3 Fun & Effective Ways to Teach French Prepositions of Place to Beginner Learners

Teaching French prepositions of place can feel tricky at first, especially with beginner learners. But once your students connect the words to real-life movement and visuals, it becomes a breeze—and even a lot of fun! In this post, I’ll share engaging strategies and must-have resources to help your students confidently use common prepositions like derrière, sur, sous, and more.

Whether you’re teaching French as a second language in Alberta or anywhere else, these ideas will get your students moving, speaking, and laughing—while learning essential grammar!

---

What Are French Prepositions of Place?

First, let’s introduce or review the vocabulary with students. Here are some beginner-friendly prépositions de lieu to focus on:

• derrière – behind
• entre – between
• sur – on
• au-dessus de – above
• à gauche de – to the left of
• sous – under
• autour de – around
• à droite de – to the right of
• dans – in
• devant – in front of
• à côté de – next to
• les prépositions – prepositions

When you teach these, be sure to include lots of visuals, movement, and repetition. Beginner learners thrive when they can see and act out the language.

---

3 Creative Ways to Teach Prepositions of Place

1. Use Real Objects and Classroom Movement

One of the best ways to teach prepositions is by grabbing a familiar classroom object—like a stuffed animal or pencil case—and having students move it around the room.

Say a phrase like: Le chien est sous la chaise. Then ask, “Où est le chien?” Let students guess, move the object themselves, or even take turns giving the commands.

➡️ Pro tip: Let students work in pairs, with one giving directions and the other moving the object. They’ll love it!

---

2. Play Interactive Grammar Games

Turn grammar into a game and your students will hardly notice they’re learning! I created a ready-to-use French Prepositions Unit that includes:

• Grammar notes & presentation
• Engaging activities like Bingo, Word Search, and a Collaborative Project
• Tons of practice opportunities for all the vocabulary listed above

These resources are perfect for centers, early finishers, or a sub plan. You can grab the full set right here on TpT.

---

3. Use Photos or Drawings for Descriptive Practice

Show students a photo or simple illustration and ask them to describe it using prepositions.

For example, show a drawing of a cat on a box, under a table, or between two dogs. Ask questions like:

• Où est le chat?
• Le chien est à droite ou à gauche du chat?

Students can also draw their own scenes and describe them in French. This gives them ownership of the vocabulary in a creative way!

Looking to extend the learning? Try incorporating prepositions of place into writing tasks. Ask students to write short, simple paragraphs describing their bedroom, classroom, or an imaginary space using as many prepositions as possible. This helps reinforce vocabulary and sentence structure while encouraging creativity. You can even turn it into a gallery walk where students read and guess whose space is being described!

---

Bonus Tip: Plan Ahead with a Yearlong Scope

If you’re teaching Grade 4 French as a Second Language in Alberta, you’ll love my free Alberta FSL Year Plan. It lays out the full year so you can feel confident knowing when and how to teach foundational topics like prepositions. You can download it for free and customize it to your classroom needs!

---

Final Thoughts

French prepositions of place are so visual and movement-based that they’re perfect for beginner learners. With a few props, some creative games, and thoughtful planning, your students will be using dans, sur, and autour de with ease.

Don’t forget to check out the full French Prepositions Unit on TpT for everything you need to make this topic engaging and stress-free.