LESSON PLAN RATATOUILLE

LEVEL: PRE-INTERMEDIATE/ INTERMEDIATE

Part 1: Pre-listening activities
Objective: Give learners a point of reference, establish a context, help
them predict what they will hear. Because in real life it is unusual to listen
to people without having some idea of what we are going to hear, it is
important to spend a fair proportion of a lesson on the pre-listening task.

pre-teaching vocabulary
situating the story, characters, setting
commenting on images
reading through comprehension questions / going over the
instructions for the activity

Speaking (whole-class talk)

Exercise 1
1. Teacher tells students that they are going to watch the trailer of the
animation film Ratatouille and asks them:

a. What is a trailer? (an advertisement for a film that will be

b.
c.
d.
e.

exhibited in the future at a cinema)

Have you ever watched it? Did you like it?
Where does the story take place? (Paris)
Who is the main character? (Remy: A rat gifted with strong
smell who loves cooking)
What is Ratatouille? What is the play on words? (Rat /
Ratatouille: French dish)

Reading and speaking (pair work)

Exercise 2
2. Cut out strips of names, descriptions and images.
3. Distribute characters pictures, names and descriptions to students.
4. Students work in pairs to match pictures and texts. They try to predict
the answers. Teacher explains vocabulary if needed.
5. Teacher reviews answers without giving away the correct ones.
6. Students read the comprehension questions in form of True/False and
ask for clarifications.

Part 2: Listening activities

Exercise 3
1st viewing: Global comprehension; reading and speaking (individual,
then pair work)
1. Students watch the trailer and answer their True/False grid. They
then check with their partners answers.
2. Teacher reviews answers.
Exercise 3:
1. The story takes place in New York.

True

False

2. Alfredo doesnt know how to cook.

True

False

3. Remy wants to help Alfredo cook.

True

False

4. Skinner loves Alfredo.

True

False

he must not be seen in the kitchen.

True

False

6. Django is proud of his sons plans.

True

False

5. Remy is hiding in Alfredos hair because

Exercise 4
2nd viewing: Intensive listening; reading and speaking (individual and
pair work)
3. Distribute script extracts. Teacher checks that students know
vocabulary.
4. Play the trailer again.
5. Ask students to match dialogues with the correct character (images
from Exercise 2). This part is run as a game. First pair to finish
wins.
6. Teacher reviews answers
Exercise 4: Match the text with the characters photos

Dont be so modest. Youre a rat for Petes sake!

With hard work and a little luck its only a matter of time before I am discovered.

Hes toying with my mind.


I hate to be rude but we are fine!

Stay away from the humans. Its dangerous.

Together, we can be the greatest chef in Paris!

I want to make things, Dad!

I need this job. Ive lost so many!

Part 3: Post-Listening activities

Exercise 5
Writing; reading and speaking (individual work)
Write four questions about the film. Consider what you would like to know
about the story of the film. Example:
Will Colette fall in love with Alfredo?
Questions are then read out loud to the rest of the class.
Other students may try to guess or if they have seen it they give away the
answers.

Transcript Trailer: Ratatouille

Remy: Ah, Paris France. Home of the finest restaurants and the greatest chefs in
the world. All my life Ive wanted to be one of them. You may think its a strange
dream for a rat but Ive always believed that with hard work and a little luck its
only a matter of time before I am discovered.
Skinner: Raaaaaaaaaaat! Do you know what will happen if anyone knew we have
a rat in the kitchen? Go! Take it away from me! Garbage boy!
Alfredo: Dont look at me like that! You are the one who was getting fancy with
the spices I need this job. Ive lost so many! I dont know how to cook and now
Im actually talking to a rat as if you Did you nod? You understand me? I cant
cook but you can. Look! Dont be so modest. Youre a rat for Petes sake.
Are you thinking what I am thinking? We just need to work out a system so that I
do what you want!
Colette: Stop that!
Alfredo: Stop what?
Colette: Freaking me out!
Remy: I want to make things, Dad!
Django: Stay away from the humans. Its dangerous. Now, shut up and eat your
garbage.
Alfredo: How did you do that?
Lets do this thing!
You gotta take this!
Remy: Do you detect that? An oaky nuttiness?
Emile: Oh. Im detecting nuttiness!
Colette: I hate to be rude but we are fine!
Alfredo: I have a secret. I have a ra
Colette: You have a rash?
Skinner: Hes toying with my mind. Taunting me with that rat!
Its getting away!
Alfredo: Together, we can be the greatest chef in Paris!
Ratatouille?
Remy: We are in Paris now, baby! My town!

MATERIALS

EXERCISES 2 AND 4

CHARACTERS

NAMES AND DESCRIPTIONS

..
Alfredo Linguini
..
Remy
..
Colette
..
Django
..
Skinner
..

..
A rat gifted with strong smell who loves cooking
..
A young man who works at a restaurant as a garbage boy
..
The head chef and owner of the restaurant
..
A girl who works with Alfredo in the restaurants kitchen
..
Remys father
..