New
New
Describe a person or thing: être 1st and 3rd persons singular
Learning outcomes
I can say what 'I am' and 'she, he is' using some new and familiar adjectives.
I can recognise, write and pronounce [i].
Lesson 3 of 4
New
New
- Year 7
Describe a person or thing: être 1st and 3rd persons singular
Learning outcomes
I can say what 'I am' and 'she, he is' using some new and familiar adjectives.
I can recognise, write and pronounce [i].
Lesson details
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- [i] sounds like midi.
- être means 'to be, being', je suis means 'I am', il est means 'he is' and elle est means 'she is'.
- Je means 'I', il means 'he' and elle means 'she'. They are pronouns.
- Cognates are words which share most of the same letters in two languages (e.g. English and French).
Keywords
[i] - as pronounced in midi
Cognate - words with the same meaning and same or similar spelling in English and French
Conjunction - a word that links two ideas like 'and' or 'but'
Common misconception
'Elle' meaning she is pronounced with an [i] sound at the start.
'Elle' is pronounced with a hard e sound like in egg.
Using mimes and props to support the introduction of the new adjectives on slide 15 is a good way to help pupils build connections between sound, spelling and meaning. Mimes are ideal for méchant, calme and triste, while props could work well for anglais, français and intelligent.
Teacher tip
Equipment
Mini whiteboard and pen per pupil. Props (as in teacher tip) if desired.
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2026), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which words have a Silent Final Consonant (SFC)?
Which words have a Silent Final Consonant (SFC)?
malade
française
Q2.Which English word matches each French word?
Which English word matches each French word?
Q3.Which words can be used to describe a female?
Which words can be used to describe a female?
anglais
petit
grand
Q4.Which word is missing from this sentence? suis anglais.
Which word is missing from this sentence? suis anglais.
Q5.Which word is missing from this sentence? Tu français.
Which word is missing from this sentence? Tu français.
Q6.Write this sentence completely in French: Je am petite and English.
Write this sentence completely in French: Je am petite and English.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which words have the [i] sound in them?
Which words have the [i] sound in them?
français
mais
Q2.What is a cognate?
What is a cognate?
A word that looks similar in French and English but means something different.
A French word whose meaning cannot be recognised from its spelling.
Q3.Which sound does 'elle' start with?
Which sound does 'elle' start with?
The same sound as we hear at the start of the word easy?
The same sound as we hear at the start of the word ill?
Q4.Which is the missing word? Elle grande et calme.
Which is the missing word? Elle grande et calme.
Q5.Which is the missing word? est petit et méchant.
Which is the missing word? est petit et méchant.
Q6.Which is the conjunction in this sentence? Il est intelligent mais triste.
Which is the conjunction in this sentence? Il est intelligent mais triste.
