The vowels in French: [a] [e] [i]
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can recognise and pronounce the French vowel sounds [a] [e] [i].
Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons
Key learning points
- The vowels [a] [e] [i] are pronounced differently in French and English.
- French vowels [a] [e] [i] can be practised with source words - ‘banane’, ‘cheval’ and ‘midi’ - which have these sounds.
- Knowledge of French sound-spelling correspondences can be strengthened by joining in with a song.
Keywords
[a] - Pronounced as in 'banane'
[e] - Pronounced as in 'cheval'
[i] - Pronounced as in 'midi'
SSC - sound-symbol correspondence - the relationship between letters and their sounds
Common misconception
Vowels are pronounced the same in French and in English.
The vowels [a] [e] [i] are pronounced differently in French and English.
Teacher tip
Don't hesitate to (over)exaggerate your mouth movements when pronouncing French sounds, especially the vowels, to emphasise how clearly they're articulated.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the official language spoken in France?
Q2.France is a ...
Q3.Which of these is the French flag?
Q4.True or false? French is only spoken in France.
Q5.True or false? Vowels make an open sound; the sound is not blocked by your lips.
Q6.Which of the following shows the five vowels in alphabetical order?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.True or false? The vowels [a], [e] and [i] are pronounced differently in French and in English.
Q2.Which of these sounds can be found in the word 'midi'?
Q3.Which of these sounds can be found in the word 'banane'?
Q4.Which of these sounds can be found in the word 'cheval'?
Q5.Match each of these French words to their English translations.
banane
horse
midday
Q6.Put these song lyrics in the correct order.
To help you plan your 3 French lesson on: The vowels in French: [a] [e] [i], download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 3 French lesson on: The vowels in French: [a] [e] [i], download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 French lessons from the Me and others: singular 'être' and regular adjectives unit, dive into the full primary French curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.