Jordan is a Language Immersion Curriculum Developer and works on producing experiential learning programs for EF Language Immersion Tours. After studying three different languages – Portuguese, French and Italian – and teaching English abroad, she realized that the best way to learn a language is to establish a personal connection with it.
When creating an educational framework for one of our many language immersion travel programs, I set out to create lesson plans that foster student agency and give them the opportunity to explore their own personal narratives through the target language. By connecting students’ own interests and life experiences to their language learning, our lessons enhance both passion for and confidence in speaking a new language. 
So, as you are combing through new lesson plans for this school year, try out this activity taken from one of our culturally themed days on a Language Immersion Tour in Paris. As you know, fashion plays an important role in French culture. Our Paris Chic activity encourages collaboration and creativity in students, all while practicing clothing vocabulary and adjectives. It’s a fun interactive activity that will help spark excitement around learning and speaking French!
Before your students start this activity, download our “Vocabulaire de la Mode” worksheet and have them practice their vocabulary through this preliminary exercise:
• Have each student find and write the correct French vocab word under each clothing or fashion item.
• Using the vocabulary list provided cut out the images of clothing and the individual vocabulary words.
• Put students into teams of two to four and give each team a full set of photos and vocabulary words, along with some tape.
• Have each team match the appropriate photo with the right vocabulary word and tape them up on the board. The first team to tape up all the correct photos and vocabulary words wins!
Paris Chic
Learning Goals
• Review clothing vocabulary and adjectives
• Develop student agency and leadership in the target language
• Foster student creativity and collaboration
Resources
• Fashion vocabulary list
• Markers, colored pencils, tape, plain paper
Instructions
• Provide markers, colored pencils, paper, tape, and clippings from magazines. Put students into pairs and ask them to create their interpretation of the word “fashionable” by designing their own outfit. Have them test their vocabulary knowledge by then labeling the drawing of their outfit.
• Ask students to post their designs around the room.
• Have one person in each pair walk around the room, looking at the different designs and commenting on them and asking questions. For example, students could ask “Why did you choose these colors?” or “Do you think this outfit could work in more than one season?” Have the other person in each pair stay at their design and try to convince their peers why their design is the true definition of “fashionable.”
• Have students collect their designs, and then give them a chance to discuss themes or patterns they saw in each other’s designs. If you’d like to add a flare of competition, you can have the class vote for the most fashionable design at the end!
Language Immersion
To learn a new language, it helps to fall in love with where it’s from. Our Language Immersion Tours make both happen by combining authentic cultural experiences with interactive lessons taught at EF International Language Schools or out on the road. Each day has a theme—like art, history or food—that connects the day’s lesson to hands-on activities and conversations with locals. Your students’ fluency expands along with their confidence and passion for the language.
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