2.9 L’euro
9. L’euro The euro
VIDEO
This section introduces the Common European Currency, which has been used in France for all buying and selling since 2002. Pupils will get to know the euro notes and coins. They will see and hear how prices are presented in euros. They will be able to shop in a self-service supermarket; to understand when they hear sums of money in euros, such as how much they have to pay at the checkout; and work out payment and change with euros.
Animated euro coins and notes: the coins for 1 and 2 euros bounce onto the screen, followed by the notes for 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500 euros; and then the coins for 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 centimes. The pronunciation of each is heard as it appears. Paying with euros in the shops: “C’est combien?” Ice-cream stall: “Deux euros (2€), s’il te plaît.” Bakery: “Un quinze (1,15€), s’il vous plaît ... Merci ... (giving change) ...et deux. Voilà! Merci, bonne journée. (Have a nice day) Au revoir” . Cake shop: “Cinq euros soixante-dix (5,70€) s’il vous plaît, Madame”.
NEW WORDS AND PHRASES un euro - a euro un centime - a centime 2 euros cinquante - 2 euros fifty REMINDERS C’est combien? How much (is that)? 2 euros, s’il te plaît. 2 euros, please (to child or friend) 2 euros, s’il vous plaît 2 euros, please (to grown-up)
Scene from video section 9: “Deux euros, s’il te plaît”.
Bakery: “Six euros quarante-deux (6,42€), s’il vous plaît”. Ice-cream stall: “Deux euros (2€) s’il te plaît ... merci, au revoir”. Supermarket: “Sept euros vingt (7,20€) s’il te plaît ... merci ... voilà, merci! ... au revoir”. Bakery: “Un euro trente-sept (1,37€), s’il vous plaît ”. Supermarket: “Bonjour. Alors, sept euros quatre-vingts (7,80€) s’il vous plaît ... merci”. Fruit shop prices: We see price signs on displays of different fruits: “Un euro soixante (1,60€)”, “Un euro cinquante (1,50€)”, “Huit euros cinquante (8,50€)”, “Un euro trente (1,30€)”, “Deux euros cinquante (2,50€)”. Market stalls: On a stall selling sweets at Roubaix market, the stall-holder shouts out some of his prices to attract customers.
merci thank you CD Track 21
Scene from video section 9: “Cinq euros”.
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Early Start French Pack 2 Stall holder: “Cinq cents grammes (500g), deux euros cinquante (2,50€) ... ” “Il y a des bonbons ... Cinq cents grammes, (500g) deux euros cinquante (2,50€).” “Du nougat, cacahuètes (peanuts) ... ... deux euros (2€) ... s’il vous plaît ... merci beaucoup, au revoir ... bon weekend ...” “Allez! On y va! On y va! ” “Les mini-ardises (a local kind of cake) ... ... cinq cents grammes (500g) cinq euros (5€) ... ... Allez! On y va pour les petits gâteaux! ... ... cinq cents grammes (500g) cinq euros (5€) ... ” The cheese stall-holder also calls out the cost of different cheeses by weight: Stall holder: “Deux quatre-vingt-cinq aujourd’hui (2,85€). Un cinquante (1,50€) la pièce aujourd’hui. Un quatre-vingt-cinq là (1,85€)....” “Trois quatre-vingt-quinze (3,95€) le kilo là... Deux cinquante ici (2,50€)... Six quatre-vingtquinze (6,95€) le kilo aujourd’hui là... Deux quatre-vingt-quinze (2,95€) aujourd’hui”.
KEY SOUNDS
Listen and enjoy copying these typical sounds: where have you heard them before?
“ ” as in un euro
Heard before in:
deux joyeux feutre
“ ” as in combien
Heard before in:
lapin chien vingt
“ ” as in centime
Heard before in:
France vent
(Listen to the native speakers - try to copy their typically French sounds.) NOTE: phonetic symbols are for teachers ONLY! See “Introduction” for how to use symbols)
CD Track 21
appreciate the relative value of amounts in euros. You could also look at the maths of changing money between currencies (see “extension activities”).
Activities
1. Warm up
You could start the lesson by revising numbers 0-100. Play one or two of the number games from Chapter 8: “Les nombres 40-200”.
Scene from video section 9: Stallholder-“Deux cinquante ici!”
Planning your lessons
2. Watch the video
❑ Watch video section 9: “L’euro” to introduce how prices in euros are spoken in France.
