Pupil video: French phonics: on-om

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The French on sound

This Kapow pupil video is part of the Kapow French scheme of work. It introduces pupils to the nasal vowel sound made by the letter combinations on and om, helping them understand how this sound is different from English pronunciation. Pupils learn that both spellings are pronounced the same way, with air flowing through both the mouth and the nose, and are given examples such as bonjour, château, and bonbons. The video explains that the final n and m are not closed off completely, which creates the distinct nasal quality.

The narrative continues with mouth mechanics to practise shaping the sound, starting with o as in hot before allowing it to resonate in the nose and throat, even comparing it to the grunt of a pig to make it memorable. Pupils are then guided to listen for the sound in sentences and count how many times it appears, reinforcing listening as well as speaking skills. By the end of the video, they should be able to recognise, produce, and recall this nasal phoneme in everyday French words, supporting accurate pronunciation and confident reading aloud.

French, key stage 2, Year 3, Unit 1: French greetings with puppets, Lesson 1: French greetings

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