Intermediate French: Holiday plans

When learning a language, it is important to be aware of visual clues. They often help you understand the context: for example, a shrug of the shoulders may indicate indifference or resignation, even if the words seem neutral. They can indeed give an idea as to the language the speaker may be using. They may also help your visual memory: you'll probably remember words and phrases better if you associate them with images. So, we begin with an exercise in visual concentration.

The word de is used in expressions of quantity (including negative quantities such as pas de), whether the noun that follows is singular or plural.

• trop de vent too much wind

• beaucoup trop de monde far too many people

• pas assez de temps not enough time

• pas tellement d'amis not that many friends

• plus de six semaines de congé more than six weeks' leave

• moins de jeux fewer games

• pas de glaces à la vanille no vanilla ice cream

• énormément d'argent lots of money

• un tas de mouches (informal) loads of flies

• pas mal d'algues (informal) quite a lot of seaweed

• des centaines de vacanciers hundreds of holiday-makers

But note the use of des with the expressions la plupart and la majeure partie when followed by a noun in the plural:

• la plupart des Français most French people

• la majeure partie des commerçants most shopkeepers

The suffix-aine indicates approximate quantities, except for (demi-)douzaine which may mean exactly (six) or twelve.

• Hier, j'ai planté une dizaine de rosiers dans mon jardin.

• Yesterday I planted around ten rose bushes in my garden.

• Je vais passer une quinzaine de jours à Paris.

• I'm going to spend a fortnight in Paris.

• J'ai appelé une trentaine de campings, mais ils sont tous complets.

• I phoned about thirty campsites, but they're all full.

• Je connais une demi-douzaine de personnes ici, c'est tout.

• I know about half a dozen people here, that's all.

• Je voudrais une douzaine d'œufs, s'il vous plaît.

• I'd like a dozen eggs please.

We suggest that you learn the examples given. Here are two suggested methods to help you do this.

• Where there is an English translation, cover up the French and try to translate the English back into French. Check as you go along. Then reverse the process.

• Close your book and, from memory, write out all the examples in French on a piece of paper. Then look at your book in order to check back.

As you progress through studing a language, why not collect examples in a notebook for each grammar rule and make up some of your own too, using the new vocabulary that you have learned? Share these examples with other students.

When you are writing to someone it is important to use the appropriate opening and closing phrases. These vary according to who you are writing to.

Make sure that there is agreement (in gender and number) between cher and the name or names that follow.

And you can of course add a message to someone else:

• Meilleurs souvenirs à/Bien des choses à…

• Kindest regards to…

• Bonjour à…

• Say hello to…

We suggest you start a section in a notebook devoted to letterwriting, in which you could record these and other examples of opening and closing phrases as you come across them (for instance when you get a postcard or letter from a French-speaking friend). If you have a dictionary which has a 'Language in Use'; or 'Communicative Grammar' section you will also find more examples there.

Would you like to spend your own holiday on the beach featured on the video? Activity 4 gives you the chance to express your views in writing and to revise the expressions you have met so far in this section. You will also be listening to some audio materials for the first time.

Months

When talking about months, several constructions are possible.

• Use the name of the month on its own, without an article, or use the expression le mois de before the name of the month. The first letter of a month is not capitalised, except at the start of a sentence.

  • Février est le mois idéal pour aller skier.

  • J'aime bien le mois d'août à Paris. La ville est déserte.

  • Moi, je préfère octobre, ou novembre. Il y a plus d'ambiance.

• When stating which month something happens in, use the relevant preposition(s) (such as en, après, avant, de … à) before the name of the month or combined with the expression le mois de. (Note however that en cannot be used with le mois de.)

  • Cette année, nous prenons nos vacances en juillet/au mois de juillet.

  • J'aime la plage soit avant, soit après août/le mois d'août.

  • Il ne fait pas trop chaud et il y a beaucoup moins de monde.

  • Il fait très beau ici d'avril à septembre/du mois d'avril au mois de septembre.

• When talking about the beginning, middle or end of a month, use début, la mi- or fin before the name of the month (use la fin if preceded by a preposition).

  • Je vais en vacances chez mes parents début juillet mais je reviens à Paris fin septembre. Mes cours à l'université recommencent vers la mi-octobre.

  • Nous partons six semaines à la montagne: de la mi-décembre à la fin janvier.

Seasons

To say which season something is in or happens in, use en, le or au as follows:

• en été orl'été in (the) summer

• en hiver orl'hiver in (the) winter

• en automne in (the) autumn

• au printemps in (the) spring

Note that le is not used with automne and printemps, except with dernier and prochain:

• Je vais pêcher en Autriche l'automne prochain.

• Le printemps dernier j'ai fait du bateau en Grèce.

