Lingobox

Teach Primary French: Saying your name

(KS2, KS1, CFE & International elementary programmes)

Once your learners are confident saying Bonjour !, one of the most natural next steps is learning how to introduce themselves in French.

Teaching Tu t’appelles comment ? and Je m’appelle… gives children language they can use straight away — and means they can quickly begin building their first short conversations in French.

But a question we hear from lots of Primary teachers is:

👉 How do I move children on from simply repeating “Je m’appelle…” to actually using it confidently in a conversation?

Read on for our step-by-step approach, practical activities and progression ideas for teaching children to ask and say their name in French.

Progression: From Bonjour to Introducing Yourself in French

There are no hard and fast rules about exactly when you should introduce each piece of language.

For me, though, once children have begun using simple greetings such as Bonjour ! and Au revoir !, I would usually introduce asking and saying your name quite early on.

It gives learners the beginnings of a real conversation:

Bonjour !
Tu t’appelles comment ?
Je m’appelle Sophie.
Et toi ?

From there, you might add Ça va ? and some simple feelings, gradually building children’s confidence in holding a short conversation.

Here’s a simple overview of how this learning can progress:

👉 This progression is all mapped out for you inside Lingobox.

How to Teach “Je m’appelle” Step by Step

1. Start with Our “Tu t’appelles comment ?” French Song

One of the easiest ways to introduce asking and saying your name in French is through a song.

Our Tu t’appelles comment ? song gives children lots of repetition of the key question and response:

Tu t’appelles comment ?
Je m’appelle…

Listen several times and encourage children to join in gradually. You can add actions, pause for children to supply their own names, or use the song as a regular warm-up while the language becomes familiar.

👉 Watch our Tu t’appelles comment ? French song

2.  Model the language with our Active Learn approaches. 

Begin with lots of listening before expecting children to produce the language themselves.

Model:

Tu t’appelles comment ? — What’s your name?
Je m’appelle… — My name is…

Use different names and lots of repetition so that children begin to recognise the question and understand the response before having to remember it independently.

3. Build Confidence Through Active Practice

Once learners have heard the language several times, start giving them opportunities to join in.

At Lingobox, we use our Active Language Learn™ approach to help children move from hearing and understanding new language to confidently using it themselves.

Keep this stage playful and highly supported. The aim isn’t to test children — it’s to give them enough successful repetition that the language starts to feel familiar.

4. Ask and Answer With a Partner

Now children can begin using the language with each other.

Start simply:

Tu t’appelles comment ?
Je m’appelle…

Try changing partners several times so children hear different voices and repeat the exchange naturally.

Once they’re confident, introduce Et toi ? so that the conversation begins to flow in both directions.

5. Build a Short French Conversation

Now bring the language together with the greetings your learners already know.

Bonjour !
Bonjour !
Tu t’appelles comment ?
Je m’appelle Louis. Et toi ?
Je m’appelle Amélie.
Ça va ?
Ça va très bien !

And suddenly your learners aren’t just recalling individual French words — they’re having a conversation!

What Should You Teach After Je m’appelle?

There isn’t one compulsory order, but once learners can greet someone and introduce themselves, there are lots of natural ways to build on the conversation.

You might move on to:

• Ça va ? and talking about feelings

• Asking someone else their name and using Et toi ?

• Numbers and saying your age

• Where you live

• Likes and dislikes as learners become more confident

The important thing is to keep revisiting familiar language while gradually adding something new.

The Lingobox Primary French Approach

Knowing a few great French activities is one thing. Knowing what to teach next and how to build progression over time can be much harder.

That’s why Lingobox is a complete, progressive Primary French teaching programme — not simply a collection of resources.

We’ve mapped out the learning journey for you, with:

• Fully planned, progressive lessons

• Teaching videos and Active Language Learn™ activities

• Songs, games and classroom activities

• Printables and built-in assessment

Simply choose the right starting point for your learners and follow the programme from there.

Not Sure Where Your Learners Should Start?

Use our Find Your Starting Point tools to explore the learning journey that’s right for your class.

Ready to Explore the Complete Lingobox Programme?

👉 No planning. No stress. Just teach.

Frequently Asked Questions About Teaching Names and Simple French Conversations

How do you ask someone’s name in French?
A child-friendly way to ask someone’s name is Tu t’appelles comment ?. Children can answer with Je m’appelle… followed by their name.

What stage should I teach children to say their name in French?
You can introduce asking and saying your name from Early Years / Early Level onwards. There isn’t one fixed stage when children need to learn Tu t’appelles comment ? and Je m’appelle… — the important thing is to match the level of support and challenge to your learners.

Can Early Years children cope with conversations in French?
Yes — absolutely! Even very young children can begin taking part in simple French conversations. The key is to keep the language highly scaffolded, use lots of repetition and give children plenty of opportunities to hear and join in before expecting them to speak independently.

Songs work particularly well with younger learners because they help children internalise whole phrases through rhythm, repetition and actions. A simple exchange using Bonjour !, Tu t’appelles comment ? and Je m’appelle… is already the beginning of a real French conversation.

What are some useful KS2 French phrases for a simple conversation?
By KS2, children can begin combining familiar French phrases to create longer conversations. Useful language might include:

• Bonjour ! — Hello!
• Tu t’appelles comment ? — What’s your name?
• Je m’appelle… — My name is…
• Et toi ? — And you?
• Ça va ? — How are you?
• Ça va bien / très bien / comme ci, comme ça. — I’m fine / very well / so-so.
• Quel âge as-tu ? — How old are you?
• J’ai … ans. — I’m … years old.

Rather than teaching these as isolated phrases, encourage children to combine familiar language and gradually build longer, more independent conversations.

Does Lingobox cover teaching children to ask and say their name in French?
Yes! Asking and saying your name is built into our progressive Lingobox Primary French programmes.

Rather than teaching Tu t’appelles comment ? and Je m’appelle… as isolated phrases, we build the language progressively through fully planned lessons, teaching videos, songs, games and activities. Children first hear and practise the language with plenty of support, before gradually using it more independently and combining it with other familiar French phrases.

We introduce both asking and saying your name from the earliest stages and then spiral back to it repeatedly throughout the programme. For example, we come back to it in every stage through games, songs and teaching activities.

Everything is mapped out for you — simply choose the right starting point for your learners and follow the programme from there.

👉 Explore the Lingobox Primary French programme and find the right starting point for your class.

What should I teach after Bonjour in Primary French?
For me, Tu t’appelles comment ? and Je m’appelle… are a really natural next step. You might then introduce Ça va ? and simple feelings, or begin adding other personal information such as age. There are no hard and fast rules — the aim is to keep revisiting familiar language while gradually adding something new.

How can I help children progress beyond individual French words?
Give children lots of opportunities to hear, repeat and practise new language before asking them to use it more independently. Gradually combine new phrases with language they already know so that children move from individual words and phrases towards meaningful conversations.