Language: French Beginners
Target group: Stage 6 Preliminary
course
What are the key ideas or concepts you want the students to learn?
The key concepts I want students to learn are that:
 there is a range of language structures and vocabulary that students
can use to talk about themselves and others
 students can build on simple French to form more complex ways of
expressing themselves
 there are similarities between the recreational activities of people from
France, other French-speaking communities and Australians.
Topic: Friends, recreation and
Indicative time: 40 hours (1 term)
pastimes
Why does that learning matter?
The learning matters because:
 it is important that students talk about their personal world in French as
this is a pivotal subject of conversation in any language
 in recognising the spiral approach to language learning, students will
learn to return to past foundations and continue to build on that
knowledge
 in our rapidly changing world, varying perspectives allow for a deeper
understanding and appreciation of other peoples and cultures.
Unit description: This is the second unit of work in the Preliminary course. In this unit, students delve further into describing their immediate world by learning how
to describe their friends, how they occupy their free time and their state of health. At the end of this unit, students will be able to:
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describe their own and someone else’s character
ask about and say what they look like and what someone else looks like
talk about the sports and hobbies they engage in and don’t engage in
discuss their state of health
discuss which places they wish to visit in a town
arrange to go out and discuss their weekend activities.
Key competencies:
The following key competencies are embedded in the Beginners Stage 6 Syllabus to enhance student learning:
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communicating ideas and information
collecting, analysing and organising information
planning and organising activities
working with others and in teams
using technology
solving problems.
Intellectual quality
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Deep knowledge
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Deep understanding
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Problematic knowledge
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Higher-order thinking
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Metalanguage
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Substantive communication
Quality learning environment
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Explicit quality criteria
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Engagement
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High expectations
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Social support
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Students’ self-regulation
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Student direction
Significance
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Background knowledge
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Cultural knowledge
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Knowledge integration
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Inclusivity
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Connectedness
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Narrative
Outcomes:
Objective 1 – Interacting
A student:
1.1 establishes and maintains communication in
French
1.2 manipulates linguistic structures to express
ideas effectively in French
1.3 sequences ideas and information
1.4 applies knowledge of the culture of Frenchspeaking communities to interact appropriately
Students learn about:
Students learn to:
 the importance of listening for key words to assist
understanding
 the importance of reading for key words to assist
understanding
 links in communication
 listen for meaning
 the logical sequencing of ideas
 use strategies to initiate, maintain and conclude
an interaction
 select and incorporate particular vocabulary and
structures to achieve specific communication
goals
 interact with reference to context, purpose and
audience
 maintain an interaction by responding to and
asking questions and sharing information
 use appropriate language features to enhance
communication
 structure information and ideas coherently
 ways in which texts are constructed for specific
purposes
 ways in which texts are formatted for particular
purposes and effects
 ways of identifying relevant details in texts when
listening or reading for specific information
 identify why, how or to whom a text is delivered or
presented
 explore the way text content is presented and how
ideas and information are sequenced
 make judgements about the relevance of detail in
understanding text
 the purpose and context of communication
 register in language use
 responding to factual and open-ended questions
 ways to support effective interaction
Objective 2 – Understanding Texts
A student:
2.1 understands and interprets information in texts
using a range of strategies
2.2 conveys the gist of and identifies specific
information in text
2.3 summarises the main points of a text
Intellectual quality
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Deep knowledge
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Deep understanding
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Problematic knowledge
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Higher-order thinking
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Metalanguage
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Substantive communication
 read for meaning
Quality learning environment
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Explicit quality criteria
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Engagement
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High expectations
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Social support
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Students’ self-regulation
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Student direction
Significance
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Background knowledge
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Cultural knowledge
