Communication - Phone Calls and Informal Letters

Grade 9 · French

Semester 1 | Period 2 | Week 7

Download the Lessonotes Mobile Liberia app for faster lesson access on Android and iPhone.

Subject: French

Semester: 1

Period: 2

Week: 7


School Name: ___________________________
Teacher’s Name: _________________________
Subject: French
Grade Level: Grade 9
Date: Week 7
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Week & Period: Week 7, Period 2
Topic: Communication – Phone Calls and Informal Letters
Sub-topic: Greetings on phone/letters, opening/closing phrases, expressions for informal letters, expressions for phone conversations

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

  1. Greet people appropriately in phone conversations and letters.
  2. Use expressions for informal letters (Cher/Chère…, Amicalement, Bien à vous).
  3. Use polite expressions for phone conversations (Allô ?, Puis-je parler à… ?, C’est de la part de…).
  4. Apply previously learned grammar (s’appeler, être, avoir, verb conjugations) in written and oral communication.
  5. Make simple phone calls and write basic informal letters.

 

Previous Knowledge

Students already know:

  • Greetings, introductions, asking/telling age.
  • Nationality adjectives, professions, definite/indefinite articles.
  • Pronouns, singular/plural nouns and adjectives, numbers 1–1000.
  • Present tense of s’appeler, être, avoir, habiter.

 

Instructional Materials

  • Textbook: French for Beginners, Grade 9
  • Flashcards: phone expressions, letter phrases
  • Charts: conjugation review, vocabulary for correspondence
  • Audio clips: sample phone conversations and informal letters
  • Students’ notebooks and writing materials

 

Lesson Development – ABC Model

A – Anticipation (Warm-up / Starter)
Time: 5–10 minutes
Activity:

  • Quick oral review: greetings, asking names, telling age, nationality, and profession.
  • Teacher asks: “How do you start a phone conversation or write a letter in French?”

Teacher’s Role: Prompt, model correct pronunciation, correct errors.
Learners’ Role: Participate orally, recall prior knowledge, engage actively.

B – Building Knowledge (Main Lesson Body)

Time: 25–30 minutes

Step 1: Greetings and Expressions for Informal Letters – 6–7 minutes

Teaching Points:

  • Key phrases for starting and ending informal letters:
    • Opening: Cher… (masc.), Chère… (fem.) → Dear …
    • Closing: Amicalement → Friendly, Bien à vous → Yours sincerely

Examples:

  • Cher Paul, Comment vas-tu ?
  • Chère Aminata, J’espère que tu vas bien.
  • Amicalement, Marie

Practice:

  • Students write 2–3 lines starting a letter to a friend:
    • Include greeting, self-introduction, asking about the friend’s well-being.
  • Teacher circulates to check spelling, verb forms, and correctness.

 

Step 2: Expressions for Phone Conversations – 6–7 minutes

Teaching Points:

  • Key phrases:
    • Allô ? → Hello?
    • Puis-je parler à … ? → May I speak to …?
    • C’est de la part de … → This is … calling

Model Dialogue:
A: Allô ?
B: Bonjour, puis-je parler à Aminata ?
A: Oui, c’est de la part de Paul.

Practice:

  • Pair work: Students role-play short phone conversations using the phrases:
    • Student A calls Student B to ask for a friend.
    • Swap roles and practice different names.
  • Encourage correct pronunciation and intonation.

 

Step 3: Review of Grammar and Vocabulary – 6–7 minutes

Teaching Points:

  • Oral review of previously learned grammar: s’appeler, être, avoir, habiter
  • Quick drills with verb conjugations (singular/plural forms)
  • Revision of: greetings, numbers, nationality adjectives, professions, pronouns

Practice:

  • Teacher asks questions:
    • Comment tu t’appelles ? → Student responds: Je m’appelle …
    • Quel âge as-tu ?J’ai … ans
    • Tu habites où ?J’habite à …
  • Students practice asking each other in pairs using the vocabulary.

 

Step 4: Integrative Oral and Written Practice – 6–7 minutes

Written Task:

  • Compose a short informal letter (3–5 sentences) to a friend including:
    • Greetings, self-introduction, asking about friend’s well-being
    • Example:
      Cher Paul, Comment vas-tu ? Je m’appelle Aminata. J’espère que tu vas bien. Amicalement, Marie

Oral Task:

  • Role-play making a phone call to a friend/family member using modeled phrases:
    • Allô ? Puis-je parler à … ? C’est de la part de …
  • Teacher monitors fluency, pronunciation, and correctness.

Assessment (Formative, during lesson)

  • Oral Q&A: Teacher asks students to greet, ask names, and start a phone conversation.
  • Pronunciation Check: Students repeat letter phrases and phone expressions.
  • Written Exercise Check: Short letters reviewed for correct greetings, verb usage, and structure.
  • Dialogue Performance: Pairs act out phone conversations; teacher evaluates fluency and accuracy.

C – Consolidation (Conclusion & Assessment)
Time: 5–10 minutes

  • Recap key expressions for phone conversations and informal letters.
  • Quick oral drill: students greet and role-play a 2-line phone call or letter opening.
  • Exit slip: write 3–4 sentences starting a letter to a friend or making a simple phone call in French.

Assessment Checks:

  1. Oral: Make a simple phone call using correct expressions.
  2. Pair dialogues: Teacher observes use of greetings, polite phrases, and pronunciation.
  3. Written: Evaluate short letters for proper opening, closing, and grammar.

Assignment (Homework)

  1. Write a 5–6 sentence informal letter to a friend including greetings and personal questions.
  2. Practice 3–5 phone conversation lines at home using the learned phrases.
  3. Revise conjugations of s’appeler, être, avoir, and habiter.

 

Differentiation / Inclusive Strategies

  • Struggling learners: provide sentence starters and flashcards; peer support.
  • Advanced learners: extend letters or phone dialogues with additional details like hobbies.
  • Learners with disabilities: visual prompts and extra time for writing and oral practice.

Teacher’s Reflection

  • What worked well? __________________________________
  • What needs improvement? ____________________________
  • Students’ engagement level: ☑ High ☐ Medium ☐ Low