10 French European Day of Languages Activities to Try with Your Class (+ Free Download!)
10 French European Day of Languages Activities to Try with Your Class
The European Day of Languages takes place every year on 26 September and is a brilliant opportunity to celebrate languages, cultures and communication across your school.
But if you’re already teaching French, you don’t necessarily need to start from scratch or try to squeeze lots of completely new languages into one day!
Instead, you can use European Day of Languages to help learners explore where French is spoken, how languages connect with one another, and how learning another language can open up a whole world of cultures and communities.
You’ll find 5 fun, practical French-themed European Day of Languages activities you can try with your primary class below. And if you’d like even more ideas, we’ve put together a FREE ideas for European Day of Languages Activity Pack with 10 French-themed activities to inspire your celebrations. Sign up below to get your copy!
And if you’re looking for more than a one-off European Day of Languages activity, Lingobox also provides complete, progressive Primary French teaching programmes for schools, with ready-to-teach lessons, songs, videos, games, activities and planning support.
Our Top Tips for European Day of Languages
European Day of Languages doesn’t need to mean lots of additional planning. Some of the best activities can build on French your learners already know while encouraging them to look beyond the classroom.
Make it active: Give learners something to investigate, find, perform, taste, create or teach.
Make connections: Encourage children to notice links between French, English and other languages they know.
Look beyond France: French is spoken in communities all over the world. European Day of Languages is a great opportunity to explore the wider Francophone world.
Let your learners lead: Give children opportunities to share languages and cultures that are part of their own lives and communities.
Celebrate what learners can already do: European Day of Languages is a wonderful opportunity for children to recognise just how much language they have already learned.
1. Become Language Detectives
European Day of languagesDid you know that many of the words we use every day in English have French origins?
Turn your learners into Language Detectives and challenge them to uncover the French hiding inside English.
Start by exploring some familiar words with French origins and then set a class challenge:
How many French-English cognates can you find?
Cognates are words that are the same or very similar in two languages. Learners are often surprised by how much French they can already understand before they have formally learned it.
Give learners access to French dictionaries or suitable online dictionaries and see how many cognates they can find.
You could turn it into a class competition, create a giant cognate wall or ask groups to sort their discoveries into themes.
Adapt it for your learners
| Stage | How to adapt the activity |
|---|---|
| EYFS / Early Level (CfE) | Keep it visual. Show children familiar pictures and French words and ask them to spot words that look or sound similar to English. |
| KS1 / First Level (CfE) | Give learners a selection of French words and ask them to use cognates and other clues to work out possible meanings. |
| KS2 / Second Level (CfE) | Hand over the detective work. Use dictionaries to find as many cognates as possible. Older learners could also investigate why English contains so many words with French origins. |
| Suggested language | un animal, une table, orange, un menu, un restaurant, un pirate, un problème, important, différent, le sport |
2. Have a French Breakfast
Set up tables, create French menus and signs, and give learners the chance to practise ordering food and drinks in French.
You could add props, café decorations, French music or even some face painting to help transform the classroom for the morning.
Depending on the age and stage of your learners, children might simply name foods and use bonjour, merci and s’il vous plaît, or they could take on the roles of customers and café staff and perform complete café conversations.
You could also investigate:
What might you eat for breakfast in France?
How is it similar to or different from breakfast in the UK?
What might you find in a French boulangerie?
What would your perfect French breakfast menu include?
Adapt it for your learners
| Stage | How to adapt the activity |
|---|---|
| EYFS / Early Level (CfE) | Explore and taste foods while learning a small number of key words. Practise simple social language such as bonjour, merci and s’il vous plaît. |
| KS1 / First Level (CfE) | Set up a simple café. Learners can name foods and begin using a supported ordering phrase such as Je voudrais un croissant, s’il vous plaît. |
| KS2 / Second Level (CfE) | Learners can design menus, take turns as customers and café staff, and create longer conversations. They could also compare breakfast habits in France and the UK. |
| Suggested French | Bonjour ! Je voudrais… s’il vous plaît. Merci. Un croissant. Du pain. Du lait. Un jus d’orange. Un chocolat chaud. |
3. Explore the Francophone World
European Day of Langauages French around the worldFrench isn’t only spoken in France.
