La Vache qui Tache: Speaking Game

Bonjour, everyone.  I hope you are all well, and surviving the current weather conditions.  Things have been wild here in Michigan.  We've had a record amount of snow this month, record low temps and a record number of snow days at my school (6 so far!).  Vive la neige!!

I have a great speaking activity to share with you.  It seems to work best with my French III class, but it might also work in French II, and it's too easy for French IV.  It's a good game to use if students need to practice speaking more, if they need to review numbers, or if they just need a break from the usual.  This game was shared with me by two wonderful French teachers from Michigan, Marge Mandl and Suzie Martin, in a presentation they gave at our MiWLA Conference.

Everyone is a vache (cow) in this game.  All vaches sit in a circle in chairs or at a desk.  One vache (usually the teacher) stands in the center and is called la vache qui tache (the cow who gives spots).  All the cows number off and their numbers never change.  All cows start without spots (sans tache).  La vache qui tache has several circles cut from black construction paper in her pocket which will be affixed to other cows' faces with scotch tape on the back.  La vache qui tache begins the game by saying, "Moi, la vache qui tache sans tache appelle la vache sans tache numéro ____." (We'll say deux.)  Number 2 responds:  "Moi la vache sans tache numéro deux appelle la vache sans tache numéro ____." (We'll say quatorze).  Number 14 responds:  "Moi la vache sans tache numéro quatorze appelle la vache sans tache numéro sept." (etc.)


Once a vache makes a mistake, they are no longer called "sans tache", but "à une tache".  If  number 14 makes a mistake, he or she gets a "tache" (spot) on either his cheek, his nose, his forehead or his chin.  "La vache qui tache" starts again:  "Moi, la vache qui tache sans tache appelle la vache sans tache numéro vingt."  Number twenty could respond: "Moi, la vache sans tache numéro vingt appelle la vache à une tache numéro quatorze."  If number fourteen makes another mistake, he or she gets another spot.  Then he would be called "Moi, la vache à deux taches numéro quatorze."  Students may also call on "La vache qui tache."  For example:  "Moi, la vache sans tache numéro cinq appelle la vache sans tache qui tache."


My students were able to use their iPads and an app called Doodlebuddy to create their numbers.  The game continues until all vaches have spots except for one.  My students had a lot of fun with this activity and everyone was engaged in speaking French!  Why not give it a try?


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