Café Role-Play

Overview

In this lesson (3 of 3), students use simple French to create and act out their own café experience. They practise speaking and listening through a friendly role-play: greeting, ordering, and paying.

Learning intentions

• WALT use simple French phrases to role-play ordering food and drinks in a café.
• WALT listen for familiar French words and respond appropriately in character.
• WALT collaborate to create a short café script with clear turns for each speaker.
• WALT include a few appropriate te reo Māori greetings or phrases, where it fits our classroom culture.

Success criteria

• I can greet and respond using simple French (e.g., “Bonjour”, “Je voudrais…”, “Merci/ S’il vous plaît”).
• I can order at least one item and ask/answer a simple question in French with support.
• I can understand and respond to my partner’s lines during the role-play.
• I can participate respectfully and clearly, using my script or word bank.

Curriculum links

• Languages: Developing communicative competence through speaking and listening in another language.
• Languages: Using vocabulary and simple sentence patterns for real-life purposes (like ordering food).
• The refreshed curriculum focus on purposeful communication, collaboration, and language awareness.
• Te reo Māori in context: recognising and using it appropriately in shared classroom routines.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 5 mins – Warm-up chant (whole class) Students practise a quick café routine with actions: greeting, “Je voudrais…”, “S’il vous plaît”, “Merci”. Teacher adds one te reo Māori greeting for the day (e.g., “Kia ora”) and students repeat respectfully.

2. 10 mins – Model role-play (teacher + two students) Teacher models a short café scene using a visible word bank and simple gestures. Focus on turn-taking: customer greets → orders → café staff confirms → customer thanks and pays (with “Merci” and a pretend “c’est combien?” if students are ready).

3. 10 mins – Build your café script (pairs) In pairs, students choose 3 items from the café menu they created in lessons 1–2 (or teacher provides). They fill a simple template with:

• Customer lines (greeting + “Je voudrais…” + thanks)
• Staff lines (confirmation + “S’il vous plaît” / “Merci”) Teacher circulates to support sentence starters and pronunciation.

4. 20 mins – Role-play rotations (small groups of 4–5) Groups rehearse and then perform in two rounds so everyone speaks. Roles rotate:

• Café staff (1–2 students)
• Customers (2 students)
• Runner/greeter (optional: hands the “menu”, reminds phrases) Teacher uses a quick observation checklist for participation and use of target phrases.

5. 10 mins – Feedback and “Spot the French” (class discussion) After performances, the class identifies examples of strong French use (one “I noticed…” from students, teacher reinforces). Teacher checks understanding by asking one or two comprehension questions: “Qu’est-ce que tu voudrais?” Students answer using the phrase frame.

6. 5 mins – Exit ticket: one-line order Each student completes a one-line speaking plan on paper: “Je voudrais ___.” For those needing more support, they circle the item from a menu and write/trace the word. Students hand in and teacher checks immediately.

Resources

• Simple café menu cards (items from the unit: e.g., croissant, sandwich, jus, café, thé, gâteau) with picture support
• French word bank (Bonjour, Je voudrais…, S’il vous plaît, Merci, c’est combien?, Aujourd’hui, etc.) printed large
• Script template strips for pairs (customer/staff sentence starters)
• Props: pretend money, a “menu” clipboard, cups/plates from classroom sets or paper cut-outs
• Role-play name tags: “Le serveur / La serveuse”, “Le client / La cliente”
• Audio support (optional): teacher voice modelling and repeat-after-me cues
• Teacher observation checklist with 3–4 target phrases

Assessment

• Formative: Teacher observation during role-play for use of key phrases and listening/responding.
• Formative: Exit ticket (one-line order) showing accurate target phrase and chosen item.
• Peer/self: Students give one “glow” (what they did well) using sentence stems (teacher provides).

Differentiation

• Support (scaffolds): Provide sentence frames, a smaller word bank, and picture-to-word matching. Allow students to read from their script or use a cue card.
• Support (structured speaking): Pair fluent speakers with developing speakers; provide “customer” role to learners who need fewer lines first.
• Extension (advanced): Challenge students to add one extra detail from earlier lessons (e.g., “avec du…” toppings/sides, “J’aime…”, “Je n’aime pas…”) and include a simple question from “c’est combien?”.
• EAL/SEN: Prioritise listening comprehension first (pointing to items, choosing from a menu), then gradual speech. Offer alternatives for writing (circling, tracing, or dictation to scribe).