Before you watch a video sequence or listen to an audio extract, try to think about the vocabulary that you are likely to hear on it or the way people are going to express their views or feelings, based on any title and whatever you already know about the content. Anticipating what people say should help your understanding when it comes to watching or listening. This is why from time to time we will ask you to predict what sort of answers the participants have given, as in the next activity.

1 An easy way of stating a reason is to use c'est + a suitable adjective or phrase.

• VÉRONIQUE Pourquoi ne prends-tu pas tes vacances au mois de juin?

• CHLOÉ Juin, c'est impossible: mon fils va à l'école.

• CHRISTIAN Pourquoi est-ce que tu ne pars pas en vacances cette année?

• SERGE C'est hors de question. J'ai trop de travail!

• RACHEL Pourquoi ne prenez-vous pas le train?

• JULIETTE La voiture, c'est plus pratique et, quand on est quatre, c'est beaucoup moins cher.

• JÉRÉMIE Nous partons en février, c'est le meilleur moment pour le ski.

• EVELYNE Moi, je pars au printemps, c'est la meilleure époque de l'année pour visiter la Provence.

Remember that if you are talking about the weather, you must always use il fait (not c'est) + an adjective or noun.

• HUGUES L'été, à Marseille, il fait trop chaud. En août, je veux aller en Normandie: il fait plus frais.

• VALÉRIE Oui mais, en Normandie, il ne fait pas toujours beau! Allons sur la côte ouest, alors?

• HUGUES Non, il fait souvent du vent.

2 A reason can also be introduced by:

• (a) parce que + a clause (parce que is sometimes preceded by the expressions (tout) simplement or purement et simplement, which emphasise the inevitability of the reason):

  • MADAME MORAND Vous partez en août? Pourquoi?

  • JACQUELINE Tout simplement parce que c'est le mois le plus calme pour les fleuristes.

• (b) à cause de + a noun or pronoun:

  • MADAME MORAND Moi, je pars aussi en août, à cause de mon fils. Je n'aime pas partir au mois d'août mais nous sommes obligés, à cause de lui.

3 You can also use verbs or phrases that express choice (such as préférer or aimer mieux) + an infinitive, or verbs that express what you think (such as penser or trouver) + que.

• Tu préfères éviter Édimbourg pendant le festival? Tu penses qu'il y a trop de touristes?

• J'aime mieux prendre une semaine de vacances de temps en temps. Je trouve qu'un mois entier, c'est trop long.

4 Finally you may remember the reason Philippe gave, using depuis que:

• Depuis que je suis marié à Médina, je prends mes vacances l'été.

• SinceI have been married to Médina, I have been taking my holidays in the summer.

Note the use of the present tense in French in both parts of the sentence. Here is another example:

• Depuis que j'ai une maison en Corse, je passe tous mes étés là-bas.

• Since I have had a house in Corsica, I have been spending all my summers there.

Repetition helps you not only to acquire the correct pronunciation of useful phrases, but also to memorise them. If you find this kind of exercise a little monotonous, try varying the way you say each sentence by using different tones or pitches. The same phrase can be said harshly or softly, authoritatively or casually. In any case, ‘little and often’ is the key here, so you should do this type of exercise a few times until each phrase becomes familiar.

During many language courses you might take you may sometimes be asked to make oral presentations. No matter how long or short the presentation, you should follow these steps.

1. Preparing: Jot down some notes. In order to save time, you may want to use symbols such as ‘=’ (‘equals’/‘means’) or ‘→’ (direction/consequence). Notes are a personal thing and you need to experiment to find what suits you best.

2. Speaking: Always speak from your notes rather than reading out a prepared text. This will help you to speak more expressively. Remember to speak clearly, and do not rush as this increases the risk of stumbling over words. Practise a few times (perhaps in front of a mirror, as this encourages expression), then record yourself.

3. Assessing yourself: Listen to your recording and assess your speed, your delivery and the accuracy of your French. If you are not satisfied, record your presentation again

Listening ‘passively’

We have provided you with a recorded version of some of the written texts that appear in this course. You can use these as simple listening exercises. The benefit of this is that it accustoms your ear to French sounds – without too much stress.

The same can be done with the radio. If you are about to go on a car journey, do the ironing or the washing-up, use this ‘low-grade’ time to listen to French radio*. Don't worry if you don't understand everything: the point of the exercise is just to get used to the rhythm and sounds of French. In the process, you will also gradually become more familiar with some of the words and expressions that recur constantly in everyday speech.

Listening ‘actively’

There are various things you can do with the recorded texts that will help you develop your pronunciation, your spelling and your comprehension of spoken French. For example:

• as you listen, follow the text and highlight the words or phrases you find difficult to pronounce;

• listen and read the text out loud along with the recording, making sure you follow the rhythm of the sentences;

• listen to part of the recording and transcribe it, then compare your version with the original text in the book.

* France Inter can be found on 163 kHz longwave, Europe 1 on 182 kHz longwave.