This section is mainly talking about numbers pupils have learnt already, so it is best to start by revising those, using games from the previous section. To become familiar with the euro notes and coins, children need lots of practice at responding to the shapes, colours and sizes of the different denominations. They will enjoy playing “shops” - at this stage, make it a “self-service supermarket” because this chapter’s focus is on using money rather than asking for things. If your country uses another currency than the euro, you may want to help children
3. Get used to the sounds
❑ Echoing: Make flashcards to represent the euro notes and coins (or display them on a whiteboard /OHP), e.g. a 2€ coin, a 10€ note, a 50 centimes coin ... Say the amount as you show it. Pupils echo what you say. When pupils are confident, introduce combinations of euros and centimes, e.g. a 50€ note and a 20 centime coin - ”50 euros 20”...
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2.9 L’euro ❑ Echoing: You write a euro price on the blackboard/OHP, e.g. “4,15€”. Throw a soft ball to a confident pupil. As you throw the ball say “4 euros, 15”. The first pupil echoes this as s/he throws it back to you. Continue with other prices and different pupils. Repeat this several times.
Point to each of the notes/coins, and ask the class to call out their values. Now cover up or remove one of the notes or coins. Point to the display again. The class calls out the values including the “missing” one. See how much of the sequence the class can remember as each visual prompt disappears. Eventually no money will be visible.
4. Respond with understanding
When children seem confident in recognising and talking about euro notes and coins, try introducing more money-handling, including making up a total and working out change. This is also an opportunity to use French numbers. Some children may benefit from re-visiting concepts in maths that they found difficult first time round.
❑ Give each pupil a flashcard representing a euro note or coin. When you call out an amount of money, all the pupils with that note or coin on their cards hold it up for everyone to see. Start by calling out the denominations in order, starting with 1 centime. Then call them out in order starting with a different number. Work towards calling random numbers. ❑ Play “jump to the euro” Divide the class into two teams, each with an identical set of currency cards. When you call out an amount, pupils holding that card try to be first to jump up and call out the value.
❑ Play “C’est combien?” 1: visible prices Talk with pupils about French currency (see this chapter’s “talking point”). Select a number of classroom objects and give each a clearly visible price tag, e.g. 1, 50€. Ask pupils, “C’est combien?” They tell you how much each item costs, e.g.“un euro cinquante”.
❑ Play “swap money” Pupils arrange their chairs in a circle. Each is given a euro-money flashcard. Make sure that there are several children holding cards with the same note or coin. When you call out “50€ ”, the children with the card showing “50 euros” swap places. As they do so, you run for an empty chair. The pupil left without a chair becomes the caller.
❑ Play “C’est combien?” 2: hidden prices Give each object a price tag, but position it so that pupils cannot see the price, which they have to guess. Say “plus” if they need to give a higher price; “moins” if they need to go down. Use gestures to emphasise “more” or “less”. Invite a group of pupils to make up price tags. The rest of the class has to guess how much each item costs. The group who prepared the price tags say “plus” or “moins” as appropriate.
❑ Play “hide the money” Display several notes and coins on the OHP/ whiteboard. Alternatively, you could attach flashcards to the board and ask pupils to shut their eyes when you remove a card.
Watch part of the video again
Show the shopping sequences on video section 9: “L’euro” to remind pupils of the pattern of exchanges between French shop assistants and their customers.
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Early Start French Pack 2 5. Working in pairs
Pupils are ready to handle paying for things in French - but only in a self-service supermarché! They learn how to say what they want in Chapter 11.
❑ Pupils can play “French checkout” in pairs, using their notes and coins from the activity sheets. Pupil 1 is the checkout operator and asks for a sum of money, in French: e.g. “4 euros 75, s’il te plaît”. Pupil 2 hands over the right combination of notes and coins, which pupil 1 checks. They then swap places.
❑ French supermarché (self-service) Pupils could turn a corner of the classroom into a supermarché, where, of course, they only need to speak French when paying at the checkout! For stock, they could collect authentic French packets from families that have visited France, or by asking your exchange school to post you a parcel of product labels, lightweight (clean) empty packets, etc. All the items in stock need euro price tags. To be “customers”, pupils put their selections in a basket and take it to the “check-out”. Encourage pupils at the checkout to be polite: staff and customer would often start by exchanging “Bonjour (Madame/Monsieur)”. The pupil operating the “till” (a calculator) adds up the cost, and tells the customer how much to pay, e.g. “6,50€” (six euros, cinquante) - see “How French works” below. Pupils pay using the notes and coins on the activity sheets - see www.earlystart.co.uk for sources of colour play money. “Talking point” looks at how French people refer to euros and centimes in everyday speech. The “assistant” thanks the “customer” for the money, and says goodbye: “Merci! au revoir” or “Bonne journée”.
