The Wider World: Holidays and Travel (b)

Transcription

Higher Still French Support Materials: Higher French Language Unit
4096
French
HIGHER
The Wider World:
Holidays and Travel (b)
Intro 1
Page (i)
Higher Still French Support Materials: Higher French Language Unit: Introduction
HIGHER STILL: HIGHER FRENCH LANGUAGE UNIT: SUPPORT MATERIALS
INTRODUCTION
1
The materials contained in these folders
These materials have been devised so as to match the specification set out in Appendix 1
(Language Content (H)) of the Higher Still Arrangements Document for Modern Languages.
Materials have been provided to cover the language required for each theme, each topic and each
topic development [as set out in the arrangements document, Appendix 1 - Language Content
(H)].
2
Rationale
The principle adopted has been to develop all language from texts, either reading texts or
listening texts. The idea behind this is that, at this stage in their learning, students will require to
extend their vocabulary and structural grasp significantly; and that the best access to language
development activities which will enable this is through target language texts. Therefore almost
all items in these materials have the following sections:
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text
comprehension exercises (sometimes with additional support for the student in accessing
the text)
translation exercises (with support for the student)
language development activities
grammar practice exercises
paired speaking exercises
discussion tasks
directed writing.
This approach has been adopted to try to ensure that language learned from reading does not
simply evaporate, but becomes embedded in the student’s own language resource through the
language development activities and then through use in the discussion and writing exercises.
In addition, it is hoped that this approach will provide support for students in preparation for the
writing tasks in the external assessment (Listening/Writing paper and Directed Writing), for the
writing requirements in the internal assessment, and for the requirements of the speaking tasks.
In the latter context the material should help to extend the range of vocabulary and the range of
expression which students can use in their performance.
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Selection of Texts
The following criteria have been used in the selection of texts:
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Intro 1
availability for use
Copyright is a very difficult area. The texts used have been selected from magazines
which provide suitable material for students at this level of learning French which
are available for use and for further copying in centres. Centres are asked to
ensure that any copyright attribution attached to a text in this collection is always
present when it is reproduced for student use.
Page (iii)
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accessibility to students at this level of language learning
For some years now there has been a drive toward the use of ‘authentic’ texts.
Unfortunately, really authentic texts are frequently inaccessible to learners of the
language. Most of the texts we have selected have been written/recorded with young
readers/listeners in mind; but those selected from French sources (all reading texts)
have often had to be amended in some way to facilitate access by the students.
A number of texts have been written specially for our purposes to a Higher Still specification. Almost all recorded texts have been recorded to a Higher Still specification.
A particular principle has been adopted in respect of the text used to develop
listening skills. It is ‘spoken’ text: none of it was scripted. The texts were recorded as
improvisations and later transcribed. The reason for this is to ensure that the text as
spoken is not ‘literary’ and represents the language as spoken by native speakers
given specific instructions about content, vocabulary range, intellectual and
conceptual difficulty, length, complexity of utterance etc.
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suitability for providing the basis of a progressively increasing and progressively more
flexible language resource.
The items have been compiled in such a way as not only to reflect the syllabus
pattern required by the Higher Still arrangements but also so as to provide students
with the vocabulary and structures necessary to tackle both the internal and the
external assessment procedures. More details about how this has been attempted
follow below.
There has also been a more general educational aim to develop students’ understanding of France and things French and to extend their horizons in terms of their
thinking skills and skills in self-expression.
It is important however that intending users of the materials understand from the
outset that each item has been devised so as to provide students with a range of
opportunities which will include:
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increasing their vocabulary
developing their mastery of the structure of the language
improving their translation skills
increasing their ability to write correctly in the language
developing their ability to speak flexibly in increasing depth about the specified
topics.
Teachers are recommended to use also a number of topical recent texts from current magazines
or Internet sources to complement the diet provided in these materials in order to give students
experience of different types of text and different types of writing and to keep cultural references
up to date.
4
Use of the materials
Although we have set out to cover all themes, topics and topic developments prescribed, there is a
significant opportunity for choice in the material provided. No group of students is likely to cover
all the passages here. Teachers should select according to their and their students’ needs.
The items are listed in the initial contents with stars against them. In principle, one star items
are perceived to be a little below the standard of the course, two star items to be at the level of the
course and three star items to be challenging for more advanced learners. The allocation of stars
is however done on the basis of the difficulty of the text. In a number of cases the working does
not match the star rating. Teachers should therefore consider both text and working carefully
when planning their programme of work.
Intro 1
Page (iv)
All the grammar items listed as required for Higher in the grid provided as Appendix B (Grammar Content) in the Arrangements Document are covered in some way in these materials. It will
be necessary for teachers to ensure that passages used provide a suitable range of such grammatical coverage.
