Writing to Pen Pal

Lesson Overview

This 70-minute lesson is lesson 3 of 4 in the Year 9 French unit "Exploring Hobbies in French." Students will write a response letter to their chosen French pen pal from Nîmes, detailing their own hobbies, explaining their pen pal choice, and proposing two after-school activities to do together. The lesson features a Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) approach with a formative assessment of written French.

This lesson supports the ongoing exchange program with French students visiting Australia next term. It develops students' ability to communicate personal interests, justify choices, and propose plans in written French.

Curriculum Alignment

Australian Curriculum: Languages (French) - Year 9

AC9LF10C05: Create written texts selecting vocabulary, expressions, grammatical structures, and conventions appropriate to purpose and context.
AC9LF6C05 (Years 5 & 6, relevant for scaffolding): Create informative and imaginative written texts using modelled sentence structures.
AC9LF10EU02: Use grammatical and writing system features to enhance meaning in written French.
General Capabilities: Literacy, Intercultural Understanding, Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Lesson Aim / Focus (WALT)

WALT write a letter in French to a pen pal about our hobbies, explain why we chose them, and propose two activities to do together.
WALT use verb structures expressing likes/dislikes with justification (aimer, adorer, préférer, détester + parce que/c’est + adjective).
WALT apply correct verb-preposition combinations (faire du/de la, jouer à/au).
WALT review and integrate language patterns for invitations and suggestions (proposer, inviter).

Success Criteria

I can:

Write a clear, personal letter in French describing my hobbies using appropriate verbs and adjectives.
Explain why I chose my pen pal using justifications with parce que/c’est.
Propose two specific activities using correct French phrases for faire du / jouer à and invitations.
Organise my writing with proper greetings, body, and closing phrases.
Use affirmative and negative forms confidently.
Use simple conjunctions and sentence connectors to link ideas.

Evidence of Learning

Completed written letter in French responding to the pen pal.
Use of target vocabulary, verb forms, and phrases from lesson.
Participation in peer planning and discussion.
Homework video recording of the letter translation (speaking practice).

Differentiation Strategies

Provide sentence starters and word banks for students needing support (scaffolded writing frames).
Visual aids and example letters on the board.
Use bilingual dictionaries or translation apps for vocabulary support.
Pair stronger writers with less confident students for peer support.
Allow advanced learners to include more detailed justifications and complex sentences.
Dyslexia-friendly fonts and spacing on worksheets; read instructions aloud.
Use colour coding to highlight verbs, adjectives, and linking words.

Extension Activities

Write a longer letter including questions for the pen pal.
Create a bilingual (French-English) version of the letter to deepen understanding.
Add descriptive details about proposed activities including time and place.
Record a spoken version of the letter in class for peer listening practice.

Resources

Pen pal letters from French students (Léa, Julien, Justine, Basile, Mathilde, Lucas) — pre-provided texts.
Writing templates and vocabulary lists.
Whiteboard/interactive screen.
Dictionaries / electronic translation tools.
Sample letter exemplars.
ICT devices for recording homework videos.
“Monster Book” communicative activities adapted into writing prompts.

Lesson Sequence and Timing

1. Introduction & Review (10 minutes)

Activity: Teacher recaps key language structures: verbs for hobbies (aimer, faire du, jouer à), negative forms, expressing reasons (parce que / c’est + adjective), invitation and proposal phrases.
Teacher actions: Use examples from previous lessons and pen pal letters; write model sentences on the board.
Student actions: Repeat and orally create examples in pairs; clarify doubts.
Differentiation: Provide sentence frames (e.g., J’aime..., Je préfère..., parce que c’est...).

2. Pair Planning Task (15 minutes)

Activity: In pairs, students decide two activities to do with their chosen pen pal and with their Australian classmate + pen pal pair.
Teacher actions: Monitor conversations, provide vocabulary support and encourage justification language.
Student actions: Talk collaboratively, using target verb phrases; record chosen activities on planning sheet.
Differentiation: Support pairs needing help with vocabulary charts; challenge advanced pairs to justify choices with comparative adjectives.

3. Writing Task – Letter Draft (25 minutes)

Activity: Students write a letter to their chosen pen pal including:
Introduction with greetings and name.
Description of their hobbies.
Explanation of why they chose this pen pal.
Proposal of two after-school activities to do together.
Polite closing.
Teacher actions: Circulate, provide feedback, support with sentence structures and vocabulary.
Student actions: Write individually or with peer support, referring to planning sheet, word banks, and sample letters.
Differentiation: Provide a writing scaffold that segments letter into parts for structured responses. Allow bilingual dictionaries.

4. Peer Review & Feedback (10 minutes)

Activity: Students exchange letters with a partner for peer feedback using a checklist aligned with success criteria.
Teacher actions: Model how to give constructive feedback focusing on language accuracy, expression, and clarity.
Student actions: Read partner’s letter, use checklist, discuss suggestions kindly.
Differentiation: Stronger students help peers who struggle with writing.

5. Reflection & Homework Explanation (10 minutes)

Activity: Whole-class reflection on what language was easiest/difficult; highlight common errors and good examples.
Homework: Translate the letter into English and make a video recording of the French letter to aid French peers’ English practice.
Teacher actions: Explain homework clearly and provide exemplar video and translation formats.
Student actions: Ask clarifying questions and prepare to do homework.

Language Features Focus

Verb expressions of likes/dislikes: aimer, adorer, préférer, ne pas aimer, détester.
Hobbies verbs with proper prepositions: faire du/de la, jouer à/au.
Justification with parce que and c’est + adjective.
Invitation and proposal verbs: inviter, proposer, suggérer.
Asking questions with est-ce que and responding affirmatively or negatively.
Use of adverbs of frequency and intensity (souvent, parfois, vraiment).
Correct sentence sequencing and verb conjugation in present tense.

General Capabilities Addressed

Literacy: Using French language complex sentence structures; translation and interpretation skills.
ICT Capability: Using digital tools for drafting, recording, and sharing.
Intercultural Understanding: Engaging meaningfully with French peers' culture and personal interests.
Critical and Creative Thinking: Planning and writing original texts, justifying choices.

This lesson plan maximises the TBLT approach through focused pre-task language review, collaborative planning, authentic writing, peer feedback and reflective extension. It builds continuity in the exchange project and closely follows the Australian Curriculum for Languages in Year 9 French, ensuring students meet targeted written communication outcomes while engaging personally and culturally with their French peers.

If further activity ideas or scaffolds are desired from the “Monster Book” for integration in the writing task or pair planning, these can be adaptively incorporated to support engagement and creativity.

This approach is designed to impress teachers by balancing curriculum rigor, linguistic authenticity, intercultural relevance, and differentiation for diverse learners.

Teaching Instructions