Languages and literacy
Help and feelings: multilingual prompt cards
Use six help cards and six feelings cards to let pupils point to a useful phrase in English, Spanish or French. Each card includes space for another language, and the instructions ask pupils to look at the face shape rather than relying on colour.
Point to a help card or say the words. Add the childās own language using the blank line.
Read the complete materialRead the material
Use six help cards and six feelings cards to let pupils point to a useful phrase in English, Spanish or French. Each card includes space for another language, and the instructions ask pupils to look at the face shape rather than relying on colour.
Complete resource. Use the preview for diagrams and layout.
Page 1
Cut out the cards. Point to a card or hold it up. Write your own language on the line. Functional communication prompt cards Page 1 of 2 MODERN LANGUAGES AGES 7 TO 14 SPANISH AND FRENCH HELP CARDS Six cards to show when you need something. NAME CLASS I need help. ES Necesito ayuda. FR Jāai besoin dāaide. My language May I go to the toilet? ES ĀæPuedo ir al baƱo? FR Puis-je aller aux toilettes ? My language May I have some water? ES ĀæPuedo beber agua? FR Puis-je boire de lāeau ? My language Please say it again. ES ĀæPuede repetirlo, por favor? FR Pouvez-vous rĆ©pĆ©ter, sāil vous plaĆ®t ? My language I do not understand. ES No entiendo. FR Je ne comprends pas. My language I need to talk to an adult. ES Necesito hablar con un adulto. FR Jāai besoin de parler Ć un adulte. My language
Page 2
Cut out the cards. Look at the face shape, not the colour. Write your own language on the line. Functional communication prompt cards Page 2 of 2 MODERN LANGUAGES AGES 7 TO 14 SPANISH AND FRENCH FEELINGS CARDS Show how you feel today. NAME CLASS I am happy. ES Estoy feliz. FR Je suis content. My language I am sad. ES Estoy triste. FR Je suis triste. My language I am tired. ES Estoy cansado. FR Je suis fatiguĆ©. My language I am worried. ES Estoy preocupado. FR Je suis inquiet. My language I am hungry. ES Tengo hambre. FR Jāai faim. My language I do not feel well. ES No me siento bien. FR Je ne me sens pas bien. My language
A teaching sequence
Recognise and use a short phrase to ask for help, communicate a need or describe a feeling.
Point to a help card or say the words. Add the childās own language using the blank line.
Read the complete materialCheck the help-card wording
Compare English, Spanish and French help phrases before use; ask a language teacher to check wording. Cut out the six cards for help, toilet, water, repetition, understanding and talking to an adult.
Which phrase and form of address has the language teacher checked?
Offer a non-spoken feeling choice
Use the feelings cards to point to happy, sad, tired, worried, hungry or unwell. A pupil can communicate without explaining more than they choose.
Can the pupil point without explaining more than they choose?
Review an added language
Add another language only with a speaker or specialist who checks translation and form of address. Keep printed versions visible.
Who has checked the translation and speaker-appropriate form?
Agree the adult response
Ask, āHow can someone ask for help without speaking?ā Agree how adults will respond, especially to requests to talk or feeling unwell.
How can someone request help without speaking, and who will respond?
Before you teach
Look for the thinking behind an answer, choose the support your class needs and leave room for an independent response.
What to look for
Check whether the pupil can locate and communicate with a card in a way that works for them. Ask the pupil, not only an adult, whether the wording and images are useful. Review each translation, including gendered forms, before printing or adding another language.
Give a little support
Allow pointing, eye gaze or another agreed response instead of speech. Keep cards accessible and avoid requiring a pupil to choose or explain a feeling. Offer a neutral phrase if the pupil does not want to state more. Make sure staff respond to help or safety requests promptly.
Take the idea further
Ask pupils to create one additional classroom phrase and verify it with a language specialist. They can compare formal and informal address where appropriate and discuss how a card can support communication without replacing a conversation.
Things to keep in mind
These phrases are short prompts, not a full translation guide or a diagnostic tool. Some feeling adjectives are printed in masculine forms, and the most suitable form can depend on the speaker and context. A card about being worried or unwell requires an appropriate adult response.
Keep the idea. Make it yours.
Bring your topic, learning goal and class context to PLAIā¢, then review what you create.
Ideas to try with your class
Sample teaching perspectives on what to try, what to adapt and what to watch for.
Meet The Creators
Meet a creator whose teaching interests connect with this template.
Bright Idea Break
The six help cards cover water, toilet, repetition, not understanding and speaking with an adult, followed by six feelings cards. Each provides Spanish and French alongside a line for another language.
Organised Pile
For ages 7 to 14, the cards are communication supports to point to or hold up, not a language test. The ālook at the face shape, not the colourā instruction keeps the feeling cue tied to form rather than colour alone.
Notes Between Bells
A pupil can indicate a need by showing a card, with an adult reading the phrase if needed. Writing a home language is optional for adaptation; the prompt need not depend on the pupil speaking the phrase aloud.
After the Bell
Check every translation with a fluent speaker before printing and allow for dialect or phrasing preferences. A displayed card does not replace adult response to a request for help or a concern about feeling unwell.