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English · Year 4e · Learning Journey 1 · Theme 6 Ireland (compulsory) · A2 / A2+

Céad míle fáilte: Ireland, a land of welcome

Giant cliffs on the Wild Atlantic Way, a Celtic language on the road signs, a country independent for a hundred years: I discover Ireland and I talk about experiences (real or imaginary) with the present perfect.

A2 / A2+present perfectever · never · since · for
Yellow card · September → October · 6 lessons

The present perfect

The present perfect links the past and the present: an experience (ever, never) or something that is still going on (since, for). Tap the cards.

Hi! I'm Aoife and I live in Galway. I've lived here since 2019. Have you ever been to Ireland? I've visited the Cliffs of Moher three times, but I've never seen a puffin there! Last summer, I drove along the Wild Atlantic Way with my family. It was amazing.
Have you ever…?
Experience: Have you ever + past participle?
Have you ever been to Ireland?
since / for
since + starting point; for + length of time.
I've lived here since 2019.
past simple
With an exact date or moment in the past: past simple.
Last summer, I drove along the coast.
has / have
he, she, it → has + past participle.
She has visited Dublin.

My words → tap a card: it turns over and I hear the word

Culture → Ireland, a hundred years of change

High cliffs above the Atlantic Ocean
The Cliffs of Moher, on the Wild Atlantic Way, County Clare, Ireland · Höstblomma, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The island of Ireland is divided in two: the Republic of Ireland (capital: Dublin), independent since 1922, and Northern Ireland (capital: Belfast), which is part of the United Kingdom. The Republic has been a member of the European Union since 1973 and uses the euro.

Irish (Gaeilge), a Celtic language, is the first official language; all students learn it, and road signs are in two languages. The areas where people speak it every day are called the Gaeltacht.

Opened in 2014, the Wild Atlantic Way follows the west coast for about 2,500 km, from Donegal to County Cork: the Cliffs of Moher, beaches, the Aran Islands. For a long time, people left Ireland; today Ireland welcomes people: about one person in five was born abroad.

Did you know? → tap a card

I listen → Aoife from Galway

Listen without reading. Write down how long Aoife has lived in Galway, what she has done and what she has never done. Then check with the script.

I watch

Video: “Wild Atlantic Way: Nature's Greatest Road Trip” · channel Discover Ireland (the Irish tourist board) · watch on YouTube. The video only loads when you tap (youtube-nocookie player).

My mission during the video
  1. Write down four landscapes or activities you can see.
  2. Write down two adjectives you hear, or choose two to describe them.
  3. Write a sentence: I've never… / I'd love to…
The lessons in this learning journey (6)
  1. Ireland or Northern Ireland? Map, capitals, flags.
  2. Céad míle fáilte: the Irish language today.
  3. The Wild Atlantic Way: video and descriptions.
  4. Grammar: Have you ever…? present perfect vs past simple.
  5. Since and for: talking about durations.
  6. Final task: my travel blog post about Ireland.
Sentence starters → for my final task
  • “Have you ever been to…?”
  • “Last summer, I visited… (real or imagined)”
  • “I have never…”
  • “The best thing was…”
  • “I would recommend…”
For the teacher → goals and official curriculum
  • Theme 6 “Ireland” (2025 curriculum, 4e) → topics: “Céad míle fáilte”, Ireland a land of welcome; the Wild Atlantic Way. 2020 theme: travel and migration, meeting other cultures.
  • Find your way: the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, capital cities, languages, symbols.
  • Grammar: the present perfect to talk about experiences (Have you ever…? I've never…) and about how long (since 2018, for three years); compared with the past simple.
  • Final task: a blog post about a trip to Ireland (real or imagined).

Texts and materials: A map of Ireland; bilingual road signs in English and Irish; an official Discover Ireland video (the Irish tourist board).

Theme 6 “Ireland”. Source: French national curriculum for modern languages, cycle 4, BO no. 31 of 30 July 2020 (in force in 4e in 2026-2027); matching theme of the English curriculum, BO no. 22 of 29 May 2025, which will apply in 4e from September 2027.

Worksheet to fill in (paper or ENT)

The same learning journey, to print or to put on the ENT. For a PDF, choose “Save as PDF” in the print window.