For Core French in Ontario

Paul Meggs’s

FSL SURVIVAL GUIDE

for Core French in Ontario

WHY LEARN FRENCH…………….…..……1
A SUCCESSFUL L2 LEARNER…….……...2
THE ALPHABET AND SOUNDS…………...3
QUESTIONS … …………………….……....4
AND ANSWERS………………………….….5
GREETINGS & SALUTATIONS…….….…..6
SHAPES AND COLOURS….……………...7
NUMBERS…………………………….……..8
TIMES OF DAY; TELLING TIME…….……..9
CALENDAR, DATES, SEASONS…..…….10
FRENCH HOLIDAYS AND FESTIVALS…11
WEATHER………………………………... 12
WeatherTalk……………………………..….13
CLOTHING…………………………..…...…14
FashionTalk…………………….………...... 15
CLASSROOM OBJECTS………….…..…..16
USEFUL SCHOOL PHRASES…...... 17-19
SchoolTalk………………………………….20
HUMAN BODY………………………………21
ANIMALS………………………………....….22
FAMILY AND FRIENDS……………………23
HOUSE AND HOME………………………..24
DAILY CHORES AND ACTIVITIES…….25
A MONTH OF ACTIVITIES………………..26
SelfTalk……………………………………...27
FamilyTalk……………………………….….28
HomeTalk……………………………….…..29
FOOD AND EATING OUT………………....30
MenuTalk…………………………………....31
SHOPPING IN THE CITY……………….…32
ShopTalk……………………………………33
TRAVELING (à, à la, au, aux)...... 34
GEOGRAPHY………………………………35
TRANSPORTATION…………………….….36
TravelTalk…………………………………...37
WORK………………….………………...…..38
TECHNOLOGY & COMMUNICATION…39 JobTalk………………………………………40
GAMES, SPORTS, AND LEISURE……...41 / SUBJECT PRONOUNS & ARTICLES……….....42
MORE PRONOUNS TO………………………….43
POSSESSING THINGS...... 44
NEGATIVES: SAYING NO…………………...…..45
ADJECTIVES: COMMON PAIRS………………..46
DESCRIBING MOOD & APPEARANCE……….47
DESCRIBING PERSONALITY, ETC……………48
THIS, THAT, THESE, THOSE…………………..……49
PRECEDING ADJECTIVES…………………...…50
COMPARATIVE & SUPERLATIVE ……….…..51
ADVERBS: COMMON PAIRS………………..….52
ADVERBS FROM ADJECTIVES……………..…53
DIRECTIONS & LOCATIONS CHART………....54
DIRECTIONS & LOCATIONS PAIRS………...55
CONJUNCTIONS – JOINING THOUGHTS…....56
VERBS
THE BIG 4 VERBS…………………………….…57
EXPRESSIONS WITH THE BIG 4…………..….58
PRESENT TENSE REGULAR VERB ENDINGS……..…..59
COMMON IRREGULAR VERBS………...... 60-62
THE FUTURE TENSES………………..…….…..63
LOTS OF INFINITIVES…………………..…...64-66
REGULAR PAST TENSE WITH AVOIR .……..67
IRREGULAR AST TENSE WITHAVOIR ……...68
PAST TENSE WITH ÊTRE…………………..…..69
THE IMPERATIVE: GIVING ORDERS…….……70
COMMON VERB PAIRS FOR PRACTICE……..71
WRITING RULES
VOWELS AND APOSTROPHES……………..…72
ACCENTS……………………………………….…73
PUNCTUATION RULES………………………….74
CAPITALIZATION RULES……………………….75
TYPING IN FRENCH……...……………….…76-77
TEXTING IN FRENCH……………………..…78-80
REFERENCE LEVELS OF ABILITIES……81-85
I CAN DO LISTS…………………………….86-100

WHY LEARN FRENCH?

Education:

In Ontario, in order to get a high school diploma, one must pass one French language credit course in Grade 9. That's it. It’s not too much to ask.

Historical Reasons:

Canada was colonized by France in the 16th century, and French became one of the main languages of our country' protected by law, the official language of Quebec, and one of the official languages in New Brunswick and Nunavut. French education is a protected right for Francophone minorities in Canada. There are still pockets of Francophone communities found in all provinces and territories. The Canadian population is roughly 23% French speaking.

