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Introduction

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

Bonjour.

This two-week course offers you the opportunity to discuss food, your likes and dislikes as well as to shop or order food. Little by little, you will improve your ability to make more sophisticated conversations and to understand more complex language in a variety of different scenarios. You will also find out facts about France and French habits.

Each week comprises 3–4 hours of interactive activities, explanations, exercises and tips about language-learning. It’s a good idea to keep notes, either on paper in a notebook or on your preferred digital device; in any case, each week you’ll be encouraged to add to your own personal phrase book and decide how best you can go about memorising and practising key phrases and vocabulary, and there is a weekly quiz for you to practise what you’ve been learning. At the end of each week, you will have a quiz with 10 questions to revise what you have been learning.

To start with, you might want to consider how you’ll organise your studies. Learning languages is a gradual process and, if possible, it is best to spread your 3–4 hours over the week, rather than studying the equivalent of the whole week in one go. You then get the opportunity to revise vocabulary and language structures, to review quickly what you did last time and above all to practise and consolidate. For example, by listening several times to the same recording you will learn vocabulary and perfect your accent for the speaking activities.

You could also benefit from including other people (family or friends) in your discovery of the language. They might be happy to get involved and assist you in your endeavour.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

discuss food, likes and dislikes, and be able to shop for or order food
understand more sophisticated conversations and complex language in a variety of different scenarios
recognise facts about France and French habits
express likes using j’aime, j’adore, je préfère with the articles le, la, l’, les
express dislikes.

Open Centre for Languages and Cultures

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

This course has been developed from extract parts of LXF002 - Beginners French 2: bien sûr!. The Open University has launched a dedicated learning centre called The Open Centre for Languages and Cultures. OpenLearn is supporting this project and is providing extracted units of all courses on The Open Centre in our dedicated Language and cultures hub.

The Open Centre for Languages and Cultures is the exciting new home for non-accredited language and intercultural communication short courses. You can study a wide range of language and language related subjects with us anywhere in the world, in any time zone, whatever your motivation – leisure, professional development or academic.

It’s the one stop shop for engaging with languages, professional communication and intercultural dialogue.

Our short courses allow us to be agile and responsive to the needs of learners who want to be part of a global society. We offer non-accredited short courses in a range of subjects including modern languages and languages for business and the workplace. We are also leading the way in developing short courses for academic research methods and pre-sessional English with IELTS, which will be available for registration in due course.

The Open Centre for Languages and Cultures is an international leader in online language learning and intercultural communications, built on our pioneering pedagogy and research.

What makes the Open Centre different?

The OU is the leader in online learning and teaching with a heritage of more than 50 years helping students achieve their learning ambitions.
The short courses are underpinned by academic rigour and designed by native speakers experienced in producing engaging materials for online learning of languages and cultures.
The graduating nature of the courses means that learners can build up their language and skills over time.
Learners will also gain a better understanding of the culture(s) associated with the language(s) they study enabling the development of intercultural communication skills.
Learners can mix and match the short courses and study more than one course at a time.

Once this course is complete you will be directed to OpenLearn’s hub for language content where you will be able to build on your newly found language skills.

You are now ready to start Week 1.

Bonnes études ! (Enjoy your studies!)

Introduction

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

Many French people place a great deal of importance on food – as the British often resort to talking about the weather, French people will fill the conversation with what they had for dinner the night before or what they are thinking of cooking that evening. Despite the growth in supermarkets, most French people still buy their bread from a local baker, and often visit markets to stock up on fresh, locally produced, fruit, vegetables and meat. Although the pace of modern life has certainly affected how people eat, preparing food and taking time to enjoy it remain important.

This week you’ll discuss what you like to eat and drink using the verbs aimer, adorer,and préférer.

This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course LXF002 Beginners French 2: bien sûr!.

1 Food in France

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

Most regions boast an impressive diversity of dishes. From bouillabaisse (a fish soup from Provence) to choucroute (a dish of sauerkraut, sausages and pork, popular in Alsace), there are dozens of dishes and drinks to try when visiting a new region. Some regional specialities, such as foie gras or champagne, have become internationally famous.

Figure _unit2.2.1 Figure 1 Le foie gras du sud-ouest

Long description

Activity _unit2.2.1 Activity 1

Part 1

Make a list of French words for food and drinks that you already know. You can also list some of your favourite French dishes.

Example _unit2.2.1 Example:

Croissant, boeuf bourguignon

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Discussion

Among others, you may know petits pois, crêpe, croque-monsieur, foie gras, crème brûlée, crème fraîche, tartiflette, brioche, baguette…

Be careful: couscous in French usually means the whole dish (a spicy meat and vegetable stew served on steamed couscous grains).

Part 2

Now study the following shopping list and match each item to its English equivalent. You may need to use a dictionary.

