MFL – French
Unit 4 Comme d’habitude
About the unit
In this unit pupils use more verbs
to describe what they and others
do. They learn new ways of asking
questions and develop
independent reading skills.
New language content:
• aller
• à + definite article
• common irregular verbs
• asking questions with Est-ce
que ...? and Qu’est-ce que ...?
• expressing simple opinions
• imperative
• introduction to independent
reading
New contexts:
• activities in the home and
domestic tasks
Alternative contexts: hobbies and
interests.
This unit is expected to take
12–15 hours.
Where the unit fits in
Pupils learn how to communicate
about their home life. They show
increasing independence by using
a glossary to help them
understand. They are beginning to
use the class ‘library’ for
independent reading.
Key stage 3 schemes of work
Year 7
Expectations Prior learning
At the end of this unit It is helpful if pupils already know:
• à + name of town
most pupils will: understand statements and questions about where
• -er verbs
people go and what they do about the house; understand an increasing • c’est
range of classroom commands and instructions; understand main
• possessive adjectives
points in longer passages, and cope with not understanding every • negatives
word, asking for help with a problem or some unfamiliar language; ask • rooms of house
and answer questions about what people do in the home and express • the time
likes and dislikes; write phrases about household activities accurately • classroom commands and instructions
and produce some words and phrases from memory; look up the • the alphabet
meaning of some unknown words in a glossary • the term imperative (pupils should be familiar with this from their
some pupils will not have made so much progress and will: understand, with National Literacy Strategy work)
support, the main points of written and spoken sentences about where
people go and what they do in the home; understand the teacher’s
instructions, sometimes needing support; write single words and Resources
phrases, and copy phrases and sentences, about household activities; Resources include:
ask for and respond to information about what people do in the house, • class reading materials (commercially produced readers; age-
using set phrases appropriate magazines; laminated texts, such as letters or magazine
some pupils will have progressed further and will: understand short written articles, cartoons, home-produced texts)
and spoken passages about what people do about the home, and cope • PCs, word-processing software and data-handling software
with unfamiliar language; make notes, without aid, on what they have • access to the internet
read or heard; write about what they do at home and express simple
opinions; be accurate when writing words and phrases from memory;
Out-of-school learning
memorise and use vocabulary and verb paradigms; use a glossary or
dictionary efficiently and effectively to help them with their Pupils could compare work on dictionary use undertaken in English and
understanding; select books from the class reading list (simple readers, MFL. They might also find French words which are similar or identical
magazines) and read with confidence and understanding to English, extending the activity suggested in unit 3 ‘Chez moi’.
Future learning
The range of contexts will be extended in future units to cover school
and interests, as pupils’ ability to understand and use longer and more
complex sentences increases.
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• how to use all parts of the verb • Introduce simple directions around the town, eg using Où est la gare? Où est le • know a small range of place • Authentic town plans could be used, but
aller to ask and say where syndicat d’initiative? This could be done with a simple map on an overhead nouns related to their everyday simple grid maps may be preferable so as
people are going transparency (OHT). life and produce and understand to focus pupils’ attention on language
• how to combine this with nouns • Pupils choose where they are going (without stating this) and give simple questions and information about learning rather than deciphering a town
by using à with the definite directions. The others say where they end up, using Tu vas au/à la/à l’… Pupils then people’s movements with plan.
article, and with simple work in pairs, asking Où vas-tu? and marking a grid to follow their partner’s sentences such as Je vais à • Teachers should ensure that listening
directions directions. Melchester. Nous allons à activities have a clear learning point and
• Group survey: group 1 asks group 2 Vous allez où? Group 2 responds, eg On l’école. Ils vont en ville. On va au are not just tests of comprehension.
va/Nous allons au ciné. village? Comparing an audio passage with the
• Pupils listen to tapes of authentic voices, which include other information such as ▲ take notes, eg noting key words transcript afterwards focuses attention
times, and say where the people are going. in French, on what they read and on the shape of the sounds which pupils
• Part of the class listens to a tape or the French assistant saying where various hear without the aid of a found difficult. Notes taken during a
people go and at what time, and draws lines between symbols, ▲ or simply takes framework listening exercise can be recycled to
notes on a blank sheet. They then relay the information from their notes orally to stimulate a speaking or writing task. This
others in the class who have to carry out the same exercise. Results are then helps pupils understand that listening is
compared with the original and the written transcript. not always a separate skill or activity.
• A further related activity can be found in
Optional Tests and Tasks 6.1.

