Content-Area Instruction in French: Mathematics, Science, Social Studies
This domain tests how you teach mathematics, science, and social studies when the language of instruction is itself a barrier and an objective. Each subject carries its own linguistic demands, and generic "simplify the French" advice will not score.
The language of each subject
- Mathematics: comparison and quantity structures - de plus que, de moins que, combien en reste-t-il, le double de, la moitié de; operation vocabulary - somme, différence, produit, quotient; notation - decimal comma (3,5), space for thousands.
- Science: nominalizations (l'évaporation, la croissance, la digestion), cause–effect connectors (parce que, donc, c'est pourquoi, ainsi), process description and hypothesis.
- Social studies: chronology (d'abord, ensuite, au XIXe siècle), cause and consequence, and point of view.
Plan concept first, then the language that carries it
Pre-teach five to eight key terms with images and actions, not as a list. Post sentence frames. Use graphic organizers and visuals. Check understanding through application, never through As-tu compris?
Shelter the instruction
Visible content objective, key vocabulary displayed, scaffolded teacher speech, frequent interaction, and structured review - a SIOP-style cycle. Total physical response works well for processes; cooperative roles guarantee production.
Worked example
Grade 5 problem: Marc a 24 billes. Il en a 7 de moins que Julie. Combien Julie en a-t-elle? The student subtracts and answers 17. Reasoning: the arithmetic is correct; the misread is linguistic - de moins que signals that Julie has more. Response: build a banque de phrases contrasting paired comparisons in familiar contexts (heights, ages), connect each sentence to a bar model, then re-run the same problem with new numbers. Do not simplify the arithmetic - simplify the language load.
Traps that cost marks
- Lowering the mathematical demand instead of the language demand.
- Dropping word problems so that French does not "get in the way".
- Teaching vocabulary as an isolated list with no context or use.
- Missing notational differences such as the decimal comma.
- Accepting a chorus of oui as evidence of comprehension.
- Translating full problems into English rather than scaffolding the French.