Figure _unit2.2.2 Figure 2 Shopping list

Long description

Entrées:

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Viandes/poissons :

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Légumes:

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Autres:

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Desserts:

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Boissons:

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2 Discussing what you like to eat or drink

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

In this section you will discover more vocabulary related to food.

Activity _unit2.3.1 Activity 2

Claudette Dupont and her husband, Paul, have invited the Lenoirs and the Khalifes for dinner on Saturday. Claudette has made a list of what her guests and her husband like.

Look at her notes and for each name, select the item(s) that person likes in the multiple choice questions below.

Figure _unit2.3.1 Figure 3 Food likes

Long description

Key points _unit2.3.1 Vocabulaire

aime likes (from aimer)

surtout in particular

crudités (f.pl.): raw vegetables with French dressing (typically grated carrots, beetroot, tomatoes, cucumber)

aussi as well

difficile fussy

Select which item/s Ahmed likes.

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Feedback

The correct answers are: ice cream and desserts.

Select which item/s Chrystelle likes.

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Feedback

The correct answers are: vegetables and soup.

Select which item/s Benoît likes.

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Feedback

The correct answers are: fish and seafood.

Select which item/s Laura likes.

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Feedback

The correct answers are: cheese and Italian food.

Select which item/s Paul likes

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Feedback

The correct answers are: white wine and red meat.

In the notes Claudette used different ways to express what her guests and her husband like. Identify the words she uses to express liking.

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Feedback

Ahmed : aime

Chrystelle : adore

Benoît : aime ; préfère

Laure : aime

Paul : aime

Make a list of the words Claudette uses with the verb aimer.

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Feedback

beaucoup; assez; bien.

These words are adverbs: they tell us something about the verb they are used with. In this case, they tell us how strong the feeling is.

3 Definite articles – popular food and drink in France

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

Now have a go at Activity 3, which will help you to become more familiar with French vocabulary for different food and drinks. You’ll then consider definite articles in French.

Activity _unit2.4.1 Activity 3

Listen to this conversation in which French people discuss what they like to eat.

Download this audio clip.Audio player: lxf002_wk1_act_aud001.mp3

Skip transcript

Transcript

(Les Francais: à table)

(Collette)

INTERVIEWER

Qu’est-ce que vous aimez manger ?

COLETTE

J’aime les légumes, les crudités…

INTERVIEWER

Vous aimez le poisson ?

COLETTE

Le poisson, oui.

INTERVIEWER

Les moules ?

COLETTE

Les coquillages, oui, les moules, les huîtres…

INTERVIEWER

Vous aimez la cuisine italienne ?

COLETTE

Ah, j’aime beaucoup la cuisine italienne.

(Maryse)

INTERVIEWER

Qu’est-ce que vous aimez manger ?

MARYSE

J’aime la viande, le fromage, les légumes, les fruits.

INTERVIEWER

Vous aimez le poisson ?

MARYSE

J’aime le poisson.

INTERVIEWER

Vous aimez la cuisine italienne ?

MARYSE

Oui. J’aime les pâtes.

(Philippe)

INTERVIEWER:

Qu’est-ce que vous aimez manger ?

PHILIPPE

J’aime bien manger la viande, le poisson…

INTERVIEWER

Vous aimez la cuisine italienne ?

PHILIPPE:

J’aime bien la cuisine italienne : les pizzas et les pâtes, bien sûr.

(Lionel)

INTERVIEWER

Qu’est-ce que vous aimez manger ?

LIONEL

J’aime beaucoup la viande, les poissons, le poulet, les… les fruits de mer…

INTERVIEWER

Vous aimez la cuisine italienne ?

LIONEL

Oui, beaucoup, surtout les spaghetti.

End transcript

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We asked Colette, Maryse, Philippe and Lionel what they like eating using the question: Qu’est-ce que vous aimez manger ?

Listen to what they say and then answer the following questions.

Who likes fish?

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Who likes meat?

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Who likes Italian food?

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Who likes seafood?

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Who likes cheese?

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Feedback

The correct answers are:

Who likes fish? Colette Maryse Philippe Lionel

Who likes meat? Maryse Philippe Lionel

Who likes Italian food? Colette Maryse Philippe Lionel

Who likes seafood? Colette Lionel

Who likes cheese? Maryse

Box _unit2.4.1 Box 1 Understanding the gender of nouns and learning vocabulary

French nouns are either feminine or masculine in gender (shown by the letters ‘nf’ or ‘nm’ after entries in the dictionary). They are usually preceded by the definite article le, la or les (‘the’). You will have seen some examples of nouns with their articles in the shopping list.

