Ordering at the Café

Overview

This is Lesson 3 of 3 in “Exploring Everyday French”. Today students practise ordering at a café through role-play and create a simple French café menu, reusing vocabulary from the unit so they can communicate purposefully in a real-life situation.

Learning intentions

WALT: Use French vocabulary and phrases to order food and drinks.

Success criteria

• I can use French phrases to order at a café (e.g., what I want, please/thank you).
• I can role-play a café conversation with a partner using my menu.
• I can read and understand my menu card and choose items correctly.

Curriculum links

• Learning Languages (French): develop speaking and listening for everyday interactions through supported communication.
• Te Reo Māori integration: use some Te Reo Māori terms appropriately alongside French language to strengthen cultural connectedness.
• Key competencies:
• Communicating ideas and information by using spoken French in role-play
• Thinking critically by selecting correct phrases for the situation
• Managing self by preparing and practising independently with my menu
• Relating to others by cooperating and taking turns during partner work

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Warm-up chant + targets. Teacher greets students in French and shows the target phrases on the board; students repeat chorally and then in pairs using gestures. Students hold up thumb signals for “I know it / I’m unsure” next to each phrase.

2. 5–15 min · Micro-teach: ordering language. Teacher models a short café dialogue (customer + café worker) using picture cues and gestures, then highlights 5–7 key phrases students will use today. Students practise “freeze and repeat”: pause, point to the phrase, repeat it, and perform the matching action (ordering, asking price, saying please).

Target phrases for today (display as sentence frames):

• Je voudrais… (I would like…)
• S’il te plaît. (Please.)
• Qu’est-ce que tu manges / tu bois? (What do you eat/drink?)
• Merci. (Thank you.)
• (Optional if appropriate) C’est combien? (How much is it?)

3. 15–28 min · Build your café menu (hands-on). Teacher explains that students will create a simple café menu in French using the provided menu template and food/drink picture cards; Te Reo Māori terms are added to some items (e.g., water as wai only if agreed by the class). Students work at tables: choose 6–8 items, write the French words/short labels, and add prices or a star/number code to help the role-play.

Teacher checks quickly: “Can you point to your item and say it in French?”

4. 28–45 min · Role-play rehearsal (scaffolded). Teacher sets up “café stations” using desk arrangements: one side is the counter, the other is the customer area. Students practise using sentence frames and their menus:

• Round 1: Café worker reads items; customer orders using “Je voudrais…” + “S’il te plaît.”
• Round 2: Swap roles; customer asks a question (e.g., what you eat/drink) and the worker responds using menu items.

5. 45–55 min · Performance café round (class friendly). Teacher selects a few pairs to perform; students in the audience track success criteria using a simple checklist: “Used a menu item” and “Used please/thank you”.

6. 55–60 min · Exit ticket (quick check). Teacher shows a picture of one food/drink; students write one French ordering sentence from a frame (e.g., “Je voudrais ___.”) and underline their chosen item. Teacher collects for next-step grouping.

Resources

• Pre-made French café menu templates (paper) with blank item spaces
• Picture cards for café items (food and drinks)
• Price cards or simple code numbers (e.g., 1–6) to support ordering
• Phrase cards/sentence frames for ordering and polite language
• Te Reo Māori term cards (teacher-selected, age-appropriate) for menu integration
• Teacher dialogue poster for modelling
• Mini whiteboards or small paper for exit tickets
• Timer (for role-play turns)

Assessment

• Teacher observation during rehearsal: listens for correct use of at least one ordering phrase and polite language.
• Checklist during performance: each pair uses menu items and can respond to the ordering cue.
• Exit ticket: one accurate French ordering sentence using the chosen frame and correct item word.

Differentiation

• Support (sentence frames): provide partially completed ordering strips (e.g., “Je voudrais ____.” plus a word bank matching the menu items).
• Visual menus for dyslexia-friendly access: menu cards with large pictures, limited text per item, and colour coding for food vs drinks.
• Dyslexia-friendly reading options: audio recording of key phrases (teacher voice) and/or teacher reads menu items aloud before role-play; students can trace phrases with a finger while listening.
• Targeted pairing: place advanced learners with students needing support so they can model phrases while both practise speaking.
• Extension pathway for confident speakers: students add one extra question and answer in the role-play (e.g., “C’est combien?” and a simple response).

Extension (for advanced learners)

• Mock café day mini-plan: in small groups, students design a “Café Menu Day” poster in French for one class session, including:
• A short greeting line (Bonjour / Bonsoir)
• 6–8 menu items with pictures
• One ordering question and one polite response
• Then they run a 5-minute café exchange for another group using their scripts and menus.