1 - Who Plays, Who Would Like to ~5 mins
Hands up if you play an instrument. Hands up if you would like to play one. Today you learn how to say both things in French: what you already play, and what you would like to try.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Name eight instruments in French
- Say what you play, or what you would like to play
- Spot instrument names that came from other languages
Take a quick show of hands, then one or two short answers in English so the class hears the difference between fact and wish. Smile at the air-guitar kids: energy is useful later. Do not teach the French yet; the word-table does that next. The board work runs to about 47 minutes; the last quarter of an hour is the Activity Book page at their desks.
2 - Eight French Instruments ~10 mins
We will tap each instrument on the board. Listen, then say it back together. Notice the article every time: le or la.
Pattern strip: le → du · la → de la
Then try the two sentence patterns:
- Je joue du piano (I play the piano)
- Je voudrais jouer de la guitare (I would like to play the guitar)
You lead every tap on the IWB; pupils listen and repeat, they do not control the board. Tap each word; the class repeats twice, once all together and once by table. Point at the article every time so the pair sticks.
After each new word, the class air-plays it for three seconds (big piano fingers, tiny flute embouchure, shake-the-tambourine wrists), then says the French with the article. Keep it playful and quick.
Model the two sentence frames slowly with the respellings and the pattern strip still on screen:
- Je joue du piano (zhuh zhoo dü pyah-NOH) and Je joue du tambourin (zhuh zhoo dü tahm-boo-RAN) for masculine (le → du)
- Je voudrais jouer de la guitare (zhuh voo-DRAY zhoo-ay duh lah gee-TAR) and Je joue de la flûte (zhuh zhoo duh lah FLOOT) for feminine (la → de la)
Choral repeat of those four modelled sentences before any pupil finishes a frame alone. Then invite two volunteers to finish each frame with a different instrument from the table. If a pupil asks about names that start with a vowel, note briefly that those use de l', but do not drill it today; every word on the table is du or de la.
3 - Label the Music Room ~10 mins
Imagine a busy French collège music room getting ready for Fête de la Musique (21 June), when free concerts fill towns across France. Watch the picture on the board. When it is your table's turn, call out the French label with le or la. A volunteer places it. Everyone else whispers the word as it lands.
Run this on the IWB with volunteers taking turns, or let tables call out the label before someone comes up. Give every table a clear listening job so row 3 stays with you. If a label is placed wrong, say the correct word with the article and have the class repeat before moving on. Keep insisting on le or la with every answer. A quick air-play of the instrument after a correct label keeps the music-room energy up.
4 - Into Your Copy ~4 mins
Open your copy and write one sentence about an instrument you play or would like to play. Copy the article and spelling carefully from the board.
Full frames (examples):
- Je joue du piano. / Je joue de la flûte. / Je joue du tambourin.
- Je voudrais jouer du violon. / Je voudrais jouer de la guitare. / Je voudrais jouer de la trompette.
Support stem if you need it: Je joue ____ ____. or Je voudrais jouer ____ ____.
Pause the board. Leave the word-table and the pattern strip (le → du, la → de la) on screen.
Before pens move (about 60 seconds): start three stems chorally and let the class finish them from the table, e.g. Je joue… (class: du saxophone), Je joue… (class: de la batterie), Je voudrais jouer… (class: de la guitare). Only then say pens ready.
Everyone writes one full sentence; this is the only stretch where every pen is moving. Walk the room and check for the right preposition: du with masculine, de la with feminine. Offer the cloze stem to anyone freezing on spelling. Do not collect these.
5 - Instrument Bingo ~9 mins
Fête de la Musique energy: free street music all over France. Use your printed bingo card. Listen carefully and mark each instrument as you hear it in French. When you complete a full line, shout Bingo! then read your line back in French.
How to Play Bingo:
Option 1: Students on Devices (Digital Version)
- Use the digital version where your teacher view of the lesson displays the cards that are being called out.
- Play the pronunciation sound of each word and the children mark it off their unique digital bingo card.
- Each student has a randomised bingo card so winners will vary!
Option 2: Print Out the Bingo Cards
- Print out the Bingo Cards from the attachment above, cut out the cards, and give one to each student.
- You call out the vocabulary words and students mark off their sheets.
- First student to complete a line (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) calls "Bingo!" and wins.
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.