6. Watch the video again
❑ Show video section 9: “L’euro” again for reinforcement. In many of the sequences there are pauses for pupils to call out the currency values after the native speakers have said them.
Introducing the written word
We suggest that young beginners write euro values in figures (as they will normally see them), rather than in words. Point out the comma used for a decimal point, and the position of the euro sign (€).
CROSS CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
❑ Numeracy: Do money sums in French using euros and centimes. Follow the examples given in video section 8, involving addition, subtraction, multiplication or division. ❑ PE: Play “run to the money l” Attach money cards (e.g. 5€, 10€, 50 centimes) to plastic bollards or rounders posts on the school field, to apparatus in the hall, or place them inside plastic hoops on the ground. Call out a value in French and the pupils run
HOW FRENCH WORKS: Paying for things in a shop politely Pupils already know how to say “please” and “thankyou” in French. When asking you to pay in any shop, the assistant would say “2 euros, s’il vous plaît” - as before, they might use “s’il te plaît” with children.
Assistant says ... to grown-up customer:
2€, s’il vous plaît 2 euros, please.
... to child customer:
2€, s’il te plaît. 2 euros, please. 92
Please! Being polite at the checkout
2.9 L’euro EXTENSION ACTIVITIES Le bureau de change
When you travel to a country which uses a different currency, you need to change some of your usual money. For example, if you use US Dollars where you live, you need to buy some euros to use if you are going to France.
Exchange rates
How many euros do you get for 1 unit of your currency? Money changers like banks and bureaux de change tell you what price they will give for buying one currency with another, e.g.
Scene from video section 9: “7,20€, s’il te plaît”.
to the corresponding denomination. ❑ Drama: Supermarket role-play/puppets Pupils can develop the improvised drama element at the “supermarché” checkout, either themselves or with French-speaking puppets. For example, customers and shopkeepers could be in a hurry; be very bad-tempered; be very jolly and happy; be forgetful; have a nasty cold. You could let pupils choose characteristics for themselves or give them slips of paper naming the characteristic they should portray. They could prepare their dialogues in pairs and perform them to the rest of the class who guess the different characteristics.
£1 : 1,42€ or maybe this way round:
1€ : £0.7042 This ratio means that, if you give the bank clerk £1, they will exchange it for 1,42€ . For £100, you will receive in euros:
£100 x 1.42 = 142€ If you give the bank 100€, you will receive in pounds:
100€ ÷ 1.42 = £70.42 Money changers make a profit by charging commission (e.g. 1% of the money changed) and also by selling at a higher price than they will buy at, e.g. they ...
... sell euros at 1€ : £0.72 ... buy euros at 1€ : £0.68 The actual exchange rates can and do change at any time, depending on the market (whether more people are buying or selling euros and other currencies). People who make a profit on the changes in exchange rates are called “currency speculators”. To find out what the “rate of exchange” is between your currency and 1 euro, see the
Scene from video section 9: some euro coins.
