How would you show that your arm hurts if you had no words for it? Everyone mime an injury from your seat: hold your head, rub your knee, clutch your arm. Watch two or three classmates show theirs.
Mime only gets you so far abroad. Today you learn eight body parts in French and the real sentence that says something hurts:
J'ai mal à... (zhay mal ah): I have a pain in...
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Name eight body parts in French with le, la or les
- Say that a part of you hurts with J'ai mal à...
- Pick the body-part phrases you would need if you were ill abroad
Whole class, seated. Everyone mimes once together, then pick two or three confident pupils to show. Keep it light and quick: the point is that gesture only goes so far abroad.
Before you leave the hook, write the stem on the board and say it clearly twice for the class to echo:
- J'ai mal à... (zhay mal ah): I have a pain in...
Do not teach the full à / au / aux pattern yet; that comes with the first flashcard models in the next step. Board work is about 47 minutes; the last quarter of an hour is the Activity Book page at their desks.
Listen first, then repeat. You will hear the French with its article; echo it before the card flips. English is on the front to help you remember the meaning.
When the French is revealed, say it again, article included. Then build the full sentence from the board stem using the pattern below.
| Concept | Why it matters for learners | Example in target language (with English gloss) |
|---|---|---|
| à la: à + la stays as two words | Feminine body parts keep à la, so you do not squash the words together | J'ai mal à la tête (I have a pain in my head) |
| au: à + le becomes au | Masculine body parts need this short form; saying à le bras sounds wrong to a French speaker | J'ai mal au bras (I have a pain in my arm) |
| aux: à + les becomes aux | Plural body parts (eyes, hair) take aux, not à les | J'ai mal aux yeux (I have a pain in my eyes) |
Keep that pattern visible while you practise all eight parts.
Whole class on the IWB, volunteers taking turns. In a French pharmacy you often explain the problem before you get advice: that is why J'ai mal à... matters in real life.
Order for each card: you (or audio) model the body part twice → class repeats → reveal French → class repeats with article → model the full hurt sentence → class repeats the sentence once. Do not ask pupils to guess French from English on first meeting.
Model all eight sentences (leave the pattern on the board):
- J'ai mal à la tête (zhay mal ah lah TET)
- J'ai mal au bras (zhay mal oh BRAH)
- J'ai mal à la main (zhay mal ah lah MAN)
- J'ai mal à la jambe (zhay mal ah lah ZHAHMB)
- J'ai mal au pied (zhay mal oh PYAY)
- J'ai mal aux yeux (zhay mal oh ZYUH)
- J'ai mal aux cheveux (zhay mal oh shuh-VUH): fine for practising aux; in real life people more often say they have a headache
- J'ai mal au nez (zhay mal oh NAY)
Show only the simple pattern above (à la / au / aux) with the three worked examples in the table; do not lecture the full grammar rule set mid-activity. Celebrate the first clean J'ai mal au bras with a big reaction, then class echoes. Insist on the article every time.
Movement burst (about 45 seconds) before you leave this step: class stands. Call quickly: Touche la tête! Touche le nez! Touche les yeux! Touche le bras! Pupils touch that part on themselves. Wrong part = sit for one turn, then rejoin. This locks the eight words into the body before the matching game.
Race the board: flip two cards at a time and find each French body part with its English meaning. Say the French out loud as each card turns, article included, and point to that part on yourself.
When a pair is found, the finder leads one clear body-part phrase (article + word) while pointing. Keep the pace high; we save the full doctor sentences for the next step.
A fast second pass at the same eight words, still whole-class on the IWB. Frame it as a clear-the-board race, not another slow drill. If a pair is missed twice, stop and say it together before moving on.
When a volunteer finds a match, they point to that part on their own body and lead the French with its article; class echoes once. Full J'ai mal... sentences stay for the doctor step so this round feels different: speed, pointing, clean articles. Quick praise for a sharp les yeux or le pied. If someone freezes on the article, point at the board pattern from step 2 rather than re-explaining from scratch.
Open your copy. Write two sentences saying that a part of you hurts, using two different body parts. Take care with the accents, the articles, and whether you need à la, au or aux.
Keep the model on the board while you write:
- J'ai mal à la jambe.
- J'ai mal au pied.
Pause the board. Leave only practised J'ai mal... models on screen, for example: J'ai mal à la jambe. (zhay mal ah lah ZHAHMB) and J'ai mal au pied. (zhay mal oh PYAY). You may also show one aux model: J'ai mal aux yeux.
Do not ask for hair-and-eyes description sentences in this lesson; colour adjectives and agreement are not secure yet and belong with a later colours or clothes focus. Walk the room and check the article and the à la / au / aux form. Do not collect these copies.
You are at the doctor's in France. Look at the figure and put each French label on the right body part. As you place a label, point to that part on yourself and say the full doctor line:
Bonjour docteur, j'ai mal à... / au... / aux... plus the body part.
Run on the IWB with volunteers only (whole-class board lesson; no pupil devices). Keep a simple prompt visible: Bonjour docteur, j'ai mal...
When a label lands correctly, the volunteer points to themselves and says the full doctor sentence; class chorally repeats the body part, then the sentence. Watch for les yeux (lay ZYUH) and les cheveux (lay shuh-VUH), which pupils often mix up. If someone lands les cheveux on the eyes, laugh it off and get the class to mime the difference (hair flick versus pointing at eyes), then place the label again.
Unlock the full learning experience
You're previewing this lesson. Get full access to this lesson and hundreds more — each one ready to teach, with interactive activities, printable resources and pupil progress tracking built in.
This lesson is copyright of Coding Ireland 2017 - 2025. Unauthorised use, copying or distribution is not allowed.