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A beginner may know the vocabulary but keep every verb in the present tense. Here is a constructed practice example:

Starting sentence: “Hier, je visite le musée.” The learner means “Yesterday, I visited the museum”, but je visite is present tense. Hier means “yesterday”.

Correction: “Hier, j’ai visité le musée.” This says “Yesterday, I visited the museum”. For this completed action, use the passé composé: j’ai, from the helping verb avoir, followed by the past participle visité. Adding a time word alone does not change the verb.

Try the same pattern: regarder un film means “to watch a film”. “Yesterday, I watched a film” becomes “Hier, j’ai regardé un film.” Say both sentences, then write a new one without copying the model.

This gives a lesson a specific target: express a completed activity accurately, then use it in a short account or conversation. A useful next step is answering “Pourquoi ?” (“Why?”): “Parce que j’aime l’histoire” means “Because I like history” and supplies a reason for the museum visit.

French B writing needs a message suited to its purpose, audience and text type. A list of impressive connectives cannot replace an explained point. Consider this constructed response to a discussion about free public transport:

Starting point: “Les transports gratuits sont bons.” (“Free transport is good.”) The opinion is clear, but the reason and practical issue are missing.

Developed response: “Les transports gratuits peuvent aider les familles à se déplacer. Cependant, il faut aussi financer un service fiable.” (“Free transport can help families get around. However, a reliable service also needs funding.”)

The second version gives a possible benefit, then acknowledges a difficulty. For a letter to a local official, the opening and tone should suit that reader. A message to a friend would use a different register, meaning a different degree of formality.

For speaking practice, follow the point with “Qui devrait payer ?” (“Who should pay?”). The learner must respond to the new question rather than repeat the prepared paragraph. At SL, build a clear, sustained explanation. At HL, develop the reasoning further and handle more complex ideas with precise language.

In a French B HL lesson, practise explaining a view of a character and pointing to a detail that supports it. This short invented extract illustrates that skill:

“Paul a rangé la lettre sans l’ouvrir, puis il a quitté la pièce.” (“Paul put the letter away without opening it, then left the room.”)

“Il part” (“He leaves”) only reports an action. A developed response could be: “Paul semble vouloir éviter le contenu de la lettre, puisqu’il la range sans la lire. On ne sait pas encore pourquoi.” (“Paul seems to want to avoid the contents of the letter, since he puts it away without reading it. We do not yet know why.”)

The response uses a detail, offers an interpretation and recognises what the extract does not establish. Follow up by considering another possible explanation. In preparation for the actual oral, use the studied work to discuss how an extract relates to its wider story and ideas.

Knowing the topic is different from understanding what a speaker or writer actually says. These are possible practice tasks to agree with a tutor, using language suited to the learner’s route.

A possible lesson rhythm is to try a short task independently, work through one difficulty together, then attempt a different task using the same skill. Between lessons, keep the practice narrow enough to complete: a few past-tense sentences for ab initio, a developed opinion with an unprepared follow-up for B, or a short evidence-based interpretation for A.

Check progress by comparing similar tasks over time. Can the learner recognise the tense, explain a choice of wording or justify an inference with fewer prompts? Retain the first attempt and the later independent version; a corrected page alone does not show what the learner can now do unaided.

For a hesitant speaker, start with a few planning words, then reduce the prompts and introduce one new question. If dense text or the pace of a recording is the obstacle, discuss a clearer layout, shorter extracts or extra processing time during practice. Agree a lesson frequency that fits the deadline, school workload and time available for this independent work.