Le poisson, le fromage (masculine)
La viande, la cuisine italienne (feminine)

If the noun starts with a vowel sound, the articles le and la become l’, for example:

L’oeuf (masculine)
L’orange, l’eau (feminine)

Nouns in the plural usually end in an ‘s’:

Les entrées
Les poissons, les viandes, les légumes
Les fromages, les desserts

When you learn a noun, it’s always a good idea to learn its gender at the same time: for example, learn le pain (masculine) or la viande (feminine) instead of pain or viande on their own.

Activity _unit2.4.2 Activity 4

Part 1

Listen to the conversation from Activity 3 again (repeated below) and fill in the gaps in the following sentences with le, la or les.

Download this audio clip.Audio player: lxf002_wk1_act_aud001.mp3

Skip transcript

Transcript

(Les Francais: à table)

(Collette)

INTERVIEWER

Qu’est-ce que vous aimez manger ?

COLETTE

J’aime les légumes, les crudités…

INTERVIEWER

Vous aimez le poisson ?

COLETTE

Le poisson, oui.

INTERVIEWER

Les moules ?

COLETTE

Les coquillages, oui, les moules, les huîtres…

INTERVIEWER

Vous aimez la cuisine italienne ?

COLETTE

Ah, j’aime beaucoup la cuisine italienne.

(Maryse)

INTERVIEWER

Qu’est-ce que vous aimez manger ?

MARYSE

J’aime la viande, le fromage, les légumes, les fruits.

INTERVIEWER

Vous aimez le poisson ?

MARYSE

J’aime le poisson.

INTERVIEWER

Vous aimez la cuisine italienne ?

MARYSE

Oui. J’aime les pâtes.

(Philippe)

INTERVIEWER:

Qu’est-ce que vous aimez manger ?

PHILIPPE

J’aime bien manger la viande, le poisson…

INTERVIEWER

Vous aimez la cuisine italienne ?

PHILIPPE:

J’aime bien la cuisine italienne : les pizzas et les pâtes, bien sûr.

(Lionel)

INTERVIEWER

Qu’est-ce que vous aimez manger ?

LIONEL

J’aime beaucoup la viande, les poissons, le poulet, les… les fruits de mer…

INTERVIEWER

Vous aimez la cuisine italienne ?

LIONEL

Oui, beaucoup, surtout les spaghetti.

End transcript

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Part 2

Listen once more to the audio and try to find out how much each person likes the food item they mention. Complete the following sentences with beaucoup or bien.

Download this audio clip.Audio player: lxf002_wk1_act_aud001.mp3

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Transcript

(Les Francais: à table)

(Collette)

INTERVIEWER

Qu’est-ce que vous aimez manger ?

COLETTE

J’aime les légumes, les crudités…

INTERVIEWER

Vous aimez le poisson ?

COLETTE

Le poisson, oui.

INTERVIEWER

Les moules ?

COLETTE

Les coquillages, oui, les moules, les huîtres…

INTERVIEWER

Vous aimez la cuisine italienne ?

COLETTE

Ah, j’aime beaucoup la cuisine italienne.

(Maryse)

INTERVIEWER

Qu’est-ce que vous aimez manger ?

MARYSE

J’aime la viande, le fromage, les légumes, les fruits.

INTERVIEWER

Vous aimez le poisson ?

MARYSE

J’aime le poisson.

INTERVIEWER

Vous aimez la cuisine italienne ?

MARYSE

Oui. J’aime les pâtes.

(Philippe)

INTERVIEWER:

Qu’est-ce que vous aimez manger ?

PHILIPPE

J’aime bien manger la viande, le poisson…

INTERVIEWER

Vous aimez la cuisine italienne ?

PHILIPPE:

J’aime bien la cuisine italienne : les pizzas et les pâtes, bien sûr.

(Lionel)

INTERVIEWER

Qu’est-ce que vous aimez manger ?

LIONEL

J’aime beaucoup la viande, les poissons, le poulet, les… les fruits de mer…

INTERVIEWER

Vous aimez la cuisine italienne ?

LIONEL

Oui, beaucoup, surtout les spaghetti.

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4 The verb aimer

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

In this section you will study the verb aimer in more detail. It might be a good idea to allocate a specific section of your language notebook to verbs.

Activity _unit2.5.1 Activity 5

You will have noticed that the verb is pronounced the same for:

J’aime
Tu aimes (the final S is not sounded)
Il / elle aime
Ils / Elles aiment (the final NT is not sounded)

But the pronunciation is different for:

Nous aimons
Vous aimez

Table _unit2.5.1 Table 1 Using pronouns with the verb aimer

Je (I) to talk about yourself	J’aime les fruits.
Tu (you) to address somebody informally	Tu aimes le fromage ?
Il (he) to replace the name of a man	Alain, il aime les desserts.
Elle (she) to replace the name of a woman	Brigitte, elle aime le fromage.
Nous (we) to replace a group including yourself	Nous aimons les glaces.
Vous (you singular) to address a person formally (You plural) to address a group of people	Laura, vous aimez le poisson ?
	Annie et Paul, vous aimez le vin ?
Ils (they) to talk about a group of males or mixed group of males and females	Marc et Paul, ils aiment le vin.
	Luc et Anne, ils aiment la viande.
Elles (they) to talk about a group of females	Julie et Louise, elles aiment la bière.

