Everything has gender in the French language
From the clouds to the moon to a cheese sandwich!
We are no exceptionfrom our head down to our toes
Our body parts are le or la so let's see how it goes
Whether it's your stomach or your forehead or your chin
In French it has to be masculine or feminine
But try to reason why and your brain may well explode
Cos it doesn't have a pattern you are just supposed to know!
A hand is la
La main
An arm is le
Le bras
A mouth is la
La bouche
A finger is le
Le doigt
A leg is la
La jambe
A nose is le
Le nez
A head is la
La tête
A hair is le
Le cheveu
C'est le la le la
The French language is crazy stuff
La le la le
It's OK to find it tough
If you're trying to discover what your knee is called in France
There's just no point in guessing. It's a 50-50 chance
Is it maybe la genou or have we gone awry?
It turns out it is le genou but do not ask us why
Sometimes all this crazy lingo just seems to annoy I'm definitely a boy!
Why is your mouth feminine?
My arm is always masculine although I am a girl
Think about it too much and your head goes in a whirl
A hand is la
La main
An arm is le
Le bras
A mouth is la
La bouche
A finger is le
Le doigt
A leg is la
La jambe
A nose is le
Le nez
A head is la
La tête
A hair is le
Le cheveu
C'est le la le la
The French language is crazy stuff
La le la le
Learn each word don't try to bluff
So was French invented to make you demented?
To make your brain hurt like it's being fermented?
No! It's just the way it is
So remember this rule
Know your le from your la and the French will think you're cool
C'est le la le la
The French language is crazy stuff
La le la le
Calm down don't get in a huff
Le la le la
The French language is crazy stuff
La le la le
It's OK to find it tough.
Video summary
A lively song to help pupils practise parts of the body, focusing on masculine and feminine.
This song will help children to think about the concept of gender in the French language.
This clip is from the series Virtually There: France.
Teacher Notes
A good listening activity could be to ask pupils to listen out for the correct definite article ie le or la.
Pupils then write le on one side of a mini-whiteboard and la on the other.
Every time they hear a masculine/feminine noun in the song, they hold up le or la. Label 3 sides of a large foam dice with la and the remaining with le.
These clips could be used for teaching French at KS2 or at a beginner level in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and 1st and 2nd Level in Scotland.
Morning routines. video
Ben links up online with Ulysse in Marseille early one morning to learns about Ulysse’s morning routine.
Following directions. video
An English schoolboy helps two of his French friends find a cafe.
How to introduce yourself. video
Ben links up online with children in France and practices French greetings before they take him on a virtual tour of their neighbourhood.
Meet the family. video
An English schoolboy meets a French family through the use of a tablet.
Favourite hobbies. video
Ben is waiting for his Mum to take him to his swimming lesson so decides to link up online with his friends in Marseille to find out their hobbies.
Shopping for food. video
Ben links up online again with his friends in France who are in a supermarket buying ingredients to make pizzas for a 'Pizza Party'.
Clothes and colours. video
A lively song to practise vocabulary for clothes and colours and a variety of other adjectives.
Days of the week. video
A lively song to practise the days of the week. A clip from a series teaching the basics of French.
Painting together. video
Ben is keen to improve his French. He links up online with friends who are painting.
