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Year 8 - French

Astronauts and French cuisine: writing an article

Past experiences: -ER verbs in the present and past

Unit Summary

The perfect tense with 'avoir' for -er verbs, faire and dire is extended for all singular forms. Intonation and 'est-ce que' questions and negation in the present and perfect tenses are practised, and 'il y a' is contrasted with 'il y avait'. Open eu,oeu, open o and closed o,ô are taught.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to apply your knowledge of vocabulary and grammar from an extended text to write a related article or interview.

Key Notes

  • The French [o] sound can be open or closed. It is open when followed by any consonant sound other than a 'z'.
  • The [o] is closed when it is the final sound in a word, when it is followed by a 'z' sound or when it has a circumflex.
  • Studying the vocabulary and grammar in a model text helps us to prepare for a similar writing task.
  • Using a content and language checklists helps us to plan, improve and check our drafted written work.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • closed [o/ô]: sound-symbol correspondence (SSC) like the [o] in 'photo'
  • open [o]: sound-symbol correspondence like the [o] in 'porte' which means 'door'

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • I don't need to plan my written work before I start writing in French.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

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

The French [o] sound can be open or closed. It is open when followed by any consonant sound other than a 'z'. The [o] is closed when it is the final sound in a word, when it is followed by a 'z' sound or when it has a circumflex.

2. Define this key language word and use it in context. 'closed [o/ô]'

sound-symbol correspondence (SSC) like the [o] in 'photo'. Say or write it in a short sentence so you use the word actively.

3. Correct this common language-learning mistake.

Mistake: I don't need to plan my written work before I start writing in French. Correction: Planning is essential for success in any written task. Using a content and language checklist helps us to plan, improve and check our drafted written work.

More Lessons In This Unit

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