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Early Start French Pack 2 franc notes carried pictures of: (50 F) Antoine de Saint-Exupéry; (100 F) Paul Cézanne; (200 F) Gustave Eiffel; (500 F) Pierre et Marie Curie. (see Ch.1.4). The designers of the new euro currency had a difficult job coming up with new designs that would be acceptable throughout Europe. Organising the change-over Banks and companies in the participating countries had three years to prepare for changing from the old currencies. (1) Electronic money The first stage was when the euro officially became legal currency - on 1st January 1999. At this point they could open euro bank accounts, and make payments by electronic bank transfers, cheques and credit cards - but there were no notes and coins. They had to change all their computerised accounting and pay-roll systems and the people who operated these systems had to be trained. (2) Public information campaigns The public needed information about the euro. Television c a m p a i g n s w e re launched, together with education programmes in schools and colleges. From 1999 onwards, shops began to show prices on till receipts in euros as well as the national currency. As the year 2002 came nearer, shops began to display prices at points of sale in both the national currency and euros. (3) Supplying new notes and coins On 1st January 2002, 12 billion euro notes and 80 billion coins were ready in banks throughout Europe for everyone to start replacing their old notes and coins. French people had two-months to spend or exchange their old franc notes and coins. By the end of February 2002 the national currency was no longer valid for everyday use. The new money could be spent in any of the 12 countries. Soon people had coins from
Talking point
EVERYDAY LIFE IN FRANCE The euro
The euro was created as a common currency for all the countries of the European Union, but so far not all have switched to using it. The name “euro” was chosen by the European Council - a meeting of all the Community’s political leaders - in Madrid in 1995. On 1 January 2002, new euro bank notes and coins replaced the old money in twelve EU countries. The countries that agreed to take part in this historic changeover were: France, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Portugal. The sign for the new currency
€
looks like this: The old currencies Before 2002, each country had its own money: France had “francs” and “centimes”. These notes and coins were accepted only in France; to buy things in Germany, French people had to change their francs for “marks”; in Spain they needed “pesetas”, and so on. History of the franc The first franc coins were minted in gold to pay a ransom for French King John II (“Jean le Bon”). The English captured Jean in 1360, at the Battle of Poitiers in the Hundred Years’ War, and sold him back for ”free gold”- “franc-or”. During the Middle Ages, people across Europe would accept in the course of business, coins from almost any country depending on the value of gold or silver they contained; France had: le louis, l’écu, la livre... also l’ange d’or, la couronne d’or, le noble d’or... (“d’or”= of gold). After the French Revolution, the new Republic introduced the “modern” franc in 1795 to replace medieval muddle. By 1958, prices had risen so much that the French Government replaced the whole currency, giving people one “new” franc for 100 “old” francs. What to put in the new designs? The old national notes and coins were designed to reflect that country’s history, symbols and famous people. The last French
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2.9 L’euro many different euro countries all mixed up in their pockets; all could be used in their local shops. Designs of the euro coins There are eight euro coins: 1 and 2 euros; 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 centimes (which were originally meant to be called “euro cents”). The common European face All the coins have a common European side, which represents a map of the European Union over a background of vertical lines attached to the stars of the European Union. The map changes slightly: on 1 and 2 euro coins Europe has no frontiers; the 10, 20 and 50 centime coins show the Union as a gathering of nations; the 1, 2 and 5 centime coins emphasise Europe’s place in the world. The national side on French coins On the reverse side, coins carry national symbols. The French 1, 2 and 5 centime coins show Marianne, a young woman who is a symbol of the French people. Her face is drawn to show she is “determined to create a sound and lasting Europe”. The 10, 20 and 50 centime coins show a sower of seeds, deliberate continuity with the design of the old French franc. The designer said, “(it)... represents France, which stays true to itself, whilst integrating into Europe”. The French 1 and 2 euro coins show a tree, which symbolises “life, continuity and growth”; a hexagon (symbolising the shape of France see Ch.2.1); and the motto of the French Republic, “Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité”. See www.earlystart.co.uk for images of the national faces of the coins in France, Belgium and Luxembourg. Designs of the Europe-wide notes The same seven notes (500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 euros) are used throughout the euro area; unlike the coins they have no national side. Symbolic designs The designs do not represent any actual buildings or monuments, instead they are
symbolic of Europe’s architectural heritage. The front sides of the notes show windows and gateways to represent the spirit of openness and cooperation in the EU. The reverse sides feature bridges to represent communication among the people of Europe and between Europe and the rest of the world. Writing euro prices
Price of 1 kg of fresh hazelnuts in the market: “8 euros 50.”
There is no official rule about whether a full stop or a comma should be used when writing a price that shows both euros and centimes. In France people use a comma, as for the price of nuts on this market stall: Talking about euros Each country refers to the euro and the cent in a different way. In France most people say “l’euro” and “les centimes”. The official intention in France was to call the small coins “euro-cents”, but “centimes” were the familiar division of the franc, and that
Cultural awareness
❑ Pupils can use the euro notes and coins from the activity sheets on the next page to buy and sell items in their “supermarket”. ❑ Pupils can design euro coins that Britain might use if the time comes to join the European Monetary Union. - see www.earlystart.co.uk for some ideas.
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L’euro
Je m’appelle ...........................
1 centime
2 centimes
5 centimes
10 centimes
20 centimes
50 centimes
1 euro
2 euros
This page may be photocopied for classroom use
© 2004 Early Start Lan-
100 euros
500 euros
Je m’appelle...................
200 euros
20 euros
5 euros
50 euros
10 euros
L’euro
This page may be photocopied for classroom use
©2004 Early Start Lan-