It’s Global Use:

20 million + speakers in the Americas;

200 million French speakers

number 9 of the top 10 most widely used world languages

second most popular second language taught in the world

taught in every single country

525+ French language universities in the world

An official language of: IOC, UNESCO, Interpol, WTO, WHO, NATO, ISO, United Nations, etc.....

Employment:

You are more marketable as an employee if you are multilingual, especially in business, tourism, education, service industry, marketing, the military, law enforcement, government, and communications... And you'll earn more, too!

World Travel:

It's spoken on every continent, and is a lingua franca of dozens of countries all over the world, from Africa, Asia, parts of the US and South America, to the Pacific Islands, and Islands in the Indian Ocean...

Neurological Heath / intelligence:

Research shows that a bilingual brain is more robust, better at problem-solving, less likely to be affected by Alzheimer’s, dementia, etc.. And learning an extra language makes the next other language easier to learn.

A valuable Life Skill

Learning to speak and think in another language makes one more tolerant, a better communicator and listener, helps you see the world in different ways, and able to learn more about the world in general. The skills you use in learning another language help you improve your mother tongue language skills.

A SUCCESSFUL L2 LEARNER….

laughs at his mistakes
talks positively about himself
responds positively to a learning opportunity
looks for immersion opportunities
analyzes his individual learning problems
practices on his own, reads additional items, listens to radio, music, TV, internet,
creates a situation with a native speaker
doesn’t worry about accuracy, but focuses on fluency
doesn’t hesitate to speak
overcomes his inhibitions
initiates conversations
self-corrects his errors in pronunciation, vocabulary, spelling, grammar,
invents his own mnemonic devices
writes down words words memorize with memorizing texhiques
groups words and compares native and target language
relates new dictionary words to other in the same category
experiments with new sounds
listens carefully and tries to imitate
repeats sentences until pronounced easily
uses synonyms and cognates
reads aloud alone to hear sounds
uses what he already knows
uses rules to generate possibilities
finds sociocultural meanings and contexts to clarify meaning
uses formulaic interaction to get started
looks for patterns to make inferences
guesses meanings from key words, pictures, contexts,…
repeats words to clarify understanding
masters a core list of phrases and words
understands the need for a structured learning environment

L’ALPHABET ET DES SONS

les lettres avec le même son qu’anglais

f, l, m, n, o, s, z

les letters qui rhyme

b, c, ç, d, é, g, p, t, v, w

i, j

a, k

u, q

les lettres uniques

h, r, x, y,

les voyelles…

e, è, ê,

é, ez, ey, er, eille, ai

oi, io,

au, eu, à,

en, an, on

euille, ille,

muet

h, ( homme, hôtel, …)

finale t, s, x (e.g. met, dans, peux, doit,..)

lettre c

ce,ci, andç sounds like an 's'

caand cosound like a 'k'

ch sounds like 'sh'

QUESTIONS / LES QUESTIONS....

Do..does...is…are… ? (literally“Is it that…..?”) Est-ce que…..?

what? Qu'est-ce que
what!?Quoi!?
how? Comment
why? Pourquoi
where? Où
when? Quand
Who? Qui
How much/many? Combiens
Which…? / quel, quelle, quels, quelles…

to ask demander
question la question

to answer répondre
answer la réponse

... and ANSWER CLUES…

Question Word / What to look for / Examples
Qu’est-ce que – What? / Specific information about something or some action. This requires some inferential skills. / Qu'est-ce que Paul fait?
Paul joue de la batterie.
Comment – How? / Descriptions of states of being, how someone feels and appears. Must know your adjectives and adverbs. / Comment est-il?
Paul est très méchant.
Comment vas tu à l'école?
Je vais à pied.
Où – Where? / Look for a place name, a prespostion showing location, or adverb of place. / Où est Paul?
Il est à côté de Marie.
Il habite à Toronto.
Pourquoi – Why? / Look for 'parce que', and the information following it. / Pourquoi Paul aime les gâteaux? Il les aime parce qu'ils sont chocolat!
Quand – When? / Look for a time, or adverb of time. / Quand est-ce que Paul arrive?
Il arrive à 05h00ce matin.
Il arrive après Marie.
Qui – Who? / Look for a name, or subject of a verb, the doer of an action.
You'll need some knowledge of grammar – the direct or indirect object – receiver of an action. / Qui aime Marie?
Paul aime Marie.
Combien – How much?
How many? / Look for a number, amount, or adverb of quantity. / Combien d'étudiants y a-t-il?
Il y a plusieurs.
Il y'en a cinq.
Quel – Which or what? / Tricky, in that it is often translated as 'what'. E.g. What time is it? What's the weather? Look for what you would for Qu'est-ce que...
Look also for demonstrative adjective and demonstrative pronouns. / Quel bon bon est-ce qu'il veut?
Il veut celui-ci
Quel bon bon est-ce que tu veux?
Je veux ce bon bon.