The working of the passages assumes an approach based upon communicative language
teaching methodology. In that context, it is important that grammatical instruction emerges out
of language currently in use. Grammatical teaching points are therefore identified within the
texts, and examples used are then exploited further in the speaking, discussion and writing
exercises to try to enable students to internalise these structures. Teachers can plan coherent
coverage by consulting the Language column in the table of contents.
While providing a range of materials adapted to the needs of the Higher Still Higher French
course, it important to say that the ‘course’ itself is dependent upon interaction between teacher
and students. The materials provided have not been created as self-access materials. It is expected
that teachers will read through the reading texts with their students (or play the recorded
version), discuss them as a whole class exercise in the target language, discuss vocabulary and
grammatical difficulties as they arise, and only then proceed to the comprehension questions. In
this way students can be led to anticipate patterns of language and develop a response to material
of the same kind in listening. Given that a number of the listening passages are on related topics,
it will then be possible to exploit both the classroom discussion of the reading texts and the
listening practice with the listening texts and benefit doubly from each. The texts have been
established in their present form with this kind of approach in mind. The passages provided have
been prepared so that they will be accessible to students with the support of the teacher. They are
not intended to be tackled unseen by students in the manner of examination exercises. There will
be time in the additional 40 hours provided for the course for examination practice and tackling
of exemplar papers. The texts in these materials are geared to extending students’ language skills
over the prescribed language areas so as to prepare them for examinations. We have aimed to set
challenges for students to enable such progression.
Given that the introductory procedures outlined above have taken place, there is nonetheless a
place for asking students to complete the comprehension exercises as homework (or as in-class
activity the teacher may be teaching a small group of students for a particular purpose) - and
again, or alternatively, as revision in the period just before the course external assessment, where
time will have to be taken to revise content, vocabulary and structures relevant to the various
themes and topics prescribed.
The development of intellectual and conceptual skills has been a problem for teachers of Higher
French for many years. We have attempted in the selection of types of text and of discussion and
writing exercises to develop these in a systematic way. This has however been done on the
presupposition that the texts will be used in approximately the order in which they are printed in
the collection of materials; and that the themes will be studied in the order in which they appear
in Appendix 1 - Language Content (H) in the Arrangements Document. [Teachers may of course
tackle themes, or texts within themes, in a different order from that arranged here in accordance
with the order which they are set out in the Arrangements Document; but they will have to plan
carefully the development of the intellectual and conceptual skills of their students.]
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Use of the materials where students in the class are not all at the same level
The materials provided in this collection have been devised with classes in mind which are
preparing for Higher French only. An exemplar pack to illustrate possible approaches where
students are preparing for Higher and Intermediate 2 French is currently in preparation.
Intro 1
Page (v)
It is important to take note at this point that the support materials being prepared for Intermediate 2 French are, like those in this collection, prepared for one level only. In a sense the materials
illustrate the level of language required at that level.
It is strongly recommended that the materials in this Higher collection should be used with
groups of students who are either expected to be successful in the course or whose ability to be
successful is just a little uncertain. Students whose competence is below that would be better to
follow the course at the level below.
It is not recommended that students aiming for Higher French should follow a diet of items
prepared solely for Intermediate 2 French in order to simplify class arrangements. In effect,
students who follow a programme of Intermediate 2 materials will be prepared for Intermediate
2, not Higher. Providing different questions and more grammatical development might be
appropriate as a strategy at the introduction of each new theme. The difference between Intermediate 2 and Higher candidates is not only related to ability: it relates also to range of vocabulary
known, grammatical mastery, intellectual development and ability to conceptualise.
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Comprehension Questions
The comprehension questions in these materials have not been provided with marks. This is
because they are not examination exercises. In many cases the discussion between teacher and
students will lead to an identification of the number of marks which might have been awarded in
an assessment context.
Teachers will however easily identify the marks envisaged by checking against the answer sheets
provided for all exercises.
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Glossaries
Glossaries have not been provided in the body of these materials.
Some support in leading students towards the understanding of difficult words, or words
involving difficult concepts, has been provided. Further support is offered in the context of
translation.
This approach has been taken because students preparing for Higher
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need to learn to work out the meaning of words not known in context
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need to learn the skills required for using a dictionary
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need to learn how and how often to use the dictionary.
However, a complete set of glossaries will follow as an appendix so that teachers who require this
support for their students will have it available.
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Audit of existing materials
At an early stage in the preparation of support materials an audit of existing materials was
carried out. This will be circulated as extra information at a later date.
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Additional materials
This collection of materials has been conceived and prepared as a coherent whole. A number of
items have been prepared which were not included simply because they did not fit either the
pattern of the collection or the format as set by the arrangements document. These items will be
issued at a later date as extra items, to provide further flexibility in choice of material.
Intro 1
Page (vi)
INTRODUCTORY NOTES ON THE TEXTS
The texts and working contained in this publication are not in themselves the ‘Higher course’. That
phenomenon includes all the interaction between teacher and students, and all the additional material
the teacher will introduce into the series of lessons.
