Starter activity
With your partner, discuss:With your partner, discuss:• What a dictionary is What a dictionary is
• Two types of dictionaryTwo types of dictionary• Three reasons why you might use a Three reasons why you might use a
dictionarydictionary
You have 2 minutes!You have 2 minutes!
Why do we use a dictionary?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 Englishdictionary
An English toFrench
& a French toEnglish
dictionary
French to English/English to French French to English/English to French dictionariesdictionaries
• 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?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 orv, which would be a
verb
Hmm… How do I Hmm… How do I know if a word is know if a word is MASCULINE or MASCULINE or
FEMININE??FEMININE??
Use your dictionary to decide whether the following words take (le/un) or (la/une)
1. Pamplemousse – le/un - grapefruit2. Banane – la/une - banana3. Citron – le/un - lemon4. Framboise – la/une - raspberry5. Ananas – le/un - pineapple
What does each word mean in English?
mardi 18 avril 2023
Hmm... The next Hmm... The next problem... How problem... How
do I find the do I find the correct correct
meaning??meaning??
The second half of the The second half of the dictionarydictionary
• 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 orv, 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?gardenbedcomputerfootballlampcinemaguitarbathroomto dancemirror
jardinlitordinateurfootlampecinémaguitarresalle de bainsdansermiroir
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 Use your dictionary to find the French for: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
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
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
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
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
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