It is through these stories that I concentrate on vocabulary skills. I feel that one of the true reasons for learning a foreign language is to improve English. I start by showing students the number of French words we use in the English language, i.e., bon voyage, boulevard, grand, petite, camouflage, chaise lounge, coup d etat. Students enjoy looking up the definitions of these French words in the English dictionary. At this time students discover the large number of French words used in the restaurant.
Students act out a scene in a restaurant, pronouncing the words correctly.
A class can have a lot of fun working with cognates. At this point, I would suggest that students read and do a report on a short story by de Maupassant or read a work by Hugo. The eight-week unit would then end with a final examination. I would spend the remaining class periods reviewing for it. Do scene based on French studied.