It is be clear that it will not be possible for students and teachers to work through all of the texts contained in these folders. The following notes are intended to help teachers to make informed choices
suitable to their own groups of students.
NOTE: Items marked (ø) have not been included in this pack as they are awaiting
copyright clearance.
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Lifestyles
Family, friends, society
Issues in relationships with friends/family
1
Suzanne’s Story
This is a text about a girl’s relationship with her half-sister.
The purpose of the unit of work is to give students the opportunity to practise language
relevant to this topic and especially to enable them to begin to develop their skills in the
domain of directed writing, which will be a new requirement at this stage.
2
Ces merveilleux grands-parents
This text presents points of view about the relationship between young people and their
grandparents. It also provides support towards the development of translation skills. The
unit of work aims to conclude with students expressing in writing the likes and dislikes
of others. The acquisition of the language required for this is the main purpose of the
unit of work.
3
Problèmes avec les parents, Relations de famille and Parents séparés
These items are based upon listening texts which develop vocabulary and ideas useful for
discussing family relationships.
4
Texts relating to “Les Yeux d’Antoine”
The letters and the “Journal Intime” prepared in relation to the short novel “Les Yeux
d’Antoine” are included here as possible further opportunities to develop language skills
in this area.
Rôle of the individual in the home and in society
5
Les petits enfants du siècle (ø); Mon enfance; Mondo
These three texts form a unified group. Their main purpose is to develop students’
mastery of the use of the imperfect and perfect tenses; but their content sits comfortably
with this topic.
The grammatical exploitation of the first passage emphasises one use of the imperfect
(repeated actions in the past), exploitation of the second, other uses; and exploitation of
the third, the difference in usage between the perfect and the imperfect.
Students are led through this material towards use of these structures and the vocabulary
mastered in guided extended writing.
Intro 1
Page (vii)
Systematic and rigorous work of this kind should extend mastery of the language. The
structure of the units of work is designed to help them to master - remember, retain vocabulary and structures so as to serve them in good stead when encountering unseen
material in the internal assessments and more particularly in the external end of course
assessments. Oral fluency should be powerfully assisted by the work done in tackling
coherent collections of exercises such as those provided for this group of texts.
6
La place de la femme
This text was introduced in order to provide student’s with the language resource needed
to discuss issues about women in the modern world. The text also offers good opportunities for practising the use of the conditional tense.
7
Un “papa-poule”
This text discusses how a man copes with looking after children.
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Claudine
This text is in the first place an excellent excuse for extending the students’ skill in using
certain language structures. It also provides an opportunity for students to use their
imagination and also to use fairly basic language in an imaginative context.
Advantages and disadvantages of home area
This is a group of texts aimed at developing the students’ ability, to discuss their own
home area in speaking and in writing. They are provided with vocabulary and structures
applicable to a range of contexts within this domain.
Leisure and healthy living
Leisure interests
This group of texts aims to develop the students’ existing command of vocabulary and
structures relating to leisure interests. Texts have been provided which take a different
approach from material students are likely to have studied earlier in their careers. A
number of attitudes and ideas have been incorporated to encourage classroom debate
and provide material use in assessment exercises in speech and in writing.
La meilleure télé du monde seeks to elicit views about television; Dans les
coulisses d’un jeu télévisé takes students behind the scenes in the production of a
television game show; the development of the familiar Delphine listening text seeks to
encourage the expression of a range of ideas about television, about viewing, about its
place in the students’ own lifestyle; the interview with Claude Sautet puts a different slant
on cinema; La fête du super-bowl introduces the vocabulary required for the
discussion of sport and provides an opportunity for students to develop their own
personalised vocabulary for use in the oral assessment and in writing activities. The last
item is used particularly to emphasise skills relating to the creation of written text.
Health issues
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Intro 1
La façon de manger en Ecosse; Mangez tonique; Comment rester en
pleine forme discuss issues relating to healthy eating and exercise. After studying
these texts students should be equipped to discuss and write about diet, exercise and a
balanced way of life.
Page (viii)
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2
The texts on tobacco, alcohol and drugs provide vocabulary and structures required for
the discussion of issues relating to their use or abuse.
3
Les petits maux de l’hiver leads to a solo speaking exercise in which students talk
about an illness they themselves have had.
Education and work
School/college
Critique of own school/college
The first eight passages form a series of texts leading students to be able to comment on
their own schooling and issues relating to it. An extra publication, to follow later, will
provide the means for students to complete their own progress record in French, with
support documentation prepared for them also in French.
The texts develop attitudes to school, to learning, to the classroom situation. The first two
texts although in simple French, are developed in such a way as to establish discussion
skills which will be extended as the students work through the texts which follow.
Une journée à l’école, although it appears to be about a remote location (schooling
in francophone Central Africa) nonetheless introduces a surprising number of issues
about education which are totally topical in Scotland today.
