Schools - French Language Lab

   

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What time is it?

Teaching objectives:

Children will learn to tell the analogue times on the hour and answer the question What is the time?; they will understand different times of the day.

New language content:

Quelle heure est-il? - What's the time?
Il est sept heures - It's seven o'clock
II est trois heures - It's three o'clock
Il est huit heures - It's eight o'clock
du matin - in the morning
de l'après-midi - in the afternoon
du soir - in the evening
à neuf heures - at nine o'clock

Previous Knowledge:

This section uses numbers to twelve and incorporates previously learned conversational language.

Notes:
  • The French equivalent of o'clock is heure, and the abbreviation is h, e.g. 2h = deux heures = two o'clock.
  • In France the 24-hour clock is used frequently as the terms am and pm do not exist: this applies particularly to timetables, times of television programmes and so on. When necessary it is made clear which time of the day is meant by adding information, e.g. à neuf heures du soir [at 9 pm/at nine o'clock in the evening].
  • Minuit [midnight] and midi [midday] are often used in place of douze heures.
Reinforcement:
  • Refer to the time during the day on the class clock, when it is at an appropriate time.
  • Play guessing games, using the class or individual clock faces (see Printable Sheet):
    • Guess the Time - a volunteer sets a time on their clock face, turning it away from the class. The children take turns to try to guess the time: limit this to five guesses. The child who guesses the time correctly takes the next turn. Progress to playing in pairs.
    • Yes/No [Vrai/Faux] game - a volunteer sets a time (on the hour) on their clock face, turning it away from the class. The class calls Quelle heure est-il? and the child says a time: the children must decide if the child has told the truth. If the class guess correctly the turn passes to another child: if they guess incorrectly the first child continues.
  • Play a version of 'What's the time Mr Wolf?' - Quelle heure est-il, Monsieur Loup? When the 'wolf' finally decides that it's dinner-time he or she can call out Midi! before turning to try and catch a victim.
  • Use the construction in the final part of the song to ask children questions, e.g. Le football, c'est à quelle heure? A sept heures, etc.
Printable Stuff - Make a 'clock': speak the instructions in French as you demonstrate how to make it:
  • To use the 'clock' play Montrez-moi: say a time for the children to set secretly on their clock; they then reveal their clock faces simultaneously as you give the command - Montrez-moi; progress to allowing volunteers to set the time or to say times for the class to set.
Extension:
  • Using the individual clocks and games suggested in Reinforcement (above), gradually introduce half hours, e.g. une heure et demie [1.30]; then quarter hours, une heure et quart [1. 15], trois heures moins le quart [2.45].
  • Encourage children to begin giving times numerically, using the 24-hour clock.