Children explore Bamako, and make comparisons with their own local towns using French vocabulary.
The Capital City- Bamako.
Below is a transcript of a video clip describing Mali, available in the ‘Take Mali’ resource.
We have added some suggestions as to how you might like to use the transcript in class.
1. Ask the children to work in groups to write a list of words which would describe the nearest local big town or city, familiar to them. They could be given some photographs as a stimulus. They could divide the list into positive or negative words. Discuss and compare each group’s ideas as a class, and form a definitive list. ( This could be developed into a literacy activity thinking about ways of improving the city)
2. Give the children some photographs of Bamako- available on the website. Ask the children to do the same mind map of words to describe Bamako. Then hand out the transcript in french and see if they can pick out any words they understand, and add them to the list. Ask them if they were surprised by the description of Bamako? How does it compare to their town?
3. Teach the children how to say these key words in French, and ask them to make a powerpoint of photographs of their own town, which they present dramatically saying appropriate French words in the tone of their meaning alongside each photograph. E.g. du bruit!! (noise) could be shouted out! (musical instruments could also be used for sound effects).
Try out these words
La voiture, la circulation, la mobylette, la pollution, la visibilité, l’air, la poussière
Bamako la capitale du Mali.
Bamako est une ville très grande avec plus d’un million et demi de personnes, et le fleuve Niger est très important dans l’histoire de Bamako, parce que le fleuve contribue à plusieurs activités comme la pêche, comme l’irrigation, comme le jardinage, etc, le voyage par exemple, donc Bamako est très animée.
Il y a beaucoup d’animation à Bamako, le grande marché de Bamako est un endroit où il y a beaucoup de ‘business’.
Aussi le palais de Koulouba, ça c’est la résidence du chef de l’Etat. Donc il y a beaucoup d’endroits touristiques à Bamako.
Aussi c’est un endroit qui est très pollué malheureusement, beaucoup de pollution, avec les sacs en plastique, et avec beaucoup d’ordures, avec beaucoup de circulation et avec beaucoup de voitures et de mobylettes qui circulent, et l’air est très difficile à respirer et la visibilité aussi est très limitée, parce qu’il y a beaucoup de poussière dans l’air.
Donc ça c’est Bamako une ville très diverse, beaucoup de nationalités, beaucoup d’activités, voilà.
Bamako the capital of Mali.
Bamako is a very large city, with more than a million and a half people, and the river Niger is very important in the history of Bamako, because the river contributes to many activities like fishing, irrigation, market gardening, and travel for example- so Bamako is very busy.
There is a lot happening in Bamako, the large market in Bamako is a place where there is a lot of business going on.
Also Koulouba Palace-that’s the president’s residence. So there are lots of tourist places in Bamako.
Also unfortunately it’s a very polluted place, a lot of pollution, with plastic bags and with a lot of rubbish, with a lot of cars and mopeds on the roads, and the air is very difficult to breathe and visibility is also very limited, because there is a lot of dust in the air. So that’s Bamako, a very diverse city, lots of nationalities, lots of activities, .. There you have it…