French Level 3, Activity 12: Faire les courses / Running Errands (Face-to-Face)

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. 

Running Errands / Faire les courses

Description

In this activity, students will practice talking about what they have to do and the errands they have to complete throughout the day. Students will also practice describe their schedule when completing errands. 

Semantic Topics

Errands, schedule, shopping, to do, plans, faire, programme, courses, faire les courses, tâches, les prépositions, prepositions

Products

Errands, tasks, shopping trips

Practices

Running errands, completing a to-do list

Perspectives

The French tend to run more errands than the average American, opting in some cases to go to specialized stores, such as the bakery, the butcher, and the open-air produce market instead of going to a supermarket that caters to all food categories.

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 1.3: Students present information, concepts, and ideas in French to an audience of listeners or readers.
  • Standard 2.1: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the cultures of the francophone world.
  • Standard 3.1: Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through French.

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 1.3: Function appropriately in diverse contexts within the target culture.
  • CONN 1.1: Compare and contrast information acquired from other content areas.

NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements

  • I can identify where to go for certain errands.
  • I can exchange information about errands I have to do. 
  • I can discuss my to-do list and the activities I am required to complete. 

Materials Needed

To Do list

Google Slideshow

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

- To Do List (Canva Template, free account required) 

Warm-Up

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

2. Using the presentation, go through slides 5-17 and ask the students where they have to go to complete the activity listed.
For example, slide 6
You: “Où devez-vous aller pour poster une lettre?” ("Where should you go to send a letter?")
Student: “Je dois aller à un bureau de poste.” ("I should go to the Post Office.")
**Make sure that the students are using a complete sentence.

3. What you say to the students: “Je vais vous montrer une image d’une activité. Il faut déterminer où vous devez aller pour faire l'activité. Utilisez les phrases complètes. Par exemple,(show slide 6),où devez-vous aller pour poster une lettre?” ("I am going to show you an image of an activity. Determine where you should go to do this activity. Make sure to use complete sentences. For example (show slide 6), where should you go to send a letter?")

4. Give students a few moments to respond. If they don’t get it, demonstrate the correct way to respond: “Je dois aller à un bureau de poste.” ("I should go to the Post Office.")

5. Continue for the rest of the slides.

*Note: The correct answers are on the slides. Just click once and it will show up.

Main Activity

1. Give each student a to-do list.
Voici une liste de choses à faire. Ce sont des choses que vous devez compléter aujourd’hui. (Here is a list of things to do. These are some things you should complete today.)

2. Tell them they are going to be explaining the group the errands that they have to do today.
Vous allez expliquer aux autres membres de groupes ce que vous devez faire. Mais, ne dites pas simplement chaque activité. Il est important d'élaborer. Expliquez pourquoi vous faites ces choses. Avec qui ? Pour qui ? Etc. De plus, utilisez des expressions comme d’abord, puis, après. (You are going to explain to the other members of the group what you should do. But, don't simply say each activity. It's important to elaborate. Explain why you did those things. With who? For whom? Etc. Moreover, use expressions like first, then, after.)

3. Before giving them a few minutes to prepare theirs, demonstrate a correct response using the example on slide 18.
Je vais donner une exemple. Voici ma liste de tâches. D’abord je dois acheter des croissants à la boulangerie Gastons. Je vais les donner à mes amis plus tard. Puis, je dois déposer de l’argent à la banque. Je travaille au WLRC et j’ai reçu ma paie hier. Après, je vais prendre un café avec mon ami, Maxime, chez Starbucks. On fait un rendez-vous chaque semaine pour parler des nouvelles.(I am going to give an example. Here is my list of tasks. First, I should buy some croissants at Gastons Bakery. I am going to give them to my friends later. Then, I should make a deposit at the bank. I work at the WLRC and I received my paycheck yesterday. After, I am going to grab a coffee with my friend, Maxime, at Starbucks. We meet up each week to talk about the news.)

4. Give the students 2-3 minutes to prepare.
Prenez 2 à 3 minutes pour préparer. 

5. Have each student share their responses.

Wrap-Up

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

  • Quelle est votre liste des choses à faire ce week-end ? (What is your to-do list for this weekend?)
  • Aimez-vous faire des courses? Pourquoi? Pourquoi pas ? (Do you like to go grocery shopping? Why? Why not?)
  • Faites-vous les courses tout(e) seul(e) ou avec quelqu’un d’autre ? (Do you grocery shop alone or with someone else?)

Cultural Resources

A list of French grocery stores

Tips to shop for groceries in France

Specialty stores in 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 identify where to go for certain errands.
  • I can exchange information about errands I have to do. 
  • I can discuss my to-do list and the activities I am required to complete.
Return to top