Describing People and Places

Overview

Unit: Mastering French Communication (Lesson 6 of 20)
Duration: 30 minutes
Class size: 1 student
Age group: Year 11 (15-16 years old)
Subject: Modern Foreign Languages (French)
National Curriculum Reference:

• KS4 Languages Programme of Study, National Curriculum for England (2014)
• Focus on Communication: Speaking and Writing, Vocabulary Expansion, and Grammar Structures (Physical Descriptions & Descriptions of Places)

---

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, the student will:

• Use a range of vocabulary related to describing physical appearance (hair, eyes, height, build) and places (location, size, atmosphere) in French.
• Apply grammatical structures including adjective agreement, placement of adjectives, and use of descriptive phrases.
• Construct coherent descriptive sentences both orally and in writing to describe a person and a place in detail.
• Demonstrate understanding of gender and number in adjectives used for description.

Aligned with National Curriculum Attainment Targets:

• Speaking: Expressing and developing ideas and opinions clearly and fluently (KS4 MFL).
• Writing: Using a variety of grammatical structures accurately in speech and writing (KS4 MFL).
• Vocabulary: Extending range of vocabulary related to familiar and some less familiar topics (KS4 MFL).

---

Success Criteria

• I can confidently use at least 10 adjectives to describe a person’s physical appearance in French.
• I can describe at least one place using appropriate vocabulary related to location, size, and atmosphere.
• I can correctly apply adjective agreements (gender & number) within descriptive sentences.
• I can create 3-4 detailed sentences orally and in writing describing both a person and a place.

---

Resources

• Language textbook pages or digital resources on descriptions (if available)
• High-quality images/photos of people and places (free from stereotypes, diversity-friendly)
• Mini whiteboard or notebook for writing practice
• Audio recording device (optional) for oral practice and self-assessment
• Flashcards with adjectives and descriptive phrases

---

Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Objective: Activate prior knowledge and introduce new descriptive vocabulary.

• Begin by showing 2 photos: one of a person (diverse appearance) and one of a place (e.g., a cityscape or countryside).
• Ask the student in English what can be used to describe these photos (e.g., hair colour, height, location).
• Revise and list aloud the key French adjectives related to physical appearance and places that the student already knows.
• Introduce 4-5 new adjectives/phrases, focusing on less common or more precise vocabulary (e.g., "châtain," "les yeux bridés," "à la campagne," "animé(e)").
• Write these on flashcards for visual reference.

---

2. Explicit Teaching & Guided Practice (10 minutes)

Objective: Understand and practise adjective agreement and sentence structure for descriptions.

• Explain briefly the importance of adjective agreement in gender and number with examples on the mini whiteboard:
  • Example: Il a les cheveux bruns vs Elle a les cheveux brunes (note: hair adjective agreement only when adjectives come after the noun).
• Model creating simple sentences describing the person and the place using:
  • Subject + avoir/être + descriptive adjective(s).
  • Use of prepositions for places (e.g., dans, près de, à côté de).
• Engage the student in transforming example sentences from masculine to feminine and singular to plural form orally and in writing.

---

3. Independent Constructive Task (10 minutes)

Objective: Produce a 3-4 sentence description of a person and a place.

• Student to select one person (either from image or own choice) and one place to describe.
• Using notebooks or mini whiteboard, student writes:
  • At least 2 sentences describing the person’s physical appearance.
  • At least 2 sentences describing the chosen place’s appearance and atmosphere.
• Encourage use of new vocabulary and correct adjective agreement.
• Prompt self-questioning to add detail, e.g., De quelle couleur sont ses yeux ? Comment est l’endroit ?
• Teacher provides immediate feedback on grammatical accuracy and vocabulary use.

---

4. Oral Practice and Self-Assessment (4 minutes)

Objective: Build confidence in speaking and self-correcting.

• Student reads aloud their descriptive sentences.
• Teacher asks targeted questions to prompt expansion (e.g., Peux-tu décrire ses cheveux plus précisément ?).
• Using a simple checklist based on success criteria, student self-assesses their description:
  • Did I include adjective agreement?
  • Did I describe both person and place?
  • Did I use new vocabulary?
• Optionally record the student’s speech for playback and reflection.

---

5. Plenary (1 minute)

Objective: Recap learning and set expectations for next lesson.

• Summarise: Today’s focus was using detailed vocabulary and grammatical structures to describe people and places.
• Reiterate the importance of accuracy and creativity in language use.
• Highlight that the next lesson will build on these skills by practising conversation skills using these descriptions interactively.

---

Differentiation & Adaptation for One-to-One Teaching

• Pace tailored to student’s current proficiency level.
• Flexible language scaffolding with sentence starters and vocabulary lists.
• Focus on conversational practice to build fluency and confidence.
• Intensive, personalised feedback.

---

Assessment for Learning

• Continuous formative assessment through questioning and live error correction.
• Written work evaluated for vocabulary range and adjective agreement accuracy.
• Oral fluency and pronunciation monitored during reading and discussion.

---

Extension Ideas (If time permits)

• Create a mini speaking task where the student describes one person and place, then answers follow-up questions (simulating an oral exam).
• Ask the student to write a short paragraph combining descriptions with opinions (e.g., Je trouve que cette ville est très charmante…).

---

Teacher Reflection Notes

• Was the student able to produce a range of descriptive vocabulary independently?
• Did they grasp adjective agreement clearly with live examples?
• What areas require reinforcement in upcoming lessons?

---

End of Lesson 6