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1.15 Quelle est la date aujourd'hui? What is the date today?
In this section pupils say the full date in French, bringing together all the component parts they have met in previous sections. Saying and writing the date in French can be a regular part of your daily class routine. Talking about dates is also an opportunity to look at celebrations in the French calendar, the dates they occur and the customs traditionally associated with them.
Films to see
A1. Today’s date B1. Dates of French festivals and holidays
If you are teaching this section in autumn, you could focus particularly on the Christmas period in France, also using the extra material in Ch 1.17.
Part A: Today's date Planning your lessons
NEW WORDS AND PHRASES
There are just two new phrases in this section, but children will need to draw on a large pool of words already learnt in talking about different dates. We suggest you start with some revision, then give plenty of practice to help establish a regular daily routine of saying the date in French.
Activities
Warm up ......
Before watching film A1, it is a good idea to have a brief “warm up” session.
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HOW FRENCH WORKS 1: Today’s date in French without 'le'
When you say today’s date in French, with the day of the week, you say: “Aujourd’hui, c’est samedi 6 décembre” - with no “le”. In Chapter 1.13, children learned to say:
“mon anniversaire est le 7 mai.”
In French you say “le” before a date IF the event is repeated on the same day like a birthday, or a fixed-date festival. But in today’s date there’s commonly no “le”. n The order is strictly: day - number - month n As with birthdays (Ch.1.13), you say the plain rather than ordinal number: ‘6’ not ‘6th’ except for ‘first’, which is ‘1er - premier’. n As with birthdays, there’s no “of” either: ENG:“Today is Wednesday, the third of May.” FR:“Today it is Wednesday three May.”
Quelle est la date aujourd'hui? What is the date today? 1 Aujourd'hui c'est... samedi 6 décembre (NOTE the order: day / number / month)
Today is... Saturday 6 December see Talking Dictionary
You could ask several pupils when their birthdays are, and sing the songs for the months of the year and/or the days of the week.
Watch film 15 A1: Today’s date
Film A1 starts in the classroom with Mme. Antit checking who is present for the register. She asks what day it is today: "Quel jour sommesnous?" and then what the date is: Mme. Antit: “Quelle est la date aujourd'hui?" Margot: “Jeudi 4 juillet.” Mme Antit: “Super! Jeudi 4 juillet.” (she writes the date on the board)
Teacher: “Quelle est la date aujourd'hui? Jeudi 4 juillet.”
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On different dates through the year In class on the last day of school before the long French summer holidays. Mme. Antit: "Bonnes vacances!" "Quelle est la date aujourd'hui?" “Aujourd'hui c'est vendredi 5 juillet.” Families enjoy their holidays at the seaside. "Quelle est la date aujourd'hui?" “Aujourd'hui c'est mardi 15 août.” Children at the winter fair in Saint Omer. "Quelle est la date aujourd'hui?" “Aujourd'hui c'est mercredi 1er février.” Léa's birthday party at the soft play centre. "Quelle est la date aujourd'hui?" “Aujourd'hui c'est dimanche 10 mars.” Children saying the date: “Aujourd'hui c'est samedi 1er novembre.” “Aujourd'hui c'est mercredi 1er premier mars.” “Aujourd'hui c'est lundi 21 avril.” “Aujourd'hui c'est dimanche 25 novembre.”
KEY SOUNDS
Listen and enjoy copying these typical sounds: where have you heard them before?
aujourd’hui Heard before in: jeudi, rouge as in
as in aujourd’hui
Heard before in:
juillet, huit, oui
see Talking Dictionary
Now change the date by one or two components, e.g. “lundi 29 mars”. The pupil holding the “29” flashcard runs to swap places with the pupil who was holding the “19” flashcard. Everyone echoes the new date.
Get used to the sounds.....
❑ Echoing: Show the e-flashcards with sound and text ON.
Pupils echo, e.g. “Aujourd’hui c’est mardi 15 août”. After several repeats, switch text OFF; ask children to say the phrase from memory. ❑ Echoing: Say today's date, e.g. “Aujourd'hui c'est lundi 12 avril”. Pupils echo the date. Make up more dates for children to echo.
Respond with understanding
❑ Ask nine pupils to come to the front of the class. Give the first three different flashcards for days of the week; the next three, number cards and the last three, month cards. Call out a date, e.g. “lundi 19 mars”. The pupils holding flashcards representing “lundi”, “19” and “mars”run to form a line facing the class so that the flashcards can be read from left to right. Everyone echoes “lundi 19 mars”.
❑ Play “find the date” Set out the days, numbers and months flashcards on a flat surface. Ask for three volunteers to “find the date”. Pupils take it in turns to make up dates. You call out a date: volunteer 1 has to select the correct day, volunteer 2 finds the number and volunteer 3 looks for the month. If you have duplicates of the flashcards you can make this into a team game. See which team can find all three components and say the complete date first.