Activity _unit2.5.2 Activity 6

Revise the verb aimer with different pronouns. Drag each pronoun to the right sentence.

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5 The verb préférer

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

You’ll now practise using the verb préférer (to prefer).

Activity _unit2.6.1 Activity 7

Revise verb endings with the verb préférer (to prefer). Drag each pronoun to the correct verb.

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Feedback

The correct answers are:

Le verbe préférer

Je préfère

Tu préfères

Il / elle préfère

Nous préférons

Vous préférez

Ils / Elles préfèrent

Now practise pronouncing the verb préférer. You will notice that the written accents and the pronunciation are different according to the subject of the verb.

Je préfère - Tu préfères - Il / elle préfère - Ils / Elles préfèrent
Préférer - Nous préférons - Vous préférez

6 Talking about what you like using aimer, adorer and préférer + le/la/les

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

To express your likes, you can use several verbs: aimer, adorer or préférer.

Example _unit2.7.1

Chrystelle adore les légumes.

Benoît aime le poisson.

Il préfère les fruits de mer.

Note that you will need a definite article (le, la, l’ or les) when using the verbs of liking with a noun.

Il aime le poisson. He likes fish.
Il aime la viande. He likes meat.
Elle adore l’ananas. She loves pineapple.
J’aime les desserts. I love dessert.

You may have noticed that the verb endings of ‘adorer’ and ‘préférer’ when used with different pronouns are the same as for ‘aimer’.

Figure _unit2.7.1 Figure 4 Un marché en Guadeloupe

Long description

Beaucoup (a lot), bien (rather a lot) and assez (quite), placed after the verb aimer, are used to say how much you like things. Surtout means ‘above all’.

Activity _unit2.7.1 Activity 8

In this activity, you are going to practise the use of the definite article. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate article: le, la or les.

7 Now it’s your turn to speak

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

You will now have the opportunity to take part in a conversation.

Activity _unit2.8.1 Activity 9

Part 1

You are going to practise saying what you like and how much you like it. Listen to the question and the prompt, record your answer, play back your recording and then listen to a model answer.

Example _unit2.8.1

For example:

(You hear) Vous aimez la cuisine italienne ?

(You hear) (beaucoup)

(You say) Oui, j’aime beaucoup la cuisine italienne.

Part 2

Now practise talking about what you like. Listen to the question and the prompt, record your answer, play back your recording and then listen to a model answer given in the feedback.

Example _unit2.8.2

For example:

(You hear) Vous aimez les fruits ?

(You hear) (aimer – beaucoup – ananas)

(You say) Oui, j’aime beaucoup l’ananas.

8 Intonation

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

In conversational French you can ask a simple closed question – one which will lead to the answer oui (‘yes’) or non (‘no’) – by using the basic sentence form but changing your intonation.

Example _unit2.9.1

Vous aimez le fromage. (Statement of fact; intonation goes down at end of sentence).

Vous aimez le fromage ? (Question; intonation goes up at end of sentence).

Such sentences have the same grammatical form as a straightforward affirmative statement, but when spoken the last syllable of the utterance is said on a high pitch to convey inconclusiveness, uncertainty or enquiry, thus inviting a response. This can also be heard in unfinished statements, and in exclamations of surprise, but is most frequently used to ask general questions. Only the higher pitch of the final syllable indicates to the listener that a question is being asked.

You can also add an interrogative word at the start of the question:

Example _unit2.9.2

Qu’est-ce que vous aimez manger ? (What do you like to eat?)

The interrogative word makes it clear that the sentence is a question.

Activity _unit2.9.1 Activity 10

Listen to the recording and read the following dialogue at the same time. Pay particular attention to the intonation.

Download this audio clip.Audio player: lxf002_wk1_act_aud006.mp3

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Transcript

Vous aimez le poisson ?

Assez, oui. J’aime bien le saumon.

Et les crustacés, vous aimez aussi ?

Ah ça, oui ! J’aime beaucoup, surtout le homard. J’adore le homard !

End transcript

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Speaker 1:

Vous aimez le poisson ?

Speaker 2:

Assez, oui. J’aime bien le saumon.

Speaker 1:

Et les crustacés, vous aimez aussi ?

Speaker 2:

Ah ça, oui ! J’aime beaucoup, surtout le homard. J’adore le homard !

Figure _unit2.9.1 Figure 5 Un étalage de fruits de mer

Long description

Listen to the recording again, pause the recording and repeat each sentence trying to copy the intonation.

