French Level 1, Activity 03: Identifier les gens / Identifying People (Face-to-Face)

Created Feb. 7, 2024 by Amber Hoye, 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. 

Identifying People / Identifier les gens

Description

Students will identify themselves using characteristics in French. Students will ask a partner questions about themselves to identify what the person is like and will then describe their partner to others. 

Semantic Topics

stereotypes, identifying people, descriptions, identifier les gens, les stéréotypes, introductions, adjectives, les adjectifs, origines, façons de former des questions, forming questions

Products

Stereotypes, generalizations, identifying characteristics

Practices

Used to make friends and engage in lighthearted conversations

Perspectives

Stereotypes noted by the French can be a way for them to make fun of/mock themselves (e.g. always being on strike, drinking wine, and smoking cigarettes). These stereotypes are heavily influenced by regional cultures and often reinforced through international media.

  • What can we do, as foreigners, to separate stereotypes of culture from their reality? In other words, how can we look past stereotypes and generalizations to better understand cultures different than our own?

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 4.2: Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of francophone cultures and their own.

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 1.1: Observe formal and informal forms of language.

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements

  • I can recognize basic cultural differences.
  • I can describe myself and someone that I know. (Relationship, nationality, characteristics)
  • I can respond to basic questions about my background.

Materials Needed

  • Ipad
  • Google Presentation
  • “Cliché” Video
  • Worksheet [OPTIONAL USE] Use this interactive worksheet as a supplemental tool for the corresponding Pressbook Conversation Activity. It can be used as a way to keep students engaged, provide a place for them to take notes, and track their learning.
  • Would you like to make changes to the materials? Access the template(s) below: 

Worksheet (Canva Template, free account required)

Warm-Up

1. Begin by introducing the Can-Dos for today's activity. Play a few minutes of the video, “Cliché” (make sure to turn on the subtitles). 

2. After, ask students which stereotypes they have heard or believed. 

“Quels sont les stéréotypes que vous connaissez des Français ? Est-ce qu'il y a des stéréotypes auxquels vous croyiez ? Pensez-vous que les Français ont des stéréotypes contre les Américains ? Lesquels ?” (What are the stereotypes you know about the French? Are there any stereotypes you believe? Do you think the French have stereotypes against Americans? Which ones?)

3. Make sure to explain that although some of these stereotypes do exist, rarely do we find individuals who fit all aspects. France is very multicultural and has habitants from all over.

Bien que certains de ces stéréotypes existent, nous trouvons rarement des personnes qui correspondent à tous les aspects. La France est un pays multiculturel et compte des habitants de partout.

L'Algérie: 702,000

Le Maroc: 645,000

L'Afrique sub-saharienne: 644,000

Main Activity

1. First, have students practice going around describing themselves using phrases such as: 

Premièrement, les étudiants doivent pratiquer comment se décrire : 

  • "Comment t'appelles-tu ?"
  • “Est-ce que vous êtes/tu es Américain(e) ?"
  • "Je m'appelle (nom)"
  • "Je suis Américain(e)/ Canadien(ne)/Anglais(e)/ Italien(ne), etc."
  • "Je suis d'origine américaine/ algérienne/ sénégalaise/ irlandaise/ française, etc."
  • "Je suis étudiant(e)/ copain/ copine/ sœur/ frère/ fille/ fils, etc."

2. Next, have students choose a person they know. This could be a roommate, parent, partner, etc. (if they want, have them show a picture to the rest of the group)

Ensuite, les étudiants devront choisir une personne qu’ils connaissent, il peut s’agir d’un colocataire, un parent, un partenaire, etc. (s’ils le désirent, ils peuvent montrer une photo au reste du groupe)

3. Ask them who this person is using phrases like:

Demandez-leur qui est cette personne en utilisant les phrases:

  • "Il (elle) s'appelle comment ?"
  • "Comment est-il (elle) ?"

4. Have them practice using phrases to describe this person such as:

Les étudiants doivent pratiquer à utiliser les phrases ci-dessous afin de décrire des personnes :

  • "(Nom) est mon/ma colocataire/ mère/ père/ sœur/ copain/ copine, etc."
  • "Il/elle est américain(e)..."
  • "Il/elle est poli(e)/ réservé(e)/ intelligent(e)/ élégant(e)/ sociable/ gentil(le)/ méchant(e), etc."
  • "Il/elle aime/ il/elle n'aime pas..."

Wrap-Up

Ask the following question to finish the activity:

1. Si vous pouviez déménager dans un pays francophone, lequel serait-il ? Pourquoi ? (If you could move to a francophone country, which one would it be? Why?)

Cultural Resources

Here is a video where French people discuss stereotypes that other countries have about France!

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 recognize basic cultural differences.

I can describe myself and someone that I know. (Relationship, nationality, characteristics)

I can respond to basic questions about my background.

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