From Claudine à l’école (ø) and La dernière classe students will learn how to
express opinions about school and about the need to learn conscientiously.
Careers
Job intentions and aspirations
Eric and Etudes universitaires explain how other students have chosen their
subjects. Students are then required to write about the reasons for their own subject
choices. Students will then be equipped to begin to compile a record of their own
educational and other achievements.
Parlez-vous européen? is about why one should learn European languages for
vocational purposes.
Institutrice à Hautecloque and Catherine Lemoguen infirmière (ø) give
specific accounts of the world of work. Parole aux jeunes is designed to enable
students to talk about their own work experience in French.
Travailler en Afrique takes another approach to work issues; it provides students
with the opportunity to become acquainted with the language of CVs and letters of
application.
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The wider world
Holidays and travel
The two initial listening texts deal with the issues of family holidays and should be of
interest to students preparing for Higher.
Réviser cet été - pourquoi pas? and Vacances present a different aspect of
holidays from that used in students’ previous school careers.
Intro 1
Page (ix)
Types de vacances deals with different types of holiday (comparison of types of
holiday) as in the course specification.
The extract from Les petits enfants du siècle has been chosen for its humorous
approach to a familiar holiday situation - the family falling out during a car journey.
Tourism
The texts in this section have been put together so as to provide students with ample
opportunity to learn a range of vocabulary and idiom suitable for discussing their own
local area and areas of tourist interest within it and in the target country.
The first four texts deal with areas in France. The language used can then be reexploited
by the students to describe their own area and their views of it.
Eguisheim encourages writing in the past tense.
Franche Comté encourages discussion on types of tourist accommodation.
Besançon encourages students to talk about a town abroad.
Languedoc-Roussillon encourages students to write about particular features of an
area: and to discuss the trustworthiness of publicity materials.
It is part of the aim of this material to provide cultural background about areas of
France.
The remaining 6 texts deal with areas in Scotland. There is a variety of text-types; and a
variety of features of interest to tourists are treated.
Stirling concentrates on a historical approach.
Le ski en Ecosse discusses the advantages and disadvantages of Scotland as a skiing
centre.
La côte ouest de l’Ecosse deals with communications in isolated areas.
Le sud de la Clyde deals with weather aspects. Students write about what can be done
in good weather and what can be done in bad weather.
L’Eastend de Glasgow provides students with a set of vocabulary and structures to
allow them to discuss and write about their own local area.
Le Loch Lomond leads students to write a description in French of an area in
Scotland known to them.
Throughout this section, different skills and structures are revised with a view to the
forthcoming external course examination.
Intro 1
Page (x)
SUPPORT MATERIALS FOR HIGHER FRENCH
The enclosed documentation refers to the complete set of Support Materials prepared for Higher French.
Several texts included in the list of contents were worked on the basis of copyright clearance through the
French Embassy in its publication ‘Don’t let your Kids get ahead of you’.
Since this document dates from 1989, it was felt that individual copyright owners should be contacted
before the official publication of the materials by Higher Still.
Most copyright owners have still not replied to our letters sent some three months ago.
Consequently the items affected are being withheld from the present distribution. The list of contents
shows clearly which items are available and which are withheld, as does the set of notes on the texts.
Teachers who are in possession of exemplar copies of the embargoed texts are asked to refrain from
copying them.
They will be released for normal use as soon as clearance is provided. Should this be withheld, then new
texts covering as many as possible of the same ideas and structures will be commissioned to replace
them.
A through page numbering has been carried out. Any replacement texts will fit into the same page
numbers.
Intro 1
Page (xi)
Higher Still Development: French Higher
SUPPORT MATERIALS THEME:LIFESTYLES
Topic
Text
Skills
Family, Friends, Society
** Suzanne's Story.
Reading, Speaking, Writing – practice and
directed.
Vocabulary, structure practice –
ways of saying ‘being unwilling’.
** Ces merveilleux Grandsparents.
Reading, Speaking, Writing.
Translation, language study,
structure practice – ways of
saying ‘liking’ and ‘not liking’.
** Problèmes avec ses parents.
Listening, Speaking, Writing – answering
questions in French.
Vocabulary, transcription,
practice in condition of devoir.
** Relations de famille
Listening, Speaking, Writing – answering
questions in French
Find the French for..., leading to
structure practice
** Parents séparés
Listening, Discussion, Writing
Voc. development, avoir raison,
tort
From Unit 2 Les yeux
d'Antoine supporting texts;
relationships between siblings.
Reading, Speaking – discussion and from
notes Writing including some more extended.
Vocabulary, translation,
décider. de and se décider à,
ce qui…ce que, manquer,
sentir and se sentir, vouloir
que, bien que.
Final comprehensive speaking exercise.
* Lettres
Reading, Speaking – discussion, Writing –
practice and more
extended.
** Journal
Final comprehensive speaking exercise.
