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      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can use 'quand' and possessives 'mon, ton' to ask and answer questions about when birthdays are.

      Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

      Key learning points

      1. The sound-symbol correspondence [qu] is pronounced differently in French and English.
      2. [qu] appears in several French question words, e.g. 'quoi', 'qui', 'quand.'
      3. When followed by a vowel, 'mon' changes from a nasal to an oral sound, e.g. 'mon anniversaire'.
      4. 'Joyeux anniversaire’ or 'Bon anniversaire' are common for happy birthday; in Quebec, Canada, there's also 'Bonne fête'.

      Keywords

      • [qu] - pronounced as in 'question'

      • Quand - question word meaning 'when'

      • Mon, ma - possessive adjective meaning 'my' (masculine, feminine)

      • Ton, ta - possessive adjective meaning 'your' (masculine, feminine)

      • Liaison - pronouncing a usually silent final consonant when followed by a vowel, e.g. 'mon anniversaire'

      Common misconception

      'Mon' and 'anniversaire' are pronounced as two seperate words.

      There is in fact a liaison between 'mon anniversaire' as 'anniversaire' starts with a vowel so we can hear the 'n' in 'mon'.

      Teacher tip

      You may wish to start the lesson with the birthday song. You could also ask pupils to stand up when they hear their birthday month in the song. Pupils could learn the song in their own time and perform it to the class.

      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.
      Put the first six months of the year in order.

      1 - janvier
      2 - février
      3 - mars
      4 - avril
      5 - mai
      6 - juin

      Q2.
      Put the last six months of the year in order.

      1 - juillet
      2 - aout
      3 - septembre
      4 - octobre
      5 - novembre
      6 - décembre

      Q3.
      Complete the sentence: 'Il y a __________ mois dans l'année.'

      deux
      quatre
      dix
      onze
      Correct answer: douze

      Q4.
      In which month do people eat 'une galette des rois' in France?

      An image in a quiz
      Correct answer: janvier
      mars
      mai
      juillet
      septembre

      Q5.
      What body part do children use to learn which months have 31 days?

      fingers
      toes
      Correct answer: knuckles
      teeth

      Q6.
      Order the words correctly.

      1 - mon
      2 - anniversaire
      3 - est
      4 - en
      5 - juillet

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      How many [qu] sounds are there in this sentence? 'Véronique, qui est unique, adore la musique.'

      1
      2
      3
      Correct answer: 4
      5

      Q2.
      Match the French and English.

      Correct Answer:groupe,group

      group

      Correct Answer:liste,list

      list

      Correct Answer:personne,person

      person

      Correct Answer:en ligne,online

      online

      Correct Answer:unique,unique

      unique

      Correct Answer:musique,music

      music

      Q3.
      The verb 'jouer' means to play. Match the French and English.

      Correct Answer:je joue,I play

      I play

      Correct Answer:tu joues,you play

      you play

      Correct Answer:il joue,he plays

      he plays

      Correct Answer:elle joue,she plays

      she plays

      Q4.
      Choose the correct translation: 'C'est mon anniversaire en aout ! Je fais une fête dehors.'

      Correct answer: It's my birthday in August! I am doing a party outside.
      It's your birthday in August! You are doing a party outside.
      It's my birthday in August! You are doing a party outside.
      It's your birthday in August! I am doing a party outside.

      Q5.
      Choose the correct translation: 'C'est ton anniversaire ! Tu as beaucoup de cadeaux!'

      It's my birthday! I have lots of presents!
      Correct answer: It's your birthday! You have lots of presents!
      It's my birthday! I have some presents!
      It's your birthday! You have one present!
      It's my birthday! I have lots of friends!

      Q6.
      Write 'Happy Birthday' in French by filling the gaps: 'J_y__x a__iv_r_aire'

      Correct Answer: Joyeux anniversaire

      To help you plan your 4 French lesson on: My birthday: 'quand', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...