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Knowledge integration
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Inclusivity
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Connectedness
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Narrative
2.4 draws conclusions from or justifies an opinion
about a text
2.5 identifies the purpose, context and audience of a
text
2.6 identifies and explains aspects of the culture of
French-speaking communities in texts
Objective 3 – Producing Texts
A student:
3.1 produces texts appropriate to audience, purpose
and context
3.2 structures and sequences ideas and information
3.3 applies knowledge of diverse linguistic structures
to convey information and express original ideas
in French
3.4 applies knowledge of the culture of Frenchspeaking communities to the production of texts
Intellectual quality
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Deep knowledge
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Deep understanding
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Problematic knowledge
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Higher-order thinking
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Metalanguage
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Substantive communication
 ways of inferring meaning from text
 cultural attitudes that add meaning to texts
 the structure and format of particular texts
 the purpose and context of a text and their
influence on the choice of structure, format and
vocabulary
 the logical sequencing of ideas in extended text
 the application of known linguistic structures in
new contexts
 language choices and their effect on intended
meaning
Quality learning environment
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Explicit quality criteria
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Engagement
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High expectations
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Social support
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Students’ self-regulation
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Student direction
 use contextual and other clues to infer meaning
from text
 identify and discuss cultural influences in specific
texts
 present and organise information in ways
appropriate to audience, purpose and context
 plan, draft and edit text
 sequence ideas and information in texts
 apply a range of vocabulary and linguistic
structures across a range of contexts
 evaluate the accuracy and appropriateness of
structures when constructing and editing text
Significance
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Background knowledge
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Cultural knowledge
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Knowledge integration
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Inclusivity
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Connectedness
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Narrative
Suggested teaching, learning and assessment activities:
Note: teaching and learning activities marked with an asterisk (*) could be used as
formal assessment tasks.
Sub-topic: Describing your own and someone else’s character and appearance
Building the field:
1. Revision of first person descriptions. (je m’appelle…, je suis…, j’ai…ans etc.)
2. Revision of third person descriptions in the context of the family. (mon père
s’appelle…, il a …ans, il est professeur)
3. Invite any other prior knowledge from students in terms of adjectives or
structures to describe people.
4. Give mock situations, e.g. meeting your elderly neighbour, running into your
friend on the street, and invite students to comment on the register they would
need to use in French (tu/vous). Compare and contrast with English and living
in Australia.
Activities:
5. Introduce a variety of character descriptors. Encourage students to translate as
some of these are cognates in English.
6. Listen to brief discussions about the qualities of an ideal brother and sister.
7. Writing skills activity - students write a short paragraph describing their ideal
brother and sister, as well as three teachers of their choice.
8. Review adjective agreement and placement of adjective.
9. Complete an activity on writing acrostic poems focussing on character
descriptors.
10. Introduce physical descriptors, e.g. height, size, hair, eyes. Practise and drill
vocabulary through a series of listening, reading, speaking, writing and
 Class discussion and teacher feedback on student
contributions.
 Student use of appropriate vocabulary structures.
 Student ability to sequence ideas.
 Student use of culturally appropriate behaviour.
 Teacher observation of level of participation in class
discussion and oral feedback.
Ongoing feedback through:
 teacher observation
 oral/written feedback
 student self-evaluation
 peer evaluation.
Listening activities: teacher observation and oral feedback on
purpose and content.
Speaking activities: teacher provides oral feedback on correct
pronunciation and vocabulary and ability to maintain an
interaction.
Discussion activities: teacher observation and oral feedback on
online activities.
Intellectual quality
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Deep knowledge
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Deep understanding
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Problematic knowledge
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Higher-order thinking
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Metalanguage
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Substantive communication
Evidence of learning and ongoing feedback for students
throughout unit of work
Quality learning environment
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Explicit quality criteria
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Engagement
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High expectations
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Social support
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Students’ self-regulation
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Student direction
Significance
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Background knowledge
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Cultural knowledge

