Café ordering

Overview

Students practise ordering food and drinks in a café role-play using simple French phrases. They connect spoken French with everyday actions (choosing items, asking questions, and paying/confirming orders) and include te reo Māori greetings where appropriate.

Learning intentions

WALT: learn simple French to order food and drinks in a café, using polite words and clear pronunciation, and respond appropriately to what we hear.

Success criteria

• I can order a drink or food using a simple French phrase.
• I can ask/answer what I want (e.g., “I would like…”, “Do you have…?”).
• I can role-play politely and use a suitable greeting and farewell.
• I can check my order (repeat/confirm) with support.

Curriculum links

• Learning Languages: develop basic interpersonal communication (listening and speaking) for everyday contexts.
• Learning Languages: use language to share ideas and experiences through meaningful interaction.
• Key competencies: communication (speaking and listening) and managing self (practising roles and strategies).

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 5 minutes – Opening + te reo Māori Teacher model: quick greeting and classroom routine in te reo Māori (e.g., “Kia ora” / “Nau mai” / “Haere rā”). Then teacher says today’s café focus in English and French (“au café”, “je voudrais…”), students repeat.

2. 8 minutes – Listen and notice (teacher-led) Teacher reads a short café dialogue twice (slow then normal). Students use a “show me” response: raise a card for “je voudrais…”, point to “s’il vous plaît”, and indicate “merci”. Focus on understanding rather than translating every word.

3. 10 minutes – Phrase workshop with gestures Students rotate through three mini-stations with sentence frames and gestures:

• Ordering: “Je voudrais …” (hand forward as if requesting)
• Politeness: “S’il vous plaît” (small polite nod)
• Thanks: “Merci” + “De rien” (smile and wave) Teacher circulates to correct pronunciation gently (especially final sounds).

4. 12 minutes – Make a café menu (hands-on) In pairs, students choose 6 items for a class “menu” (with pictures). They write item names in French from a teacher-provided word bank (e.g., eau, jus, café, thé; croissant, sandwich, salade). Differentiation: some students only copy and match pictures; others add short labels like “avec” (with) or “petit/grand” (small/large) if provided.

5. 15 minutes – Role-play: customer and waiter Half the class are customers, half are waiters. Using the class menu, customers practise:

• greet, order (“Je voudrais…”), ask if needed (“Vous avez …?”), confirm (repeat order), thank. Waiters respond using simple prepared options (“Oui, bien sûr.” / “Voici…”) and point to the menu. Roles swap halfway.

6. 7 minutes – Quick check: order card challenge Teacher calls out an order scenario in English (e.g., “A customer wants a large juice and a croissant, please”). Students write or say the French phrase using support cards, then act it out for 10–20 seconds.

7. 3 minutes – Plenary + reflection Students share one phrase they used well and one that was tricky. Teacher praises effort, then previews lesson 3 (ordering with more confidence and speed).

Resources

• Picture menu cards (food and drinks) with French labels
• Sentence frame cards: “Je voudrais…”, “S’il vous plaît”, “Merci”, “Vous avez…?”
• Role-play props: toy money, café notepad, menu boards, name tags
• Word bank sheet (French items and polite phrases)
• Colour-coded customer/waiter prompts (to reduce reading load)
• Audio/dialogue script for teacher (or projected visual)
• Dyslexia-friendly order cards (larger font, short lines, high contrast)
• Te reo Māori greeting/farewell cue cards for routines

Assessment

• Formative: teacher observes role-play accuracy and participation (can the student produce and respond to the order?).
• Formative: quick check with order cards shows whether students can use “Je voudrais…” with the correct item and politeness.
• Self/peer reflection: students identify one phrase improved and one target for next lesson.

Differentiation

• Support (students who need more help): provide a “menu + answer bank” with picture-to-phrase matching; allow choral speaking; sentence starters with fewer choices.
• Targeted support for reluctant speakers: start as waiter first (pointing and responding), then move to customer ordering.
• EAL (English additional language) / language learners: use visuals for every phrase; practise with gestures; reduce writing; allow speaking only for the quick check.
• SEN / literacy needs (incl. dyslexia): use larger-font cards, short sentence strips, and minimise copying; provide an audio option where students can listen then repeat.
• Extension (advanced learners): introduce optional add-ons such as “Je voudrais un petit/grand …”, “avec …”, and a second question (e.g., “C’est combien?” if teacher-provided).
• Extension extension: students create and perform a two-minute café mini-dialogue using at least 4 French phrases accurately.