Role of individual
ø
Language
Venir, quelque chose de,
tenses of pouvoir, professions,
ne…que, demander à, dire à,
tenses of devoir, essayer de, se
souvenir de, dont, translation,
ce qui standing for clause,
depuis.
* Les petits enfants du siècle
Reading, Writing.
Imperfect tense, repeated
actions, formation.
* Mon enfance
Reading, Writing.
Imperfect, other uses.
** Mondo
Reading, Writing including extended.
Vocabulary, peut-être que,
après avoir, décider de,
commencer à, compound
adjectives of colour, ce
qui…c'est.
** La place de la femme
Listening, Writing, Discussion.
Conditional tense.
** Un “papa-poule”
Voc revision and extension.
*** Claudine
Reading, Writing including extended.
Vocabulary, pas de, essayer de,
avoir chaud et être fatigué,
s'approcher de, tenses of
devoir, non-agreement of
marron etc., sortir and lever
with avoir.
NOTE: Items marked (ø) have not been included in this pack as they are awaiting copyright clearance.
SUPPORT MATERIALS THEME:LIFESTYLES
Topic
Text
Skills
Language
Advantages/
disadvantages of home
area
** La vie dans un village
Vocabulary development
** C’est fou ce qu’on peut
changer en si peu de temps
Reading, Discussion, Writing
Vocabulary consolidation,
habitué à
** La vie à Paris
Transription
** Aberdeen vu par un couple
résident
Reading, Writing
Translation, vocabulary
development
** Les loisirs
Listening, Writing
Vocabulary, useful expressions,
structuring an essay.
** La Télévision
Listening, Writing
Vocabulary, useful expressions,
ne…ni…ni…, de after a
superlative.
** La meilleure télé du monde
Reading, Speaking, Discussion, Writing.
bon = right, depuis, avant
que, pour que.
** Dans les coulisses d’un jeu
télévisé.
Reading, Discussion, Writing.
Imperfect practice.
*** Interview avec Claude Sautet.
Reading, Speaking, Writing.
** La fête du Super Bowl.
Reading, Writing.
** L’inconnu aux yeux clairs
(adapted from Les yeux d’Antoine
– Unit 2).
Reading, Writing – including extended.
Vocabulary, ressembler à,
rendre + adj., agreement of
past participle, direct/indirect
objects, dire/demander à.
** La façon de manger en Ecosse.
Listening, Speaking, Writing, Discussion.
Transcription.
*** Mangez tonique!
Reading, Writing, Speaking.
Vocabulary development.
*** Comment rester en pleine
forme
Vocabulary and idiom
development, insister pour
que...
** Tabac. La guerre est déclarée.
Reading, Writing.
Vocabulary, translation, se
passer de.
** On peut se construire une vie
de non-fumeur.
Reading, Writing, Discussion.
Vocabulary.
*** Le problème du tabac.
Q/A in French.
** L’alcool en France et en
Ecosse.
** La Drogue.
*** Les petits maux de l’hiver.
Reading, Writing, Speaking, Talk.
Leisure and Healthy
Living: Leisure
interests
Vocabulary.
Health Issues
Vocabulary obliger de and
obliger à, aussi + inversion.
SUPPORT MATERIALS THEME:EDUCATION AND WORK
Topic
Text
Skills
Language
Critique of own
school/college
* La Discipline en France
Listening, Speaking, Discussion and Writing
Vocabulary
* Rapports avec les professeurs
Listening, Discussion and Writing
Phrases for expressing opinions
and advice on essay.
** Différences entre les lycées
écossais et français
Listening, Writing and Discussion
Profiter de, permettre à qqn de
faire, apprendre à.
* Une journée à l’école
Reading, Discussion and Writing
Some Q/A in French, verbal
structures.
Reading and Writing
Questions all in French
Extended reading, Discussion and writing
2 versions, one with questions
in French
Reading and Writing.
Vocabulary, en train de,
regarder, voir, entendre +
infinitive.
**Êtes-vous dans un bon lycée ?
Reading, Discussion, Writing and Speaking
Vocabulary
**Eric et les matières qu’il a
choisies
**Études universitaires
soit …soit and future after
quand
**Parlez-vous européen ?
Vocabulary, revision of
countries, nationalities, réussir
à and translation.
**Institutrice à Hautecloque
en/dans in time phrases à with
distances.
Reading, Speaking, Writing and Discussion
Vocabulary, Translation, verbal
structures and sur = out of
**Parole aux Jeunes
Reading, Writing and Discussion
Vocabulary, some technical
terms and expressions of
opinion
**Travailler en Afrique
Reading
ø ** Claudine à l’école
*** La dernière classe
ø **Punition
Careers, Job Intentions
and Employment
Issues
ø **Cathérine Lemoguen and
infirmiére
SUPPORT MATERIALS THEME:THE WIDER WORLD
Topic
Text
Skills
Language
Holidays and Travel
** Vacances avec les parents Marie-Hélène
Listening, Writing and Discussion
Vocabulary and Transcription
** Vacances avec les parents Pascal
Listening and Discussion
Translation points, penser à and
penser de
** Rèviser cet été - pourquoi pas?
Translation and verbs taking à
** Vacances
Reading and Writing
Vocabulary, Pluperfect,
negatives with perfect and
pluperfect, venir de, dont and
inversion after dirct speech.
