My First French Lessons
Message from Alexa
Bonjour everyone!
I know that there will be a lot of parents out there like myself looking for ways to keep their children occupied in these difficult times, so I have decided to put my original audio course for children up here on the website for everyone to enjoy for free.
Keep safe and bisou bisou xx
My First French Lessons
5 mini-courses
My First French Lessons is a fun-filled audio course for children (aged 4+) featuring 5 mini-courses:
- My First French Words
- Animals
- At School
- My Body
- What We Eat
It is packed full of stories, songs, lessons, themes, games, vocabulary, sentence building, finger-mimes and lots and lots of fun.
Primary School Children
'My First French Lessons' are ideal for primary school children and keen parents of any age! They can be listened to alone, with a parent or even in a classroom environment with a whole class. The lessons encourage children to develop an interest in the French language and culture. They are designed to be fun, memorable, engaging, confidence-boosting and to build solid foundations for further study of the French language.
Listening Guidelines
Here are some simple guidelines to follow:
- Ideally, you should leave some time between listening to each lesson.
- Lessons can be repeated as many times as you like.
- Children should be encouraged to mime along (finger mimes exercises) and to participate as much as possible in the lessons.
- Don't forget to download the worksheets that accompany each lesson.
Glossary
When you listen to the glossary, practise repeating the words after you hear them. Also, you should listen to 'My First French Words' first. After that, you can listen to the others in any order.
My First French Words
'My First French Words' is an introduction to the French language. It covers topic such as greetings, numbers up to 20, colours, days of the week and weather. It also includes one finger mime and two songs.
- Finger mime: Le petit pouce (The little thumb)
- Song 1: Meunier tu dors (Windmill keeper, you are sleeping)
- Song 2: Frère Jacques (Brother Jack)
Once you finish listening to each lesson, why don’t you have a go at the worksheet!
Sing along to the songs
Meunier, tu dors
Meunier tu dors
Ton moulin va trop vite
Meunier, tu dors
Ton moulin va trop fort
Ton moulin, ton moulin va trop vite
Ton moulin, ton moulin va trop fort
Ton moulin, ton moulin va trop vite
Ton moulin, ton moulin va trop fort
Windmill keeper, you are sleeping
Windmill keeper, you are sleeping
Your windmill is spinning too quickly
Windmill keeper, you are sleeping
Your windmill is spinning too quickly
Your windmill, your windmill is spinning too quickly
Your windmill, your windmill is spinning too strongly
Your windmill, your windmill is spinning too quickly
Your windmill, your windmill is spinning too strongly
Frère Jacques
Frère Jacques
Frère Jacques
Dormez-vous ?
Dormez-vous ?
Sonnez les matines
Sonnez les matines
Ding, dang, dong
Ding, dang, dong
Brother Jack
Brother Jack
Brother Jack
Are you sleeping?
Are you sleeping?
Ring the morning bells
Ring the morning bells
Ding, dang, dong
Ding, dang, dong
Animals
'Animals' covers animal words, colours and how to ask a question. It also includes one finger mime, two songs and one story.
- Finger mime: Es-tu une vache? (Are you a cow?)
- Song 1: Mon petit lapin (My little rabbit)
- Song 2: Le rock’n’roll des galinacées (The rock’n’roll of the birds)
- Story: Le petit poussin (The little chick)
Once you finish listening to each lesson, why don’t you have a go at the worksheet!
Sing along to the songs
Mon petit lapin
Mon petit lapin
Se cache dans le jardin
Cherchez-moi coucou coucou
Je suis caché sous un chou
Remuant le nez
Il se moque du fermier
Cherchez-moi coucou coucou
Je suis caché sous un chou
Frisant ses moustaches
Le fermier passe et repasse
Il ne trouve rien du tout
Le lapin mange le chou
My little rabbit
My little rabbit
Is hiding in the garden
Look for me, hello, hello
I am hiding under a cabbage
Wriggling his nose
He is teasing the farmer
Look for me, hello, hello
I am hiding under a cabbage
Curling his moustache
The farmer passes by again and again
He can’t find anything
The rabbit is eating the cabbage
Le rock'n’roll des gallinacées
Dans ma basse-cour
Il y a :
Des poules, des dindons, des oies
Il y a même des canards
Qui barbottent dans la mare
Alors « cot, cot cot cotdec
Cot cot cot cotdec
Cot cot cot cotdec ! »
Le rock n’ roll des gallinacées
The rock n’ roll of the birds
In my farmyard
There are:
Hens, turkeys, geese
There are even ducks
Who are paddling in the pond
They go "cot, cot cot cotdec
Cot cot cot cotdec
Cot cot cot cotdec!"
The rock n’ roll of the birds
At School
'At School' covers words that you find in your pencil case, plus revises colours and numbers. It also includes one finger mime, two songs and one story.
- Finger mime: Deux petits escargots (Two little snails)
- Song 1: Au clair de la lune (In the moonlight)
- Song 2: Une souris verte (A green mouse)
- Story: Rémi n’aime pas l’école (Remi does not like school)
Once you finish listening to each lesson, why don’t you have a go at the worksheet!
