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Year 5 - French

Presentation about Haiti: 'est-ce que' questions

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 ask questions using intonation or 'est-ce que' to find out information about the French speaking country Haiti.

Key Notes

  • The e at the end of the word makes no sound. It is a Silent final e -SFe. An é at the end of a word is pronounced: bébé.
  • The consonant before a SFe is pronounced: timide.
  • There are different ways to ask closed (yes/no) questions in French.
  • Change a statement into a question by raising your voice at the end: tu aimes l'histoire ?
  • Use 'est-ce que' at the start of a statement. Est-ce que literally means 'is it that': est-ce que tu aimes l'histoire ?

Vocabulary To Learn

  • SFe: silent final e (silent e at the end of a word)
  • é: pronounced as in 'bébé' (can be pronounced at the end of a word)
  • intonation: rise and fall of the voice when speaking (when used in a question the voice raises at the end of the statement: tu aimes le chocolat ?)
  • est-ce que: used at the start of a statement to ask a question: est-ce que tu aimes le chocolat ?

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Questions using intonation or 'est-ce que' have different meanings: Tu aimes l'histoire ? vs. Est-ce que tu aimes l'histoire ?

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

The e at the end of the word makes no sound. It is a Silent final e -SFe. An é at the end of a word is pronounced: bébé. The consonant before a SFe is pronounced: timide.

2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'SFe'

silent final e (silent e at the end of a word). Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: Questions using intonation or 'est-ce que' have different meanings: Tu aimes l'histoire ? vs. Est-ce que tu aimes l'histoire ? Correction: 'Tu aimes l'histoire ?' and 'Est-ce que tu aimes l'histoire ?' mean the same thing, they are two different ways of asking the same question (using intonation or 'est-ce que').

More Lessons In This Unit

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