** Types de vacances
Reading, Writing and Speaking
Translation and Q/A in French
Listening, Reading and Writing (directed)
Visiter, rendre visite, perfect
tenses and vocabulary
ø ** Le voyage de Géraldine
Tourism
*** Les petits enfants du siècle un voyage
Reading
** Eguisheim
Reading, Writing
Vocabulary development, use of
reflexive verbs for passive
** La Franche-Comté
Reading, Writing, Discussion
Translation, saviour=to be able
to, s’adapter à, en + pres. part.,
vocab. extension
** Besançon
Listening, Speaking
Transcription, vocab. dev.
*** La Région LanguedocRoussillon
Vocabulary development
** Stirling
Reading, Discussion
Translation, Vocabulary
Development
** Le ski en Ecosse
Listening, Writing,
ce qu... c’est..., entendre dire
que/parler de
** La côte ouest de l’Ecosse
Listening, Writing, Discussion
ce qui=which, rendre + edj.,
voc. dev.
** Le sud de la Clyde
Listenining, Discussion, Writing
Transcription
** L’Eastend de Glasgow
présente-t-il un intérêt
touristique?
Reading, Duscussion, Writing
Translation, ignorer
*** Le Loch Lomond
Vocab dev.
Higher Still French Support Materials: Higher French Language Unit: The Wider World: Holidays and Travel
The Wider World:
Holidays and Travel
Réviser cet été – pourquoi pas?
Reviser Wrksht/416
Page 416
Réviser cet été - pourquoi pas?
Travailler pendant les vacances? Non, mais vous
m’avez bien regardé? Et puis ça ne sert à
rien…Erreur! Non seulement cela peut vous être
utile, mais vous pouvez très bien vous organiser pour
travailler sans douleur, “Les Fleurs du Mal” posé
sur la serviette de plage ou un chapitre de maths
calé entre deux menthes à l’eau.
Premier juillet. Vous avez fortement envie de
balancer tous vos cours par la fenêtre…Vous vous
êtes retenu à temps. Finalement, ils ont fini au fond
d’un placard. Mais bien au fond, à l’abri. Vous vous
préparez à tout oublier devant une mer calme.
“Pour beaucoup d’élèves, les vacances marquent
une rupture définitive”, constate Michel Petit,
professeur et spécialiste des rythmes scolaires. “C’est
vrai qu’elles sont faites pour se reposer. Mais cela
ne veut pas dire qu’on ne s’intéresse plus à rien,
qu’on ne lit plus rien…Ce qu’on fait l’été peut être
utile à la rentrée.”
Tous les profs ne vous imaginent pas enfermés un
jour sur deux à réviser la grammaire allemande et
les systèmes d’équations linéaires. Mais ils
aimeraient bien que les vacances n’entraînent pas
l’arrêt total de votre activité cérébrale. Sans pâlir
sur des bouquins, il y a mille et une façons de passer
des vacances intelligentes et instructives: séjours
linguistiques, chantiers de restauration ou de
fouilles, lectures, stage d’informatique ou de
théâtre…“Bachoter ne sert à rien, dit ce professeur
d’histoire. Il vaut mieux lire quelques best-sellers.
Ou bien se familiariser avec un journal d’actualités.
Pourquoi ne pas glisser un quotidien ou un hebdo
au fond de son sac de plage plutôt qu’une BD?”
Dans les matières où vous avez des lacunes et dans
les disciplines scientifiques, il faudra bien assurer
un service minimum. “Deux heures de maths les
jours où il pleut”, propose un prof. “Prendre son
mois de juillet pour profiter de la plage, et se mettre
à relire ses cours à partir du 15 août”, dit un autre.
D’après les études les plus sérieuses, un élève perd
une partie de ses acquis scolaires au bout de six
semaines.
Entre sa troisième et sa seconde, Xavier avait acheté
un cahier de devoirs de vacances. “Je voulais faire
une page tous les jours, mais il faut une volonté
extraordinaire pour utiliser ça! Avec le soleil, les
copains…Finalement, je m’y suis mis une semaine
avant la rentrée! En maths-physique, l’arrivée en
seconde à été rude.”
Pour s’obliger à travailler, le mieux c’est de
programmer son effort: à doses modérées mais
régulières. Et en variant les plaisirs: un peu
d’anglais, un peu de physique, une pincée de
lecture. Après tout, les spécialistes ont montré que
les jeunes avaient tendance à s’ennuyer sur une
période de congé de neuf semaines…Pas vous? Ah
bon!
