Shades of Preference

Overview

Curriculum Area: Learning Languages – French
Curriculum Level: Level 2 (aligned with Years 4–6 of the New Zealand Curriculum)
Time Duration: 50 minutes
Class Size: 25 students
Focus: Differentiating the use of the verb préférer and the adjective préféré(e)(s)

This engaging and interactive French language lesson introduces students to the grammatical and functional difference between préférer (to prefer – verb), and préféré(e)(s) (favourite – adjective). Students will build confidence in recognising, classifying, and producing simple French sentences using both the verb and adjective forms of this commonly used word—all while actively connecting to their prior learning of aller and aimer.

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Learning Outcomes

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Recognise and distinguish between préférer as a regular -ER verb and préféré(e)(s) as an adjective.
• Sort and classify examples into correct categories through visual and kinaesthetic activities.
• Use prior knowledge of aller and aimer to support their understanding of verb conjugation.
• Construct and explain their own simple French sentences that use both forms appropriately.

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Key Competencies

This lesson supports development of multiple key competencies from the New Zealand Curriculum:

• Thinking: Students compare, classify, and reason through linguistic patterns.
• Using language, symbols & texts: Applying vocabulary and grammatical knowledge to interpret and create meaning in French.
• Managing self: Participating independently in sorting tasks and peer comparisons.
• Participating & contributing: Sharing personal preferences and explaining language choices to classmates.

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Vocabulary & Grammar Focus

• préférer (to prefer) – verb
• préféré / préférée / préférés / préférées (favourite) – adjective (gender/number agreement)
• aller, aimer – other known -ER verbs for comparison and recall
• Examples:
  • Je préfère le chocolat. (I prefer chocolate.)
  • Mon animal préféré est le chien. (My favourite animal is the dog.)

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Materials Required

• Sentence strips (pre-made, colour-coded for differentiation)
• Two large sorting posters (Verb / Adjective)
• Blu-tack or magnets
• Mini-whiteboards and markers (1 per pair)
• “2 Stars and a Wish” reflection sheets
• Timer or visual countdown

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Lesson Breakdown (50 minutes)

⏱️ 0–5 mins: Wā whakawhanaungatanga | Warm-up

• Greet students with basic French (Bonjour! Comment ça va?)
• Quick brainstorm: "Qu'est-ce que tu préfères?" (What do you prefer?)
• Use a few spoken examples using aimer (J’aime le sport, J’aime la pizza) and then introduce préférer as another -ER verb.

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⏱️ 5–10 mins: Explicit Teaching

• On the board, show and explain:
  • préférer – a verb meaning "to prefer"
  • préféré(e)(s) – an adjective meaning "favourite"
• Demonstrate sentence examples side-by-side:
  • Je préfère les chats. vs Ma couleur préférée est le bleu.
• Highlight conjugation of préférer in the 1st and 2nd person (Je préfère, Tu préfères) and compare with aller/aimer patterns learned previously.

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⏱️ 10–25 mins: Main Activity: Sentence Sorting Challenge

Students work in pairs or small groups with a mixed pile of sentence strips containing both verb and adjective uses of préférer. These are written in basic French, scaffolded for understanding.

Instructions:

1. Read each sentence aloud together.
2. Decide if it is using préférer (verb) or préféré(e)(s) (adjective).
3. Stick it onto the correct poster: “Verbe – préférer” or “Adjectif – préféré(e)”
4. Once sorted, groups do a quick “Gallery Walk” of the other groups' posters and discuss if they agree with the placement.

📝 Examples of Sentences:

• Je préfère le foot.
• Mon livre préféré est Harry Potter.
• Tu préfères les pommes ou les bananes ?
• La musique préférée de ma mère est le jazz.
• Nous préférons les vacances d'été.

🔁 Provide bonus points for identifying why each sentence belongs in the group.

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⏱️ 25–35 mins: Create Your Own Sentences

Students move back to pairs and use mini-whiteboards to create:

• One sentence using préférer (verb)
• One sentence using préféré(e)/s (adjective)

Scaffold for success:

• Sentence starters on the board (e.g., Je préfère…, Ma couleur préférée est…)
• Revision posters for aller and aimer to show similarity in conjugation

🎯 Emphasise gender and number agreement with favourite items (e.g., un animal préféré / des chansons préférées)

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⏱️ 35–45 mins: Sharing & Explain Your Thinking

• Invite a few students to share one sentence to the class.
• Ask guiding questions:
  • “Is this a verb or adjective?”
  • “What helped you know the difference?”
• Encourage students to reflect aloud on how they made language decisions.

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⏱️ 45–50 mins: Cool Down & Reflection

Hand out “2 Stars and a Wish” self-reflection slips (i.e., 2 things they did well and 1 thing they want to work on).

Ask:

• What’s a word or sentence you’re proud of using today?
• What’s one question you still have?

Collect reflections or leave them in student language learning folders.

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence strips with pictorial clues for emerging learners.
• Ready-to-soar learners: Invite them to write a mini-dialogue using both the verb and adjective forms and perform it in pairs.

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Assessment for Learning

• Observations during sorting and sentence creation
• Sentence choices during whiteboard activity
• 2 Stars and a Wish reflections
• Check for correct conjugations, gender/number agreement during share-and-explain

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Teacher Tips & Cultural Connection

• Link the activity to cultural discussions about preferences (e.g., French vs New Zealand school lunches or sports).
• Consider integrating a Te Reo Māori dimension by exploring kimi pai (to like/prefer) in contrast, enriching students’ understanding of multilingual preference expressions.

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Extension Ideas (Optional Follow-Up)

• Create a class “Préféré(e)” Poster: include everyone’s declared favourite food, sport, or colour in French with illustrations
• Use digital tools like Book Creator or Seesaw for students to record themselves reading their sentences aloud

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This lesson not only builds essential understanding of grammatical structures in a second language but also encourages students to participate and take language risks, aligning closely with the Learning Languages strand of the New Zealand Curriculum and the vision of students being “confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners.”