GREETINGS AND SALUTATIONS

Hello! Good Day! / Bonjour!
Hi! So long! / Salut !
Welcome! / Bienvenue !
How are you?
Pleased to meet you. / Comment ça va?
Enchanté!
Thank you! / Merci !
You’re welcome! No problem! It was nothing! / de rien, pas de quoi, je vous remerçie
Good bye! / au revoir!
Have a good day ! / Bonne journée!
See you soon! / À bientôt !
Have a good weekend ! / Bonne fin de semaine!
See you later!So long! / À tout à l’heure !à plus!
See you tomorrow! / À demain !
See you on Monday! / À Lundi !
Good evening! / Bonsoir !
Good night! / Bonne nuit !
Until next time! / À la prochaine!
Good luck! / Bonne chance !
Please (when talking to a child or friend) / S’il te plait !
Please (when talking to an adult or more than one person) / S’il vous plaît !
Pretty well. / Assez bien.
Happy Birthday! / Bonne fête ! Joyeuse anniversaire !
Excuse me. / Pardon !
I’m sorry. / Je m’excuse !
So-so / Comme-ci, comme-ça

SHAPES / LES FORMES

rectangle – un rectangle
circle – un cercle
triangle – un triangle
cube – un cube
cone – un cône, un cornet
sphere – une sphère
oval – un ovale
square – un carré
diamond – un losange / Face cards
diamond – un carreau
heart – un cœur
club – un trèfle
spade – un pique
star – une étoile
point – une pointe
line – un ligne
curve – une courbe

COLOURS / LES COULEURS

Red – rouge
Pink - rose
orange – orange
yellow – jaune
green – vert
blue – bleu, azure
dark brown – brun
brown - marron
purple/violette – violet
black – noir
white – blanc
grey – gris / Gold - or
silver –argent, gris métallisée
bronze - bronze
brunette - châtain
blond - blonde
red head – roux
hazel - noixette
rainbow – arc en ciel

NUMBERS /

LES NOMBRES, LES CHIFFRES…

Zero zero
one un
two deux
three trois
four quatre
five cinq
six six
seven sept
eight huit
nine neuf
ten dix / eleven onze
twelve douze
thirteen treize
fourteen quatorze
fifteen quinze
sixteen seize
seventeen dix-sept
eighteen dix-huit
nineteen dix-neuf
twenty vingt
thirty trente
forty quarante
fifty cinquante
sixty soixante
seventy soixante-dix
eighty quatre-vingt
ninety quatre-vingt-dix / hundred cent
thousand mille
million million
billion milliard
number numéro
first le premier
second le deuxième
third le troisième
fourth le quatrième
fifth le cinquième

Quel est ton adresse?

Quelle heure est-il?

Quel est ton numéro du téléphone?

Dans quelle maison habites-tu?

TIMES OF DAY

Morning – evening / le matin – le soir
Noon – midnight / midi – minuit
Daytime – night-time / le jour – la nuit
Afternoon – après midi / The day – la journée
have a good day – bonne journée, bonjour
Good morning – bon matin / good afternoon – bon après midi
good evening – bon soir / good night – bon nuit

