2. Les parties du corps

Parts of the body

In this section, pupils learn the names for different parts of the body, and in the process enjoy some great traditional action songs. Pupils who go to ballet classes will recognise French words which are used globally in dance.

Children design and describe their own “alien monsters”. They describe a person’s appearance using familiar adjectives plus some new ones.

You can use three well known, authentic French songs for lots of enjoyable physical activity to help make the new words memorable.

Again we suggest you plan a series of lessons with this chapter, each session focussing on one main objective.

Films to see

Part A: “Head, shoulders...” song

A1 Song - ‘Tête, épaules et genoux, pieds’ Parts of the body - new words

Part B: Talking about body parts

B1 Ballet class - more new words

B2 Song - ‘Savez-vous planter les choux?’

B3 Playing ‘Twister’ - left /right, hand/foot

B4 Magic trick - indicating body parts

B5 ‘Jacques a dit’ - playing the game

Part C: Describing people and monsters

C1 Describing people (hair and eyes)

C2 Describing monsters

C3 Jokes 1 and 2

C4 Song - ‘Jean Petit qui danse’

Find transcripts online

Part A: “Head, shoulders...” song

Planning your lessons

Part A makes full use of the familiar action song to introduce French words for parts of the body.

Activities

Warm up

Anticipation: Present the class with three new words they are about to learn; how would a French person pronounce them?

l’épaule, le genou, le pied

Remind them of some French words they know already that may be helpful: (see “key sounds” later in part A) l’épaule - aujourd’hui, au revoir, chaud, jaune le genou - plage, boulangerie le genou - où, tout le pied - bien, chien, combien, viande le pied - chaud, grand (silent letters)

Film A1: French children sing with actions: “les épaules” Make sure children have opportunities to sing the song, with space to do the actions which will help them remember the words.

Watch film A1 ‘Head. shoulders song’

❑ Watch the film A1, “Head,shoulders song” which introduces new words using the song

“Tête, épaules et genoux, pieds”.

SONG 1: ‘Tête, épaules, et

Tête, épaules et genoux, pieds; genoux, pieds.

Tête, épaules et genoux, pieds; genoux, pieds.

Les yeux, les oreilles, la bouche et puis le nez.

Tête, épaules et genoux, pieds.

Get used to the sounds

❑ Echoing: Show the first A1: ‘Parts of the body’ section on the e-flashcards, (or make enlarged copies of the pictures on the activity sheets).

A1: NEW WORDS

Parts of the Body (song) le corps la tête l’épaule(f) / les épaules le genou / les genoux le pied / les pieds l’oeil (m) / les yeux l’oreille (f)/les oreilles la bouche le nez

- body

- head

- shoulder(s)

- knee(s)

- foot / feet

- eye(s)

- ear(s)

- mouth

- nose

Key Sounds

Listen and enjoy copying these typical sounds: where have you heard them before?

as in... épaule, heard before in aujourd’hui, chaud

Show each picture, initially with sound on and text off, and showing the singular words. Pupils echo the words , paying special attention to the “key sounds”.

Repeat this several times until children are familiar with saying the singular words. Then show the plural of each, as heard in the song lyrics - ask children what differences they can HEAR (note silent letters -see “key sounds”).

Respond with understanding

❑ Play “True or false?” 1

Show the e-flashcards with sound and text off, or indicate parts of your body.

When ‘nose’ shows, you say “C’est le nez?”* or the wrong thing, e.g. “C’est la bouche?”. With plurals “ C’est ... (le nez)?” changes to “Ce sont...”, e.g. “Ce sont (les genoux)?”

(*NOTE: French people usually refer to parts of their bodies impersonally, so say “le nez”, not “mon nez” - see “How French works 1”) as in... genou, bouche heard before in boules, tous, où est [as in the English: to eat ] as in... bouche heard before in chat, gauche, chapeau as in oeil, yeux, oreille, pied [as in the English: yacht ] heard before in bien, chien, juillet as in... yeux heard before in euro, neuf, bleu as in... genou heard before in jaune, bonjour as in...épaule, les (genoux), pied heard before in santé, école, des as in...genoux, yeux, corps, nez seen before in salut, habite

Children respond, “Oui, c’est le nez” if it is. If it isn’t, pupils just say “Non”.

❑ Echoing: Indicate a part of your own body and say the word in French, e.g. “le pied”. Pupils echo the words and point to that part of their own bodies.

As children grow familiar with the words, distinguish carefully between singular and plural, e.g. first touch one shoulder and say “l’épaule”, then touch both shoulders and say “les épaules”.

Make this distinction when you play “Jacques a dit...” and other games.

❑ Play “True or false?” 2 (game)

Indicate the parts of the body again, but this time pupils only echo your phrase when it matches - otherwise they remain silent.

❑ Give each pupil one of the pictures. You call out a part of the body; all the pupils with that card hold it up for everyone to see.

❑ Play “ the Body Game” n Sing the song again. Ask how it differs from the familiar English version?

Ask the children to stand up. When you call out a part of the body, they have to point to it or wave it in the air.

(A: ‘pieds’ (feet) instead of ‘toes’).

❑ Chanting game: This is a version of ‘Simon Says’ (‘Jacques a dit’* in French). The class stands up. You call out a part of the body, If you say, e.g. “Jacques a dit... la bouche”, the class all chant “la bouche” together; if you just say “la bouche”, those children who say anything sit down and are out.

Last one left standing wins!

* Note: There is a film of French children playing “Jacques a dit” to be viewed later when pupils know more words for parts of the body.

HOW FRENCH WORKS: Talking about body parts

French people generally talk about their bodies in an impersonal way.

In English,people often refer to their body parts with a possessive adjective (my/ your/ his/ her/ our... nose), but French people generally use the impersonal ‘the’:

“C’est le nez”

(That is the nose)

It sounds almost as if that body part didn’t belong to them!

Children will also hear this in Song 2:

“On les plante avec le doigt”

(We plant them with the finger)

Spot silent letters

❑ Echoing: Show the first “body parts” section on the e-flashcards, this time with both sound and text on. Pupils echo the words.

Talk about the silent letters at the end of many words such as, le corps, les épaules, les genoux, le pied, les yeux, les oreilles, le nez.

n What other words can they think of which have silent letters at the end?

(e.g. salut, juillet, le chocolat, les frites).

n Some words also have silent letters at the beginning (e.g. huit, l’heure, le hamster).

CROSS-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

❑ Design Technology -card puppet: Children can make cut-out card 2D puppets, with moveable limbs joined to the body shape with metal fasteners so they can swivel. When you call out a body-part in French, they wave the appropriate bit of the puppet. Parts can be labelled in French.

Add to the puppet as more body parts are learnt in parts B and C.