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SavannahYear 8
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LanguagesReading and translating French texts28 min★★★ difficulty

Reading French stories and poems

A short French poem or fable does more than teach vocabulary — it shows how the language can be playful and expressive.

Part of your national curriculum
  • Reading: Read literary texts in the language, such as stories, songs, poems and letters, to stimulate ideas and develop creative expression

Lesson overview

What you'll learn in this lesson

Read literary texts in the language, such as stories, songs, poems and letters, to stimulate ideas and develop creative expression

Key learning points

  • • Reading for enjoyment
  • • Spotting imagery
  • • Letters as literature

This lesson at a glance

  • 28 minutes
  • 14 parts to scroll through
  • 3 quick checks
  • Marked quiz at the end
  • Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses

Words to know

literarylanguagestorieslettersstimulate

Scroll down — the lesson carries on below

Part 1 of 14 · Discover7%
1

Watch & discover

Part 1 of 14

Watch first

Reading French stories and poems

An English teaching video on this topic from Learn French With Alexa. Watch it, then scroll down for the lesson.

In a nutshell

Read literary texts in the language, such as stories, songs, poems and letters, to stimulate ideas and develop creative expression

2

Learning cycle

Part 2 of 14

Learning cycle 1 of 2

Part 1 · Reading for enjoyment

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

3

Explore the idea

Part 3 of 14

Learn

Reading for enjoyment

Fables like those of La Fontaine use simple, repeated structures: 'Maître Corbeau, sur un arbre perché' (Master Crow, perched on a tree) tells a story with rhythm, helping you absorb vocabulary through enjoyment rather than memorisation.

4

Explore the idea

Part 4 of 14

Learn

Spotting imagery

Songs and poems often use comparisons: 'Ta voix est douce comme le miel' (Your voice is sweet like honey) uses 'comme' (like) to compare two things, a technique worth recognising and imitating in your own writing.

5

Quick check

Part 5 of 14

Quick check

What does 'comme' mean in 'douce comme le miel'?

6

Reset break

Part 6 of 14

Pause

That's sitting 1 of 2 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now
7

Quick check

Part 7 of 14

Quick check

'Grosses bises' at the end of a letter is an example of...

8

Learning cycle

Part 8 of 14

Learning cycle 2 of 2

Part 2 · Letters as literature

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

9

Explore the idea

Part 9 of 14

Learn

Letters as literature

Personal letters ('Chère Camille, ... Grosses bises, Léo') show a different register — informal greetings and sign-offs — compared with formal writing, widening your sense of French style.

10

Quick check

Part 10 of 14

Quick check

Reading fables and poems mainly helps develop...

11

Challenge round

Part 11 of 14

Game · Sort it

Which of these are true?

Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.

True

Not true

12

Challenge round

Part 12 of 14

Game · Fill the gaps

Finish the sentences

Choose the word that belongs in each gap.

Personal ____ ('Chère Camille, ...

13

Mastery quiz

Part 13 of 14

Marked quiz

End of lesson quiz: Reading French stories and poems

3 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.

  1. 1. What does 'comme' mean in 'douce comme le miel'?

  2. 2. 'Grosses bises' at the end of a letter is an example of...

  3. 3. Reading fables and poems mainly helps develop...

14

Lesson round-up

Part 14 of 14

Lesson round-up

Ready when you are

Quiz score

Not sat

Games

Not played

Points this lesson

0

Best run

0 in a row

Luna: 0 out of 3 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?

Ask Luna

Do the work

Your written work for this lesson

This is the part you'd do in your book at school. Pick the pieces below, write here or on paper, and photograph anything you draw or work out.

Extract

Une journée à Lyon

Samedi matin, je me lève à sept heures et demie. Je prends le petit déjeuner avec ma sœur — du pain, du beurre et un chocolat chaud. Ensuite, nous prenons le bus jusqu'au centre-ville.

J'aime beaucoup Lyon parce qu'il y a un grand marché près du fleuve. Ma sœur préfère les magasins, mais moi, je préfère le marché : c'est moins cher et c'est plus intéressant. À midi, nous mangeons un sandwich au parc.

L'après-midi, il commence à pleuvoir, alors nous rentrons à la maison en tram. Le soir, je fais mes devoirs et je regarde un film avec mes parents.

Original text written for Good Learning Co.

Reading questions

  1. In English, say what the writer does in the morning, at midday and in the evening.
  2. Find the phrases that give an opinion and a reason, and copy them out.
  3. Write 8–10 sentences about your own Saturday, using at least three phrases from the text.

  • Written practice

    Writing

    Write the sentences out in the language, then translate them back into English.

    8–10 sentences

  • Vocabulary page

    Working out

    Copy the new words, cover them, and test yourself. Note the ones you keep missing.

    15 words

Saved as you type.

Part 1 of 14 · Watch & discover

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    Read literary texts in the language, such as stories, songs, poems and letters, to stimulate ideas and develop creative expression

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