TCL FAQs

What is the structure of TCL in my classroom?

As part of TCL, you will be expected to run a language focused session for approximately 15 minutes every day.  Each unit has a weekly language sequence (WLS) which has a specific structure to follow throughout the week. The activities are separated into 'Must-do' activities to be completed on Days 1 - 3 and 'Pick and Mix' activities to be completed on Days 4 - 5.  

It is important that you reinforce using French incidentally and outside of the French lesson, as much as you can throughout the day. Simple praising words, counting down to finish a Numeracy/Science/Inquiry activity, or even routine roll calls, can support you and your students on your French journey. You will find classroom displays in the resource page on the TCL website, which you can print, laminate and put up on your classroom walls. This will help you and your students tap into your French language frequently throughout the day, which will enhance your production and retrieval speed as well. In short, the more you use French, the easier it becomes. 

How much content do I need to cover each term?

• In a school's first full year of implementation, you will complete Units 1 - 8 across the school year. 

  • • In Term 1, you will complete Units 1 & 2.  Unit 1 is made up of Unit 1A, 1B, 1C . There will be a Mid Cycle Progress Check after Unit 1C which is designed for students to retrieve language and self assess their progress. Unit 2 is made up of Unit 2A, 2B, 2C.  There is an End-Cycle Assessment (i.e. after Unit 2C), which is teacher assessed. 

    • In Terms 2 - 4, you will follow the same pattern with the sequence of unit completion (Units 3 - 8). 

    • Each unit (e.g Unit 1A)  should be completed in one week.  You can see the pacing across each term here. 

• We have allowed buffer time for retrieval practice, teacher absences or school events/excursions etc. 

Am I responsible for assessing and reporting on student learning in French?

• Yes. As the classroom teacher, you are responsible for assessing and reporting on student learning, as per the CECV reporting guidelines. 

• The assessment tasks, rubrics, 'I can' statements and sample reporting comments are completed for you and can be found in the Assessment & Reporting section of the website. 

• There will be a Mid Cycle Progress Check (i.e. after Unit 1C) which is designed for students to self assess their progress (Years 1 - 6).  Note, Foundation students will be assessed using a classroom observation checklist. 

• There is an End-Cycle Assessment (i.e. after Unit 2C), which is teacher assessed. (Years 1 - 6). 

Why is it important to retrieve the language every session? 

It is really important that the language being learnt is frequently used throughout the day. Regularly retrieving the language from the previous units will increase student retention of language. In your classroom and across the school, look for opportunities to maximise language use. 

Encourage your students and colleagues to  use French to communicate throughout the day. 

What could  embedding French look like in your classroom?

• Teacher greeting students in French throughout the day and students greeting each other 

• Students responding to the roll in French 

• Students asking questions to each other or the teacher in French 'Je peux avoir...?' Can I have....?

• Students negotiating turn taking or other responsibilities in French 

• Students asking each other 'Comment ça va?' and respond with bien, mal etc. 

• Students using a word/phrase/sentence they know in French

• Students seeking permission from teacher in French - 'Excusez-moi, est-ce que je peux aller boire s’il vous plait?' 

• Teacher attention cues such as 'Un, deux, trois, les yeux sur moi; un, deux, trois, les yeux sur toi'

I've been busy this week and have missed some of my TCL sessions. Can I accrue my TCL sessions and do a longer 30 or 45 minute session in one week?

• No. One of the reasons why TCL has such a powerful impact on learning outcomes is because it provides frequent exposure to the language. Offering students opportunities to do daily retrieval and revisit prior learning aligns with the Science of Learning principles and the Extensive Processing Instruction approach to teaching languages.  It has been widely researched and proven that isolated blocks of learning time where students are not provided regular opportunities to retrieve language does not set students or teachers up for success. 

• Doing a little bit of TCL is better than not doing any at all.  If you are really struggling to find 15 minutes, then try some of the ways to embed Italian into your classroom as listed at the top of this page. 

I'm already really busy. How do I find 15 minutes per day to do TCL? 

Teachers have busy schedules and the introduction of TCL may seem like 'another thing to do' on top of your existing workload. It is important to understand:

• • • Once you become more familiar with the TCL content, you will begin to feel more confident about where to place the 15 minute session in your day.  Teachers have commented that sometimes it takes a bit of trial and error before finding the time that best suits their students.  

    • The sequence of vocabulary has been designed to provide opportunities to incorporate Italian into your everyday routine. Links with other curriculum areas such as literacy and numeracy have also been built into the design of the Weekly Language Sequence so you can incorporate Italian into other learning areas throughout the day. 

    • The planning, lessons and resources are all done. We strongly recommend that you check the 'I can' statements before the unit starts and read the teacher's notes prior to delivering the session as this will help you to understand the context of the learning intention. 

    • A growth mindset will be important when considering how you might incorporate Italian TCL into your day. 

Are there any resources for me to use?

This Google site has been created for you to use to deliver French TCL. The site is designed to be heavily scaffolded and structured so the resources are very clear and easy for you to use. There are some important things for you to know:

• There is a scope and sequence for each term which includes learning intentions, success criteria, Victorian Curriculum content descriptions, assessment "I can" statements and a list of vocabulary that will be covered over the term. 

• A curriculum map  has been developed using the Victorian French Curriculum based on a TCL delivery of 75 minutes per week (five sessions x 15 minutes). 

• Each unit has: 

• a complete weekly language sequence in Google Slides which includes a weekly overview mapping out the activities you need to complete for the week 

• has comprehensive teacher notes explaining the content and the pedagogy in the unit (these should be read prior to unit delivery) 

• introduces new language using a visual sentence builder

• provides audio files for each word/phrase 

• has a learning intention and success criteria linked to the Victorian Curriculum

• has additional activities/strategies for enabling or extending students

• includes information about language features, cultural points, reflection question and literacy links 

Our school is new to TCL. Do all students start at Foundation level? 

• No. The French 'I can' statements have been developed based on the Victorian Curriculum Achievement Standards across each band except for Foundation students which has been separated out.  The curriculum designers have chosen vocabulary to align with the Achievement Standards  and you will see in the vocabulary matrix, that between each band there are slight changes to the vocabulary marked in yellow. 

• Teachers should be guided by the 'I can' statements in each unit and use them to drive the learning, rather than the vocabulary driving the learning. 

I am a Foundation teacher. Is there too much content to cover? 

• We understand that Foundation students are learning many different skills in their first year of school and it is a busy time for students and teachers alike.  It important to use the learning intentions, success criteria and 'I can' statements to drive Foundation student learning learning. Don't feel you need to cover all the vocabulary every session. There are many opportunities throughout each year for the language to be retrieved. 

• Using the vocabulary throughout the day will help students to remember the words and encourage them to use the language and practise with each other.