Start with a game using the interactive map of the EU. Can the students give the names of all the member countries (in the correct language)? You could make this into a team game, scoring them higher for more difficult information, such as capital city / when the country joined the EU / which flag is theirs (using this flag game).

Next, use the authentic Italian election brochure to introduce the June 2009 election to Italian students, and what the elections mean in Italy.  Pan and zoom the leaflet in to bring students’ attention to particularly aspects of the leaflet.

Divide the class into groups of four. Each group will nominate a leader to put forward as their candidate for election. Together they must prepare the pledges to be presented in front of the class. This could be a good opportunity to use the subjunctive tense.

Quatre-vingt-dix-neuf … literally Four-twenty-ten-nine! And that’s why your students need plenty of practice of French numbers. Motivating self-marking worksheets take away the need for dull repetition drills and have the added benefit of boosting your students confidence through their auto-correct function. I have developed worksheet on counting in French – this is a guide to how to fit this resource into one of your lessons:

1. Begin the lesson with a short game like word tennis to warm up. Split the class into four teams. Each team starts with a score of 3. See if the pupils can count up to twenty, in twos as high as they can go, in tens etc until a wrong answer is given, in which case they lose a point. When a team has zero points they are out!

2. Use the whiteboard to show use of numbers in different contexts – elicit from pupils French currency, weights, how to write the date.

3. Consolidate with excel sheet on numbers. Pair them up on a computer and see who can finish first with all answers correct. Look out for answers that change to bold blue font as they are correct, if the answer stays red/brown it is wrong.

There is a wider selection of French worksheets on the main Teachable site.