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Part B: Holidays and festivals Watch film 15 part B1
❑ Watch film B1which shows some dates each year when French people join in traditional celebrations. Important dates in the French calendar Quelle est la date aujourd'hui? Aujourd'hui c'est lundi 4 avril - (Easter Monday) Quelle est la date aujourd'hui? Aujourd'hui c'est samedi 6 décembre - (Saint Nicholas' Day) Saint Nicolas celebrations
Twelfth Night at Lili’s house:
This sequence is intended for “gisting”. Pupils will be able to follow what is happening without understanding every word.
Granny tells Lili to go under the table. Mamie: “Allez Lili, tu vas sous la table”. Lili: “La galette des rois”. Lili settles under the table, granny cuts the cake. She asks Lili to say who each piece is for: Mamie: “C’est pour qui cette part?” (Lit: It’s for whom this piece? Lili: “Pour maman!” (For mum!)
Film 15 B1: “Pour Maman!”- Lili hides under the table!
Film 15 B1: Saint Nicholas parade in Boulogne, 6 décembre
This sequence shows the annual Saint N i c h o l a s ’ D a y c e l e b r a t i o n s - c a l l e d ”Saint Nicolas” in French (note spelling) - which take place in Boulogne. (See the “Talking point” presentation “Dates of celebrations” on the disc. Quelle est la date aujourd’hui? Aujourd’hui c’est vendredi premier avril - (April fool’s Day) Quelle est la date aujourd’hui? Aujourd’hui c’est samedi 14 juillet - (Bastille Day) Quelle est la date aujourd'hui? Aujourd'hui c'est mercredi 25 décembre - (Christmas Day) Quelle est la date aujourd'hui? Aujourd'hui c'est dimanche 6 janvier - (Twelfth Night)
Mamie: “C’est pour qui cette part?” Lili: “Pour papa!” Mamie: “C’est pour qui cette part?” Lili: “C’est pour papi!” Papi: “C’est pour moi. Merci”. Mamie: “Celle-là, c’est pour qui?” (Lit: That one, it’s for whom?” Lili: “C’est pour moi!” Mamie: “Celle là, c’est pour qui?” Lili: “Pour Loïc!” Mamie: “Et la dernière, c’est pour qui?” (Lit: And the last one, it’s for whom?)
Lili: “Pour Mamie!” Maman: “OK? Bon appétit! Everyone: “Bon appétit!” Papi: “Et bonne surprise!” Everyone: “Merci”. They eat their pieces of cake - and Dad finds the trinket in his slice. It’s a little blue “smurf”! Papa: “C’est moi!” Granny puts the crown on Dad’s head. Mamie: “Bravo! C’est le roi!” (Bravo! It’s the King!)
Film 15 B1:Twelfth Night marks the 3 Kings visit to the crib.
Lili: “Papa c’est le roi!” Maman: “Bravo! Le roi!” Lili: “Aujourd’hui c’est dimanche 6 janvier”. 15.3 15.3
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See this chapter's “talking points” for a fuller list of French festivals and public holidays, and for some information about the customs that mark particular days.
KEY SOUNDS
Listen and enjoy copying these typical sounds: where have you heard them before?
as in Chandeleur Heard before in: chat as in Pâques Heard before in: quel(le) as in Fête du Travail Heard before in: soleil
Film 15 B1: Dad is crowned King for the day!
see Talking Dictionary
CROSS CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
EXTRA WORDS AND PHRASES
❑ Classroom routines: Practise the date every day. If some pupils find it difficult to say the full date in French, you can invite different pupils to give you the various components. You can do this by simply repeating what has been said and changing the statement into a question e.g. You: “Quelle est la date aujourd'hui?” Pupil 1: “Aujourd'hui c'est lundi.” You: “Oui, aujourd'hui c'est lundi .... ?”
1er janvier Jour de l'an - New Year's Day 2 février La Chandeleur - Candlemas (Pancake Day) mars/avril Lundi de Pâques - Easter Monday 1er mai La Fête du Travail - Labour Day 8 mai La Fête de la Liberté et de la Paix (VE Day) mai/juin Jour de l’Ascension - Ascension Day mai/juin Lundi de Pentecôte - Whit Monday 14 juillet La Fête Nationale - Bastille Day 15 août L’Assomption - Assumption Day 31 octobre Hallowe'en - Hallowe'en 1er novembre La Toussaint - All Saints' Day 11 novembre La Fête de la Victoire - Armistice Day (1918) 25 décembre Noël - Christmas Day 6 janvier La Fête des Rois - Twelfth Night février Mardi Gras - Shrove Tuesday 6 décembre Saint Nicolas -Saint Nicholas’ Day La Galette des Rois - Kings’ cake For making cards: Bonne Année! - Happy New Year!
(pause as if you are waiting for something else to be said and identify another pupil).
Pupil 2: “10 novembre.” You: “Très bien, lundi 10 novembre.” ❑ Art & Design: Pupils can design and make New Year's cards to send to family and friends - or to sell in your school’s “French Christmas market”. (See Ch. 1.17). You could also send them to your French exchange school.
see Talking Dictionary
❑ Design Technology: Pupils can design and make their own “calendar machines” which enable different combinations of days, numbers and months to be revealed. They can work in pairs calling out dates to test the “machines” .