Knowledge integration

Inclusivity
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Connectedness
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Narrative
Registration/Date
11. Complete a series of activities that combine both character and physical
descriptors to produce a detailed description of self and others.
12. Reinforce work completed in this sub-topic through additional reading and
writing activities focusing on adjectives, the negative structure and possessive
adjectives.*
Sub-topic: Sports, hobbies and musical instruments
Building the field:
1. View pictures accompanied by nouns and verbal phrases written in French and
students predict meaning according to cognates in English.
2. Prediction exercise ranking the popularity of certain sports in France and
Australia.
Activities:
3. Complete listening, reading, speaking and writing activities that focus on talking
about what sports you play and don’t play using the structure je fais de + sport.
Students also give an opinion about different sports using the structures j’aime
bien, j’adore, je n’aime pas, je déteste.
4. Students are introduced to the French names of hobbies and musical
instruments.
5. Students complete a series of activities that focus on the key question Qu’estce que tu aimes faire?.
6. Students complete a range of reading and writing activities that reinforce above
structures.*
7. Listening skills activity - talking about your hobbies.
8.
how well students participate and recognise and use the
vocabulary.
Reading activities: teacher gives oral/written feedback on
identifying general or specific information, purpose and content.
Written activities: teacher observation and written feedback on
purpose and content; peer evaluation.
ICT activities: use of À toi la parole (CLI product) to consolidate
and reinforce new structures and to provide additional listening
and speaking activities that allow for independent student
progression.
Students complete a range of self-paced interactive activities using the CLI
product À toi la parole to reinforce the vocabulary and structures they have
learnt in this sub-topic.
Intellectual quality
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Deep knowledge
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Deep understanding
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Problematic knowledge
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Higher-order thinking
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Metalanguage

Substantive communication
Quality learning environment
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Explicit quality criteria
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Engagement

High expectations
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Social support
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Students’ self-regulation
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Student direction
Significance
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Background knowledge
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Cultural knowledge
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Knowledge integration
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Inclusivity
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Connectedness
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Narrative
Registration/Date
Registration/Date
Sub-topic: Health and fitness
Building the field:
1. Use flashcards to introduce the parts of the body in French.
2. Class discussion about what we do in Australia to keep fit and healthy.
3. Rank health strategies elicited in the class brainstorm in order of importance.
Activities:
4. Practise and drill vocabulary on parts of the body using structure J’ai mal à ...
5. Complete a series of reading, speaking and writing activities that focus on the key question Qu’est-ce que tu fais pour être en forme?
6. Students complete a series of activities that focus on Qu’est-ce que tu as? et Je suis malade.
7. Listening activity: Feeling ill
Sub-topic: Going out
Building the field:
1. Students revise vocabulary and expressions previously introduced that focus on places to visit in town.
2. Brainstorm as a class where students enjoy going.
3. Brainstorm the concept of French food.
4. Regional food research task and PowerPoint presentation. Students prepare a typical regional dish to share. They also research the region to
do a brief presentation about the region - where it is and at least five interesting facts that they have learnt.
Intellectual quality
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Deep knowledge
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Deep understanding

Problematic knowledge

Higher-order thinking

Metalanguage

Substantive communication
Quality learning environment

Explicit quality criteria
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Engagement

High expectations

Social support

Students’ self-regulation

Student direction
Significance
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Background knowledge

Cultural knowledge
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Knowledge integration
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Inclusivity
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Connectedness
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Narrative
5. Organise a restaurant outing as a class.
Activities:
6. Listen to a number of French-speaking people describe where they are in town.
7. Students revise structure aller à + noun in the context of visiting places in town.
8. Students extend their knowledge by learning to make arrangements to go out
9. Students revise their knowledge of food and drink vocabulary so they can apply it to eating out at a café and a restaurant where students are
introduced to typical French food items.
10. Students learn how to book a table in a restaurant and how to order a meal.
11. Introduction of passé composé of verbs that take avoir. Explanation of the use and formation of the tense.
12. Following the outing to a French restaurant, student use the passé composé to compose a short paragraph detailing their experience.
13. Written activity: In groups, students collaboratively write a report about the restaurant outing in French using the passé composé. Publish report
(along with corresponding English version) in the school newsletter or school website.*
14. Students complete a range of listening, reading, speaking and writing activities that centre on the key questions Qu’est-ce que tu fais le
weekend? and Qu’est-ce que tu as fait le weekend dernier? Students are drawn to the differences between the present tense and the passé
composé. Students are also introduced to the verbs that take être in the passé composé. Discuss reason why the auxiliary verb is different.
15. Students complete a series of summing up activities about their family and their daily routine using the passé composé.
Intellectual quality
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Deep knowledge
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Deep understanding
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Problematic knowledge
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Higher-order thinking
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Metalanguage

Substantive communication
Quality learning environment
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Explicit quality criteria
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Engagement

High expectations

Social support

Students’ self-regulation
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Student direction
Significance

