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Year 5 - French

Christmas in Haiti and France: -er verbs 'nous' and 'vous'

Celebrations in France and Haiti: plural -ER verbs, est-ce que, negation

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils use plural -er verbs, negation and est-ce que questions to ask and answer about important festivals in France and Haiti, including Christmas, New Year, Haitian Independence, 'La Chandeleur' and Mardi Gras. Knowledge of key 'e' sounds is strengthened.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to understand sentences describing Christmas traditions in Haiti using -er verbs.

Key Notes

  • The SSCs [é], [er], [et] and [ez] are spelt differently but they make the exact same sound, as in 'bébé'.
  • -er verbs follow the same verb endings: add -e with je, il and elle, and -es with tu in the singular form.
  • In the plural form, we use -ons with 'nous' and -ez with 'vous': nous célébrons, vous célébrez.
  • To say 'some' in French, we use 'des'. This is an indefinite article.
  • Unlike 'un and 'une' (meaning 'a'), 'des' does not change based on the gender of the noun.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • [é] [er] [et] [ez]: SSC (sound-symbol correspondence) pronounced as in 'bébé'
  • -er verb: French regular verb ending in -er in the infinitive form: aimer
  • nous: French pronoun meaning 'we'
  • vous: French pronoun meaning 'you' (when talking to more than one person)
  • des: indefinite article meaning 'some'

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • The SSCs [é], [er], [et] and [ez] have different pronunciations.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain what you can now say or understand in this lesson.

The SSCs [é], [er], [et] and [ez] are spelt differently but they make the exact same sound, as in 'bébé'. -er verbs follow the same verb endings: add -e with je, il and elle, and -es with tu in the singular form.

2. Define this key language word and use it in context. '[é] [er] [et] [ez]'

SSC (sound-symbol correspondence) pronounced as in 'bébé'. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: The SSCs [é], [er], [et] and [ez] have different pronunciations. Correction: The SSCs [é], [er], [et] and [ez] are in fact pronounced exactly the same, as in: répéter.

More Lessons In This Unit

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