Key points _unit2.9.1 Vocabulaire

le saumon salmon

les crustace´s (m.pl.) shellfish

le homard lobster

Feedback

Check your pronunciation by listening to the recording and reading the dialogue out loud until you are confident.

9 This week’s quiz

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

Check what you’ve learned this week by taking the end-of-week quiz.

Week 1 quiz

Open the quiz in a new window or tab (by holding ctrl [or cmd on a Mac] when you click the link), then return here when you have done it.

10 Summary of Week 1

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

At the end of each week we’ll suggest activities you can do to consolidate what you’ve been learning, before you progress to the next week. Remember that you’ll build your language skills little by little and it’s very important for you to keep returning to vocabulary and structures you’ve been learning, as well as adding new ones.

You may have worked through the activities with ease, but how well will you remember the answers and vocabulary in two or three weeks time? Now is the time to get organised and start formalising the way you develop your language skills.

Building a language notebook

This is something you can develop week by week, which is entirely personal to you. You may find that you want to change the way you go about it as the weeks progress; don’t worry if that happens. The important thing is that you find a way to note down, each week, new vocabulary and expressions, and also tips about pronunciation, grammar, culture and communication in general that will support you as you start to learn French.

How will you do this? Whether you keep your notes on paper or digitally, it’s important to get organised. Building a language notebook using the template below may help.

Table _unit2.11.1 Table 2 Language notebook

Key phrases	Table 2 Language notebook 1, Your response 1
Pronunciation	Table 2 Language notebook 2, Your response 2
Culture	Table 2 Language notebook 3, Your response 3
Language	Table 2 Language notebook 4, Your response 4

Interactive feature not available in single page view (see it in standard view).

The best way to remember new vocabulary and key phrases is to practise. What did you score for the Week 1 Quiz? What did you find difficult? How could you manage better next time? In Week 1, you were introduced to an important point of pronunciation which should help with your listening and speaking skills.

Now you have reached the end of Week 1, reflect a little on what you have learnt. In the box below, note down what you have found easy, useful or fun, and what was more difficult.

Activity _unit2.11.1 Week 1 Reflection

What was most useful this week? Why?

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What was most difficult this week? Why?

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How am I going to practise what I learned this week?

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Introduction

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

In Week 1 you discovered some food vocabulary and how to express what you like using j’aime, j’adore, je préfère with the articles le, la, l’, les. This week you will find out how to express what you dislike.

Last week you also learned that, in French, you need to distinguish between masculine and feminine forms, and that means that you must learn each word with its gender. This week you’ll have the chance to practise this, learn more vocabulary and express your dislikes using a wider range of expressions. Finally, you will discover some French expressions related to food.

Have you got a good dictionary? You might need to refer to one for some of the activities this week, so think about how you plan to look words up when you need to. There are many online dictionaries available, or perhaps you prefer to use a printed version. Either way, find one that suits you and is reliable and accurate.

Last week you started to keep your own language notebook; this week you’ll be adding to it. In particular, we suggest you make notes on the grammar you’ll be studying and how you’re going to memorise vocabulary (we give you some tips). We will also give you advice on how to improve your speaking skills.

1 Saying what you dislike

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

In this section you’ll start to learn how to express what you dislike.

Activity _unit3.2.1 Activity 1

Part 1

In Week 1 you looked at a note Claudette had made with what her guests like to eat and drink. She has now also included her guests dislikes. Read the note in Figure 1 and identify all the words and phrases which express dislike. Write your answers in the box below.

Figure _unit3.2.1 Figure 1 Food likes and dislikes

Long description

Key points _unit3.2.1 Vocabulaire

surtout in particular

crudités (f.pl.) raw vegetables with French dressing (typically grated carrots, beetroot, tomatoes, cucumber)

aussi as well

difficile fussy

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Feedback

You should have identified:

Ahmed: n’aime pas
Chrystelle: n’aime pas du tout
Benoît: n’aime pas beaucoup
Laura: déteste
Paul: n’aime pas du tout.

Part 2

Now drag and drop the expressions to rank them in order of intensity from ‘dislike a little’, ‘dislike’, ‘strongly dislike’, to ‘hate’.

Interactive content appears here. Please visit the website to use it

2 Fast food in France

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

In France the word ‘fast-food’ can refer to quickly prepared snacks, like burgers and chips, or to the outlets which sell them. Types of ‘restauration rapide’ include the ‘sandwicherie’ or ‘cafétéria’. While ‘les fast-foods’ are increasingly popular in France, particularly with the young, many people disapprove of the food sold in them, describing it as ‘la malbouffe’ (‘junk food’).

Is fast food popular in your country? What are the different attitudes to it?

Figure _unit3.3.1 Figure 2 Fast food

Long description

Activity _unit3.3.1 Activity 2

Part 1

We asked six French people if they liked fast food. Listen to the recording and select the right answer.

