1 4 . 1A. s7- t uQ d es frèra e s - et tu ?d e s u s o el uâr gs e ?
1.7 Quel âge as-tu? How old are you?
In this section pupils learn to understand the question “how old are you?” and to respond appropriately using the numbers 1-12. They should also be able to initiate the question and understand replies. Swapping information about ages is an important part of any peer group conversation in a foreign language. It is also useful for responding to adult enquiries. For children, reaching a particular age opens the door to being allowed to do some things,
whilst making you too old for others - so saying your age can be quite important! Perhaps the most significant milestone ages are when children change schools; we take a first look at the French system of education.
NEW WORDS AND PHRASES
Watch film 7 A1: ‘My age’
Films to see A1. My age B1. His/her age
Part A: How old are you?
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Quel âge as-tu? How old are you?
❑ Film A1 starts with different children aged from 3 to 12 saying how old they are. The age, represented by a number, is superimposed on screen: J'ai 3 ans J'ai 4 ans J'ai 5 ans J'ai 6 ans J'ai 7 ans J'ai 8 ans J'ai 9 ans J'ai 10 ans J'ai 11 ans J'ai 12 ans
J'ai (8) ans - I'm (8) see Talking Dictionary
Planning your lessons
Your lessons with this chapter should help children bring together things they have learnt previously (numbers, saying your name) with a few new phrases. After the “warm up”, it is best to start by giving each child the opportunity to say their own ages. We suggest ways of giving them practice saying and hearing other ages, which you could bring in earlier if there is a very limited range of ages in your class. As soon as they are familiar with saying their age in French, try activities that develop a bit more of a conversation.
Film A1: Alexandre says,“J’ai 7ans”.
At the swimming pool Two girls enter the Centre, buy tickets and enjoy a swim, in a sequence intended for “gisting”. Pupils can work out what is happening from the pictures, and will recognise the key phrases: “Quel âge as-tu?”; “Onze ans”, and “Dix ans”.
Activities
Warm up ......
Before watching film 7 A1, have a brief “warm up” session to practise the numbers 1-12, such as one of the games from Chapter 1.6. 7.1 7.1
1 4 .E A e s r ft r è res et des a sr -l tyu Sd s to a e u r sF ? rench 1 KEY SOUNDS
Look for this typical sound where have you heard it before?
as in âge and j’ai
Soft Heard before in:
je m'appelle, Justine
as in quel
âge Heard before in: quatre, comment
Film A1: Swimming pool attendant:“Quel âge as-tu?”
Attendant: “Mesdemoiselles bonjour.” Child 1: “Bonjour. On voudrait deux places as in j'ai (dix ans) s'il vous plaît.” Attendant: “Oui, quel âge as-tu?” Heard before in: très bien, je m'appelle, Child 1: “J'ai onze ans.” merci, frère, mère, qu'est-ce que c'est? Attendant: “Et toi?” as in j'ai dix ans Child 1: “Dix ans.” Attendant: (Takes money) “Merci, au revoir.” Heard before in: trois The attendant asks the children's ages because see Talking Dictionary the Centre Nautique BABYLON in Villeneuve d’Ascq does not allow children below the age of ten to swim unaccompanied. Note: rather than translating, ask children to work out roughly what is said from the context, and from the words they can recognise. When the girls buy tickets, they say: “On voudrait deux places, s'il vous plaît.”
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(We'd like two tickets, please.)
Children saying their ages This time the ages are heard in random order, without being shown on the screen.
Next add the text; pupils hear and echo the phrase. Either now or later, discuss the French phrasing (see 'How French works 1") ❑ Echoing: Draw a birthday cake with 3 candles on the board. You say “J'ai 3 ans”. The pupils echo the phrase. Add another candle and say “J'ai 4 ans”. Continue until there are 12 candles on the cake.
1 Film A1: Lalia says,“J’ai 8 ans”.
HOW FRENCH WORKS 1: How they say it
“j' ai 7 ans”
I have 7 years
The final child asks: “Et toi? Quel âge as-tu?” Question and answer Children reply to the question “Quel âge as-tu?”
If you stop to think about the words you use, English can sound a little odd, too: "I am 6 six years old". "Old? ...is 6 old?" Anyway, this is how the French say their ages. They also say: 'What age have you?' not '...are you?'
Get used to the sounds
❑ Echoing: Select 'My age is’ on the e-flashcards. Show each filmclip and pupils echo the words, e.g. “J'ai sept ans”.
NOTE: 'je' and 'ai' are two words run together to make 'j'ai', which is easier to say - like “je m'appelle” in Ch.1.3. Try saying 'je ai sept ans' - it's harder work for your mouth muscles! Compare also 'I'll do that' with 'I will do that'.
7.2 7.2
1 4 . 1A. s7- t uQ d es frèra e s - et tu ?d e s u s o el uâr gs e ? To give children practice in saying and hearing ages other than their own, try giving each pupil a card with details of another imaginary identity, e.g “Pierre, 9”.
