How to Talk About Your Childhood
Part of UNITÉ 0 — Les souvenirs d’enfance
Aligned with the International Baccalaureate MYP 3 (Phases 3–4)
childhood French lesson beginner, describe childhood in French simple, French speaking practice past, IB MYP French Unit 0 Lesson 1
Lesson Overview
In this lesson, you will begin learning how to talk about your childhood in French using simple vocabulary and ideas.
The focus is on:
- understanding meaning
- speaking with confidence
- not worrying about perfect grammar yet
Text (Reading)
Quand j’étais petit, j’habitais dans un village.
Je jouais dehors avec mes amis et je regardais des dessins animés le soir.
J’aimais beaucoup mon enfance.
Why This Text Is Important
This short paragraph introduces:
- past expressions (quand j’étais petit)
- childhood activities (je jouais, je regardais)
- feelings (j’aimais)
It is a model for IB-style personal narrative.
Key Vocabulary
Core Words
- enfant → child
- enfance → childhood
- petit(e) → small / young
- jouer → to play
- regarder → to watch
- aimer → to like/love
Daily Life Vocabulary
- l’école → school
- la maison → house
- les amis → friends
Example
Quand j’étais petit, je jouais avec mes amis après l’école.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Activate prior knowledge about childhood
- Understand simple past descriptions
- Express basic childhood habits orally
Speaking Task (Pair Work)
Ask your partner:
- Quand tu étais petit(e), tu aimais quoi ?
- Tu jouais avec qui ?
Sentence Starter
Quand j’étais petit(e), …
Engage Activity (Oral Practice)
Look at images (childhood scenes) and answer:
- Quand étais-tu enfant ?
- Où habitais-tu ?
- Que faisais-tu après l’école ?
Important Instruction
Focus on:
- communication
- meaning
Do NOT worry about:
- perfect grammar
- mistakes
Skills Covered
Each lesson develops:
- Listening
- Reading
- Speaking
- Writing
Grammar Focus (Implicit)
Students are introduced to past tenses in context:
- j’étais
- je jouais
- je regardais
(No formal explanation yet — this comes in Lesson 2)
Outcome
By the end of this lesson, you can:
- Talk simply about your childhood
- Use basic vocabulary
- Understand a short past narrative
Reflection Box
Ask yourself:
- What words helped me understand the past?
- Can I talk about my childhood simply?
Skills Developed
- Communication (speaking clearly)
- Confidence building
- Personal expression
Strategy
Next step:
Lesson 2 — L’imparfait (How to describe the past in French)
Suggested anchor text:
- Learn how to describe past habits in French
- Understand French past tense step by step
Practice Task
Say 2–3 sentences about your childhood:
Example:
Quand j’étais petit, je jouais avec mes amis et je regardais la télévision