Key points _unit3.3.1 Vocabulaire

J’y vais de temps en temps I go there from time to time

Download this audio clip.Audio player: lxf002_wk2_act_aud001.mp3

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Transcript

Colette

Interviewer

Vous aimez les fast-foods ?

Colette

Ah non, je déteste les fast-foods.

Francis

Interviewer

Vous aimez les fast-foods ?

Francis

J’ai horreur des fast-foods !

Maryse

Interviewer

Vous aimez les fast-foods ?

Maryse

Non, je n’aime pas les fast-foods.

Philippe

Interviewer

Vous aimez les fast-foods ?

Philippe

Oui, j’aime assez les fast-foods. J’y vais de temps en temps.

Pierre

Interviewer

Et les fast-foods, vous aimez ?

Pierre

J’ai horreur des fast-foods !

Lionel

Interviewer

Vous aimez les fast-foods ?

Lionel

J’aime beaucoup les fast-foods.

End transcript

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Colette

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Francis

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Maryse

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Philippe

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Pierre

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Lionel

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Part 2

Now listen to the recording again and find out who says what. Select the correct phrase from the options given.

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Transcript

Colette

Interviewer

Vous aimez les fast-foods ?

Colette

Ah non, je déteste les fast-foods.

Francis

Interviewer

Vous aimez les fast-foods ?

Francis

J’ai horreur des fast-foods !

Maryse

Interviewer

Vous aimez les fast-foods ?

Maryse

Non, je n’aime pas les fast-foods.

Philippe

Interviewer

Vous aimez les fast-foods ?

Philippe

Oui, j’aime assez les fast-foods. J’y vais de temps en temps.

Pierre

Interviewer

Et les fast-foods, vous aimez ?

Pierre

J’ai horreur des fast-foods !

Lionel

Interviewer

Vous aimez les fast-foods ?

Lionel

J’aime beaucoup les fast-foods.

End transcript

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Colette

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Francis

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Maryse

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Philippe

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Pierre

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Lionel

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3 Expressing the negative

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

Have a go at Activity 3. After, you’ll look at how to form the negative in French.

Activity _unit3.4.1 Activity 3

Look at these three statements from the previous activity:

Lionel : J’aime beaucoup les fast foods.
Maryse : Je n’aime pas les fast foods.
Philippe: J’aime assez les fast-foods.

What is the grammatical clue that tells you that only Maryse doesn’t like fast food?

Feedback

In Maryse’s statement the words ‘ne’ and ‘pas’ appear on either side of the verb ‘aime’.

To form the negative in French, use ne before the verb and pas after the verb (ne becomes n’ in front of a verb starting with a vowel sound):

Example _unit3.4.1

Elle n’aime pas les oignons. She doesn’t like onions.

Il n’est pas français. He is not French.

You can use ‘beaucoup’ and ‘du tout’ with ‘je n’aime pas’ to say how much you dislike something. If you use these words, they go after ‘ne ... pas’ in the sentence:

Example _unit3.4.2

Je n’aime pas du tout la viande. I don’t like meat at all.

Il n’aime pas beaucoup la cuisine nord-africaine. He doesn’t like North African food very much.

Note that in informal spoken French, people often omit the ne:

Example _unit3.4.3

Je n’habite pas en France. → J’habite pas en France. I don’t live in France.

Elle n’aime pas les sardines. → Elle aime pas les sardines. She does not like sardines.

To express your dislikes, you can also use the verbs ‘détester’ or ‘avoir horreur de’:

Example _unit3.4.4

Elle déteste les champignons. She hates mushrooms.

J’ai horreur des fast-foods ! I can’t stand fast food!

Activity _unit3.4.2 Activity 4

Answer the following questions in the negative, using whole sentences and ne/n’… pas, as shown in the examples.

Example _unit3.4.5

For example:

Il aime beaucoup le poulet ? – Non, il n’aime pas beaucoup le poulet.

Vous adorez la viande ? – Non, je n’adore pas la viande.

Question 1

Vous détestez les champignons ?

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Non, je ne déteste pas les champignons.

Question 2

Ils préfèrent le poisson ?

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Feedback

Non, ils ne préfèrent pas le poisson.

Question 3

Tu aimes les huîtres ?

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Feedback

Non, je n’aime pas les huîtres.

Question 4

Il est végétarien ?

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Feedback

Non, il n’est pas végétarien. (He is not vegetarian.)

Question 5

Vous aimez la cuisine italienne ?

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Feedback

Non, Je n’aime pas la cuisine italienne.

Question 6

Le vin est français ?

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Feedback

Non, le vin n’est pas français. Il n’est pas français.

4 Now it’s your turn to speak!

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

You will now practise what you have learnt so far in Weeks 1 and 2 by saying what you like and dislike.

