French Level 2, Activity 11: L'impératif et les adverbes / The imperative and adverbs (Face-to-Face)

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

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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. 

The Imperative and Adverbs / L'impératif et les adverbes

Description

In this activity, students will practice using the imperative by giving suggestions/advice to someone. Students will also have the opportunity to practice providing commands and suggestions to each other, in response to a statement.

Semantic Topics

imperative, adverbs, suggestions, advice, orders, l'impératif, les conseils, ordres

Products

Instructions and Advice

Practices

Giving instructions and orders

Perspectives

Table manners, following instructions, giving instructions/commands to a child, student, employee, etc., discourse in relation to positions of authority

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 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.
  • COMP 1.1: Observe formal and informal forms of language.

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements

  • I can give a suggestion based on a statement provided. 
  • I can provide a command to another person. 
  • I can share advice with someone familiar to me based on a situation or problem they are facing. 

Materials Needed

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

Warm-up

1. Begin by introducing the Can-Dos for today’s activity

"Aujourd'hui nous allons donner des suggestions et des ordres à nos camarades de classe." (Today, we are going to give suggestions and commands to our peers.)

2.  Go through the following statements with the students and have them identify WHO would say the command and WHO would receive it.

“Je vais vous montrer des diapositives avec certaines phrases. Vous allez dire “qui” dit ces ordres et “à qui” vous diriez ces phrases."

Statements:
“Ne mange pas mes chaussures ! Ne monte pas sur le canapé !” - qui: pet owner, à qui: pet  

("Don't eat my shoes! Don't get on the couch!")

“Ne parlez pas ! Faites vos examens !”- qui: teacher, à qui: students

("Don't talk! Take your exam!")

“Ne mange pas de chips avant le dîner ! Nettoie ta chambre !” - qui: mother, à qui: child

("Don't eat chips before dinner! Clean your room!")

“Shh...ne parlez pas très fort ! Les gens étudient !”- qui: librarian, à qui: students

("Shh...don't speak loudly! People are studying!")

“N’arrive pas en retard. Sois à l’heure !”- qui: boss, coach, à qui: worker, athlete

("Don't arrive late. Be on time!")

“Éteignez vos portables ! Bouclez votre ceinture.”- qui: flight attendant, à qui: passengers

("Turn off your devices! Buckle your seatbelt.")

“Les mains en air ! Dis-moi ce que tu fais là !”- qui: police officer, à qui: criminal

("Hands in the air! Tell me what you're doing there!")

Main Activity

1. Lay the suggestion cards in a pile on the table.

Mettez les cartes de suggestion dans une pile sur la table. 
                
2.  Have students take turns choosing a card and reading it aloud.

“Choisissez une de ces cartes rouges. Lisez à haute voix."   

3. After, the rest of the group should give a suggestion/command in response to the statement on the card.

Après, le reste du groupe va donner des suggestions ou des ordres qui correspondent avec la phrase.

4. Students will continue practicing reading the suggestions and providing other suggestions/commands to the cards they draw. 

Wrap-up

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

  • Est-ce que vous avez des questions par rapport à l'impératif ou les adverbes? (Do you have questions concerning the imperative or adverbs?)

Cultural Resources

Watch popular YouTuber Squeezie give his dog commands in this video! It's a fun way to use the imperative tense.

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 give a suggestion based on a statement provided. 
  • I can provide a command to another person. 
  • I can share advice with someone familiar to me based on a situation or problem they are facing. 

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