French I - Unit 4: Rencontrons ma famille

UNIT 4: Rencontrons ma famille

Overview of Unit

  • Duration: 4-6 weeks

  • Course: FRENCH I—7752 Student Guide

  • Curriculum Focus: Humanities/Curriculum and Professional Development Division

  • Aim: Enable students to communicate about family relationships and professions in French.

Learning Objectives

Interpersonal Communication

  • 1.4.1 Ask and describe family relationships.

  • 1.4.2 Ask and tell what family members do and why.

  • 1.4.3 Compare and describe family members' physical and personal characteristics.

  • 1.4.4 Ask and tell others' professions.

Interpretive Communication

  • 2.A.4.1 Understand personal emails, notes, and other written texts about families.

  • 2.A.4.2 Understand reading material about where people work and what they do.

  • 2.B.4.1 Understand short conversations about family members.

  • 2.B.4.2 Understand basic descriptions and comparisons of family members.

  • 2.B.4.3 Understand discussions about where people work and what they do.

Presentational Communication

  • 3.A.4.1 Compare and describe family members' physical and personal characteristics.

  • 3.A.4.2 Discuss what family members like or dislike doing in their free time.

  • 3.A.4.3 Describe activities family members do in their free time.

  • 3.A.4.4 Talk about family members' workplaces and their jobs.

  • 3.B.4.1 Describe one's family.

  • 3.B.4.2 Write about family members' likes and dislikes in their free time.

  • 3.B.4.3 Write about where family members work and what they do.

  • 3.B.4.4 Write about family members' activities in their free time.

  • 4.4.1 Discuss and compare the concept of family in both the target language and the student's context (family size, extended family, living arrangements, practices, traditions, etc.).

Vocabulary and Phrases

Family Vocabulary

  • La famille: Family

  • Le père: Father

  • La mère: Mother

  • Le frère: Brother

  • La soeur: Sister

  • Le fils: Son

  • La fille: Daughter

  • Le grand-père: Grandfather

  • La grand-mère: Grandmother

  • Le petit-fils: Grandson

  • La petite-fille: Granddaughter

  • L’oncle: Uncle

  • La tante: Aunt

  • Le cousin: Male cousin

  • La cousine: Female cousin

  • Les parents: Parents

Comparisons

  • Les comparaisons: Comparisons

  • Plus âgé: Older

  • Plus jeune: Younger

  • Plus … que: More … than

  • Moins … que: Less … than

  • Meilleur: Better

  • Pire: Worse

Pets Vocabulary

  • Les animaux domestiques: Pets

  • Le chien: Dog

  • Le chat: Cat

  • Le poisson: Fish

  • L’oiseau: Bird

Professions Vocabulary

  • Les métiers: Professions

  • Le médecin: Doctor

  • L'infirmière: Nurse

  • Le dentiste: Dentist

  • Le policier: Policeman

  • Le secrétaire: Secretary

  • L’avocat: Lawyer

  • Le pompier: Firefighter

  • Le travailleur de construction: Construction worker

  • Le musicien: Musician

  • L'athlète: Athlete

  • Le mécanicien: Mechanic

  • Le vendeur: Salesperson

  • L'ingénieur: Engineer

Workplace Vocabulary

  • Les endroits de travail: Workplaces

  • L'école: School

  • L'hôpital: Hospital

  • Le commissariat: Police station

  • La caserne de pompiers: Fire station

  • Le théâtre: Theater

  • Le stade: Stadium

  • Le garage: Garage

  • Le magasin: Store

  • Le travail: Work

Possessive Adjectives

  • Les adjectifs possessifs: Possessive adjectives

  • Mon / Ma / Mes: My

  • Ton / Ta / Tes: Your (informal)

  • Son / Sa / Ses: His/Her

  • Notre / Nos: Our

  • Votre / Vos: Your (formal/plural)

  • Leur / Leurs: Their

Work-Related Verbs

  • Les verbes du travail: Work-related verbs

  • Aider: To help

  • Vendre: To sell

  • Travailler: To work

  • Réparer: To repair

  • Bâtir: To build

  • Enseigner: To teach

  • S'occuper de: To take care of

  • Nettoyer: To clean

  • Présenter: To present

  • Sauver: To save

Nationalities Vocabulary

  • Les nationalités: Nationalities

  • allemand: German

  • américain: American

  • anglais: English

  • canadien: Canadian

  • chinois: Chinese

  • espagnol: Spanish

  • français: French

  • italien: Italian

  • japonais: Japanese

  • mexicain: Mexican

Conclusion

  • The unit emphasizes the development of communication around family, professions, and cultural discussions, integrating vocabulary and grammatical structures pertinent to daily conversations in French.