If you can, make short recordings from French radio too. Then choose a short extract to work on – thirty to sixty seconds is enough to start with – and try some of the following ideas:

• jot down the main ideas covered;

• write a summary in French or in English;

• transcribe the extract;

• come back to the same extract a few weeks later to see whether your comprehension has improved.

When you are trying to work out the gender of a country in French, it helps to remember that most countries are feminine and end in ‘-e’: for example la France, la Belgique, la Turquie, l'Algérie, l'Australie.

The names of countries that are masculine are:

• the five exceptions to the above rule: le Cambodge, le Mexique, le Mozambique, le Zaïre and le Zimbabwe;

• those which do not end in ‘-e’: le Costa Rica, le Sénégal, le Pakistan, etc.;

• those which contain a masculine noun, such as état (‘state’) or pays: les États-Unis, le pays de Galles (Wales), les Pays-Bas (the Netherlands), etc.

Towns

Use à to translate ‘in’ or ‘to’ (remembering that à combines with the definite article le, which is part of some city names, to form au).

• Jean-Michel habite à Édimbourg mais il a aussi une maison à La Ciotat et une autre au Havre.

• Monique vit à Londres. Normalement elle retourne à Marseille chaque été. Mais cette année elle va au Caire.

Countries and continents

To translate ‘in’ or ‘to’:

• use en with a feminine name:

  • Ils vivent en Irlande depuis longtemps. Généralement ils vont en Écosse pour les vacances, mais cette année ils vont en Afrique.

• use en with names that are masculine singular and begin with a vowel:

  • Je suis allé(e) en Afghanistan, en Iran et en Uruguay.

• •use au (the contraction of à + le) with names that are masculine singular and begin with a consonant:

  • Philippe et sa femme partent demain au Costa Rica.

  • Ils ont habité au Canada, au Japon et au Danemark.

• •use aux (the contraction of à + les) if the name is plural:

  • Ils habitent aux États-Unis mais retournent souvent aux Antilles pour voir leurs parents.

If the word that follows en begins with a vowel sound, the ‘-n’ of en is pronounced and runs into the next word, as in en Irlande [ãnirlãd] . A sound linking two words in this way is called a ‘liaison’.

A similar thing happens with the pronunciation of aux États-Unis [ozetazyni] or aux USA, where the final ‘-x’ and ‘-s’ are pronounced [z] before the vowels ‘é’ [e] and ‘u’ [y].

Listen to the CD extracts you have worked on so far and read out their transcriptions. Make a note of those words and phrases that you find more difficult to pronounce. If you wish you could record these and listen to yourself. You could work for example on the pronunciation of some of the phrases from Extract 2:

• c'est impossible! (with the liaison, and stressing the first not the second syllable of impossible)

• c'est la meilleure époque

• j'aime mieux

As you work through the audio and video recordings, you'll hear questions asked in a variety of ways. They are described below.

1 Verb + subject (formal French)

• Êtes-vous contents de partir en Nouvelle-Zélande?

2 Est-ce que + subject + verb

• Est-ce que vous êtes contents de partir en vacances?

3 Subject + verb, with rising intonation at the end of the sentence (informal French)

Where you need to use a question word, the equivalent structures are as follows.

4 Question word + verb + subject (formal French)

• Quand prenez-vous vos vacances?

• Pourquoi pars-tu à l'étranger?

• Combien de jours de congé pouvez-vous prendre?

• Comment dit-on‘See you soon’ en français?

• À quelle heure prend-il le train?

• Où passe-t-il ses vacances?

Note that the ‘t’ in passe-t-il here has no particular meaning and is only needed when the verb ends with a vowel and the pronoun starts with a vowel too. This eases pronunciation and is a general rule for questions.

The same word order is used with the interrogative pronoun que and with qui when it is the object of the verb.

• Qui emmenez-vous à Caen?

• Que faites-vous cette année?

5 Question word + est-ce que + subject + verb (informal French) Note that est-ce que is optional here.

• Comment (est-ce que) vous dites ça en français?

• À quelle heure (est-ce que) ça commence?

• Qui (est-ce que) tu emmènes avec toi?

However, the use of est-ce que is compulsory after the interrogative pronoun que.

• Qu'est-ce que vous faites ce soir?

6 Subject + verb + question word (informal French)

• Ça commence à quelle heure?

• Cette année, vous partez où?

• Julien, tu fais quoi ce soir?

• Finalement, vous emmenez qui?

• Vous pouvez prendre combien de jours de congé par an?

Examples of how these questions sound are available below

Here are some ways in which you can increase your opportunities to practise asking questions.

• Listen to the audio or the video and note down the answers people give to the questions they are asked. Then, some time later, try to work out what the questions were. You can check against the transcripts.

• When listening to French radio, listen out for examples of questions and jot them down in your Notebook.

• Whenever you are speaking French yourself, look out for opportunities to use all forms of questions. Make sure that you use the register (formal/informal) required in the situation.