Sing along to the songs
Au clair de la lune
Au clair de la lune
Mon ami Pierrot
Prête-moi ta plume
Pour écrire un mot
Ma chandelle est morte
Je n’ai plus de feu
Ouvre-moi ta porte
Pour l’amour de Dieu
Au clair de la lune
Pierrot répondit :
Je n’ai pas de plume
Je suis dans mon lit
Va chez la voisine
Je crois qu’elle y est
Car dans sa cuisine
On bat le briquet
Under the moonlight
Under the moonlight
My friend Pierrot
Lend me your feather (plume/pen)
So I can write a word
My candle is out
I’ve no more light
Open your door for me
For the sake of God
Under the moonlight
Pierrot replied:
I’ve no pen
I’m in my bed
Go next door
I believe she is in
For in the kitchen
Someone lit a matchstick
Une souris verte
Une souris verte
Qui courait dans l’herbe
Je l’attrape par la queue
Je la montre à ces messieurs
Ces messieurs me disent
Trempez-la dans l’huile
Trempez-la dans l’eau
Ça fera un escargot
Tout chaud
Je la mets dans un tiroir
Elle me dit : Il fait trop froid !
Je la mets dans mon chapeau
Elle me dit : Il fait trop chaud !
Je la mets dans ma culotte
Elle me fait trois petites crottes !
A green mouse
A green mouse
Which was running in the grass
I catch it by its tail
I show it to those people
These people tell me
Dip it in oil
Dip it in water
It will become a snail
Nice and warm
I put it in a draw
She tells me: it’s too cold
I put it in my hat
She tells me: it’s too warm
I put it in my pants
She makes me three little drops!
My Body
'My Body' covers the vocabulary of the body and revises the numbers, colours and days of the week. It also includes one finger mime, two songs and one story.
- Finger mime: Monsieur Pouce (Mr Thumb)
- Song 1: Tête, épaules, jambes et pieds (Head, shoulders, legs and feet)
- Song 2: Alouette, gentille Alouette (Lark, nice Lark)
- Story: Marjorie a mal aux dents! (Marjorie has a toothache!)
Once you finish listening to each lesson, why don’t you have a go at the worksheet!
Sing along to the songs
Tête, épaules, jambes et pieds
Tête, épaules, jambes et pieds
Jambes et pieds
Tête, épaules, jambes et pieds
Jambes et pieds
Les yeux, les oreilles, la bouche et le nez
Tête, épaules, jambes et pieds
Jambes et pieds
Head, shoulders, legs and feet
Head, shoulders, legs and feet
Legs and feet
Head, shoulders, legs and feet
Legs and feet
Eyes, ears, mouth and nose
Head, shoulders, legs and feet
Legs and feet
Alouette, gentille alouette
Alouette, gentille alouette
Alouette, je te plumerai
Je te plumerai la tête
Je te plumerai la tête
Et la tête, et la tête
Alouette, alouette
Aaah, aah, aah aah, alouette
Je te plumerai le bec…
Je te plumerai les yeux…
Je te plumerai le cou…
Je te plumerai les ailes…
Je te plumerai les pattes…
Je te plumerai la queue…
Je te plumerai le dos…
Lark, nice lark
Lark, nice lark,
Lark, I will pluck you
I will pluck your head
I will pluck your head
And the head, and the head
Lark, lark
Aaah, aah, aah aah, lark
I will pluck your beak…
I will pluck your eyes…
I will pluck your neck…
I will pluck your wings…
I will pluck your legs…
I will pluck your tail…
I will pluck your back…
What We Eat
'What We Eat' covers food words such as ice cream and bread, and revises the colours in French. It also includes one finger mime, two songs and one story.
- Finger mime: Oh là là, qu’est-ce que c’est? (Oh dear, what is it?)
- Song 1: Savez-vous planter les choux? (Do you know how to plant cabbages?)
- Song 2: Un, deux, trois, nous irons au bois (One, two, three, we’re going to the wood)
- Story: Le petit garçon qui n’aimait pas les broccolis (The little boy who didn’t like broccoli)
Once you finish listening to each lesson, why don’t you have a go at the worksheet!
Sing along to the songs
Savez-vous planter les choux?
Savez-vous planter les choux
À la mode, à la mode ?
Savez-vous planter les choux
À la mode de chez nous ?
On les plante avec le doigt
À la mode, à la mode
On les plante avec le doigt
À la mode de chez nous
On les plante avec les mains…
On les plante avec le pied…
On les plante avec le coude…
On les plante avec le nez…
Do you know how to plant cabbages
Do you know how to plant cabbages
In the style, in the style?
Do you know how to plant cabbages
In the style of our country?
We plant them with the finger
In the style, in the style
We plant them with the finger
In the style of our country
We plant them with the hands…
We plant them with the foot…
We plant them with the elbow…
We plant them with the nose…
Un, deux, trois, nous irons au bois
Un, deux, trois
Nous irons au bois
Quatre, cinq, six
Cueillir des cerises
Sept, huit, neuf
Dans mon panier neuf
Dix, onze, douze
Elles seront toutes rouges
One, two, three, we’ll go to the wood
One, two, three
We’ll go to the wood
Four, five, six
To pick up some cherries
Seven, eight, nine
In my new basket
Ten, eleven, twelve
They will be all red
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