Activity _unit3.5.1 Activity 5

Claudette’s son, Frédéric, is a very fussy eater (Il est difficile). There are many things he won’t eat or drink. Listen to the recording and, putting yourself in Frédéric’s shoes, answer all the questions in the negative following the prompts you hear.

Example _unit3.5.1

For example:

(You hear) Tu aimes le café, Fred ?

(You hear) (Say no, you do not like coffee.)

(You say) Non, je n’aime pas le café.

Box _unit3.5.1 Box 1 Improving your speaking skills

Keep listening out for sounds and imitating them whenever you hear them. Do as much reading out loud as you can: this helps you to memorise language and to become familiar with pronouncing the sounds. Repeat the content as many times as necessary, until you feel confident and comfortable producing the sounds. You can use the transcripts for this purpose, reading out the text while you play the tracks and imitating the speakers’ intonation, and the rise and fall in the speakers’ voices. Aim for as much exposure to spoken French and as many opportunities to speak as possible.

Activity _unit3.5.2 Activity 6

Now listen to the recording again while reading the transcript. Remember what you learnt in Week 1: use your intonation when asking questions and imitate the discussion between Claudette and her son. Try to copy the intonation for each of the questions and answers. Pause the recording as needed to repeat the phrases

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Transcript

CLAUDETTE

Tu aimes le café, Fred ?

FRÉDÉRIC

Non, je n’aime pas le café.

CLAUDETTE

Tu aimes le poisson ?

FRÉDÉRIC

Non, je déteste le poisson.

CLAUDETTE

Et la viande, tu aimes la viande ?

FRÉDÉRIC

Ah, non, je n’aime pas du tout la viande !

CLAUDETTE

Et les légumes ? Tu aimes les légumes ?

FRÉDÉRIC

Non, j’ai horreur des légumes.

CLAUDETTE

Et la glace, alors ?

FRÉDÉRIC

Non, je n’aime pas beaucoup la glace.

CLAUDETTE

Et les fruits de mer, tu aimes ça ?

FRÉDÉRIC

Non, je déteste les fruits de mer.

CLAUDETTE

Mais que tu es difficile !

End transcript

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Feedback

Check your pronunciation by listening again to the recording and repeating the phrases until you feel confident.

4.1 Speaking about your likes and dislikes

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

Now answer some questions about food and drinks based on your own likes and dislikes.

Activity _unit3.5.3 Activity 7

Part 1

First, prepare your own answers to the following questions and note them in your notebook.

Vous aimez les entrées ?
Vous aimez le poisson ?
Et les fruits de mer, Vous aimez ça ?
Et la viande, vous aimez la viande ?
Et les légumes ? Vous aimez les légumes ?
Et les desserts, alors ?

Feedback

Here are some possible answers. Of course, your answers will depend on your own likes and dislikes, but you should try to use similar expressions to those in the sample answer.

Example _unit3.5.2

Vous aimez les entrées ? Ah oui, j’aime beaucoup les entrées surtout les crudités.

Example _unit3.5.3

Vous aimez le poisson ? Oui, j’aime bien le poisson.

Example _unit3.5.4

Et les fruits de mer, Vous aimez ça ? Non je n’aime pas beaucoup les fruits de mer et je déteste les huitres.

Example _unit3.5.5

Et la viande, vous aimez la viande ? J’adore le rôti de porc.

Example _unit3.5.6

Et les légumes ? Vous aimez les légumes ? J’aime beaucoup les légumes mais j’ai horreur des épinards.

Example _unit3.5.7

Et les desserts, alors ? Ça j’adore surtout le gâteau au chocolat.

Part 2

Now listen to each of the questions and record your own answer.

Feedback

You can do this activity while reading the questions and your answers but when you feel more confident try to answer the questions without looking at your answers.

5 Writing about food likes and dislikes

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

Now you have practised speaking about your likes and dislikes, you will move on to writing about them.

Activity _unit3.6.1 Activity 8

Claudette would like to invite you to her dinner party. You need to let her know what kinds of food you like and dislike.

Part 1

First, look up in your dictionary any words you need that you don’t already know, then write them down in your notebook and learn them with their gender le, la, l’ or les.

Discussion

Here is one possible answer.

Les fruits de mer, le poisson, la glace, la truite, la viande rouge, les oignons, les fast-foods

Part 2

Using a suitable note form, indicate three things you like and three you dislike, and also how much you like/dislike each one. For example:

J’aime bien / j’aime assez (✓) J’aime beaucoup (✓✓) J’adore (✓✓✓)
Je n’aime pas (X) je n’aime pas du tout (XX) Je déteste / j’ai horreur de (XXX).

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Discussion

Here is one possible answer.

