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      Astronauts and French cuisine: writing an article

      Lesson details

      Learning outcome

      I can apply my knowledge of vocabulary and grammar from an extended text to write a related article or interview.

      Vocabulary and transcripts for this lessons

      Key learning points

      1. The French [o] sound can be open or closed. It is open when followed by any consonant sound other than a 'z'.
      2. The [o] is closed when it is the final sound in a word, when it is followed by a 'z' sound or when it has a circumflex.
      3. Studying the vocabulary and grammar in a model text helps us to prepare for a similar writing task.
      4. Using a content and language checklists helps us to plan, improve and check our drafted written work.

      Keywords

      • Closed [o/ô] - sound-symbol correspondence (SSC) like the [o] in 'photo'

      • Open [o] - sound-symbol correspondence like the [o] in 'porte' which means 'door'

      Common misconception

      I don't need to plan my written work before I start writing in French.

      Planning is essential for success in any written task. Using a content and language checklist helps us to plan, improve and check our drafted written work.

      Teacher tip

      Students may wish to use reference resources for the written task in this lesson and therefore access to a computer or bilingual dictionary would be valuable.

      Equipment

      A bilingual French/English dictionary.

      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 food is 'chicken and chips'?

      les escargots
      Correct answer: le poulet avec des frites
      le steak-frites
      le bœuf
      les légumes

      Q2.
      Match the French and English.

      Correct Answer:appartement (m),apartment, flat
      Correct Answer:banque (f),bank
      Correct Answer:marché (m),market
      Correct Answer:magasin (m),shop
      Correct Answer:projet (m),plan
      Correct Answer:recette (f),recipe

      Q3.
      Match the French and English.

      Correct Answer:aider,to help, helping
      Correct Answer:apporter,to bring, bringing
      Correct Answer:chercher,to look for, looking for
      Correct Answer:envoyer,to send, sending
      Correct Answer:partager,to share, sharing
      Correct Answer:utiliser,to use, using

      Q4.
      Which words are past participles?

      dire
      Correct answer: dit
      faire
      Correct answer: fait
      hier

      Q5.
      Write in English: 'Qu’est-ce que tu as mangé ?'

      Correct Answer: What did you eat?, What have you eaten?

      Q6.
      Write in French: 'What do you like to eat?'

      Correct Answer: Qu’est-ce que tu aimes manger?, Tu aimes manger quoi ?

      6 Questions

      Q1.
      Which words include the closed [o] sound?

      Correct answer: fantôme
      lorsque
      alors
      Écosse
      Correct answer: zéro

      Q2.
      Which words include the open [o] sound?

      côte
      Correct answer: sport
      Correct answer: école
      rose
      trop

      Q3.
      Match the French and English.

      Correct Answer:d'abord,first of all
      Correct Answer:désolé,sorry
      Correct Answer:maintenant,now
      Correct Answer:peut-être,perhaps
      Correct Answer:puisque,as, because

      Q4.
      Order the words to say: 'the astronauts eat a selection of their favourite dishes'.

      1 - les astronautes
      2 - mangent
      3 - une sélection
      4 - de
      5 - ses
      6 - plats
      7 - préférés

      Q5.
      Write in French: 'I love space'.

      Correct Answer: J'adore l'espace.

      Q6.
      Write in French: 'the chef prepares the meal'.

      Correct Answer: Le chef prépare le repas.

      To help you plan your 8 French lesson on: Astronauts and French cuisine: writing an article, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...