MFL – French
Unit 10 Qu’est-ce qu’on mange?
About the unit
This unit enables pupils to
consolidate their knowledge of ‘likes
and dislikes’, focusing in particular
on use of the definite article with
food. They learn about quantities
and plan recipes. The unit also
provides a brief initial presentation
of the perfect tense.
New language content:
• partitive article
• size, quantity and measures
• introduction to the perfect tense
with avoir
New contexts:
• following and devising recipes
• preparing a menu
• buying food and drink
Alternative contexts: leisure
activities; buying clothes. By
applying the perfect tense to other,
familiar contexts covered earlier, eg
school, spare time activities, home
activities, pupils can consolidate
their command of the perfect tense.
This unit is expected to take
12–15 hours.
Where the unit fits in
This unit revises knowledge of the
definite article; it extends the use
of negatives and the immediate
future.
Key stage 3 schemes of work
Year 8
Expectations
At the end of this unit
most pupils will: listen to, read and respond to short texts about food or
drink, using a dictionary to help with understanding; describe foods
which they like and dislike, and politely accept and decline food; know
how to ask for food; understand and begin to use a few verbs in the
perfect tense, initially with support
some pupils will not have made so much progress and will: understand the
gist and main points of simple spoken or printed texts about food or
drink, with prompts or other support; express likes and dislikes; take
part in simple dialogues, using rehearsed language including polite
expressions, to buy things such as food; understand a few examples of
the perfect tense
some pupils will have progressed further and will: use a growing range of
structures and idioms, giving more details, adding opinions and using
polite expressions; use reference materials to understand increasingly
complex spoken or written texts, as an aid to speaking and writing
appropriately; begin to cope with some unexpected elements in
conversations; show mastery of a few familiar verbs in the perfect tense
Prior learning
It is helpful if pupils already know:
• the basic grammar of definite articles
• how to express the immediate future using aller + infinitive
• imperatives
• how to form negative sentences
• how to use a verb table
Resources
Resources include:
• authentic recipes from France and French-speaking regions (from
cook books, magazines, newspapers, recipe cards)
• authentic menus in French from snack bars/restaurants
• tourist guides (for information on regional dishes)
• video clips of food/drink programmes, eg TV5 cookery programmes;
FR2 Télématin
• PCs, word-processing software, desktop-publishing software and
data-handling software
Out-of-school learning
Pupils could:
• read newspapers and magazines for interest and enjoyment, searching
for recipes. To give a purpose to the search, they could compile their
own cook books (word processing and desktop publishing with
clipped-in art)
• scan newspapers for examples of the newly learnt perfect tense, cut
them out, highlight them and add them to a wall display (faits divers
sections and sports reports are a fruitful source, as are write-ups of
local events in regional newspapers)
• exchange parcels of local newspapers with partner schools abroad to
provide sufficient resources
Future learning
This unit gives a brief introduction to the perfect tense with avoir. Once
pupils understand the concept of past and recognise some examples,
they will be ready to develop this further in later units.
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• to express opinions about food
• to initiate and develop
conversations about food,
varying language to suit context
and purpose
• to show precise understanding
of spoken or written texts, eg
recipes, and respond to them
• to describe familiar dishes
• to understand descriptions of
unfamiliar dishes, and people’s
feelings about them
Key stage 3 schemes of work
• Pupils listen to/read accounts of people describing their likes and dislikes. • understand and express food • Point out the difference between English
• Question and answer (then pair work) using prompts of food likes/dislikes. likes and dislikes and French in the absence/presence of
• Exercises involving definite article use, eg foods in columns on the board the definite article to indicate nouns in a
categorised by gender, pupils say Je n’aime pas le jambon, etc. general sense.
• Class survey to establish favourite foods, eg favourite fruit.
• Role plays or semi-scripted dialogues involving expressing politeness and • take part in conversations • Opportunity to revise the polite form of
consideration. requiring social conventions, eg pouvoir, eg Pouvez-vous me passer le sel.
Je suis désolé, mais je n’aime pas ▲ Pupils might learn a wider range of polite
le melon. expressions, eg c’est gentil, mais
malheureusement, je ... ; excuse-moi
mais ...
• A further related activity can be found in
Optional Tests and Tasks 8.3.
• Pupils match pictures of dishes with their recipes. • understand precise instructions • Point out features of recipe form (in
• Pupils sequence jumbled recipe steps correctly. This could be done using text in written texts, eg Ajoutez le English as well as French).
manipulation software. lait. • Pupils will be familiar with the language
• Pupils follow an unfamiliar recipe, read it aloud and interpret it for a non-reader of • read or listen to instructions, and and structure of instructions in English
French. use the language as a model for from the National Literacy Strategy.
• Pupils write a familiar (English) recipe in French, using all or part of a French recipe their own writing • Some of these activities combine the key
as a model. skills of communication and problem
• Pupils read/listen to descriptions of familiar foods and match descriptions to labels solving very effectively.
or pictures. • For the final activity teachers should
• Repeat as a group/pair quiz or game show. observe proper hygiene practices.
• Pupils make a citron pressé or a salade de fruits. A teacher of design and technology
(food) would be able to advise on health
and safety issues.
• Picture or video stimulus: pupils note aspects of food shown or described. Use • understand and use statements • Opportunity to revise descriptions and
adverts for food from magazines, TV or internet. about food characteristics, eg modifying words (très, assez) in this
• Pupils make up their own adverts. Les bananes sont très sucrées. context.
• Pupils taste unfamiliar foods and give comments in French.
Any activities marked ▲ might be better suited to higher-attaining pupils
MFL – French unit 10
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• to adapt previously learnt
language for their own purposes
and redraft their own writing
based on reading
• Pupils read recipes to select a menu. • read and write recipes • Pupils have already encountered du,
• Pupils use a word processor to draft/redraft menus. de la, etc in different contexts in unit 6
• Pupils describe their ‘best ever’ menu. ‘Comment tu t’amuses?’ and unit 8 ‘Fais
• Pupils practise ordering foods from a menu. ceci … Faites cela!’.
▲ Pupils write an extract for a Francophone guide to their local/regional dishes. • Language features of different genres
• Explain use of partitive article (du/de la, etc) and contrast with definite article (le/la). are taught in the National Literacy
Strategy.

