Class activities (AQA GCSE French): Revision Notes
Class activities (Les activités scolaires)
Learning about school activities is essential for discussing your educational experiences in French. This topic covers key vocabulary for describing various school events, trips, and activities, along with important grammar for giving instructions and commands.
Key vocabulary
| French | English | Gender/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| l'activité | activity | (f) |
| le concert | concert | (m) |
| le concours | competition | (m) |
| le directeur/la directrice | headteacher | (m)/(f) |
| européen(ne) | European | adjective |
| participer à | to take part in | verb + preposition |
| la visite | visit/excursion | (f) |
| voyager | to travel | verb |
Understanding these terms will help you discuss school events, educational trips, and various activities that take place during the academic year. Many of these words are cognates (similar to English), making them easier to remember.
Cognates are words that share similar spelling and meaning between French and English. In this vocabulary list, words like "concert," "européen," and "activité" are excellent examples of cognates that can help accelerate your learning.
Grammar focus: The imperative
The imperative form is used when giving commands, instructions, or making suggestions. In French, you create imperatives by using the tu or vous form of the verb without the subject pronoun.
Formation rules
For most verbs, simply remove the subject pronoun:
- Tu finis → Finis! (Finish!)
- Vous allez → Allez! (Go!)
For -er verbs in the tu form, drop the final -s:
- Tu voyages → Voyage! (Travel!)
- Tu participes → Participe! (Take part!)
Example sentences
Exemple pratique: Using different tenses
Present tense examples:
- Je participe au concert. (I take part in the concert.)
- Nous voyageons en Europe. (We travel in Europe.)
- Tu visites le musée. (You visit the museum.)
Imperative examples:
- Participe au concours! (Take part in the competition!)
- Visitez le château! (Visit the castle!)
- Allez au théâtre! (Go to the theatre!)
Past tense examples:
- Nous avons visité un monument historique. (We visited a historical monument.)
- J'ai participé à une activité sportive. (I took part in a sports activity.)
- Ils ont voyagé à Londres. (They travelled to London.)
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Pronunciation and Usage Guidelines:
- Remember that imperatives sound more direct than in English, so context matters
- The liaison occurs with vowel sounds: nous avons (noo-za-von)
- European is pronounced "ö-ro-pay-AN" with nasal sound
- When using participer, always include à: participer à une activité
Translation exercises
French to English
- Nous avons fait une visite scolaire très intéressante la semaine dernière.
- Le directeur organise un concert européen pour tous les élèves.
English to French
- Take part in the school competition!
- We travelled to France with our headteacher.
Answers
- We did a very interesting school visit last week.
- The headteacher is organising a European concert for all the pupils.
- Participe au concours scolaire! / Participez au concours scolaire!
- Nous avons voyagé en France avec notre directeur/directrice.
Points clés à retenir:
- Class activities vocabulary includes both masculine and feminine nouns - learn the gender with each word
- The imperative is formed by dropping the subject pronoun from tu/vous forms
- For -er verbs, remove the final -s from the tu form in imperatives
- Use participer à (never just participer) when talking about taking part in activities
- Many school activity words are cognates, making them easier to memorise