• how to describe what they and
others do about the home using
their knowledge of the -er
paradigm with new and known
verbs, and using some parts of
common irregular verbs
including faire
• how to extend sentences about
these activities by stating at
what time they occur
• Matching phrases to pictures. • state and understand what • If pupils are coping, introduce a few
• Combining parts of sentences so they make sense (activity, time and room); people do in the home with examples of reflexive verbs. These are
making sentences longer by adding extra details. Pupils could also construct sentences such as Je fais la exploited more fully in unit 5 ‘Une
‘nonsense’ sentences to be used for a true/false game. lessive. Je range ma chambre. journée’.
• Sharing strategies for memorising spellings and meanings of words, eg similarities Mon frère lave sa voiture. Je • Point out the implications for French and
to English, mental associations, miming and chanting, self- and peer-testing. prends le petit déjeuner dans la English speakers of having one verb
• Competitive games to commit verbs to memory within a given time. This could be cuisine à huit heures. which means ‘to do’ and ‘to make'.
set up using an overhead projector (OHP) screen which becomes progressively • A further related activity can be found in
blurred, or an interactive white board where the ‘spotlight’ shrinks until the words Optional Tests and Tasks 8.4.
are all covered up.
• Changing sentences, beginning with, eg mon père lave le chat à huit heures,
which is altered progressively on teacher’s or pupils’ command (new verb, new
time, new person).
• ‘Snakes and Ladders’-type board game.
• ‘Pelmanism’ game, matching pictures to sentences.

Any activities marked ▲ might be better suited to higher-attaining pupils

Key stage 3 schemes of work MFL – French unit 4

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• how to use the phrases Est-ce
que and Qu’est-ce que to ask
questions about the ways
people help and relax in the
home and what they think of
these activities
• how to express a simple opinion
using some adjectives
• how to form and use the
imperative of the verb in order
to tell people what to do around
the house and the classroom
Key stage 3 schemes of work
• Introduce Qu’est-ce que by revising Qu’est-ce que c’est? to establish its meaning, • ask and answer the question, • Pupils should be clear what the different
before showing how to combine it with other recently learnt verbs. Qu’est-ce que tu fais pour aider words in the structure Qu’est-ce que
• Pupils interview each other in groups about what they (▲ and others) do or do not à la maison? actually mean as this will help them with
do about the house. • understand, ask and answer spelling it (always a problem!) and
• All classes in the year contribute to a survey on how they help about the house. questions with a small number eventually will make its difference from
They enter the results into a data file, making it easy to see how many do each task of different verbs, ▲ show ability quel easier to understand.
and how this breaks down into boys and girls. Later they compare results with a to vary the subject, eg Qu’est-ce • Using a database is a powerful and
similar survey carried out by pupils in a partner school or another class. The results que tu penses de ça? Qu’est-ce efficient means of accessing and
of the survey can be word-processed. This text can be adapted for the ‘End-of-unit qu’il regarde à la télé? Qu’est-ce interpreting ‘real’ information.
activity’. An optional simple survey could involve using infinitives for household que tes parents font à la
tasks and responses in the form of j’aime ça, je n’aime pas ça. maison?
• Pupils give simple opinions about household tasks; this can be extended to earlier • give a simple opinion, eg Je fais
topics. la vaisselle. C’est ennuyeux.
• Introduce the imperative by looking at the classroom commands which pupils • understand the meaning of the ▲ Point out more polite ways of telling/
already know. Compare the vous and tu forms and help the pupils to work out the direct imperative (tu and vous asking someone to do something, by
rules for themselves. forms) for a range of verbs using for example tu veux + infinitive.
• Jacques a dit, with pupils, ▲ initially the more able ones, taking the part of Jacques. related to classroom instructions Pupils could adapt text for one audience
▲ Pupils list imperatives as classroom rules (tu and vous forms) for display. and household chores, and use (in the imperative) for another audience
• Pupils play a forfeit game where the forfeits are presented as written commands or some themselves (using a more polite form).
where the opposing team may invent the forfeit by creating their own command. ▲ form the appropriate command • For homework pupils might invent
• Hypnotist game: in pairs one ‘hypnotises’ the other and gives a series of form for an -er verb forfeits in preparation for the classroom
commands which the other mimes. ▲ form negative imperatives such activity.
• Pupils write a song or poem about a bossy parent or teacher where the verses are as ne mangez pas; ne parlez pas
lists of commands and they express their opinion in the refrain.
▲ Pupils write humorously about different members of a lazy family who do not help
about the house.
• Pupils make and display an alternative set of classroom rules.
▲ Pupils might form negative imperatives to produce a humorous display of the rules
of a very strict school.
Any activities marked ▲ might be better suited to higher-attaining pupils
MFL – French unit 4
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• how to deal with unfamiliar
language in a text or
conversation about activities in • Pupils keep a list of phrases in their notes specifically for coping with difficulties.
the home by:
– asking for help
– concentrating on what they
know
– recognising that the unfamiliar
may be unimportant to their
understanding
• Using a text containing some unfamiliar language, show pupils the language they • use expressions such as Répétez • This activity develops the communication
would need to ask for help. plus lentement s’il vous plaît and skills of listening, speaking and reading,
Qu'est-ce que c'est en anglais? as well as problem-solving skills (making
• Show pupils that they can make sense of the text without having to understand • cope with written and spoken sense of the text) and improving own
every word, eg by identifying key words or underlining words they do understand. texts of several sentences, learning and performance (keeping word
containing some unfamiliar lists).
language, by concentrating on
the parts which they do
understand

