This two-sided chatty mat (sentence builder) is a learning aid aimed at developing speaking skills in French. It is aimed at helping learners structure their description of a picture (People, Location, Activity) in a methodical way so that they have a structure they can rely on. You can see the preview of the first page in the listing.

The resource offers a very clear structure, range of vocabulary for a range of picture scenarios, as well as a range of general conversation questions with sample answers.

A few Ideas/Suggestions on How to Use This Resource:

1. Adapt the Resource – Before introducing this resource to your students, you may wish to tweak it to better suit their needs.
2. Introduce and Expand Vocabulary – Go through the vocabulary with your students, identifying and labeling unfamiliar words in their native language. This can be done section by section or for the entire table, depending on your students and circumstances. Encourage them to add any additional relevant vocabulary!
3. Model Photo Descriptions – Demonstrate how to describe a photo, either yourself or together with students. Use PLA (People, Location, Action) and the acronym WhoWheRAC (Who, Where, Relationship, Appearance, Location) to guide their descriptions of people.
4. Encourage Regular Practice – Give students frequent opportunities to describe photos using the resource. An effective approach is to describe multiple photos in one single session, as this reinforces structured descriptions, boosts confidence and enhances motivation.
5. Incorporate Written Practice – If feasible, get students to write a photo description as homework using the resource as a guide. :)