“Bonne Année!” - making New Year cards for your French exchange school.
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❑ Inter Cultural Understanding: Show the “Talking point” presentation on “Dates of celebrations”. Pupils can start to explore customs and celebrations of other cultures.
They hear the name of the holiday, its date and what people do on that day.
Talking point
CELEBRATIONS The Christmas period
Christmas day: 25 December
Even in northern France, Père Noël has taken over from Saint Nicolas as the main giver of presents - on 25 December. Christmas is a fairly private family occasion: in Catholic families midnight mass on Christmas Eve is followed by a night-time feast on return from church. The usual Christmas Day dinner is turkey, etc., followed by a yule log cake. Families often eat snails and oysters as a first course. You will see a family preparing their Christmas meal in Ch.1.17.
New Year’s Day: 1 January
On the eve of le Jour de l’an - New Year - there is much more of a public celebration in France. People send each other New Year cards in the way that “anglophone” countries send them at Christmas. On New Year’s Eve, all the restaurants are booked up as people eat lavish feasts with family and friends.
Twelfth Night: 6 January
Saint Nicolas: 6 December
The video shows the annual parade on the eve of Saint Nicolas. The man dressed as a bishop, representing the saint, travels through the streets of Boulogne, then sets out to sea in a small boat. This day is celebrated in northern France, Belgium, Holland and Germany.
La Fête des Rois - the 'Festival of Kings' (or 'Twelfth Night' in Britain) commemorates the visit of the Three Kings to the Crib in Bethlehem bearing gifts for the Infant Jesus. It is celebrated in French-speaking countries by the final treat of the Christmas celebrations the 'Galette des Rois' .
Film 15 B1: Granny cuts into the galette
Saint Nicolas shown in bishop’s costume
That evening, children put out shoes by the chimney to help Saint Nicolas on his travels, also some straw for his donkey. In the night, he traditionally leaves a present and a gingerbread man shaped like a bishop. The legend is of a rich young Christian in third century Turkey who gave away all his inheritance to the poor and needy, became a bishop, and was imprisoned and tortured by the Romans when Christianity was made illegal.
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Families will usually have their galette on the Sunday nearest to 6 January. The galette is an almond puff pastry cake containing a small china token or charm. If it is in your piece of cake, you become King or Queen for the day, and wear the cardboard crown that decorates the cake. Most families buy their galette from the local pâtisserie.
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The rest of the year
The 14 July is a national holiday in France and is often celebrated with firework displays like the one shown on the video. In Paris, there is a great military parade of troops, tanks and guns down the Champs Élysées.
April Fools’ Day: 1 April
Le poisson d’avril - the April fish! The tradition is to tell jokes and to try and stick a paper fish on people’s backs without them noticing!
Assumption Day: 15 August
Assomption on the 15th August is a public holiday marking the Catholic festival dedicated to the Virgin Mary’s ascent to heaven. Many towns and villages hold a “fête”.
Hallowe'en: 31 October
Film 15 B1:”Le poisson d’avril”
Hallowe'en has in recent years become more popular in France - the influence of American films and TV shows.
The giants of Cassel parade on lundi de Pâques. Children also hunt for chocolate eggs hidden overnight by the Easter Bunny who is traditionally a hare.
On Toussaint , people remember their dead relatives, putting flowers on their graves. Once, village churches would have tolled their bells all through the night.
All Saints’ Day: 1 November
Easter Monday: early April
Bastille Day: 14 July
French holidays
The Fête nationale on 14th July is the day on which French people commemorate the overthrow of the tyrant-kings who ruled thir country for centuries. King Louis XVI, his hated Austrian wife Marie-Antoinette, and their court lived in luxury whilst levying high taxes on the poor peasants, who lived often on the edge of starvation.
French employees are entitled to 5 weeks paid holiday - more than any other country except Germany! On top of this they have a generous list of public holidays, many of which were originally religious festivals. Today, these are more like “bank holidays” in Britain. Many French people will use them as a chance to take a short break, or visit family or friends. On French public holidays, all government and council offices, banks and most shops close, although some small corner shops may stay open. If the holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, many French people take an extra day off work so they can go away for a long weekend.
Film 15 B1:Storming the Bastille
On that day in 1789, the Paris mob, angered by food shortages and the soaring price of bread, stormed the royal fortress in the city called the Bastille and set the prisoners free. The prison cells in the dungeons of the Bastille prison were a symbol of the injustices of royal rule. The fall of the Bastille marked the beginning of the French Revolution. French people everywhere realised that the King was not allpowerful. Within a few months, the old regime had completely collapsed all over France.
Cultural awareness
Talk with children about what people do in your community on particular holidays. They could draw pictures to illustrate. They may be surprised at how much customs differ between families! ■ Share pictures with your French link school; talk about what differs and what is similar.
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