Background knowledge

Cultural knowledge

Knowledge integration

Inclusivity

Connectedness

Narrative
Resources
Équipe nouvelle 1
- textbook, workbook and audio CDs
Supplementary booklet: Friends, recreation and pastimes
- developed using:
Équipe dynamique (foundation)
J’écris, tu écris
Tu parles français?
Vocabulaire pour adolescents – niveau débutant
Additional listening skills resource
J’aime écouter
ICT resources
- À toi la parole – CLI resource
Intellectual quality
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Deep knowledge

Deep understanding

Problematic knowledge

Higher-order thinking

Metalanguage

Substantive communication
Quality learning environment

Explicit quality criteria

Engagement

High expectations

Social support

Students’ self-regulation

Student direction
Significance

Background knowledge

Cultural knowledge

Knowledge integration

Inclusivity

Connectedness

Narrative
Syllabus topic - Friends, recreation and pastimes
Content
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Character and appearance
Sports, hobbies and musical instruments
Health and fitness
Going out
Key structures and vocabulary
 Character and appearance
Je suis + character descriptor.
Elle est + character descriptor.
Il est + character descriptor.
Je suis grand/e.
Elle est petite.
Il est gros.
Je suis blond/e.
Elle est rousse.
Il est brun.
J’ai les yeux verts.
Il a les cheveux raides.
Also: use of the negative ne…pas and the possessive
adjectives ma, mon, mes etc…
Intellectual quality
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Deep knowledge
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Deep understanding
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Problematic knowledge
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Higher-order thinking
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Metalanguage
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Substantive communication
 Health and fitness
 Going out
J’ai mal à
Je suis malade.
J’ai faim.
J’ai soif.
J’ai froid.
J’ai chaud.
J’ai besoin d’un dentiste.
Tu veux sortir?
On va au café?
On se retrouve…
À quelle heure est-ce qu’on se retrouve?
Je ne peux pas.
Je ne veux pas.
Je voudrais + food and/or drink item
Je vais prendre…
Le weekend je danse souvent.
Le weekend dernier j’ai dansé à une boum.
Quality learning environment
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Explicit quality criteria
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Engagement
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High expectations
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Social support
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Students’ self-regulation
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Student direction
Significance

Background knowledge

Cultural knowledge
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Knowledge integration
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Inclusivity
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Connectedness
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Narrative
 Sports, hobbies and musical instruments
Grammatical items
 Adjectives to describe character and physical appearance
 Order and placement of adjectives (revision and
consolidation)
 Verb + infinitive
 Possessive adjectives
 Jouer à, jouer de, faire de la .., faire du… (contracted article)
Je fais de + sport
J’aime bien
J’adore
Je n’aime pas
Je déteste
Je joue de la …(du)+ musical instrument
 Vocabulary: Sport, hobbies and musical instruments
 Vocabulary: Parts of the body vocabulary and
doctor/pharmacy
 Avoir mal à
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Food vocabulary for cafés/restaurants
Introduction of the passé composé with avoir and être
Reflexive verbs in the present tense and the passé composé
Futur proche
Intellectual quality
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Deep knowledge
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Deep understanding

Problematic knowledge

Higher-order thinking

Metalanguage

Substantive communication
Quality learning environment

Explicit quality criteria

Engagement

High expectations

Social support

Students’ self-regulation

Student direction
Significance

Background knowledge

Cultural knowledge

Knowledge integration

Inclusivity

Connectedness

Narrative
Evaluation and variation
(Considerations: Time allocated for unit; variety of teaching strategies used; opportunities for teacher feedback and student reflection; suitability of
resources; suitability of ICT/laptop activities; literacy/numeracy links)
Date commenced:
Date completed:
Class teacher signature:
Intellectual quality
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Deep knowledge
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Deep understanding
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Problematic knowledge
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Higher-order thinking
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Metalanguage
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Substantive communication
Head teacher signature:
Quality learning environment
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Explicit quality criteria
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Engagement
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High expectations
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Social support
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Students’ self-regulation
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Student direction
Significance

Background knowledge

Cultural knowledge

Knowledge integration

Inclusivity
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Connectedness
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Narrative