TELLING TIME

a.m. / avant-midi / p.m. / après-midi
1 o’clock / 1 h 00 –une heure / 1 o’clock / 13 h 00 – treize heures
2 o’clock
2 :10 / 2 h 00 –deux heures
2 h 10 –deux heures dix / 2 o’clock
14:30 / 14 h 00 –quatorze heures
14 h 30 –quatorze heures trente
3 o’clock
3 :15 / 3 h 00 –trois heures
3 h 15 –trois heures et quart / 3 o’clock
15:40 / 15 h 00 –quinze heures
15 h 40 –quinze heures quarante
4 o’clock
4 :20 / 4 h 00 –quatre heures
4 h 20 –quatre heures vingt / 4 o’clock
16:20 / 16 h 00 –seize heures
16 h 20 –seize heures vingt
5 o’clock / 5 h 00 –cinq heures / 5 o’clock / 17 h 00 –dix-sept heures
6 o’clock / 6 h 00 –six heures / 6 o’clock / 18 h 00 –dix-huit heures
7 o’clock
7:45
(quarter to 8) / 7 h 00 –sept heures
7 h 45 –huit heures moins quart / 7 o’clock / 19 h 00 –dix-neuf heures
8 o’clock / 8 h 00 –huit heures / 8 o’clock / 20 h 00 –vingt heures
9 o’clock / 9 h 00 –neuf heures / 9 o’clock / 21 h 00 –vingt et une heures
10 o’clock / 10 h 00 –dix heures / 10 o’clock / 22 h 00 –vingt-deux heures
11 o’clock / 11 h 00 –onze heures / 11 o’clock / 23 h 00 –vingt-trois heures
12 o’clock
Noon / 12 h 00 –
midi / 12 o’clock
Midnight / 24 h 00 –
minuit

Qu’est-ce que tu vas regarder à la télé ce soir? Quelle matière as-tu? Quand est-ce que le train arrive?

THE CALENDAR / LE CALENDRIER(see placemat)

January -janvier
February-février
March-mars
April -avril
May -mai
June -juin
July -juillet
August -août
September -septembre
October -octobre
November -novembre
December -décembre
Day-lejour
Week-la semaine
month -lemois
year-année / Monday –lundi
Tuesday –mardi
Wednesday –mercredi
Thursday –jeudi
Friday –vendredi
Saturday –samedi
Sunday - dimanche
Today-aujourd'hui
Yesterday-hier
Tomorrow-demain
the next day-le lendemain
the day before yesterday-avant-hier
the day after tomorrow-après-demain
SEASONS / LES SAISONS
Spring-le printemps
Summer-l'été
autumn -l'automne
winter - l'hiver / Quelle est ton saison favorite?
J’aime l’hiver parce que…

Saying the date:Quelle est la date aujourd’hui?

today / + it is / + day / + number / + month
aujourd’hui / c’est / lundi / le 3 / décembre

…for actions happening repeatedly (mondays –le lundi; tuesdays –le mardi, etc…)Que fais-tu le mardi?

FRANCOPHONE FESTIVALS AND HOLIDAYS

DATE / FESTIVAL
JAN 1 / Jour de l’an (New Year’s Day)
FEB / Le Carnaval de Québec (Quebec Winter Carnaval)
Mardi Gras (New Orleans)
MAR
APR 1 / Le poisson d’avril (France)
Paques (Easter)
MAY 1 / Fête du premier mai (Labour Day)
National Patriotes day (Quebec) – coincides with Victoria Day in English Canada
Fête des Mères (Mother’s Day)
JUNE 24 / Fête nationale – (st jean babtiste day Quebec)
JULY 14 / Fête nationale (BASTILLE DAY – end of King’s rule in France, beginning of French Revolution)
AUGUST 15 / Assomption (Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – France)
National Acadian Day
SEPT
OCT / Action de grace (Thanksgiving)
Hallowe’en (31 oct)
NOV 1
NOV 11 / La Toussaint (All Saints’ Day)
Jour d’armistice (Armistice Day)
DEC 25 / Noêl (Christmas)

THE WEATHER / LE TEMPS

It’s nice out. – Il fait beau.

It’s bad weather. – Il fait mauvais.

It’s humid. – Il fait humide.

It’s hot. – Il fait chaud.

It’s cold. – Il fait froid.

It’s cool – Il fait frais.

It's mild – Il fait doux.

It’s sunny. – Il fait soleil. Il y a du soleil. C’est ensoleillé

It’s windy. – Il vente. Il y a du vent. C’est venteux.

It’s overcast. – Il fait gris.

It’s cloudy. – C’est nuageux.