• how to use a glossary or the
vocabulary section of their book
as quickly as possible
• Speed games: individuals look up single words; teams of four work through a • find a word quickly by looking in • Throughout the unit pupils should revisit
longer list. Teacher keeps time records. the right section, going straight pronunciation rules and work at
• Questions to focus attention on use of alphabetical order, eg Après G, il y a …? to the right initial letter, and improving their intonation. Point out
P est entre …? Mettez ces trois mots dans l’ordre alphabétique: père, petit, searching within the initial letter how the rules apply to new vocabulary
perroquet. list learnt in new contexts. When using a
• For pupils requiring support, give the first three letters of a word together with a glossary or dictionary pupils might be
picture clue, and ask them to find out what the word is in full. asked to find rhyming words. They
should also have opportunities to
compare their own pronunciation with a
native speaker, using a language master,
lab, simple cassette recorder or French
assistant, and discuss the comparison.

• how to choose short texts from
the class reading list and read
them independently
• Provide occasional opportunities for pupils to read class texts, in pairs, groups or • read with understanding,
individually. The themes covered could include those from earlier units. Pupils making use of a growing range
might sometimes write a response to what they have read, eg a simple opinion, of strategies, eg dictionary or
and should keep a record. word list, note taking, ignoring
unimportant words, asking
peers or teacher for help
• The frequency of such activities depends
very much on resources and the time
allocation for the subject. At this stage,
independent reading for interest and
information might be built into
occasional lessons only for short periods
(of 15–20 minutes) but this may increase
for later units.
• The internet is a rich source of simple
personal descriptions written by young
French speakers.

Any activities marked ▲ might be better suited to higher-attaining pupils

Key stage 3 schemes of work MFL – French unit 4

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8 End-of-unit activity

• to apply the knowledge, skills • Pupils construct a questionnaire to survey their partner school or penfriends on • ask a series of related questions
and understanding learnt in this household activities. They produce a report on the findings, drawing on as much of about household activities and
unit the language learnt in this unit as possible. summarise the answers in
writing

Any activities marked ▲ might be better suited to higher-attaining pupils

Ref: QCA/00/453 © Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) 2000 MFL – French unit 4