GRADE 8 french TIME- Listening and Speaking – Active Listening Notes
TIME – Listening & Speaking (French)
Subtopic: Active Listening (age 13, Kenya)
Specific learning outcomes — by the end of this sub-strand the learner should be able to:
- a) Recall details and information accurately from oral interactions (focus: grammatical markers).
- b) Interpret verbal cues from audio stimuli (focus: tense, time words, negation, questions).
- c) Demonstrate willingness to be receptive to new ideas in oral interactions (respond with correct grammar).
What to listen for (Grammar-focused)
When actively listening in French about time or schedules, pay attention to specific grammatical cues — these help you understand who, when and what happened.
- Présent — actions now or habits. Listen for verbs like je vais, je mange.
Example: Il mange à 13h. (He eats at 1 pm.) - Passé composé — completed past events. Look for auxiliary verbs avoir/être + past participle.
Example: J'ai fini mes devoirs à 18h. (I finished my homework at 6 pm.) - Futur proche — near future, formed with aller + infinitive.
Example: Je vais partir à 7 heures. (I will leave at 7 o'clock.)
Listen for words that tell when: à, en, dans, pendant, depuis, il y a, avant, après, ce matin/ce soir.
- à 8h, pendant la récréation, depuis 2019.
- Practice: when you hear depuis → think ongoing action; pendant → action lasted for a period; il y a → time ago.
How a sentence is asked changes meaning. Listen for:
- Est‑ce que and rising intonation for yes/no questions: Est‑ce que tu arrives à 7h?
- Inversion for formal questions: Quand part‑il? (When is he leaving?)
- Question words that indicate you must listen for time: Quand? À quelle heure? Combien de temps?
Negation changes the meaning. Listen for ne...pas, ne...plus, ne... jamais.
- Example: Je ne viens pas à 6h. (I am not coming at 6.)
- If you miss "pas" you may think the action happens when it doesn't — so identify negation words carefully.
Listen for subject pronouns (je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles) and verb endings — they show who is acting and help place events in time.
- Example: Nous partons demain. → nous = we; partons = present, action tomorrow (context + present).
Classroom listening activities (grammar focus)
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Teacher reads short sentences (time & tense):
- Students listen and write the tense they heard (présent / passé composé / futur proche) and circle any time words.
- Example sentences teacher can read (suitable to Kenyan life):
- «Je finis l'école à 15h.» — answer: Présent; time word: à 15h.
- «Hier, j'ai fait mes devoirs après la récréation.» — passé composé; time word: hier / après la récréation.
- «Nous allons aller au marché demain matin.» — futur proche; time word: demain matin.
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True / False — grammar clues:
- Teacher says a sentence; students mark whether a specific grammatical statement is true. Example: "La phrase contient depuis." Teacher reads: «J'apprends le français depuis trois ans.» → True.
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Transform what you heard (grammar practice):
- Listen to a sentence in present; change it to futur proche or passé composé and say it aloud. This checks recognition of tense markers and correct verb forms.
- Example: hear «Je joue au foot à 16h.» → transform to past: «J'ai joué au foot à 16h.»
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Identify the question type:
- Teacher reads: «À quelle heure est le match?» Students write: question word = À quelle heure (listen for time question).
Short listening scripts (read aloud)
Teacher reads each line once; students listen and answer the grammar question that follows.
1. «Je me lève à 6 heures chaque matin parce que l'école commence à 7h30.» ⏰
Question: Which tense is used? Identify the time words.
Answer: Présent; time words: à 6 heures, chaque matin, à 7h30.
2. «Hier, nous avons eu un test de français après les cours.» 📚
Question: Which auxiliary verb marks the past? What is the time marker?
Answer: Auxiliary: avoir (avons eu); time marker: hier / après les cours.
3. «Elle ne viendra pas demain parce qu'elle part ce soir.» 🌙
Question: Identify the negation. What tense is used for the future?
Answer: Negation: ne... pas; future: present used to express near future (context) / or futur simple implied by ne viendra pas (future simple).
Quick grammar cheat-sheet (time & listening)
- Time prepositions: à 8h, en juillet, dans deux heures, pendant la récréation, depuis 2018, il y a trois jours.
- Tenses to recognise: présent, passé composé (avoir/être + participe passé), futur proche (aller + infinitif), futur simple (rai/ras/ra...)
- Question markers: Quand? À quelle heure? Combien de temps? Est‑ce que...? (listen for rising intonation)
- Negation words: ne...pas, ne...plus, ne...jamais — these reverse the meaning of time statements.
- Agreement clues: subject pronouns + verb endings tell you who and often when.
Assessment ideas (short & grammar-focused)
- Play a short audio (teacher reads 6–8 sentences). Students list all time expressions and write the tense used for each sentence.
- Give sentences read aloud; students rewrite each sentence changing the tense (present → passé composé or futur proche).
- Pair activity: student A reads a time sentence; student B identifies negation, tense, and repeats with a polite response using correct grammar (e.g., «D'accord, je comprends. Je viendrai à 8h.»).
Tip for teachers: use familiar Kenyan daily events (école, récréation, trajets, marché, activités après l'école) so students recognise time expressions easily and relate grammar to their lives. 🎒⏰