It's muggy – Il fait lourd.

It’s raining. – Il pleut.

It’s pouring – Il pleut à verse.

It’s snowing. – Il neige.

It’s freezing. – Il gèle.

It’s foggy. – Il y a / Il fait du brouillard.

It’s stormy. – Il y a de l’orage. Il fait orageux.

the outdoors – en plein air

forecast – lamétéo

Quel temps fait-il?

Quelle est la météo pour cette semaine, demain, le week-end….?

WeatherTalk

I can talk about the weather

I can:

recall and use the main vocabulary for climate and weather
ask what the weather is outside
describe what the weather is outside
read a weather report in the newspaper
research the weather on the internet
report what has been said on a radio/tv weather forcast
advise what one should wear in different weather
describe the driving conditions
describe the skiing conditions
describe what weather occurs in different seasons
describe the climate of different geographical regions

CLOTHING / LES VETÊMENTS(see placemat)

cap –la casquette
helmet –le casque
hat –le chapeau
toque –la toque
hard hat –le casque
scarf –une éscarpe
mittens –les mitaines
gloves –les gants
sun glasses –lunettes de soleil
eye-glasses –lunettes
purse –le sac à main
briefcase –la serviette
coat –le manteau
sweater –un pull, un pull-over, un chandail
tie –la cravate
blouse –un chemisier
bath robe –le peignoire
umbrella –un parapluie
ring –une bague
t-shirt –un t-shirt
shirt –une chemise
shirt for sports –un maillot
vest –une veste
wristwatch –une montre / men’s suit –un complet (jacket and pants), un costume
woman’s suit –un tailleur
jacket –un veston
skirt –une jupe
pajamas –un pyjama
swimming goggles –lunettes de natation, lunettes de plongée
bathing suit –un maillot de bain
shorts –le short
boxer shorts –le caleçon
underwear –les sous-vetêments
pants –le panatalons
jeans –le jean, le blue jean
overalls –les salopettes
shoes –les chaussures, les souliers
necklace –le collier
dress –la robe
bracelet –le bracelet
high heels –haut talons
slippers –pantouffles
boots –les bottes
sneakers –le tennis
socks –les chausettes
running shoes –le tennis,
sandals –les sandals

Qu’est-ce tu portes quand il fait chaud?

Qu’est-ce que vous portez en hiver?

Qu’est-ce qu’elle va porter pour la soirée?

FashionTalk

I can discuss fashion and clothing.

I can:

- recall and use the main vocabulary for fashion and clothing
- describe what I am wearing
- describe what someone else is wearing
- advise what others should wear for various occasions
- design and describe an outfit for an athlete, super hero, movie star....

THE CLASSROOM / LA CLASSE

classroom / la classe
chair / la chaise
desk / le pupitre
table / la table
board / le tableau
chalk / la craie
brush / la brosse
marker / le marqueur
pen/ le stylo
pencil / le crayon
pencil case / un coffre à crayons
pencil sharpener / un taille-crayons
eraser / la gomme
scissors / les ciseaux
glue / la colle
paper / le papier
stapler / une agrafeuse
hole punch / une perforatrice
bookshelf / les étagères
file cabinet / le classeur
door / la porte
window / la fenêtre
wall / le mur
lights / les lumières
clock / une horloge
bell / la cloche
office, teacher’s desk / le bureau
subject – la matière
history – l'histoire
french - le français
math – les maths
science – les sciences naturelles
social studies – les sciences humaines
health – la santé
gym – l’éducation physique / overhead / un rétroprojecteur
computer / un ordinateur
cd player / un lecteur de disque compact
calculator / une calculatrice
screen / un écran
television / le télé
dictionary / le dictionnaire
text book / un manuel
book / le livre
notebook, workbook / le cahier
back-pack / un sac à dos
homework / lesdevoirs
work / letravail
to learn / apprendre
to teach / enseigner
to ask / demander
to answer / répondre
to study / étudier
to work / travailler
to take attendance / prendre les présences
teacher / le professeur, un(e) enseignant(e)
student / un(e) élève, un(e) étudiant(e)
caretaker / le concierge
principal / le directeur, la directrice
vice principal / le directeur-adjoint, la directrice-adjointe
secretary / le, la secrétaire

