Good Learning Co.
SavannahYear 8
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LanguagesEveryday conversation in French20 min★★ difficulty

Talking about hobbies and free time

Talking about what you enjoy is one of the most natural ways to keep a conversation going in French — and it uses a verb you will meet constantly.

Part of your national curriculum
  • Speaking: Initiate and develop conversations, coping with unfamiliar language and unexpected responses

Lesson overview

What you'll learn in this lesson

Initiate and develop conversations, coping with unfamiliar language and unexpected responses

Key learning points

  • • The verb 'aimer' (to like)
  • • Talking about frequency
  • • Coping with the unexpected

This lesson at a glance

  • 20 minutes
  • 14 parts to scroll through
  • 3 quick checks
  • Marked quiz at the end
  • Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses

Words to know

initiateconversationscopingunfamiliarlanguage

Scroll down — the lesson carries on below

Part 1 of 14 · Discover7%
1

Watch & discover

Part 1 of 14

Watch first

Talking about hobbies and free time

An English teaching video on this topic from Easy French. Watch it, then scroll down for the lesson.

In a nutshell

Initiate and develop conversations, coping with unfamiliar language and unexpected responses

2

Learning cycle

Part 2 of 14

Learning cycle 1 of 2

Part 1 · The verb 'aimer' (to like)

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

3

Explore the idea

Part 3 of 14

Learn

The verb 'aimer' (to like)

'J'aime le foot' (I like football), 'Je n'aime pas les devoirs' (I don't like homework), and 'J'adore la musique' (I love music) all follow the same pattern: subject + verb + article + noun. Notice French almost always keeps the article ('le', 'la', 'les') before the noun, unlike English.

4

Explore the idea

Part 4 of 14

Learn

Talking about frequency

Adding time words makes your French richer: 'souvent' (often), 'de temps en temps' (from time to time), 'le weekend' (at the weekend), and 'tous les jours' (every day). For example, 'Je joue au foot le weekend' means 'I play football at the weekend'.

5

Quick check

Part 5 of 14

Quick check

What does 'J'adore la musique' mean?

6

Reset break

Part 6 of 14

Pause

That's sitting 1 of 2 done

Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.

Stop here for now
7

Quick check

Part 7 of 14

Quick check

How would you say 'I play football at the weekend'?

8

Learning cycle

Part 8 of 14

Learning cycle 2 of 2

Part 2 · Coping with the unexpected

A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.

9

Explore the idea

Part 9 of 14

Learn

Coping with the unexpected

Real conversations don't go exactly as planned. Useful survival phrases include 'Pardon?' (Sorry, what?), 'Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît?' (Can you repeat, please?) and 'Je ne comprends pas' (I don't understand) — these keep a conversation going instead of stalling it.

10

Quick check

Part 10 of 14

Quick check

What should you say if you don't understand something in French?

11

Challenge round

Part 11 of 14

Game · Sort it

Which of these are true?

Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.

True

Not true

12

Challenge round

Part 12 of 14

Game · Fill the gaps

Finish the sentences

Choose the word that belongs in each gap.

Real ____ don't go exactly as planned.

13

Mastery quiz

Part 13 of 14

Marked quiz

End of lesson quiz: Talking about hobbies and free time

4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.

  1. 1. A stranger answers your question with a word you do not know. The best repair phrase is...

  2. 2. What does 'J'adore la musique' mean?

  3. 3. How would you say 'I play football at the weekend'?

  4. 4. What should you say if you don't understand something in French?

14

Lesson round-up

Part 14 of 14

Lesson round-up

Ready when you are

Quiz score

Not sat

Games

Not played

Points this lesson

0

Best run

0 in a row

Luna: 0 out of 3 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?

Ask Luna

Do the work

Your written work for this lesson

This is the part you'd do in your book at school. Pick the pieces below, write here or on paper, and photograph anything you draw or work out.

Extract

Une journée à Lyon

Samedi matin, je me lève à sept heures et demie. Je prends le petit déjeuner avec ma sœur — du pain, du beurre et un chocolat chaud. Ensuite, nous prenons le bus jusqu'au centre-ville.

J'aime beaucoup Lyon parce qu'il y a un grand marché près du fleuve. Ma sœur préfère les magasins, mais moi, je préfère le marché : c'est moins cher et c'est plus intéressant. À midi, nous mangeons un sandwich au parc.

L'après-midi, il commence à pleuvoir, alors nous rentrons à la maison en tram. Le soir, je fais mes devoirs et je regarde un film avec mes parents.

Original text written for Good Learning Co.

Reading questions

  1. In English, say what the writer does in the morning, at midday and in the evening.
  2. Find the phrases that give an opinion and a reason, and copy them out.
  3. Write 8–10 sentences about your own Saturday, using at least three phrases from the text.

  • Written practice

    Writing

    Write the sentences out in the language, then translate them back into English.

    8–10 sentences

  • Vocabulary page

    Working out

    Copy the new words, cover them, and test yourself. Note the ones you keep missing.

    15 words

Saved as you type.

Part 1 of 14 · Watch & discover

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    Initiate and develop conversations, coping with unfamiliar language and unexpected responses

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