  • The learning outcomes are designed to enhance both speaking and writing skills, encouraging comprehensive understanding and usage of the French language in contexts relating to family and work.

Bonjour ! Je m'appelle Marc et je suis américain. Voici ma famille. Mon père s'appelle Jean ; il est médecin et il travaille à l'hôpital. Il aime beaucoup aider les patients. Ma mère s'appelle Marie. Elle est l'infirmière à l'école locale. Elle est plus âgée que mon père.

J'ai un frère, Paul, qui est vendeur dans un magasin de vêtements. Ma sœur, Julie, est plus jeune que moi et elle est une athlète à l'université. Mon grand-père est français et ma grand-mère est italienne. Nous avons aussi des animaux domestiques : un gros chien et un petit chat.

Mon oncle est un policier qui travaille au commissariat, et ma tante est une avocate très intelligente. Ma famille est plus grande que la famille de mon cousin, mais nous sommes tous très proches. J'aime beaucoup passer du temps avec ma famille !

Comprehension Questions (English)

Marc's Identity

  1. What is Marc's nationality?

Marc's Parents

  1. What is Marc’s father’s profession and where does he work?

  2. According to the text, what does Marc's father enjoy doing?

  3. What is Marie's job, and who is older: Marc's mother or his father?

Siblings

  1. What is Paul's job and where exactly does he work?

  2. Is Julie older or younger than Marc? What is her role at the university?

Extended Family and Origins

  1. What are the nationalities of Marc's grandfather and grandmother?

  2. What is Marc's uncle's profession and where is his workplace?

  3. How does Marc describe his aunt's personality?

Pets and Comparisons

  1. Which pets does the family own? Provide a brief description of each.

  2. When comparing his family to his cousin's, how does Marc describe the size of his family?

  3. How does Marc feel about spending time with his family?

Practice Worksheet: Family, Pets, and Possessive Adjectives

Section 1: Vocabulary Identification

Translate the following family and pet terms into French:

  1. The father: __

  2. The sister: __

  3. The grandfather: __

  4. The cat: __

  5. The bird: __

Section 2: Possessive Adjectives

Fill in the blank with the correct possessive adjective (mon, ma, or mes) based on the gender and number of the noun:

  1. (My) __ frère s'appelle Paul.

  2. (My) __ mère est infirmière.

  3. (My) __ parents sont gentils.

  4. (My) __ chat est petit.

  5. (My) __ oncle travaille au commissariat.

Section 3: Reading Comprehension

Based on the text about Marc's family, answer the following questions in French or English:

  1. Who is plus\ jeune, Marc or Julie?

  2. What kinds of pets does the family have?

  3. Which family member is français ?

  4. Is Marc's father plus\ âgé than his mother?

Section 4: Sentence Construction & Comparisons

Translate the following sentences using the vocabulary and comparison structures (plus… que, moins… que):

  1. My sister is younger than my brother.

  2. My dog is bigger than the cat.

  3. My aunt is very intelligent.

Practice Worksheet: La Famille, Les Animaux, et Les Adjectifs Possessifs

Section 1: Family Vocabulary Identification (Translation)

Translate the following family terms into French, including the definite article (le, la , l’ or les ).

  1. The mother: __

  2. The brother: __

  3. The son: __

  4. The daughter: __

  5. The aunt: __

  6. The uncle: __

  7. The grandmother: __

  8. The grandfather: __

  9. The female cousin: __

  10. The sister: __

Section 2: Pets Vocabulary (Translation)

Translate the following pet terms into French, including the indefinite article (un, une or des ).

  1. A dog: __

  2. A cat: __

  3. A fish: __

  4. A bird: __

  5. The pets (plural): __

Section 3: Possessive Adjectives (Mon, Ma, Mes)

Fill in the blank with the correct form of "my" based on the noun provided.

  1. (My) __ tante est très sympa.

  2. (My) __ frère est grand.

  3. (My) __ parents habitent à Paris.

  4. (My) __ chat s'appelle Minou.

  5. (My) __ cousines sont intelligentes.

Section 4: Mixed Possessive Adjectives (Your, His, Her, Our, Their)

Fill in the blank with the appropriate possessive adjective according to the English prompt.

  1. (Your - informal) __ père travaille beaucoup.

  2. (Your - informal) __ sœur étudie à l'université.

  3. (Your - informal) __ oiseaux sont colorés.

  4. (His) __ mère est médecin.

  5. (Her) __ fils est petit.

  6. (His) __ filles sont à l'école.

  7. (Our) __ famille est très grande.

  8. (Your - plural/formal) __ chien est très calme.

  9. (Their) __ grand-père est français.

  10. (Our) __ enfants jouent dans le jardin.

Section 5: Sentence Translation (extension)

Translate these sentences into French using the unit vocabulary.

