Exploring Near Future

Overview

This 60-minute lesson is designed for Year 9 students studying French, focusing on the near future tense (futur proche). It aligns with the National Curriculum for England’s Modern Foreign Languages programme of study, emphasising accuracy in grammar, vocabulary development, and the ability to describe future intentions and plans. The lesson integrates speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills through engaging, communicative activities, promoting cultural understanding and linguistic confidence.

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National Curriculum Links

• Key Stage 3 - Modern Foreign Languages (Languages)
  • Understand and express basic and more complex factual information and ideas orally and in writing.
  • Use the present, past, and future tenses to talk about the past, present and future.
  • Develop increasingly accurate pronunciation and intonation.
  • Explore and understand the culture and identity of countries where the language is spoken.
  • Engage in conversations; ask and answer questions; express opinions and respond to those of others.

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Learning Objectives

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

1. Construct sentences using the near future tense in French to talk about imminent future plans.
2. Use the verb aller + infinitive correctly across different pronouns.
3. Understand and apply the near future tense in spoken and written contexts.
4. Demonstrate increased confidence in using new grammatical structures through creative speaking activities.
5. Incorporate relevant vocabulary related to common future activities (e.g. going to the cinema, studying, travelling).

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Resources

• Whiteboard and markers
• Projector / Interactive Whiteboard
• Printed worksheets with exercises on futur proche
• Flashcards with verbs and common activities
• Mini whiteboards and pens for pairs/group work
• Audio clips featuring dialogues using the near future (recorded by native speakers if possible)

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter (10 minutes)

Activity:

• Write on whiteboard: "What are you going to do after school today?"
• Elicit some answers in English, then write the French structure on the board:
  Subject + aller (conjugated) + infinitive verb
• Show a short animated video (1-2 minutes) demonstrating people talking about their plans using near future.
• Quick oral drill to practise conjugation of aller (je vais, tu vas, il/elle va, nous allons, vous allez, ils/elles vont).

National Curriculum Focus: Speaking, listening, and understanding grammatical structures.

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2. Introduction and Explanation (10 minutes)

• Teacher-led explanation of how to form futur proche with examples:
  • Je vais étudier ce soir.
  • Nous allons regarder un film.
• Highlight the honesty and regularity of this tense for expressing immediate future plans.
• Compare with English structure “going to” + verb for clarity.

Activity: Use mini whiteboards – teacher says sentences in English, students write the French near future equivalent. Check answers as a class.

National Curriculum Focus: Understanding and using present and future tenses accurately.

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3. Controlled Practice (15 minutes)

Pair Activity – “Future Plans Interview”

• Each student receives a card with verbs and activities (e.g. jouer au foot, faire du shopping, aller à la piscine).

• Pairs ask and answer questions about what they are going to do at the weekend.

• Example dialogue:

  • Qu’est-ce que tu vas faire ce week-end ?
  • Je vais aller au cinéma. Et toi ?
  • Je vais étudier pour mon contrôle.

• Monitor, provide feedback, and note good use of conjugations and vocabulary.

National Curriculum Focus: Engage in conversations, ask and answer questions, express opinions.

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4. Independent Production (15 minutes)

Creative Writing and Speaking

• Students write a short paragraph (5-6 sentences) describing their plans for the next week using the near future tense.
• Encourage use of time expressions (demain, ce soir, le week-end prochain).
• Volunteers read their paragraphs aloud to the class.

Extension Challenge: Students incorporate an element of cultural interest (e.g. a French event, festival, or typical weekend activity in France) to apply cultural knowledge learnt at KS3.

National Curriculum Focus: Writing and speaking with increasing accuracy and range; intercultural understanding.

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5. Plenary and Assessment (10 minutes)

Quiz Game – “Near Future Showdown”

• Use flashcards or slides to display infinitives and pronouns.
• Teams race to conjugate aller correctly + add appropriate infinitive for a given pronoun.
• Bonus question: Translate a sentence from English to French near future.
• Immediate verbal feedback and clarification of common errors.

Exit Ticket: On a sticky note or mini whiteboard, each student writes one sentence using futur proche describing what they will do that evening.

Assessment: Formative assessment through oral and written tasks to check understanding of the near future tense in authentic contexts.

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Differentiation

• Provide verb conjugation sheets and vocabulary lists for students needing extra support.
• Challenge higher attainers to use negation or questions in futur proche (e.g. Je ne vais pas manger de chocolat. Vas-tu regarder la télé?).
• Encourage use of dictionary or digital tools for vocabulary extension.

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Homework (Optional)

• Write a diary entry for a weekend trip or holiday, using futur proche for planned activities and including time phrases.
• Prepare a short oral presentation about their future ambitions using near future tense.

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Reflection

This lesson fosters both linguistic accuracy and creativity while building confidence in speaking French. Integrating cultural elements motivates students and enriches their understanding. The communicative and multi-sensory approach will cater to diverse learning styles, ensuring engagement and deep learning in line with the National Curriculum mandates.