J’aime : fruits de mer (✓✓) ; poisson (✓) ; glace (✓✓✓).
Je n’aime pas : viande rouge (XX) ; oignons (XXX) ; fast-foods (XXX).

Part 3

Now expand these notes into full sentences. Write your answers in the box below:

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Discussion

Here is one possible answer.

J’aime : fruits de mer (✓✓) ; poisson (✓) ; glace (✓✓✓).
Je n’aime pas : viande rouge (XX) ; oignons (XXX) ; fast-foods (XXX).

J’aime beaucoup les fruits de mer. J’aime bien aussi le poisson, surtout la truite. J’adore la glace. Mais je n’aime pas du tout la viande rouge et je déteste les oignons. J’ai horreur des fast foods!

6 French culture

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

Many French people love to entertain and they often invite friends round for a meal. Another opportunity for socialising is the traditional apéritif, also referred to as l’apéro. L’apéritif is a national custom in France. It involves setting aside half an hour or so before a meal to share a drink (usually alcoholic), nibbles (olives, peanuts, savoury snacks, canapés, etc.) and conversation with family, friends, neighbours or colleagues.

L’apéro is enjoyed by people of all ages, and forms an important part of home life, public and private celebrations, and café and restaurant culture. The word actually refers to both the drink and the convivial moment before a meal. If you are invited out for l’apéritif, don’t expect a full meal.

Figure _unit3.7.1 Figure 3 L’apéritif

Long description

Activity _unit3.7.1 Activity 9

Food is a very important part of French culture. As such, there are many French idiomatic expressions referring to food, for example: J’ai la pêche (meaning ‘I’m on top form’, but literally tanslated to ‘I have a peach!’). Below are a few more idiomatic expressions. For each of these well-known French sayings, find the right English equivalent.

C’est pas tes oignons.

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Les carottes sont cuites.

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Tu racontes des salades.

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C’est du gâteau.

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7 This week’s quiz

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

Check what you’ve learned this week by taking the end-of-week quiz.

Week 2 quiz

Open the quiz in a new window or tab (by holding ctrl [or cmd on a Mac] when you click the link), then return here when you have done it.

8 Summary of Week 2

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

This week, your language notebook will probably contain notes about how to say what you dislike, and you may also have started building up some useful vocabulary with all the new words you’ve been learning for the different food and drinks. But remember to be a bit selective: you don’t need to remember every word you come across, just concentrate on the ones that will be important to you.

Think about the way you might group the words you learn. In your notebook you may prefer to keep verbs (you learned the verbs aimer and préférer last week), nouns (naming words like le pain) and adjectives (like italienne, petit for example) in separate sections. Or you might have a section for useful phrases (J’ai horreur des champignons).

You should now consider how you’ll remember vocabulary and find your favorite and most effective way of doing this. It takes practice and repetition to learn a language, and in order to remember vocabulary, French expressions and structures you’ll need to revise frequently and regularly.

One good way for you to remember vocabulary is through the listening activities. When you listen, repeat a phrase such as Je n’aime pas du tout les petits pois. You are not only remembering the vocabulary but you’re also practising the pronunciation, and this is a very good way to build up your vocabulary. By doing the pronunciation activities, you’re also adding to your bank of vocabulary and expressions. So, don’t just write everything down but record yourself speaking and build your listening skills. You can also improve your intonation by varying your pitch when you imitate the voices of the speakers in the recordings.

Before you move on, take some time to check that your language notebook is up-to-date, and reflect a little on what you’ve been doing this week.

Activity _unit3.9.1 Week 2 Reflection

What was most useful this week? Why?

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What was most difficult this week? Why?

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How am I going to practise what I learned this week?

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This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University badged course LXF002 - Beginners French 2: bien sûr!.

Next steps

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

Learning French will take you on a fascinating journey as you learn about the language, and the society and culture of the people who speak it. We hope that you’ll continue your French studies with the Open University on our Beginners French courses:

Or continue your learning adventure on OpenLearn with our free courses in our Language and Cultures Hub.

But whatever you decide to do, we wish you Bonne continuation et bonne chance !

Acknowledgements

The Open University — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:44:37 GMT

This free course was first published in February 2021.

Except for third party materials and otherwise stated (see terms and conditions), this content is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Licence.

The material acknowledged below and within the course is Proprietary and used under licence (not subject to Creative Commons Licence). Grateful acknowledgement is made to the following sources for permission to reproduce material in this free course:

Images

Introduction

Course image: Photo by Silvia Trigo from Pexels

Week 1

Section 1, Figure 1: GitoTrevisan / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Section 6, Figure 4: Marina113 / iStock Editorial / Getty Images Plus

Section 8, Figure 5: Panama7 / iStock / Getty Images Plus

Week 2

Section 2, Figure 2: Rrrainbow / iStock / Getty Images

Section 6, Figure 3: Mathia Coco /iStock / Getty Images Plus

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