1 - Which Sport Wins the Vote? ~5 mins
Which sport does this class play most? Hands up for football, then tennis, then swimming, then anything else. Keep a quiet count. By the end you will cast that vote again, in French.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Name eight sports in French
- Spot a sport word when you hear it
- Say which sport you like with J'aime
Take a quick show of hands for three or four sports only. The point is curiosity, not a full survey. Jot the English winners on the board and promise a rematch in French once the word-table has done its job. Do not teach any French yet.
2 - Eight French Sports ~10 mins
Here are today's eight sports. Tap each one, listen, then say it back together.
Watch which take le and which take la: most sports use le, but swimming and running use la.
Keep all eight visible, but chunk the oral practice.
First pass (cognates, quicker): le football (luh foot-BOL), le tennis (luh teh-NEES), le basketball (luh bas-ket-BOL), le volleyball (luh vo-lay-BOL), le hockey (luh o-KEH). Class repeats each twice: once all together, once by table. If le basketball feels like cheating because it sounds like English, take the win, then save energy for the harder pair.
Second pass (linger): la natation (lah nah-tah-SYOH(n)) and le cyclisme (luh see-KLEES-muh), then la course (lah koors). Extra choral repeats on these three. Point at the article every time so pupils hear the pair, not a bare noun.
Quick culture hooks as each word lands:
- le cyclisme: think Tour de France yellow jersey
- le tennis: Roland-Garros clay courts in Paris
- le football: a huge passion right across France
- le basketball: big in French school and club sport
Confirm which of the hook-vote sports now have a French name on the board, ready for the French rematch later.
3 - Sports Bingo ~10 mins
You will get a printed bingo card. Listen carefully and mark each sport as you hear it. First full line calls out, then we keep going for blackout so everyone hears every word more than once.
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.
4 - Into Your Copy ~5 mins
Say it first, then write it.
Model on the board: J'aime le football (zhem luh foot-BOL) — I like football.
We chorus it together, then a few of you finish J'aime… with a sport from the word-table.
Open your copy. Write three or four sports you like, each with le or la. Then write one sentence like the model, swapping only the sport word.
Oral beat first (about two minutes), pens still down. Write the model clearly on the board or leave it large on the IWB: J'aime le football (zhem luh foot-BOL). Class repeats chorally twice. Invite three or four pupils to finish J'aime… with a sport from the word-table (keep the table visible). Accept only the full form with article.
Then pens move (about three minutes). Everyone writes three or four sports they like, each with le or la, plus one full sentence modelled on J'aime le football. A bare list without articles will not do. Circulate and check the article is in front of every noun. Do not collect the copies.
Core target today is J'aime (I like). Do not ask for "play" sentences unless you have already modelled je joue au… / je fais de la… with audio; those structures are a stretch for another day.
5 - Spin, Mime and Name ~9 mins
The wheel lands on a sport. Mime it so the class can guess, then say the French name with its article, loud and clear. Finish with J'aime… and that same sport.
Spin on the board and invite a volunteer each time. Before the spinner speaks alone, flash the word and do a quick whole-class whisper-repeat so harder items (la natation, le cyclisme, la course) feel safe. A seated partner may prompt the article if needed.
Sequence for each spin:
- Pupil mimes; class guesses in English or French.
- Spinner names it in French with the article. Accept only the full form: le hockey, not bare hockey.
- Spinner (or the whole class) adds J'aime le/la ___ with that sport.
If pronunciation slips, model once (for example la natation, lah nah-tah-SYOH(n)) and have the whole class echo before the next spin. Big cheer when they get the article right: le or la with the noun is the goal, not speed. Aim for most of the eight words to come up at least once.
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