USEFUL PHRASES IN SCHOOL…

Questions from students…
May I sharpen my pencil? / Puis-je tailler mon crayon?
May I leave the classroom? / Puis-je quitter la salle de classe?
May I get a drink of water? / Puis-je boire de l’eau?
May I go…to the office ?
…to the washroom?
…to the library?
…to my locker?
…to the fountain?
…to the gym? / Puis-je aller…au bureau?
…aux toilettes?
…à la bibliothèque?
…à mon caisier?
…à la fontaine?
…au gymnase?
What is the date? / Quelle est la date?
What day is it? / Quel jour sommes-nous?
What do we need? / De quoi avons-nous besoin?
What are we doing today? / Que faisons-nous aujourd’hui?
I have a question. / J’ai une question.
I don’t have any…. / Je n’ai pas de….
Darn it! / Zut!
Not so fast! / Pas si vite!
Really? / Vraiment?
Just a moment, please. / Un moment, s’il vous plaît.
I’m sorry. / Je suis désolé(e).
Excuse me. / Excusez-moi. Pardonnez-moi.
I have lost my…. / J’ai perdu mon/ma/mes…..
Present! / Présent(e)!
He is absent. She is absent. / Il est absent. Elle est absente.
I have to study. / Je dois étudier.
What page are we on? / À quelle page sommes-nous?
Do we have to skip a line? / Faut-il sauter une ligne?
Isn’t there any homework? / Il n’y a pas de devoirs?
That’s enough. / C’est assez. Ça suffit.
That’s all. / C’est touts.
Common Teacher Commands…
Say it in French. / Dites-le en français.
Speak French. / Parlez en français.
Open your books. / Ouvrez vos livres.
Close your books. / Fermez vos livres.
Say that again, please. / Répétez, s’il vous plaît.
Please give me your book. / Donne-moi ton livre, s’il te plaît.
Listen to the instructions. / Écoutez les instructions.
Speak up, please. / Parlez plus fort, s’il vous plaît.
Read out loud. / Lisez à haute voix.
Answer the question. / Répondez à la question.
Take out your homework. / Sortez vos devoirs.
Memorize the dialogue. / Apprenez le dialogue par coeur.
Bring your workbooks. / Apportez vos cahiers.
Sit down. / Asseyez-vous.
Stand up. / Levez-vous.
Pay attention. / Faites attention.
I want to make an announcement. / Je veux faire une annonce.
Are you ready? / Êtes-vous prêts?
Let’s check the homework. / Corrigeons les devoirs.
Expressions of praise….
Very good! / Très bien!
Great! Cool! / Génial! Cool!
very well written! / très bien écrit!
quite good, good enough / assez bien
Fantastic! / Fantastique!
Sensational! / Sensass!
Great! / Formidable!
perfect! / parfait!
magnificent! / magnifique!
well done! / bien fait!
superb! / superbe!
marvellous! / merveilleux!
congratulations! / félicitations!
much better! / beaucoup mieux!
Asking for help…
How do you say…? / Comment dit-on……?
What does…….mean? / Que veut dire…….?
What does this word mean? / Que signifie ce mot?
Slowly, please. / Lentement, s’il vous plaît.
I don’t know / Je ne sais pas.
I don’t understand…
…the word.
…the sentence.
…the answer.
…the question.
…the homework.
…the exercise.
…the problem. / Je ne comprend pas…
…le mot.
…la phrase.
…la réponse.
…la question.
…les devoirs.
…l’exercice.
…le problème.
Giving corrections and advice
be careful! / fais attention!
don't forget to … / n'oublie pas de …
too short / trop court
Spelling / l'orthographe
be careful! / Faites attention!
It’s not correct. / Ce n’est pas correct.
You’ve made a mistake. / Tu as fait une faute.
It’s not correct. / Ce n’est pas correct.
You’ve made a mistake. / Tu as fait une faute.
use your resources! / utilise tes ressources!
to be completed! / à compléter!
first of all / d'abord
to start with / pour commencer
especially / Surtout
I agree / je suis d'accord
I don't agree / je ne suis pas d'accord
for example however / par exemple cependant
in my opinion / à mon avis
in other words / en d'autres mots
I think that / je pense quex
according to / selon
so / donc
finally / finalement

SchoolTalk