School (Junior Cert French): Revision Notes
School
- L'école primaire - primary school - from age 6 to 10.
- Le collège - secondary school - from 11 to 15.
- Le lycée - secondary school - from 15 to 18
| Français | English |
|---|---|
| l'école maternelle | nursery school |
| l'école primaire (6-11 ans) | primary school (6-11 years) |
| le collège (11-15 ans) | secondary school (Junior) |
| le lycée (15-18 ans) | secondary school (Senior) |
| l'université | college/university |
| (non-)obligatoire | (non-) mandatory |
| les examens | exams |
| le brevet | school exam (equivalent to Junior Cert) |
| le baccalauréat (le bac) | school exam (equivalent to Leaving Cert) |
| un(e) enseignant(e) | teacher |
| le/la maître(-tresse) | kindergarten teacher (m/f) |
| un(e) instituteur(-trice) | primary school teacher (m/f) |
| le/la professeur(e) | secondary school teacher |
| les examens blancs | mock exams |
| l'internat (m) | boarding school |
| les devoirs | homework |
| l'emploi du temps (m) | timetable |
| la note | mark |
| le résultat | result |
| la pression | pressure |
| le trimestre | term |
| la rentrée | return to school |
| la récré(ation) | break |
| le tableau | board |
School Facilities
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le gymnase bien équipé | a well-equipped gym |
| le laboratoire de science | a science laboratory |
| le laboratoire de langues | a language laboratory |
| la cantine | a canteen |
| la bibliothèque | a library |
| le terrain de sport | a sports field |
| le court de tennis | a tennis court |
| le petit magasin | a small store |
| la salle de spectacle | an auditorium |
| la chapelle | a chapel |
| l'infirmerie | an infirmary |
| la salle audiovisuelle | an audiovisual room |
| la salle d'ordinateurs | a computer room |
| les vestiaires | changing rooms |
| les douches | showers |
| les installations scolaires | school facilities |
Key Verbs for Discussing School
| French | English |
|---|---|
| apprendre | to learn |
| demander | to ask |
| comprendre | to understand |
| discuter | to discuss |
| distribuer | to give out |
| faire attention | to pay attention |
| lire | to read |
| oublier | to forget |
| répéter | to repeat |
| réussir un examen | to pass an exam |
| passer un examen | to sit an exam |
| savoir | to know |
| trouver | to find |
| penser | to think |
| étudier | to study |
False Friend - "Passer un examen" "Passer un examen" is a common false friend in French. Many students mistakenly believe it means to pass an exam, but it actually means to sit or to take an exam.
- Correct Usage:
- Je vais passer un examen demain. (I am going to take an exam tomorrow.)
- To say to pass an exam in French:
- Use "réussir un examen"
- J'ai réussi mon examen! (I passed my exam!)
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un store | a window blind |
| un vidéo-projecteur | a video projector |
| un écran | a screen |
| un globe-terrestre | a globe |
| une horloge | a clock |
| une enceinte | a speaker |
| un panneau d'affichage | a bulletin board |
| un tableau | a board (blackboard) |
| une équerre | a set square |
| un classeur | a binder |
| une bibliothèque | a bookshelf/library |
| une étagère | a shelf |
| une plante | a plant |
| un livre | a book |
| un bureau | a desk |
| une chaise | a chair |
| une table | a table |
| un sac à dos | a backpack |
| un cahier | a notebook |
| un crayon | a pencil |
| une feuille de papier | a sheet of paper |
| French | English |
|---|---|
| la gomme | eraser |
| le taille-crayon | pencil sharpener |
| la règle | ruler |
| la craie | chalk |
| le marqueur | marker |
| la trousse | pencil case |
| le stylo | pen |
| le projecteur | projector |
| l'ordinateur (m) | computer |
| les ciseaux (m) | scissors |
| la colle | glue |
| le papier | paper |
| la poubelle | bin |
Parler de votre école
- Mon école s'appelle... (My school is called....)
- Il y a environ 500 élèves dans mon école. (There are about 500 students in my school.)
- Les cours commencent à 8h30 et finissent à 15h30. (Lessons start at 8:30 and finish at 15:30.)
Grammar Point: Asking Questions When asking questions in French, keep these key points in mind:
-
"Où" is used to ask where something is: Où est la bibliothèque? (Where is the library?)
-
"À quelle heure" is used to ask what time something starts: À quelle heure commencent les cours? (What time do classes start?)
-
"Quel/Quelle/Quels/Quelles" are used to ask which or what about a specific noun. These must agree in gender and number with the noun:
- Quel (masculine singular) - Quel sport préfères-tu? (Which sport do you prefer?)
- Quelle (feminine singular) - Quelle matière aimes-tu? (Which subject do you like?)
- Quels (masculine plural) - Quels livres lis-tu? (Which books are you reading?)
- Quelles (feminine plural) - Quelles matières préfères-tu? (Which subjects do you prefer? For a detailed explanation on how to ask questions in French, check out our notes on "Asking Questions"!
Parlez-moi un peu de votre école. (Tell me a bit about your school.)
Mon école s'appelle Lycée Jean Moulin. Elle est assez grande et il y a environ 800 élèves. L'école a beaucoup d'installations. Il y a un gymnase bien équipé, une grande bibliothèque, et un terrain de sport. Les salles de classe sont modernes, avec des ordinateurs et des tableaux interactifs. Il y a aussi une cantine où nous déjeunons tous les jours. Ce que j'aime le plus, c'est la salle d'informatique parce que j'adore travailler sur les ordinateurs. Cependant, il n'y a pas de piscine, ce qui est dommage car j'aime beaucoup nager. Si j'étais le directeur, j'améliorerais les installations sportives et j'ajouterais une piscine. Je ferais aussi en sorte que tous les élèves aient accès à des ordinateurs portables.
My school is called Lycée Jean Moulin. It is quite large and there are about 800 students. The school has many facilities. There is a well-equipped gym, a large library, and a sports field. The classrooms are modern, with computers and interactive whiteboards. There is also a canteen where we have lunch every day. What I like most is the computer room because I love working on computers. However, there is no swimming pool, which is a shame because I really enjoy swimming. If I were the principal, I would improve the sports facilities and add a swimming pool. I would also make sure that all students have access to laptops.
Grammar Point: Use of the Conditional
- "Si j'étais le directeur, j'améliorerais..." (If I were the principal, I would improve...)
- "Je ferais aussi en sorte que..." (I would also make sure that...) The conditional tense ("j'améliorerais", "j'ajouterais", "je ferais") is used here to express hypothetical actions. Using the conditional tense is impressive to examiners as it shows a more advanced level of proficiency in French.