Intermediate
60 mins
Teacher/Student led
+70 XP
Teacher-led from the board — pupils need no device

Use Polite Words

Learn eight polite French expressions including two ways to say please, two ways to say excuse me, and two ways to say you're welcome. Practise short café-style requests with a partner and discuss when to use the friendly or polite form.

Teacher Class Feed

Load previous activity
    Your turn
    Your teacher is running this lesson on the board. Here is the part you can try yourself.
    Word table
    Matching pairs
    Partner practice

    1 - Please Works Better ~5 mins

    Illustration for Please works betterWatch what happens when we ask for a pencil, first without please, then with please. Which one works better?

    By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

    • Say eight polite French expressions
    • Ask for something using please and thank you
    • Practise a short polite exchange with a partner

    2 - Eight Polite French Phrases ~10 mins

    We will hear today's eight polite phrases in two short groups. Listen to each one, then say it back together as a class. Listen for the soft zh sound in je (like the s in treasure) and notice that French often has a friendly form and a polite form.

    3 - Match the Polite Phrases ~10 mins

    Flip two cards at a time and find each French phrase with its English meaning. When a pair is found, the whole class says the French out loud together before the next turn.

    4 - Polite Partner Requests ~10 mins

    Time for our French goûter counter. Partner A orders something politely; Partner B hands it over. Then swap. Follow the four beats below. Use the word-table on the board when you want the other please or you're-welcome form.

    Mini-script

    Mini-script

    1. A: Un jus, s'il te plaît.
    2. B: Voici. (Here you go, with a handing gesture.)
    3. A: Merci.
    4. B: De rien.

    Other orders you can try: un croissant, un chocolat chaud.

    5 - Into Your Copy ~3 mins

    COPYBOOK MOMENT

    Open your copy. Copy the two phrases below, then write one short café request of your own using please.

    Copy these:

    1. S'il vous plaît
    2. Merci

    Then write your request, like this one: Un jus, s'il vous plaît. Either please form is fine, and the phrases on the board are there if you need a reminder.

    Pupil practice
    Module 2 · Delicious Discoveries
    Lesson 13 · Use Polite Words
    Download Activity Book page (PDF)
    123learn · Online learning platform

    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.

    Hundreds of curriculum-aligned lessons
    Interactive activities in every lesson
    Printable resources & progress tracking
    Copyright Notice
    This lesson is copyright of 123Learn.ie 2017 - 2025. Unauthorised use, copying or distribution is not allowed.
    🍪 Our website uses cookies to make your browsing experience better. By using our website you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more