Hello, Filipino!

Overview

In this first lesson of the 20-lesson unit Filipino Language Foundations, students are introduced to common Filipino greetings, farewells and polite expressions. Through modelling, repetition and a short teacher–student role-play, the student builds confidence in using simple spoken exchanges for familiar social contexts.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• recognise and use basic Filipino greetings and farewells
• use polite expressions such as “please”, “thank you” and “sorry”
• participate in a short, modelled greeting exchange
• begin to adjust language for familiar social situations, such as meeting someone or ending a conversation

Success criteria

• I can greet someone in Filipino.
• I can say my name and ask someone’s name.
• I can use a polite expression appropriately.
• I can complete a short exchange with my teacher using mostly Filipino.

Curriculum links

• Western Australian Curriculum: Languages — interacting with others to exchange information in familiar contexts about self and personal worlds.
• Western Australian Curriculum: Languages — exchanging greetings, thanks and apologies and adjusting language to suit the context.
• Western Australian Curriculum: Languages — developing language for classroom interaction, routines and interests.
• Western Australian Curriculum: Languages — creating and presenting short spoken texts for a specific purpose and audience.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Hook and purpose. Open with the visual hook and lesson goals showing a split-screen image of two students meeting and leaving school; ask, “What words help us start and finish a conversation respectfully?” Students identify familiar English expressions and predict why greetings matter.

2. 4–10 min · Teacher modelling. Use the Filipino expressions and pronunciation slides to introduce: Kumusta? — Hello/How are you?; Magandang umaga — Good morning; Magandang hapon — Good afternoon; Paalam — Goodbye; Salamat — Thank you; Pakiusap — Please; Paumanhin — Excuse me/Sorry; Ako si… — I am…/My name is…; Ikaw? — And you? Teacher says each expression naturally, gives a brief English meaning and models appropriate facial expression and tone. Student listens, watches mouth movement and repeats each expression several times.

3. 10–15 min · Supported pronunciation practice. Return to the listen-and-repeat practice slides and practise the expressions in short groups: greeting, introducing yourself, thanking and farewelling. Teacher uses slow, clear modelling, then varies volume and pace while maintaining natural pronunciation. Student responds through echoing, then attempts selected phrases independently; teacher gives immediate feedback on intelligibility rather than demanding a perfect accent.

4. 15–21 min · Build the exchange. Distribute the greeting exchange scaffold. Teacher demonstrates the conversation shown on the worksheet, using the sequence “Kumusta?”, “Kumusta!”, “Ako si [name]. Ikaw?”, “Ako si [teacher’s name].”, “Paalam!”, “Paalam! Salamat.” Student highlights or traces the phrases, fills in their own name and practises the exchange first with the teacher’s prompts, then with fewer prompts.

5. 21–27 min · Teacher–student role-play. Display the role-play situations and success reminders. Teacher plays two contrasting situations: meeting at the start of the school day and ending a conversation after class. Student chooses one situation, greets the teacher, introduces themselves, responds to a question and uses a polite expression or farewell. Repeat with roles and context changed. Teacher deliberately pauses once or makes a small mistake so the student can respond appropriately, for example by repeating a greeting or saying “Paumanhin”.

6. 27–30 min · Plenary and exit check. Use the recap and exit prompt to review the expressions without translations first. Student completes the final section of the personal confidence check by writing the Filipino expression they remember best and performing a 20–30 second exchange for the teacher. Teacher records whether the student can greet, introduce themselves and farewell with understandable pronunciation.

Resources

• Filipino greetings and role-play slide deck
• greeting exchange scaffold
• Whiteboard and marker
• Device and display or projector
• Teacher pronunciation model or audio recording, if available
• Timer

Assessment

• During modelling and repetition, check whether the student recognises the meaning and attempts intelligible pronunciation of each expression.
• During the role-play, use three quick checks: greeting used appropriately, personal introduction completed, and polite expression or farewell included.
• Use the final performance and confidence check to identify expressions requiring reteaching in Lesson 2.

Differentiation

• Provide the worksheet with English meanings, pronunciation guidance and colour-coded sections for greeting, introduction, politeness and farewell; allow the student to refer to it during early attempts.
• Reduce the exchange to “Kumusta?”, “Ako si…”, and “Paalam” before adding “Ikaw?” and “Salamat”.
• Model slowly, face the student clearly and allow rehearsal, repetition or recording before the final performance; this supports students with speech, processing or working-memory needs.
• Extend the student by asking them to select the greeting appropriate to morning or afternoon and complete the exchange without looking at the worksheet.