This Kapow pupil video is part of the Kapow French scheme of work. It introduces pupils to the different sounds that the letter x can make in French. They begin by learning that in the middle of a word, x usually makes the “ks” sound, just like in the English word “taxi.” However, pupils soon discover that at the end of words the letter x can be silent, as in deux, or make a soft “s” sound, as in six and dix.

The video continues with mouth mechanics practice, guiding pupils to produce both the “ks” sound – by bringing their teeth together and closing the throat – and the softer “s” sound, which uses the same mouth position but no sound from the throat. Pupils are challenged to listen out for the x sound in example sentences and compare how many times they see the letter written with how many times they actually hear it. The video finishes by encouraging pupils to think of other French words they know where the letter x appears, helping them to recognise and remember its different uses.

French, key stage 2, Year 3, Unit 3: French playground games – numbers and age, Lesson 1: Let’s count in French