  1. My brother is younger than my sister.

  2. Their cat is smarter than my dog.

  3. Her aunt is a nurse at the hospital.

Practice Worksheet: Comparing and Describing Family and Pets

Section 2: Comparison Structures

Complete the following sentences using the comparative structures (plus… que, moins… que, or aussi… que). Note: Use the adjectives provided in parentheses.

  1. Mon père est (older than) my mother.

    • Mon père est _____________________ ma mère.

  2. Ma soeur est (less tall than) mon frère.

    • Ma soeur est _____________________ mon frère.

  3. Le chien est (smarter than) le chat.

    • Le chien est _____________________ le chat.

  4. Mes parents sont (more active than) mes grands-parents.

    • Mes parents sont _____________________mes grands-parents.

  5. Julie est (younger than) Marc.

    • Julie est _____________________Marc.

Section 3: Describing Pets and Families

Based on your vocabulary, write a French sentence that describes the following scenarios:

  1. Describe your dog as being "big" and "calm."

    • __________________________________________

  2. State that you have a "small fish".

    • __________________________________________

  3. Compare a grandfather (plus\ âgé) to a grandson (plus\ jeune).

    • ____________________________________________

Section 4: Translation Challenge

Translate the following English sentences into French using the unit's grammar and vocabulary:

  1. My cousin (female) is more intelligent than my brother.

    • __

  2. Our family is bigger than your family.

    • __

  3. The bird is smaller than the dog.

    • __

  4. His aunt is a doctor and she is very nice (sympathique).

    • __

Section 5: Written Application

Write a short paragraph (3-4 sentences in French) describing two members of your family and one pet. Use at least one comparison (e.g., "My sister is younger than me").

  • Example: Ma mère est médecin. Elle est très intelligente. Mon chat est plus petit que mon chien.

Section 1: Adjective Agreement and Descriptions

Translate the following descriptions into French. Ensure that the adjectives agree in gender and number with the family member or pet being described.

  1. The tall brother: ________________

  2. The intelligent aunt: ________________

  3. The small cat (le\ chat): ________________

  4. The older sister: ________________

  5. The young cousin (male): ________________

  6. The small granddaughter (la\ petite-fille): ________________

  7. The French grandfather (le\ grand-père): ________________

  8. The American mother (la\ mère): ________________

Section 2: Comparison Structures

Complete the following sentences using the comparative structures (plus… que, moins… que, or aussi… que). Note: Use the adjectives provided in parentheses.

  1. Mon père est (older than) my mother.

    • Mon père est plus\ âgé\ que ma mère.

  2. Ma soeur est (less tall than) mon frère.

    • Ma soeur est __ mon frère.

  3. Le chien est (smarter than) le chat.

    • Le chien est plus\ intelligent\ que le chat.

  4. Mes parents sont (more active than) mes grands-parents.

    • Mes parents sont __ mes grands-parents.

  5. Julie est (younger than) Marc.

    • Julie est __ Marc.

  6. Ma tante est (better than) ma mère à la cuisine.

    • Ma tante est meilleure\ que ma mère.

  7. Mon oncle est (worse than) mon père au sport.

    • Mon oncle est pire\ que mon père.

Section 3: Describing Pets and Families

Based on your vocabulary, write a French sentence that describes the following scenarios:

  1. Describe your dog as being "big" (grand) and "calm" (calme).

    • __

  2. State that you have a "small fish" (un\ petit\ poisson).

    • __

  3. Compare a grandfather (plus\ âgé) to a grandson (plus\ jeune).

    • __

  4. Describe your sister as an "athlete" (athlète) at the school.

    • __

Section 4: Translation Challenge

Translate the following English sentences into French using the unit's grammar and vocabulary:

  1. My cousin (female) is more intelligent than my brother.

    • __

  2. Our family is bigger than your family.

    • __

  3. The bird is smaller than the dog.

    • __

  4. His aunt is a doctor and she is very nice (sympathique).

    • __

  5. My grandfather is French and my grandmother is Italian.

    • __

  6. The nurse is older than the doctor.

    • __

Section 5: Professions and Workplaces

Match the profession to the correct workplace by writing a full sentence in French (e.g., "The doctor works at the hospital").

  1. Le médecin / L'hôpital: __

  2. Le policier / Le commissariat: __

  3. Le vendeur / Le magasin: __

  4. Le mécanicien / Le garage: __

Section 6: Written Application

Write a short paragraph (4-5 sentences in French) describing two members of your family, their professions, and one pet. Use at least two comparisons (e.g., "My sister is younger than me" or "My father is taller than my uncle").

  • Example: Ma mère est médecin. Elle est très intelligente. Mon frère est vendeur. Il est plus jeune que ma mère. Mon chat est plus petit que mon chien.