S2 Ep.10 Robust Vocabulary Instruction in French for Anglophone Parents: Chin faces with Sarah and Julianne

​In this episode, Sarah, Julianne and I put our creativity to the test and had a lot of fun! To get the most out of this episode, you must first listen to Episode 5 of Season 2 in which I explain the importance of teaching children a rich vocabulary to help them better understand the subjects taught in school, especially at the junior and secondary levels, and to better understand the literary vocabulary found in books. 

The goal of this episode was really to demonstrate that it is possible to teach a rich, level 2 vocabulary, even when fun and silly activities are chosen. The chin-face is an activity that will surely make the whole family laugh. Even during difficult times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic that we are currently experiencing, it is important for children to have fun and have a few laughs. The vocabulary selected for this activity is as follows:

Créatif ou créative: Creative
S'allonger : to lie down
Suspendre : Suspend
À l'envers : Upside down
Peindre : Paint
Rigoler : giggle
Divertir : Entertain
Vêtir : Clothe
Trait facial : Facial trait or feature
(Remember that the direct translation does not always give a level 2 word in English, but trust that it is a level 2 word in French).

Items required for the activity :
Black eyeliner or costume make-up (e.g. Halloween make-up)
Lipstick
White page to draw the face
A phone or a smart tablet to record the face chin (N.B. it is important to film with the device upside down for it to work).
A good imagination
A good sense of humour
You can search Google engines to find ideas for chin-faces: 

Here are the steps for this activity:

Write the words on a piece of paper and refer to them as needed. Draw your desired facial traits on a paper before hand.

You can use regular makeup or costume makeup.

Ask an adult to paint some eyes and a nose upside down on your chin.

Or you can draw it on your own face if you can.

Apply lipstick if you want. Optional.

Be creative!

Talk about your facial traits.

Lie down and suspend your head and clothe your face to hide your nose/eyes.

Make sure your smart phone or camera is upside down when filming or taking pictures.

During the episode, Sarah mimics the voice of Miranda Sings, a fictional character you can find on YouTube. Here is the link for those who are curious. Here are also some videos of our chin faces: