Say It Loud!
Curriculum Links
Learning Area: Languages (Te Reo Māori, French, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, Samoan, etc.)
Curriculum Level: Level 4 of the New Zealand Curriculum (typically Year 9)
Targeted Achievement Objective:
Students will understand and produce information, ideas and opinions in selected interpersonal and cultural contexts, particularly focusing on personal identity.
Lesson Focus
Lesson Duration: 60 minutes
Context: Revision for an upcoming listening test
Topic Focus:
- Saying your name
- Telling your age
- Saying where you live
Language Context Example Keywords:
e.g. “Ko [Name] tōku ingoa”, “Kei [Place] au e noho ana”, “E [number] oku tau”
Learning Intentions
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
- Recognise and understand commonly used phrases in the target language related to personal information
- Improve recall of structures for name, age, and location
- Accurately distinguish between spoken forms of personal details in preparation for a listening assessment
Success Criteria
Students can:
- Match spoken phrases with correct written meanings
- Confidently complete a listening task without notes
- Participate in revision activities with good pronunciation and comprehension
Resources Needed
- Flashcards with personal info prompts (digitally or printed)
- Mini whiteboards and markers (1 per student)
- Bluetooth speaker or classroom audio equipment
- Listening clips or teacher-recorded phrases
- Sticky notes
- Dice (for games)
- Blank name tags or labels
- Countdown timer
Lesson Breakdown
🔍 Warm-Up (5 minutes) – Quick Fire Identity
Activity: Teacher calls out personal info questions rapidly ("What is your name? Where do you live? How old are you?" in the target language).
Students quickly write answers individually on their boards and hold up.
Purpose: Reactivate prior vocabulary; visual check for confidence.
🎧 Listening Mini-Test (10 minutes) – Guess Who?
Activity:
- Teacher plays 5 short audio clips of fictional characters introducing themselves (name, age, city or suburb).
- Students fill in a listening comprehension grid with information from each speaker.
- Peer-mark in pairs using teacher answer sheet.
Differentiation: Option to replay clips with slow-down feature for students who require more support.
🔄 Revision Station Carousel (20 minutes) – Rotating Fun
Set up 4 stations around the classroom. Every 5 minutes, students rotate (in groups of 6-7):
- Match Up Madness: Match audio clips with written text cards
- Dicey Details: Roll a dice to generate scenarios (“You are 15, live in Hamilton, and your name is Talia. Say this aloud.”)
- Sticky Swap: Sticky notes on the back — students ask each other questions in the target language to figure out their mystery identity
- Say & Draw: Partner says a sentence (“I live in Whangārei and I am 14”) and their buddy draws an image (e.g. house and number balloons)
Purpose: Multimodal, kinaesthetic and auditory engagement for different learning styles.
🎲 Game Time (15 minutes) – Human Bingo
Instructions:
- Each student gets a ‘Bingo’ card with phrases such as “Is 13 years old”, “Lives in Tauranga”, “Has the same name as you”.
- Students ask each other questions (in the target language) and fill in the name of classmates who match the boxes.
Goal: First to get a complete row or column shouts the target phrase for ‘Bingo!’
Teachable Moment: Encourage pronunciation correction and natural questioning pace.
🧠 Wrap Up (5 minutes) – Exit Echo
Activity:
- As students leave, they must say one personal sentence met in the lesson (name, age, or location).
- Teacher or peer gives a “thumbs up” or “try again" based on accuracy.
Assessment Opportunities
- Ongoing formative observation through activities
- Listening comprehension grid provides a snapshot of readiness
Delivery Tips for Teachers
- Encourage students to listen for sound patterns, not just individual words
- Use positive prompting if students hesitate (e.g. hand gestures or starter words)
- Vary the tone of your voice to mimic natural speech in the language
- Give praise in the target language (e.g. “Ka pai”, “Très bien”, “Muy bien”)
Extensions or Homework
- Create a voice memo bio using personal information
- Interview a classmate and write a brief bio in the target language
- Play an online matching listening game at home for reinforcement
Reflection and Feedback
At the beginning of the next class, invite students to share:
- One phrase they feel confident hearing
- One that they want to revise more
Final Thought
This lesson not only prepares students directly for their listening assessment, but does so through a culturally responsive, student-centred approach—all deeply grounded in Level 4 of the NZ Curriculum. It fosters student voice, active participation, and confident language use in ways that will stick long after the test.