European Day of Languages is a perfect opportunity to help children discover the wider Francophone world and explore some of the different countries and communities where French is spoken.
Give individuals or groups a country or region to investigate and set them a research mission.
They could find out:
Where is it?
What is its capital?
Where and how is French used there?
What food, music, landmarks or traditions can you discover?
What other languages are spoken there?
How do you say hello in some of those languages?
Bring everyone’s research together on a giant class map and see just how far around the world your French can take you.
You could finish with a Francophone Quiz to see how much everyone has discovered.
This is also an important opportunity to explore multilingualism. In many Francophone countries and communities, French is one of several languages people may use in their everyday lives.
Adapt it for your learners
| Stage | How to adapt the activity |
|---|---|
| EYFS / Early Level (CfE) | Find France on a globe or map and discover that French is also spoken in other parts of the world. Explore photographs, flags, music and greetings. |
| KS1 / First Level (CfE) | Locate a selection of Francophone countries on a map. Match flags and countries and discover one interesting fact about each. |
| KS2 / Second Level (CfE) | Give groups a Francophone country or region and set a full research mission exploring location, languages, culture, food, music, landmarks and traditions. |
| Suggested French | la France, le Canada, la Belgique, la Suisse, le Sénégal, Bonjour ! Je m’appelle… J’habite… On parle français… |
4. Hold a French Showcase Day
European Day of languagesWhy keep all that fantastic French inside your classroom?
Invite parents, school leaders, another class, or perhaps learners from a nearby primary or secondary school to a French Showcase.
Give your learners the chance to demonstrate something they have learned.
They could:
sing a French song;
perform a short conversation;
count to 20, 50 or 100;
demonstrate a French game;
perform a short role play;
share something they have discovered about French or Francophone culture.
But then turn things around and make your learners the teachers.
Challenge each group to teach their visitors something in French.
For example:
“We’re going to teach you how to say how you’re feeling in French!”
or:
“We’re going to teach you to count to ten!”
Giving learners responsibility for teaching somebody else is a fantastic way to reinforce their own learning and help them recognise just how much French they already know.
Adapt it for your learners
| Stage | How to adapt the activity |
|---|---|
| EYFS / Early Level (CfE) | Perform a favourite French song, action rhyme or counting activity. |
| KS1 / First Level (CfE) | Perform a short rehearsed exchange or song and teach visitors familiar vocabulary such as numbers, colours, greetings or feelings. |
| KS2 / Second Level (CfE) | Let learners plan and lead parts of the showcase themselves. They could perform conversations, present cultural research, demonstrate games and run mini French lessons for their visitors. |
| Suggested French | Bonjour ! Ça va ? Ça va bien. Je m’appelle… J’ai… ans. J’aime… Je n’aime pas… |
| Progression tip | The aim here doesn’t need to be introducing lots of new vocabulary. This activity works brilliantly as an opportunity to give learners a real audience for language they already know. |
5. Set Up a French School Exchange
European Day of languagesWhy not use European Day of Languages as the starting point for something that continues throughout the year?
Connect with a school in France or another Francophone country and let your learners share their worlds with one another.
An exchange doesn’t have to mean expensive international travel. Classes can exchange letters, postcards, photographs, videos or presentations and gradually build a relationship over the school year.
Encourage both classes to share things that genuinely represent their lives and communities.
What is a normal school day like?
What do you eat?
What music do you listen to?
What games or sports do you play?
Can you teach your partner class a local dance?
What celebrations or traditions are important locally?
What does your local area look like?
Are there local words, dialects or other languages that people use where you live?
