Key Idea: Experiences has six lessons: free time, travel, life stories, rites of passage, customs and migration. Each lesson gives you key words, a debate to take a side in, and a short text to write.
Phrases for every lesson
- {{À mon avis… / Je pense que…|In my opinion… / I think…}}
- {{D'un côté… de l'autre côté…|On the one hand… on the other hand…}}
- {{cependant, par conséquent|however, therefore}}
Leisure & free time
- {{les loisirs, le temps libre, un passe-temps|leisure, free time, a hobby}}
- {{une activité de plein air, une sortie entre amis|an outdoor activity, an outing with friends}}
- {{s'inscrire à un club, rejoindre une équipe, s'entraîner|to join a club, to join a team, to train}}
Travel & holidays
- {{le voyage, les vacances, la destination|trip, holidays, destination}}
- {{réserver, faire sa valise, séjourner|to book, to pack, to stay}}
- {{le tourisme de masse, voyager en solo|mass tourism, to travel solo}}
Life stories
- {{un récit de vie, un souvenir d'enfance, un tournant|a life story, a childhood memory, a turning point}}
- {{réaliser son rêve, surmonter une difficulté, oser|to make your dream come true, to overcome a difficulty, to dare}}
- {{grandir, tirer une leçon, être fier/fière|to grow up, to learn a lesson, to be proud}}
Rites of passage
- {{le rite de passage, l'étape, la majorité|rite of passage, stage, coming of age}}
- {{réussir le bac, avoir le permis, le premier emploi|to pass the bac, to get your licence, the first job}}
- {{quitter le foyer, un moment inoubliable|to leave home, an unforgettable moment}}
Customs & traditions
- {{la coutume, la tradition, la fête / le carnaval|custom, tradition, festival / carnival}}
- {{le défilé, le costume, le groupe de danseurs|parade, costume, dance troupe}}
- {{le patrimoine, le savoir-faire, les racines|heritage, know-how, roots}}
Migration
- {{émigrer, immigrer, un(e) réfugié(e)|to emigrate, to immigrate, a refugee}}
- {{s'adapter, s'intégrer, le pays d'accueil|to adapt, to integrate, the host country}}
- {{la barrière de la langue, une association, un bénévole|the language barrier, an association, a volunteer}}
| Lesson | The debate |
|---|---|
| Leisure & free time | Active or team hobbies, or screen time? |
| Travel & holidays | Package holidays or travelling on your own? What does mass tourism do? |
| Life stories | Do hard times help us grow? Should you follow your passion? |
| Rites of passage | Do milestones still matter? Is there pressure to grow up? |
| Customs & traditions | Keep traditions alive, or live a modern life? Community or tourism? |
| Migration | What newcomers find hard, and how a community can welcome them. Keep your view respectful. |
Plan every text in three steps: a hook, your ideas, then a close.
A life story: which tense sets the scene and the feelings? The imparfait: «j'étais», «je rêvais».
And which tense tells the key events? The passé composé: «j'ai vu», «tout a changé».
How do you say «to pack» in French? Faire sa valise.
What is «un tournant»? A turning point in someone's life.
What does «le patrimoine» mean? Heritage.