© Phosphore, Bayard-Presse
Reviser Wrksht/417
Page 417
Higher Still FRENCH
Stage 1: Comprehension
1.
Read the introduction to this article and answer the following questions:
(N.B. Les Fleurs du Mal is a very well-known anthology of the poetry of Charles
Baudelaire.)
a. What striking proposal is the writer of this article making for your holidays?
b. What advantage does he see in this?
c. What two suggestions does he put forward to make his proposal sans
douleur?
2.
Now read the rest of the article and answer the following:
a. What does he imagine the typical school student
i) wanting to do
and
ii) actually doing on the first of July?
Higher French: The Wider World
418
b. i) What does Michel Petit acknowledge about the nature of holidays?
ii) But what does he not think you should do?
c. What is the general desire of many teachers?
d. List the ways suggested for spending profitable holidays.
e. State two better ways of spending your time than simply swotting.
(N.B. Une BD is une bande dessinée, a comic strip).
f. i) What does one teacher suggest you do to keep your maths going?
ii) How does another think you should use your time ?
g. Relate Xavier's experience.
h. i) What suggestion is made about the best way to keep yourself working?
ii) How do you understand the use of the word plaisirs?
i. The author anticipates a lack of agreement with his last assertion.
What was this ?
Holidays and Travel
Reviser Wrksht/418
Check your answers
Higher Still FRENCH
Stage 2: Language
1.
How would you put the following phrases into English?
Use the context to help you, where necessary.
a. Non, mais vous m’avez bien regardé?
b. Et puis, ça ne sert à rien.
c. Vous avez fortement envie.
d. Enfermés un jour sur deux à réviser la grammaire allemande.
e. Sans pâlir sur les bouquins.
419
f. D’après les études les plus sérieuses.
g. Une pincée de lecture.
Discuss this work with your teacher
2.
This passage contains a number of expressions which take à before the
following infinitive:
vous vous préparez à tout oublier
se remettre à relire ses cours
pour s’obliger à travailler
les jeunes avaient une tendance à s’ennuyer
Take each of these structures in turn and write two further examples, varying the
person and the tense of the verbs.
Holidays and Travel
Reviser Wrksht/419
Show this work to your teacher
Higher Still FRENCH
Stage 3: Discussion
Que pensez-vous de cette idée de réviser pendant les vacances d’été? (Ou peut-être
pendant les vacances de Pâques?)
Etes-vous d’avis qu’il vaut mieux se reposer tout à fait avant de recommencer ses
études à la rentrée?
Etes-vous d’accord qu’un élève perd une partie de ses acquis scolaires au bout de
six semaines?
Lisez-vous de façon régulière un journal d’actualités? A votre avis, est-ce que ça
vaut la peine?
420
Trouvez-vous que les étudiants ont les vacances trop longues?
Devrait-on profiter de ce temps pour prendre un emploi?
Discutez de ces questions avec un partenaire ou dans un petit groupe.
Stage 4: Writing
1. Persuadé(e) par les arguments dans cet article, vous vous décidez à suivre
les conseils donnés.
Ecrivez votre programme.
Vous devez mentionner:
les vacances dont il s’agit
les matières que vous allez étudier et pourquoi
comment vous allez organiser votre travail
si vous allez faire un séjour linguistique, par exemple
ce que vous allez lire
combien d’heures par jour ou de jours par semaine vous allez consacrer
au travail
ce que vous allez faire pour vous distraire
2. Les vacances sont maintenant terminées.
Ecrivez un court paragraphe pour nous faire savoir comment ça s’est passé.
Holidays and Travel
Reviser Wrksht/420
Higher Still FRENCH
Answer Sheet
Stage 1
1 a.
b.
c.
that you should spend some time during the holidays studying;
it can be useful to you;
you put a poetry book on your beach towel;
you do some maths between having two cooling (mint) drinks.
2. a.
i) throw all his lesson notes out of the window;
ii) putting them all away in the foot of a cupboard (out of sight).
b.
i) that they are intended for rest;
ii) stop being interested in anything/reading anything.
c.
that you should not suspend brain activity completely.
d.
course/stay abroad to improve your languages;
restoring historical sites;
archaeological digs;
computer courses;
drama workshops.
e.
reading bestsellers;
read up on current affairs – newspapers or weekly magazines.
f.
i) two hours on rainy days;
ii) have July as a holiday, revise from mid-August.
g.
Between troisième and seconde, Xavier bought a jotter for holiday work
intended to do a page a day;
did not have the will-power;
sun, his friends…distracted him;
finally started it a week before going back to school;
found maths-physics in his new class hard-going.
h.
i) have a programme – moderate but regular amounts;
ii) it is used ironically.
i.
specialists have found that young people tend to get bored after nine weeks’
holiday.
