French Level 2, Activity 07: Décrivez ma tenue / Describe My Outfit (Face-to-Face)

Created Feb. 7, 2024 by Amber Hoye, Justin Snyder, Emily Blackburn, Camille Daw, Mimi Fahnstrom

Did you know that you can access the complete collection of Pathways Project French activities in our new Let’s Chat! French pressbook? View the book here: https://boisestate.pressbooks.pub/pathwaysfrench 

Please Note: Many of our activities were created by upper-division students at Boise State University and serve as a foundation that our community of practice can build upon and refine. While they are polished, we welcome and encourage collaboration from language instructors to help modify grammar, syntax, and content where needed. Kindly contact pathwaysproject@boisestate.edu with any suggestions and we will update the content in a timely manner. 

Describe My Outfit / Décrivez ma tenue

Description

In this activity, students will be describing their partners imaginary outfit with "French slang" and also shopping online for clothes. Students will learn more about slang and online shopping in French culture. Students will also learn about clothing choices. 

Semantic Topics

Clothing, mode, slang, shopping, fashion, vêtements, argot, faire du shopping, phrases complètes, complete phrases

Products

Le Beret

Practices

Wearing the wool cap has long been a way to keep warm in the winter, and make a fashion statement. They are still commonly worn by French military personnel.

Perspectives

The Beret is not as often seen as it was in the early 20th century, but it is still a beloved French fashion.

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 2.1: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the cultures of the francophone world.
  • Standard 4.1: Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of French and their native language.

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.
  • CLTR 1.1: Analyze the cultural practices/patterns of behavior accepted as the societal norm in the target culture.
  • CLTR 1.2: Explain the relationship between cultural practices/behaviors and the perspectives that represent the target culture’s view of the world.
  • COMP 2.1: Identify, describe and compare/contrast products and their use in the target culture with the learner’s culture.

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements:

  • I can describe my friends outfit and express if I like it or not.
  • I can shop for clothes online.
  • I can understand modern fashion expressions used in everyday life.

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 and distributing an outfit card to each student. You can hook the outfits onto lanyards for the students to "wear" or just give each student an outfit.

Aujourd'hui nous allons parler de la mode et faire un peu de shopping en ligne. Vous allez recevoir une tenue et la porter autour de votre cou. (Today we are going to talk about fashion and do some online shopping. You will receive an outfit and wear it around your neck.)

2.  Using “le français quotidien” vocabulary, they should go around and describe other group members’ outfits.

Promenez-vous et parlez aux autres membres du groupe en utilisant les mots utiles du “français quotidien” pour décrire leur tenue. Soyez sûr d’utiliser des phrases complètes. (Walk around and talk to other members of the group using the useful words of "everyday French" to describe their outfit. Be sure to use the complete sentences.) Par exemple, si quelqu’un porte cette tenue (show an example of an outfit) je peux dire, “J’aime ton look. C’est très BCBG." (For example, if someone is wearing this outfit (show an example of an outfit) I could say, "I like your look! It's very GSGC)

Main Activity

1. In pairs, students will be putting together outfits/shopping carts on French style websites.

Maintenant, chaque personne choisit un partenaire. Chaque paire prend un iPad pour partager. (Now, each person chooses a partner. Each pair takes an iPad to share)

2. Tell them they can choose between these websites: www.orijns.fr, www.asos.fr, www.kiabi.com

Vous allez visiter chaque site-web (www.orijns.fr, www.asos.fr, www.kiabi.com) puis choisir l’un d’entre ces sites.

3. Students should choose 5 to 10 pieces of clothing they like and then share them with the group using their vocabulary about why they’ve chosen each item.

Avec le ou la partenaire, choisissez de 5 à 10 pièces de vêtement. Après d'avoir choisi les vêtements, chaque groupe va partager avec le groupe leurs choix et les raisons pour lesquelles ils les ont choisis. (With the partner, choose from 5 to 10 pieces of clothing. After choosing the clothes, each group will share with the group their choices and the reasons why they chose them.)

Wrap-up

Ask the following question(s) to finish the activity:

  • Pensez-vous que vous allez utiliser ces expressions ? (Do you think you will use these expressions?)
  • Préférez-vous une de ces expressions ? (Do you prefer one of these expressions?)
  • Est-ce que nous avons des expressions similaires en anglais ? (Do we have similar expressions in English?)

Cultural Resources

A French interviewer asks what French people in Saint-Denis are wearing.

End of Activity

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

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements

  • I can describe my friends outfit and express if I like it or not.
  • I can shop for clothes online.
  • I can understand modern fashion expressions used in everyday life.

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