• how to express notions of size,
quantity, measures
• Pair-work activity – pupils make appropriate pairings of foods and quantities/ • understand and choose
containers. quantities and use appropriate
• Pupils plan and shop for a meal (write a menu, then a shopping list, then role play language to buy these, eg Je
buying the items in a street market). voudrais 200 g de fromage râpé,
s’il vous plaît.
• Encourage pupils to use their dictionary
skills to find the French for the food/drink
vocabulary items which they wish to
include.

• to differentiate between the
present tense and the perfect
tense
• how to express the past using
the perfect tense
• Use silhouettes on an overhead projector (OHP) to demonstrate what has been • understand the concept of past • Try using the ‘very hungry caterpillar’
eaten or drunk. • understand and begin to use the idea to introduce a mangé! This is based
• Reinforce the concept of past through, eg yesterday’s lunch menu, using perfect perfect tense, eg regular -er on the children’s story where each day a
tense avoir + familiar verbs with vocabulary items for food (OHP/flashcards); TV verbs: J’ai commandé une caterpillar eats all the things eaten the
programmes watched, etc. salade. J’ai mangé du poisson. day before, plus something new, the list
• Pair work with cue cards showing what was eaten, ordered, etc. J’ai regardé EastEnders. growing longer day by day.
▲ Pupils can be encouraged to work out regular past participle forms based on their • use reference materials as an aid • The use of verb tables was introduced in
knowledge of verb patterns. to independent learning unit 8 ‘Fais ceci ... Faites cela!’.
• Remind pupils how to refer to a verb table in textbooks and dictionaries, and show • Encourage pupils to refer back to their
them how to recognise abbreviations used. Then they play the Speed game: who own notes written in their exercise
can find particular references the quickest. books.
• Pupils gather information from across the school about what pupils had for • Further related activities can be found in
breakfast that morning. The information is entered into a database designed to Optional Tests and Tasks 3.1, 3.2, 3.8.
test the hypotheses that:
a) younger pupils had a healthier breakfast than older pupils;
b) boys had a healthier breakfast than girls.
Pupils interrogate the data file and report their findings.

Any activities marked ▲ might be better suited to higher-attaining pupils

Key stage 3 schemes of work MFL – French unit 10

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• to listen and read texts about
meals
• to learn about aspects of other
cultures
• Pupils listen to people describing meals they have taken. • understand texts on a cultural • This activity offers an opportunity for
• Pupils read or listen to an account of a celebration meal. They then describe a theme further cultural awareness, eg a typical
similar meal or event. New Year meal in France; food for Eid or
• Pupils create a display with photos and text. Divali, weddings, and birthdays.
• Class scrapbook with photos and text.
• Dossier sonore for each pupil.
• Portfolio of best work for each pupil with photos and description.

9 End-of-unit activities

• to apply knowledge, skills and
understanding learnt in this unit
• Pupils take part in a simulation of a Ready, steady, cook-type programme. Working • use different tenses in spoken
in groups, they describe what they intend to cook, mime the preparation and language relating to a simulated
cooking, and another pupil could summarise what happens – thus, there are cooking activity
opportunities for past, present and future contexts within the same activity. • use written French imaginatively
• Nightmare recipes: pupils invent the most obnoxious recipe for someone they for different purposes, using a
dislike. recipe framework
• Creative writing, eg pupils write recipes for a good lesson, the perfect friend, the
ideal town.

Any activities marked ▲ might be better suited to higher-attaining pupils

Ref: QCA/00/453 © Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) 2000 MFL – French unit 10