Respond with understanding
❑ Play “How old are you?” The teacher calls out, e.g. “J'ai 8 ans”, and the pupils who are eight years old stand up. Adjust to suit the ages of children in your class. Repeat this for seven year olds and so on, until you have covered all the ages of your class. You can make this into a game to encourage pupils' listening skills by speeding up the pace at which you say each phrase and varying the number of times you say “J'ai 6 ans” / “J'ai 7 ans” etc. in succession. ❑ The pupils form a circle. One pupil starts by saying their age, e.g. “J'ai 7 ans”. This pupil does the same to the next pupil, e.g. “J'ai 8 ans”. When everyone has had a turn, repeat the activity adding “et toi?” ❑ Everyone stands in a circle with you in the centre. Throw a soft ball to different pupils. Each time you throw the ball ask, “Quel âge as-tu?” The pupil replies, “J'ai (7) ans”, and throws the ball back to you. ❑ Play the “question and answer game” Vary the questions you ask as you throw the ball to include “Salut, ça va?” and “Comment t'appelles-tu?” as well as “Quel âge as-tu?” Pupils reply to the question as they throw the ball back to you. This will develop their listening skills and reinforce familiar vocabulary.
❑ As the class grows in confidence, the conversations could be extended. When the music stops, pupils greet each other and swap names and ages, perhaps using imaginary identities to add variety to the conversations. Look again at sounds ❑ Play “It’s that sound again” Now that the new words and sounds are familiar, pick out a “key sound” from this chapter’s new words. Ask children to suggest all the French words they know that also contain that sound e.g. soft “j/g” as in “j’ai”, “age”,“bonjour”, etc. As the children’s vocabulary is expanding, you can repeat this with some of the other “key sounds”. This will help them remember the French they already know. ❑ Working in pairs: Board Game sheet
❑ Play “musical ages” Everyone moves around the room with French music playing in the background When the music stops, each pupil turns to the nearest person and asks their age. When they first play this game the conversation Print copies of the “Quel âge as-tu?” board game could be along the following lines: sheet, and give a copy to each pair of pupils, Pupil 1: “J'ai 7 ans, et toi?” with dice and 2 coloured counters. Pupil 2: “8 ans.” Players place their counters on the arrow at On another occasion they could say: the bottom of the page. They take it in turns to Pupil 1: “Quel âge as-tu?” throw a die and count round the balloons and Pupil 2: “8 ans, et toi?” presents. When a player lands on a birthday Pupil 1: “7 ans.” cake, s/he counts the number of candles and says the age represented, e.g. “J'ai 7 ans.”
7.3 7.3
1 4 .E A e s r ft r è res et des a sr -l tyu Sd s to a e u r sF ? rench 1
Part B: How old is she? (-or he?) Watch film 7 B1: His/her age
NEW WORDS AND PHRASES
❑ Show film B1, which starts with Lili and Loïc sitting on the sofa. Loïc: "Voici ma soeur Lili. Elle a 8 ans". Lili: "Et voici mon frère Loïc. Il a 12 ans". Lili talks on the phone. Voice: "Quel âge a-t-elle?" Loïc: "Elle a 8 ans". Loïc texts on his mobile. Voice: "Quel âge a-t-il?" Lili: "Il a 12 ans". Charlotte stands in front of her class, holding a birthday cake with 11 candles. They count to 11: "Joyeux anniversaire!" (happy birthday) Charlotte blows out the candles. Voice: "Elle a 11 ans".
Quel âge a-t-il? 2 How old is he? Quel âge a-t-elle? How old is she? il a (9) ans - he is (9) elle a (11) ans - she is (11) see Talking Dictionary
Film 7: A boy at the Circus School, “Il a 12 ans”.
When we see the girls, we hear the question "Quel âge a-t-elle?" and when we see the boys we hear, "Quel âge a-t-il?". We hear the ages of each child in reply. Claire and little brother Axel have breakfast: Voice: "Voici Axel. Il a deux ans. Voici Claire. Elle a 11 ans". Justine slides down the water shoot at the swimming pool. Voice: "Voici Justine. Elle a 11 ans".
Film 7: Léa's birthday party, “Elle a 9 ans”.
Léa's birthday party at a soft play centre. Voice: "Quel âge a-t-elle?" Léa's friends sing "Joyeux anniversaire" as they bring in the big birthday candle and the "birthday hat". Voice: "Elle a 9 ans". Children of different ages take part in activities at the Circus School (it's in Lille, see French 3).
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Respond with understanding
❑ Play “How old are they?” The teacher calls out, e.g. “Elle a 8 ans”, and points to a girl who is 8 years old; she stands up. She points to another pupil, and says his/her age, e.g. “Il a 9 ans”. Repeat this until you have covered all the ages of your class. Yo u c a n m a k e t h i s i n t o a g a m e ; the "rules" include: n the age must be right (or points are lost); n il/elle must also be correct.
