Politeness and Invitations – Asking, Accepting, and Refusing

Grade 9 · French

Semester 1 | Period 2 | Week 8

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Subject: French

Semester: 1

Period: 2

Week: 8

School Name: ___________________________
Teacher’s Name: _________________________
Subject: French
Grade Level: Grade 9
Date: Week 8
Lesson Duration: 45 minutes
Week & Period: Week 8, Period 2
Topic: Politeness and Invitations – Asking, Accepting, and Refusing
Sub-topic: Formules d’invitation / de politesse, Accepting/Refusing invitations, Occasions, Interrogative questions

Learning Objectives

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

  1. Use invitation and politeness phrases appropriately in spoken and written contexts.
  2. Accept or refuse invitations using phrases like Oui, avec plaisir and Non, je regrette…
  3. Identify and describe occasions such as weddings, birthdays, festivals (mariage, anniversaire, fête, cérémonie).
  4. Formulate and respond to polite questions using interrogative structures: où, quand, combien, comment, pourquoi.
  5. Engage in dialogues about events, invitations, and social interactions with correct grammar and vocabulary.

 

Previous Knowledge

Students already know:

  • Greetings, introductions, nationality, profession, age, articles, pronouns, numbers 1–1000.
  • Present tense of s’appeler, être, avoir, habiter.
  • Expressions for phone calls, informal letters, and integrative dialogues.

 

Instructional Materials

  • Textbook: French for Beginners, Grade 9
  • Flashcards: invitation phrases, events vocabulary
  • Charts: interrogative words and sample questions
  • Audio clips: sample dialogues about invitations and events
  • Students’ notebooks and writing materials

 

Lesson Development – ABC Model

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

  • Quick oral revision: greetings, introductions, previous letter and phone phrases.
  • Teacher asks: “How do you invite someone to an event in French?” and “How do you politely accept or refuse?”

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

B – Building Knowledge (Main Lesson Body)

Time: 25–30 minutes

Step 1: Formules d’Invitation / Politesse – 6–7 minutes

Teaching Points:

  • Key phrases for invitations:
    • Veux-tu venir à … ? → Do you want to come to …?
    • Je t’invite à … → I invite you to …
  • Polite responses:
    • Accept: Oui, avec plaisir. → Yes, with pleasure
    • Refuse politely: Non, je regrette … → No, I’m sorry …

Model Practice:

  • Teacher models short dialogues:
    • A: Veux-tu venir à ma fête ?
    • B: Oui, avec plaisir !
    • A: Je t’invite à mon anniversaire samedi.
    • B: Non, je regrette, j’ai un mariage ce jour-là.

Student Practice:

  • Repetition drills: Students repeat modeled phrases.
  • Pair work: One student invites, the other responds politely.

 

Step 2: Occasions Vocabulary – 5–6 minutes

Teaching Points:

  • Key vocabulary: mariage, anniversaire, fête, cérémonie
  • Practice using the vocabulary in context:
    • Je t’invite à mon anniversaire.
    • Nous allons à un mariage.

Activity:

  • Match phrases to pictures of occasions: students identify what invitation phrase fits which event.
  • Oral practice: Students describe events using full sentences.

 

Step 3: Review of Interrogative Structures – 6–7 minutes

Teaching Points:

  • Question words: où (where), quand (when), combien (how many), comment (how), pourquoi (why)
  • Forming polite questions about events:
    • Quand est la fête ? → When is the party?
    • Où a lieu le mariage ? → Where is the wedding?
    • Combien de personnes viennent ? → How many people are coming?

Student Practice:

  • Pair practice: Students ask and answer questions about a given event, e.g.:
    • A: Où a lieu ton anniversaire ?
    • B: À Monrovia, chez moi.
    • A: Quand commence la cérémonie ?
    • B: À quinze heures.

 

Step 4: Integrative Dialogue Practice – 6–7 minutes

Model Dialogue:
A: Bonjour Fatou ! Veux-tu venir à mon anniversaire samedi ?
B: Oui, avec plaisir ! Merci pour l’invitation.
A: À quelle heure arrives-tu ?
B: Je viendrai à quinze heures. Et toi, Aminata ?
A: Je ne peux pas venir. Je regrette, j’ai une cérémonie familiale.

Learners’ Activities:

  1. Repetition drills – invitation phrases, polite responses, interrogative questions
  2. Pair work – create dialogues asking about events, accepting/refusing invitations politely
  3. Group work – role-play invitations to different occasions (weddings, birthdays, festivals)
  4. Written exercise – students write a short invitation letter/email (3–5 sentences) including time, date, and polite response

 

Assessment (Formative, during lesson)

  • Oral Q&A: Teacher asks students to invite classmates and respond politely.
  • Pronunciation Check: Students repeat key phrases and interrogative questions.
  • Written Exercise Check: Short invitations reviewed for correct vocabulary and polite expressions.
  • Dialogue Performance: Pairs/groups act out dialogues; teacher observes fluency, correctness, and politeness.

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

  • Recap invitation phrases, occasions, polite responses, and interrogative structures.
  • Quick oral drill: students invite a partner to an event and respond politely.
  • Exit slip: write a short 3–4 sentence dialogue inviting a friend and showing polite acceptance/refusal.

Assessment Checks:

  1. Oral: Students invite and respond to classmates politely.
  2. Pair/group dialogues: Teacher observes correct use of vocabulary, grammar, and politeness.
  3. Written: Check short letters/dialogues for correct phrases, structure, and interrogative usage.

 

Assignment (Homework)

  1. Write a 5–6 sentence informal invitation to a friend including event type, date, and time. Include a polite acceptance or refusal.
  2. Practice orally asking and answering questions about events at home.
  3. Revise interrogative words (où, quand, combien, comment, pourquoi) and related phrases.

 

Differentiation / Inclusive Strategies

  • Struggling learners: provide sentence starters, flashcards, peer support.
  • Advanced learners: include multiple details about event location, time, and attendees.
  • Learners with disabilities: visual prompts, extra time for oral and written tasks.

 

Teacher’s Reflection

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