Days, Months & Birthdays

Overview

This 40-minute lesson introduces students to the French vocabulary for days of the week, months of the year, and how to say their birthday in French. It aligns with the National Curriculum for England's Modern Foreign Languages programme of study for Key Stage 2 (ages 7-11), focusing on developing speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills through engaging, age-appropriate activities.

---

National Curriculum Links

Key Stage 2: Modern Foreign Languages

• Listening and Speaking: Understand and communicate simple sentences and questions related to everyday topics
• Reading: Recognise and understand familiar written words and phrases
• Writing: Write simple sentences from memory using familiar vocabulary and structures
• Intercultural Understanding: Learn about French-speaking countries and reflect on own experiences

Specific Learning Objectives

• Recognise, understand, and orally produce the names of days of the week and months of the year in French
• Construct simple sentences to say their birthday in French (e.g., "Mon anniversaire est le...")
• Develop confidence in pronunciation with accurate intonation
• Make links between the cultural significance of dates in France and the UK

---

Learning Outcomes

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

• Recall and pronounce days of the week and months of the year in French
• Say and write their birthday using full date format in French
• Show understanding through responding to simple oral and written prompts
• Appreciate differences and similarities between UK and French calendar traditions

---

Resources

• Flashcards with days and months in French and English
• Large printable calendar (French months/days labelled)
• Whiteboard, markers
• Personal mini whiteboards for students
• Audio recordings of native speakers saying days and months (teacher-led or digital)
• Birthday worksheet with sentence starters
• Colourful stickers/stamps for reward system

---

Lesson Structure

1. Starter (5 minutes) - "Calendar Chat"

• Greet students in French.
• Display flashcards of days and months randomly; say them aloud and have students repeat chorally, focusing on accurate pronunciation.
• Quick Q&A: Ask "Quel jour sommes-nous aujourd'hui?" ("What day is it today?") and encourage short responses in French.
• Link to English calendar on board, activate prior knowledge.

2. Introduction (10 minutes) - Days and Months Vocabulary

• Using flashcards, introduce days of the week in French, emphasising spelling and phonetics.
• Repeat with the months of the year. Use call-and-response to build familiarity.
• Play an interactive game: "Flashcard Splash" - flash one card, students shout back the correct French word. Introduce increasingly quicker rounds to promote fluency.
• Use the large calendar to visualise where days and months fit.

3. Main Activity (15 minutes) - Saying and Writing Birthdays

• Model sentence: "Mon anniversaire est le..." + day + month. Write on board (e.g., "Mon anniversaire est le dix juin.").
• Break down pronunciation and spelling for numbers 1-31 (link to prior learning where applicable).
• Students complete a worksheet where they fill in blanks with their own birthday. Help students write the full date in French.
• Pair work: Students ask each other "C’est quand ton anniversaire?" and respond using their sentence. Encourage accurate pronunciation and intonation.
• Teacher circulates, providing feedback and correcting errors gently.

4. Plenary (8 minutes) - Listening & Responding Quiz

• Play an audio quiz of birthdays being said by different French speakers (teacher voices possible).
• Students write down the dates they hear, practising writing numbers and months correctly.
• Share answers orally as a class. Award stickers for effort and accuracy to motivate.
• Summarise learning outcomes and reinforce vocabulary through choral repetition.

---

Assessment

• Formative: Observation during pair work and pronunciation activities.
• Worksheet check for accurate writing of birthdays in French.
• Plenary quiz for listening comprehension skills.

---

Differentiation

• Provide number prompts or sentence starters for lower ability students during writing task.
• Challenge higher ability students to include the year ("en deux mille dix") or to form questions with "Quand est ton anniversaire ?" in addition to answering.
• Use peer support during pair activities to scaffold learning.

---

Cross-Curricular Links

• Maths: Understanding dates and numbers in French.
• PSHE: Sharing personal information respectfully in another language.
• Geography: Brief discussion on French-speaking countries and cultural differences in celebrating birthdays.

---

Extension Ideas

• Create a French birthday calendar with all classmates’ birthdays labelled in French.
• Write simple birthday invitations in French using learnt vocabulary.
• Explore French traditions for birthdays and compare to UK.

---

Teacher Reflection Notes

• Note which students showed confidence orally and which needed support.
• Identify which activities engaged the learners best for future planning.
• Consider audio/video resources to enhance native speaker exposure further.

---

This detailed, curriculum-aligned plan focuses on interactive and personalised learning ensuring students confidently use French days, months, and birthday phrases in spoken and written formats.