avez-vous pris en compte la géographie physique de la France lorsque vous avez dessiné votre réseau? N'avez-vous rien oublié?" 2. As necessary, T points to an orographic map i.e. one including mountains, main valleys, basins, etc.

1. S reply. 2. S look at map on wall and realise that the orographic factor needs to be brought in.

• Revision of a previous

lesson about the physical geography of France.

• A map of France is hung on the wall (see Map 3).

• The language

function is to express opposition and concession.

• Adverbs: ‘cependant’, ‘néanmoins.’

• Vocabulary: ‘Un deuxième facteur, le facteur orographique.’

STAGE TEACHER ACTIVITY

STUDENT ACTIVITY MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

LANGUAGE SUPPORT

4. Using an orographic map to design the network.

1. T indicates that since geographical space is not flat, it is necessary to draw new links.

"Puisque l'espace géographique n'est pas plat, il est nécessaire de dessiner de nouveaux liens." 2. T gives each S a copy of

an orographic map (Map 3).

3. T asks S to draw a second network, reflecting the balance between physical reality and the shortest links between cities. 4.T goes from one S to another to help them draw a new network. 5. T presents Map 4 to S.

1. S consider this new factor. 2-4. S draw a revised network on an orographic map. 5. The resulting map is viewed as a possible model of the French network (see Map 4), including human factors (i.e. urban settlements) and physical factors.

• An orographic map drawn on a sheet of paper is given to each student (see Map 3).

The language function is to express: (a) cause and consequence: ‘Étant donné que…’, ‘par conséquent…’ ; (b) necessity: ‘Il est nécessaire de…’ , ‘Il faut que…..’ (+ subjunctive).

STAGE TEACHER ACTIVITY STUDENT ACTIVITY MATERIALS

AND RESOURCES

LANGUAGE SUPPORT

5. Comparison between Map 4 and the real motorway network.

1. T asks S to compare their model with the reality. 2. T supervises the comparison between the maps drawn by the students and/or Map 4 and the real network. 3. T emphasises the specific shape of the French network: (a) that most motorways start from Paris, they are mainly radial and very few of them cross the country from west to east; "La plupart des autoroutes partent de Paris, elles sont essentiellement radiales et très peu d'entre elles traversent le pays d'ouest en est"; (b) that motorways are missing between Bordeaux and Lyon and between Nantes and Lyon.

1–2. S compare their model with the reality and become aware of the specific pattern of the French network (see Map 5). 3. S listen and compare what is

said with their own findings.

• Map 4. • Map 5 (on

OHT).

• The language function is to express :

(a) opposition and concession : ‘alors que …’, ‘bien que…..’ (+ subjunctive); (b) comparison(adjectives): ‘plus… que’, ‘moins que…’, ‘aussi … que’, ‘supérieur… à’, ( (c) comparison (quantities): ‘pas autant de … que’.. • Vocabulary: ‘Comparaison du

modèle avec la réalité.’

and between Nantes and Lyon. Paris is the only hub of the French network, which reflects its administrative and political importance; "Il n'y a pas d'autoroute entre Bordeaux et Lyon, ni entre Nantes et Lyon. Paris représente le seul point de concentration du réseau français, ce qui est à l'image de sa structure administrative et de son importance politique"; (c) that in some parts of the territory, the density of motorways is higher than in the model. For example, around the main cities of Paris, Lyon, Lille, Marseille and also tourist attractions such as the coast (e.g. the French Riviera) and skiing resorts in the Alps. On the other hand, lower densities are visible in Brittany or in the Massif Central; " Dans certaines parties du territoire, la densité d'autoroutes est plus grande que sur le modèle. Par exemple, autour des grandes agglomérations qui sont Paris, Lyon, Lille et Marseille et également dans les

S listen and compare what is said with their own findings.

• Summary: " Un réseau d' autoroutes met en relation les principales villes d'un pays. Sa configuration dépend de la densité de l'attractivité des lieux et des obstacles orographiques. Il reflète également l'organisation administrative d'un pays."

régions touristiques comme la côte (la Côte d'Azur) et les stations de ski. D'autre part, on remarque des densités inférieures en Bretagne ou dans le Massif Central."

STAGE TEACHER ACTIVITY STUDENT ACTIVITY MATERIALS

AND RESOURCES

LANGUAGE SUPPORT

6. Assessment using examples of other countries. 6.1 The UK. 6.2 Other European countries.

1. T gives S a map of the UK motorway network and asks them to explain the specific shape of the network, using the three factors already considered : (a) large population settlements (b) physical geography (c) administrative and political factors. 1. T gives S maps of motorway networks in other European countries and asks them to explain why some regions are well connected by motorway whereas others are not.

1. S explain why there are fewer motorways in the northern part of the British Isles and account for the divisions between the North and the South. 1. S study maps and identify the factors that have influenced the structure of the different networks.

• Map 6. • The language function is to express comparison. (See Language Support, Stage 5

above). • Vocabulary: ‘Comparaison

avec les autres pays’, ‘un réseau est fondé sur…..’ (passive voice).

Map 2

Map 3

Map 4

Map 5