HOW FRENCH WORKS 2: Running words together
Just like English-speakers, the French have found ways to make everyday combinations of words easier and quicker to say: They add a '-t-' into the question: “quel âge a-t-il?” (what age has he?) Try saying: "quel âge a il?”! “j'ai 7 ans” (I have 7 years) is also run together like “je m'appelle...” Saying: “je ai sept ans” would be hard work! 7.4 7.4
1 4 . 1A. s7- t uQ d es frèra e s - et tu ?d e s u s o el uâr gs e ? CROSS CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
❑ Drama: If pupils have already designed and made their “French” puppets, these can be used to act out extended conversations. This is also a good opportunity to revise vocabulary from earlier sections. Pupils work in groups of three with their puppets. You can either suggest a setting yourself in which children might meet each other, or ask pupils to choose their own setting, e.g. a new pupil arrives in the class; playing on the beach; at the swimming pool; in the park. Encourage pupils to develop their puppets' characters in the way they behave and speak. One of the puppets might be shy, another might be a bit nosey, and so on.
Talking point 1
EVERYDAY LIFE IN FRANCE: The ages when children do things
Each country has different laws and customs about how young you must be to do some things, and old you are before you are allowed to do others. Film A1 shows two children buying tickets for the swimming pool. The attendant asks their ages because this particular pool does not allow children under 10 to swim unaccompanied. Also, tickets are dearer for older children. In France, there are cheaper fares for children on buses and trains. Places such as museums and cinemas will also charge less to admit children. At the time of writing, French teenagers are allowed to ride very low-powered mopeds at a younger age than in Britain; in a French restaurant, parents can buy wine for their children to drink with their meal. In most children’s playgrounds, there is an upper age limit to stop older children (or grown-ups) using the play equipment such as swings.
Talking point: “Age to change school”
Show the presentation which is about the ages at which French children change schools - up to age 12, because that’s as far as we’ve gone. There is more background information for the teacher in "Talking point 2".
Cultural awareness
You could talk with pupils about when you have to say old you are, and when it affects how much you pay, or what you are allowed to do. ❑ Ask children when they (or their parents) are asked how old they are? ❑ Why does your age matter? ❑ Swap information with your French exchange school about what age you need to be for different things (you could draw pictures to illustrate, and write the relevant age beside, plus any other information in your own language).
The emphasis is on ‘age’ - complicated by the likelihood that some French cildren will have to repeat a year because of poor performance (“redoubler”).
7.5 7.5
1 4 .E A e s r ft r è res et des a sr -l tyu Sd s to a e u r sF ? rench 1 which entitles them to go to university, or for vocational qualifications.
Talking point 2
EVERYDAY LIFE IN FRANCE: The ages that children move schools
Nursery school French children do not start school until the age of six, but almost all go to a nursery school (l'école maternelle ) from the age of three. Primary school Primary education (l'école primaire ) is for children aged between 6 and 11. Compulsory free state education has been provided in France for more than a hundred years. Before that, most schools were run by the Catholic church, and the teachers were nuns and priests. French state schools are the only ones in Europe where teaching religion is forbidden: there are no school assemblies, no prayers or hymns, and no lessons about religious festivals such as Christmas - or nativity plays. Today about 85% of pupils attend a school run by the government. The private schools are mostly run by the Roman Catholic Church. The government sets the curriculum and organizes national exams for all schools. All teachers are paid by the state, and are supposed to be available to work anywhere in the country. All state schools teach the same subjects, have the same number of lessons in each subject each week, have the same syllabus, and usually use the same text-books in each subject. All pupils from the age of eight now learn a foreign language. The most common is English, but German and Spanish are also taught - particularly near the borders with those countries. Secondary schools Pupils from a village primary school would then expect to take a bus every day to a collège in the nearest town, where they would study a broad curriculum for four years. They can leave school at the age of 16, but most spend another two years until 18 at a lycée in a big city, either studying for the baccalauréat ,
Film A1: “Je m’appelle Arthur. J’ai 10 ans” Arthur will go to the local collège when he is 11.
Competitive French schools can be very competitive. Pupils have a heavy programme of work, studying a wide range of subjects right up until the final exams. Each school year, they have to pass written and oral tests before moving on to the next class. More boys than girls fail and have to repeat a year - “redoubler” . Sports and team games do not play a big part in school life; but foreign languages are important, a compulsory part of the baccalauréat exam. School holidays French schoolchildren spend a longer day at school than any other pupils in Europe! But they also have very long holidays 185 days a year. There are public holidays when pupils have a day off (see Ch1.11, “Les mois de l’année”); Christmas and Easter holidays usually last a fortnight -“quinze jours”. In the summer, school normally closes at the end of June and the new academic year starts again at the beginning of September.
Cultural awareness
If you have a link school, swap information about being at school in each country. ❑ What do you think about having to repeat a year? ❑ Can children remember their first day at school? How old were they when they started school, nursery or playgroup? ❑ What kinds of secondary school are there in your area? 7.6 7.6
Je m'appelle ......................
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