📄French Level 1, Activity 07: Révision et “avoir” / Review and “avoir” (Face-to-Face)

Image shows a text box with "Avoir," the French verb for "to have"
Description: In this activity, students will be practicing expressions using the verb avoir. Students will also use images to describe basic needs and things in their possession.
Semantic Topics: Avoir, expressions, possession, images, phrases

Products: Avoir is an important word in many French phrases

Practices: To express hunger, to express fear, to express possession, etc.

Perspectives: As an important building block of language, Avoir is central to preserving French grammatical structures and is used daily by most Francophones.

  • Since Avoir is such an essential word to the French language, what do you think that says about the value of ownership, or “having,” in French society?

NCSSFL-ACTFL World Readiness Standards:

  • Standard 1.1: Students engage in conversations or correspondence in French to provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions.
  • Standard 1.2: Students understand and interpret spoken and written French on a variety of topics.
  • Standard 1.3: Students present information, concepts, and ideas in French to an audience of listeners or readers.

Idaho State Content Standards:

  • COMM 1.1: Interact and negotiate meaning (spoken, signed, written conversation) to share information, reactions, feelings, and opinions
  • COMM 2.1: Understand, interpret, and analyze what is heard, read, or viewed on a variety of topics.
  • COMM 3.1: Present information, concepts, and ideas to inform, explain, persuade, and narrate on a variety of topics using appropriate media in the target language.

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements: 

  • I can use common phrases about my basic needs.
  • I can talk about things in my possession.
  • I can understand the cultural differences that are apparent in common phrases.

Materials Needed:

Would you like to make changes to the materials?
Access the template(s) below:

Warm-up

1. Begin by introducing the Can-Dos for today’s activity. Hand each student a card with a blue “avoir expression” card.

 

2. Then the instructor should hold up the different images of people one at a time.

 

3. The students should raise their hand when they think they have the “avoir” card that corresponds with the picture. If they’re right, they should use their avoir expression to describe the person.

For example:

  • The instructor holds up a picture of a sleeping baby.
  • The student should respond with: “l’enfant a sommeil”

Remettre à chaque étudiant une carte bleue contenant une “expression d’avoir”. Le prof doit montrer aux étudiants les images de personnes différentes, une à la fois. Les étudiants devront lever la main lorsqu’ils pensent avoir la carte “avoir” qui correspond à l’image. S’ils ont la bonne carte, ils devront utiliser leur “expression avoir” pour décrire la personne.

Par exemple:

  • Le prof montre une image d’un bébé qui dort.
  • Alors, l’étudiant devrait répondre en disant: “l’enfant a sommeil”

Main Activity

Students are going to practice using “avoir” phrases.

Les étudiants vont pratiquer comment utiliser les phrases contenant le verbe “avoir”. 

 

1. Have the “avoir” cards set in a stack on the table and have the other cards (with the pictures) laid out on the table for reference. If the students cannot think of something, help them by suggesting one of the picture cards. Depending on the “avoir” phrase, the students will give their own response which will vary depending on the person.

Faites une pile avec les cartes “avoir” sur la table, et éparpiller les autres cartes (avec photo) sur la table pour référence. Selon la phrase “avoir”, les étudiants devront répondre d’une manière personnelle.

 

2. Choose an “avoir” card from the stack and say it out loud. Give the students an example. After, have them go around and respond to the example as practice.

Je vais choisir une carte “avoir” et vous allez compléter la phrase avec votre propre réponse. Par exemple (piochez une carte et lisez-la à voix haute) “avoir… ans”— je dirais “j’ai 22 ans.” Nous allons continuer autour du cercle jusqu’à ce que tout le monde ait participé. Vous êtes prêts ?

 

3. Pick another card and continue doing the same thing until you have gone through all of them. There are cards with images and vocabulary to help students if they need it. If they need help with how to say something else then you can tell them. They do not have to use vocabulary from the cards, as they are just ideas.

Piochez une autre carte et continuez l’activité jusqu’à ce que vous ayez lu toutes les cartes “avoir”. Si besoin, il y a des cartes avec des images ou des mots afin d’aider les étudiants. S’ils ont besoin d’aide supplémentaire afin de dire autre chose, vous pouvez les aider. Ils n’ont pas besoin d’utiliser les cartes, ces dernières étant seulement des idées.

 

4. It is important to have the students practice using “avoir” with the other subjects too (il/elle/tu). So, have the students repeat what their neighbor said (il/elle a …).

Il est important que les étudiants pratiquent l’utilisation du verbe “avoir” avec d’autres pronoms personnels (il/elle/tu). Par conséquent, faites-leur pratiquer ce que leur voisin a dit (il/elle a …). 

 

5. After, have the students talk in pairs so they can practice using the “tu” form.

Ensuite, en équipe de deux, faites pratiquer les étudiants à utiliser la 2e personne du singulier “tu”.

Wrap-up

Conclude the activity by asking students the following question(s):

  • Quelle est ton expression “avoir” préférée ? (What is your favorite “avoir” expression?)
  • Lesquelles sont les plus utiles ou les moins utiles à ton avis ? (Which ones are the most useful or the least useful in your opinion?)
  • Raconte-moi une petite histoire utilisant au moins 2 phrases “avoir.” (Tell me a little story using at least 2 “avoir” phrases.)

CULTURAL NOTES

For anglophones learning French, there are many “faux amis” with expressions that use avoir. In English, some of our most common expressions use the verb “to be” – e.g. I am cold, I am hungry – in French, these expressions are used with avoir. If directly translated and we use être in place of avoir these expressions can take on an entirely different meaning.

End of Activity:

  • Can-Do statement check-in… “Where are we?”
  • Read can-do statements and have students evaluate their confidence with cards.
  • Encourage students to be honest in their self evaluation
  • Pay attention and use feedback for future activities!

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements: 

  • I can use common phrases about my basic needs.
  • I can talk about things in my possession.
  • I can understand the cultural differences that are apparent in common phrases.

How to Remix a Pathways Project Activity

Feeling creative?  The Pathways Project needs your help in remixing activities for the K-12 classroom.

Try taking an activity to the next level by:

  • Add new content (something you’ve created or another OER source)
  • Contribute additional activity suggestions
  • Integrate authentic materials such as videos, infographics, photos, etc.
  • Suggest how to implement the activity in the classroom
  • Customize the content for a specific audience or group of learners (for example, K-5 learners or to differentiate for student’s needs)

We want to make it easy to share back with the larger Pathways Project Community! Simply, click this link to remix this activity.

Please consider sharing your remixed activity with us by emailing the activity link to Pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu so that Pathways continues to grow!

If this is your first time remixing, check out our one minute tutorial below:

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Let's Chat! French Copyright © 2022 by Alexandre Bourque-Labbé; Antoine Abjean; Cassy Ponga; Emily Blackburn; Jasmine Wall; Jorge Corea; Josepha Sowanou; Justin Snyder; Lily Nelson; Manon Pretesesille; Michael Quiblier; Mimi Fahnstrom; Olivier Roy; Rylie Wieseler; Samantha Lind; Sharon Westbrook; and Tori Fisher is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book