The most interesting exchanges are two-way. Your learners aren’t simply finding out about France or another Francophone country — they’re discovering another community while also thinking about what makes their own language, culture and community interesting.
Adapt it for your learners
| Stage | How to adapt the activity |
|---|---|
| EYFS / Early Level (CfE) | Exchange pictures, photographs, songs or a simple class greeting video with a partner class. |
| KS1 / First Level (CfE) | Create simple illustrated introductions using names, ages, favourite colours, pets, weather or school vocabulary. |
| KS2 / Second Level (CfE) | Exchange short letters, videos or presentations about everyday life, school, food, music, local culture and language. Learners can begin asking and answering genuine questions in French. |
| Suggested French | Bonjour ! Je m’appelle… J’ai… ans. J’habite à… Dans mon école… J’aime… Ma matière préférée est… Et toi ? |
| Progression tip | Don’t worry if your learners aren’t ready to conduct the whole exchange in French. A meaningful intercultural exchange can use a mixture of English and French, with the amount of French increasing as learners’ confidence develops. |
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Coming soon: our guide to finding a French partner school and setting up a successful primary school exchange.
Want 5 More European Day of Languages Activities?
These five activities are just the beginning.
We’ve put together a FREE 10 French-Themed European Day of Languages Activities Pack containing all five ideas from this blog plus five additional activities to help you plan a fun, meaningful language celebration.
Inside you’ll find:
10 practical French-themed European Day of Languages activities;
ideas for EYFS, KS1 and KS2 / Early, First and Second Level;
suggested progression for different stages;
suggested French vocabulary and phrases;
activities exploring language, culture and the Francophone world;
simple ideas that can be adapted to suit your own learners.
A practical resource to help you celebrate European Day of Languages without hours of additional planning.
Get your FREE European Day of Languages Activities Pack below 👇
Keep the French Going After European Day of Languages
European Day of Languages is a fantastic celebration, but language learning becomes even more powerful when children have regular opportunities to hear, speak, sing, play and use French throughout the year.
That’s exactly what Lingobox Learning is designed to help you do.
Lingobox gives primary teachers a complete, progressive French programme with:
ready-to-teach lessons;
songs and teaching videos;
interactive and classroom games;
printable activities;
built-in French audio;
progression planners and assessment;
support for non-specialist teachers.
Whether you’re following Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland, KS1 and KS2 in England, or teaching primary French internationally, Lingobox makes it easy to give children a fun, confident and progressive experience of learning French.
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Frequently Asked Questions about European Day of Languages
When is European Day of Languages?
European Day of Languages is celebrated every year on 26 September. It is an opportunity to celebrate linguistic diversity, encourage language learning and help learners discover more about languages and cultures.
What can primary schools do for European Day of Languages?
European Day of Languages activities can include language challenges, cultural research, songs, games, food, performances, multilingual displays, language investigations and connections with schools in other countries.
You don’t need to teach lots of completely new languages in one day. You can also use a language your learners are already studying, such as French, as a starting point for exploring the connections between languages and cultures.
Are these European Day of Languages activities suitable for EYFS, KS1 and KS2?
Yes. All of the activities can be adapted for different ages and stages.
Younger learners might focus on greetings, songs, numbers, pictures and simple vocabulary, while older learners can undertake research, compare languages, communicate with partner schools and use longer French phrases and conversations.
Can I use these activities with Curriculum for Excellence?
Yes. The activities can support language learning across Early, First and Second Level, while also providing opportunities for interdisciplinary learning, intercultural understanding, literacy, research and learner-led enquiry.
Do teachers need to speak French to use Lingobox?
Not at all. Lingobox includes teacher-modelled French, audio, videos and step-by-step guidance so non-specialist teachers can teach French confidently.
Enjoyed these European Day of Languages ideas?
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Looking for more Primary French ideas?
You’ll find lots of free French songs, teaching videos and activities over on the Lingobox YouTube channel.
