Teachers tell us how they approach the freedom of transition year

Máiréad Breen
St Leo's College, Carlow

"We have a very large transition year at St Leo's, four classes all. The French department devises a programme each year which takes the emphasis off exams and gives students time out from routine language learning. Instead we focus on culture and spend plenty of time on enjoyable aspects of French life, from music to film to television.

"Each French teacher builds her own programme from a number of options. This year my students have been watching a French soap called Sous Le Soleil. It's corny, in the Dynasty tradition, but the students are really enjoying it. We have also watched American films dubbed into French, such as Mrs Doubtfire and My Best Friend's Wedding. The students pick up on the language of these films, because most are already familiar with the plots and dialogue.

"A favourite class-time activity of the transition-year French students is to learn songs by current French pop acts and then sing them, karaoke style. Alizée is a big star in France at the moment. She sounds like Natasha Bedingfield, and the students find her work easy to learn.

"The Mary Glasgow series of magazines in French are now my class textbooks. With articles on topics of interest to teens, such as music, mobile phones and celebs, they engage the students' interest while developing their language skills.

"Our transition-year classes go on a European tour each year, starting in France, so at least three weeks is spent preparing them for their arrival in Paris and their yearly trip to Eurodisney.

"Rather than setting exams in the traditional sense we grade the students on project work. Each student chooses an aspect of French culture, from Chanel [ below] to Thierry Henri, and explores their subject in detail. Students have chosen all sorts of interesting topics over the years: French cuisine, French fashion, pop music, sport. Many will choose a French town or city of interest to them and find out more about its customs and people. Parts of the project are written in French and parts in English.

"The important thing is that they spend time researching the culture of France and get familiar with the country before they go back to the focused language learning of the exam years."

Send your thoughts on teaching in transition year to lholden@irish-times.ie