Everyday Self-Introductions

Overview

In this second lesson of the 3-part unit “Exploring Everyday French”, students practise basic greetings and self-introductions through short, guided partner dialogues. They also blend Te Reo Māori into their conversation starters to support cultural connection and confidence.

Learning intentions

WALT: Use basic phrases for self-introduction and engage in simple dialogues.

Success criteria

• I can greet someone in French using a basic greeting.
• I can ask someone their name and reply with “Je m’appelle …”.
• I can include at least two Te Reo Māori phrases in my introduction.
• I can perform a short partner dialogue with clear pronunciation and appropriate gestures.

Curriculum links

• Learning languages: French Novice teaching sequence — formal introductions using greetings and simple exchanges (introducing oneself and responding appropriately).
• Practices: introductions — asking names (“Comment t’appelles-tu?”) and saying one’s own name (“Je m’appelle …”).
• Key competencies (Communicating and participating): students practise sharing meaning through speaking and listening.
• Values and relationships: respect and inclusion when role-playing real-life interactions with classmates and using Te Reo Māori in context.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–6 min · Warm-up circles (listening + movement). Teacher plays audio of French greetings (or speaks clearly if no audio) while students stand and do a quick “hello handshake” movement. Students respond together: “Bonjour!” / “Salut!” and mirror intonation.

2. 6–15 min · Te Reo Māori integration (quick model). Teacher introduces and models two Te Reo Māori phrases already known from the unit (e.g., kia ora and a simple acknowledgement like tēnā koe or tēnā koutou depending on class norms). Students practise call-and-response, then add one French greeting to make a paired greeting routine (e.g., “Kia ora, Bonjour!”).

3. 15–25 min · Direct teach: 3 phrase toolkit. Teacher displays three visual cards and says them twice each:

• “Bonjour / Salut”
• “Comment t’appelles-tu?”
• “Je m’appelle …” Students repeat using choral response, then in pairs with teacher circulating. Emphasise that students can swap names without changing the sentence frames.

4. 25–40 min · Partner role-play (controlled practice). Students receive role-play strips with sentence starters and picture cues (Name cards + who/where cue). Pair roles rotate every minute:

• Speaker A greets and asks the name.
• Speaker B replies with “Je m’appelle …” Teacher listens for correct phrase order and supports pronunciation (especially the “je” in “Je m’appelle”).

5. 40–48 min · Dyslexia-friendly rehearsal stations. Students move to one of three stations:

• Station 1: Audio first — listen to the dialogue audio (teacher-recorded) and repeat.
• Station 2: Picture-first cards — match greeting + question + answer.
• Station 3: Write minimal — fill in a name with a template sentence: “Je m’appelle ____.” Students stay focused on one short dialogue until they can say it smoothly.

6. 48–57 min · Performance assessment (quick checks). Teacher chooses 6–8 pairs to perform for the class while others practise silently using finger-pointing to cue cards. Use a simple teacher checklist: greeting used, question asked, name answered, at least two Te Reo Māori phrases included.

7. 57–60 min · Exit ticket (speaking quick assess). Each student speaks one complete line to a partner (or teacher if time): “Comment t’appelles-tu?” OR “Je m’appelle …” plus one Te Reo Māori phrase.

Resources

• Visual phrase cards: “Bonjour / Salut”, “Comment t’appelles-tu?”, “Je m’appelle …”
• Role-play name cards (student first names) with optional pronunciation help
• Dialogue strip templates (sentence starters with picture cues)
• Te Reo Māori phrase cards with clear modelling text
• Audio recordings (teacher-made) of each key phrase and a full short dialogue
• Student notebooks or writing sheets (template: “Je m’appelle ____.”)
• Simple classroom props (name badges, greeting gesture cards)
• Timer for partner role rotation

Assessment

• Formative: teacher checklist during partner role-play (phrase use + clarity).
• Formative: observation at stations (can students select the correct card order?).
• Exit ticket: student says one French phrase and one Te Reo Māori phrase, demonstrating transfer to speaking.

Differentiation

• Support:
• Provide sentence starter frames with blanks for only the name: “Je m’appelle ____.”
• Use visuals and colour-coded cards (greeting = green, question = blue, answer = yellow).
• Offer an audio model for students who need extra listening support before speaking.
• For students needing step-by-step success:
• Limit dialogue to two turns only (Greeting + name question OR reply) before extending to the full loop.
• Advanced learners:
• Create their own dialogue for a peer including an extra line (e.g., repeat the greeting, or add a second name swap).
• Challenge: include one additional French greeting or variation while keeping the core structure accurate.
• Inclusion (EAL/SEN):
• Allow rehearsal time with finger-cue sequencing.
• Accept reasonable approximations of pronunciation while focusing on the intended message.

Extension (optional for advanced learning—homework aligned)

• Write a short self-introduction paragraph in French for homework using the taught structures (at least: greeting, name question/answer, and one Te Reo Māori phrase). Provide a scaffold template if needed (e.g., 3–4 sentence frames).