Brain Breaks in French class are so important! Why? Learning a new language can be SO mentally taxing. Whether we’re teaching immersion or core French, we are asking students to think (or try to) in another language. Combine that with nervousness about speaking, pronunciation struggles, and don’t forget grammar, and students can get overwhelmed pretty easily!
This is why we need brain breaks! They really help students recharge and reset their focus so we can keep being productive.
What Are Brain Breaks?
Brain breaks are short pauses in learning activities that last as little as two to three minutes or can be as long as five to seven minutes. They are designed to refresh the mind and to help students return to the task at hand with renewed focus. They are perfect for times when the activity we are doing is challenging, because they’ll help us fight off mental fatigue. Brain breaks can involve physical movement, but they can also be a quick mental diversion done at desks.
Why are brain breaks in French class important for language learning?
They improve focus and attention.
Language learning, especially at the beginner or intermediate level, requires intense concentration. After prolonged periods of focus, it’s natural for students’ attention to wane. A few brief brain breaks in French class will allow students to step away from the task, rest their minds, and return with greater focus.
Just think about it. When you’re at home doing something boring (for me, that is ANY task involving math or trying to figure out how something works!) you need to step away for a bit to keep from getting tired or frustrated, right? It’s the same for our students. Taking brain breaks in French class will keep them on task.
They boost memory retention.
Short breaks can help students remember new words more quickly or retain those French verb conjugations we’ve been working on. Research has shown that periods of rest allow our brains to make sense of the new information we’ve been getting, so it’s crucial to provide a little time to let the information sink in. By doing that, we’ll be helping students hold on to the information for longer.
They keep students from getting mentally exhausted.
Back to the example of me doing math at home. I try to help my son with Geometry. (Kind of pointless, because I cannot do math and he’s good at it, but I want to help if he has a question!) Now, it has been decades (more than 3) since I have looked at a Geometry problem, so let’s just say it’s painfully exhausting to make my brain do something like that.
Some of our students feel that way about French verbs, don’t they? Even if they actually love verb conjugation, our brains do reach a point where we can’t process much more until it sinks in. If we keep pushing to learn more and more before we have made sense of everything we’ve learned, we can become overwhelmed and learning isn’t going to happen anyways. So, take some brain breaks in French and they’ll absorb more after a few minutes.
They encourage student engagement.
They are fun. They bring in some variety. They keep class from being boring. For students who might not be fully understanding, they provide a little fun and motivation (and that much-needed rest) so they can make sense of all the things we’re teaching.
So, how do you use brain breaks in French class?
Get them moving!
Students sit at desks and write A LOT in French class. That can get pretty boring, right? Bringing in some movement to the lesson is a fun way to reenergize them and help them retain all the new words and structures you’re teaching. Here are a few fun ideas for brain breaks in French class:
- Play “Simon Says” : A lot of French teachers call this “Jacques dit…”
- Dance with this French Youtube Brain Break video.
- Play montrez-moi: Call out verbs and have them act them out.
Play a game.
Charades is always a favorite, and it takes SUCH little prep! Just write some vocabulary words on index cards and have them on-hand for a fun and quick guessing game.
You can also have them play a fun game like vocabulary slap to review vocabulary and get their energy levels back up. Place the word or image cards face up on the desk and have them race to find the words you call out. Use the image cards and call out the French word or use the word cards and call out the English.
Find this French game here at my TpT store.
Practice mindfulness.
I had a colleague who I really admired. She was not only an amazing teacher, but she seemed to have control of ALL the things. Classroom management was never an issue. Kids learned SO much from her, but they really loved learning in her classroom, even when it was really hard material. I had to know what her secret was, so I asked to observe her class.
The day I walked in, she had the lights dimmed and was playing quiet relaxation music (like the kind in the spa when you get a massage). The kids were all seated quietly, and everyone seemed to be loving it.
She later explained to me that this was something she did each day with them when switching subjects so they could calm their minds and refocus. I didn’t realize at the time she was doing brain breaks in French class everyday. I was amazed by her results all year long, and when I got her kids the next year, it was very obvious to me that it worked.
Take a few minutes to get creative – or just relax.
This is going to look different for every student, and it doesn’t need to be guided by you at all. During this time, I might put on a French song that they love and just let them relax for a few minutes. If they love to doodle, let them doodle. If they like to write in a journal, let them do that. If they just want to sit there, that’s okay, too.
Incorporating brain breaks in French class is an easy and effective way to keep students engaged. They’ll have more energy and they’ll retain information so much better with just a few minutes of rest. By taking small breaks, we can prevent burnout, enhance memory retention, and make the learning more fun!
If we can balance work with regular brain breaks in French class, it’s going to mean a more productive class period that both we and our students are excited about, and that’s a definite win in my books!
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