Grade 7 french FUN AND ENJOYMENT- Listening and Speaking – Listening for Information Notes
FUN AND ENJOYMENT — Listening and Speaking
Subtopic: Listening for Information (French grammar focus)
Target age: 12 — Kenyan context — Emphasis: French grammatical features you must hear and recognise 🎧
Specific learning outcomes
- Identify key grammatical points from audio (sujets, verbes, temps, négation, nombres).
- Use information heard to answer questions focusing on grammar (quel sujet? quel temps?).
- Be aware of details (mots interrogatifs, adverbes de temps, prépositions) when listening.
- Demonstrate attention, simple note-taking for grammar, and vocabulary recognition.
Key French grammar features to listen for
- Mots interrogatifs — qui, quoi, où, quand, pourquoi, comment. (They show the type of answer expected.)
- Pronoms sujets — je, tu, il/elle, nous, vous, ils/elles. Recognise who performs the action.
- Verbes et temps simples — present (je parle), passé composé (j’ai mangé), futur proche (je vais partir). Identify the tense to know timing.
- Négation — ne ... pas / ne ... jamais / ne ... plus. Listen for ne/n’ and the negating word (pas, jamais) to spot negative facts.
- Nombres & expressions de temps — heures, jours, quantités. (« deux », « huit heures », « demain ») — important for specific details.
- Prépositions et lieux — à, dans, chez, au marché (au marché = at the market). They show location information.
- Adjectifs et accords — listen if adjectives match gender/number (petit/petite, grands/grandes) when describing people/things.
- Mots de liaison — puis, ensuite, mais, parce que — signal sequence or reason.
Simple note-taking (grammar) tips ✏️
- Write short labels: S=subject, V=verb, T=tense, N=negation, L=lieu (place), H=heure (time).
- Use arrows to show sequence: → puis → ensuite. Use “+” for present, “PC” for passé composé, “FP” for futur proche.
- Abbreviations: q = qui/quoi, o = où, qd = quand, pq = pourquoi, cm = comment.
- Listen first for question words and verbs — these give the skeleton of meaning. Fill adjectives/numbers after.
Listening practice: teacher reads each short script twice. Students listen and write grammar notes.
Exercice 1 — Au marché
Script (record or read):
"Bonjour ! Je veux deux mangues et une orange. Combien ça coûte ? Le vendeur répond : C'est trois shillings pour chaque mangue, et deux pour l'orange. Je prends les trois. Voilà l'argent."
Tasks (grammar focus):
- Identify the subjects and verbs (write S: ___, V: ___).
- Which tense is used in "Je veux" and "Le vendeur répond"?
- Find the numbers and write them as digits.
- Is there negation? If no, note that.
Model answers
- S/V: Je : veux; Le vendeur : répond; (Il) prend : prends.
- Tense: present (je veux, répond).
- Numbers: deux (2), une (1), trois (3), deux (2).
- Negation: none.
Exercice 2 — À l'école
Script:
"Aujourd'hui, nous avons un cours de français. Le professeur dit : 'Écoutez, écrivez les adjectifs. Ne parlez pas pendant que j'explique.'"
Tasks (grammar focus):
- Spot the imperatives and the negation (write them).
- Which pronoun is used for 'nous' and what is the verb in the clause?
- Identify the noun being described by "les adjectifs".
Model answers
- Imperative + negation: "Écoutez" (imperative, plural/formal), "Ne parlez pas" (negation with imperative).
- Pronoun: nous (we); verb: avons (present of avoir) — "nous avons".
- Noun: "les adjectifs" is plural masculine noun described by 'les'.
Exercice 3 — Rendez-vous
Script:
"Demain, je vais chez ma tante. Elle est à Nairobi et elle partira à 10 heures. Je ne serai pas en retard."
Tasks (grammar focus):
- Identify future tense forms and explain which future is used.
- Find the negation and the verb it modifies.
- What is the place preposition used for 'chez ma tante'?
Model answers
- Future: "je vais ... (aller + infinitive)" = futur proche (je vais chez ma tante). Also "elle partira" = futur simple.
- Negation: "ne ... pas" around "serai" → "Je ne serai pas en retard" (negates être in future simple).
- Preposition: "chez" (at someone's place).
Exercice 4 — Récit court
Script:
"Hier, Marie a joué au parc. Elle était contente parce qu'il faisait beau. Ensuite, elle a appelé son ami et ils ont joué au ballon."
Tasks (grammar focus):
- List all verbs and give their tense (e.g., passé composé, imparfait).
- Which words show reason? (look for 'parce que')
- Identify plural subject and the verb that agrees with it.
Model answers
- Verbs: a joué (passé composé), était (imparfait), faisait (imparfait), a appelé (passé composé), ont joué (passé composé).
- Reason: "parce qu'il faisait beau" (parce que = because).
- Plural subject: "ils" → verb "ont joué" agrees in plural.
Suggested learning experiences (teacher-guided, grammar focus)
- Short audio dialogues (30–40s) about daily Kenyan settings (école, marché, bus). Ask students to jot S/V/T/N/L in 60 seconds — then compare notes.
- Teacher reads a short script slowly. Students underline question words and circle verbs — then answer grammar questions.
- Pair work: Student A reads a sentence aloud (from a card); Student B writes quick grammar notes and asks a grammar question (Quel temps? Qui?).
- Dictation focused on grammar: dictate a sentence; students mark tense and negation rather than write full details.
- Use pictures (school, marché, horloge) and ask students to listen for the preposition or time that matches the picture.
Assessment — Success criteria
- Can identify subject and main verb in short oral sentences (3–4 words): S/V correctly named 4/5 times.
- Can recognise tense (present, passé composé, futur proche) from audio examples (3/4 correct).
- Can spot negation and write the negating words (ne...pas, jamais) when heard.
- Shows simple notes: uses abbreviations (S, V, T) and captures numbers/time heard.
Teacher notes / adaptations
- For learners who struggle: slow down speech, repeat verbs and question words clearly, and allow one extra listening.
- For advanced learners: include a sentence with two clauses and ask to name the tense of each clause.
- Use local context vocabulary (marché, école, maison, Nairobi) to make listening meaningful but keep focus on grammar features.
Quick reminder: Listen first for question words and verbs — they give most grammar information. 🎧✏️