Holidays and Travel
Reviser Wrksht/421
421
The Wider World:
Holidays and Travel
Vacances
Vacances
Holidays/Parents Wrksht/422
Page 422
Vacances
On n’avait jamais vu un été pareil dans les
collines…Tout le monde cuisait. Comme
d’habitude depuis le début des vacances, on était
tous chez Jonathan, dont les parents possèdent la
plus belle maison de Saint-Ferréol. Etalés dans de
chaises longues sur la terrasse, avec des verres
éparpillés partout, on ressemblait tout à fait aux
chouettes bandes de copains des publicités télé, sauf
pour le dynamisme et la joie de vivre. Jonathan
grattait vaguement sa guitare, Sarah bâillait, JeanLouis dormait, et moi je draguais sans conviction
Cindy l’Américaine, en pensant que de toute façon
ça ne valait pas le coup puisqu’elle devait bientôt
repartir aux Etats-Unis. Je cherchais comment on
dit en anglais “T’as de beaux yeux, tu sais” quand
Petit Bobo est arrivé sur la terrasse en braillant
“Réveillez-vous! La vogue est arrivée!”
C'était une de ces machines qui sont censées
mesurer votre force: il faut cogner dans une sorte
de punching-ball et un score s’affiche sur une
colonne de verre qui ressemble à un thermomètre
géant. Cindy a mis une pièce dans le bidule, s'est
reculée un peu, et bing!…Résultat: 42 au
thermomètre et, sur un écran vidéo, ce commentaire
flatteur: “Pas mal du tout, mon gars!”
– Mais c’est pas vrai! a gémi Jonathan, Le revoilà!
– Hé! Regardez! Regardez-moi!
Petit Bobo, c’est son petit frère Boris: un gosse tout
roux, couvert de taches de rousseur, et toujours
perché sur des patins à roulettes. Naturellement, il
veut toujours traîner avec les copains du grand frère,
et naturellement le grand frère ne peut pas supporter
le petit.
C’était Petit Bobo qui braillait dans notre dos. On a
regardé et Sarah a crié
– C'est quoi, la vogue? a demandé Cindy.
On lui a expliqué que la vogue, c’est le nom qu’on
donne dans le Sud aux fêtes foraines; elle a voulu
aller voir ça. On s’est dit: pourquoi pas? Il faisait
tellement chaud, on n’avait rien de mieux à faire…
A la vogue on a flâné un bon moment entre les
manèges. Il y avait là toute la jeunesse de SaintFerréol, et je venais de repérer dans la foule deux
Italiennes vraiment très mignonnes quand Cindy
s’est écriée “Je veux jouer!”
Vacances
Holidays/Parents Wrksht/423
- A vous! a décidé Cindy.
Nous-les-hommes, on s’est regardés avec un peu
d'inquiétude: Cindy, c’était la belle Américaine
élevée au jus d’orange et aux cornflakes. Si jamais
on faisait moins qu’elle? Mais comme elle avait déjà
remis des sous dans la machine, j’y suis allé
bravement et j'ai marqué 57 (ouf !).
– Petit Bobo…! Non!…Arrête !
Trop tard. Petit Bobo avait mis une pièce dans le
punching-ball, s’était reculé de dix mètres, et entre
deux rangs de gosses qui lui criaient des
encouragements, il patinait à toute vitesse vers la
machine, le poing déjà tout prêt…Score: 34.
Commentaire: “Bof, bof”. Bilan: un genou en sang
(à cause de l’arête de la caravane dans laquelle il
était entré), une baffe (donnée par la vieille dont il
avait déchiré la jupe en voulant éviter la caravane),
des cris, des pleurs, des hurlements. On l'a ramené
chez lui, sanglant, hurlant, pleurant. Ça a bien
meublé la fin de la journée.
Je bouqine © Bayard Presse
Page 423
Higher Still FRENCH
Vacances
1.
Read through the passage quickly and write down:
– where the first part of the story takes place;
– where the second part of the story takes place;
– a list of all the people mentioned.
2.
Read down to “la vogue est arrivée”.
a) Where are the young people spending their holidays?
b) What two phrases tell you it is extremely hot?
c) Why have they gone to Jonathan's?
424
d) The word étalés is use for things laid out on display. Why do you think the
author has used it here instead of assis or allongés?
e) What does the expression avec des verres éparpillés partout suggest
to you?
f) What distinguished this group from the happy bands of young people you
see in TV ads?
g) We read “Jonathan grattait vaguement sa guitare”. How is this different
from “Jonathan jouait de la guitare"?
h) What were i) Sarah, ii) Jean-Louis and iii) the writer doing?
i) Why is the writer proceeding “sans conviction”?
j) What news does Petit Bobo bring?
Read down to “rien de mieux à faire”.
a) Describe Petit Bobo
b) What does he like to do?
c) How do we learn that Jonathan cannot stand his wee brother?
d) Why did they decide to go to the fair?
Holidays and Travel
Holidays/Parents wrkshts/424
3.
Higher Still FRENCH
Vacances
Stage 1: Comprehension continued
4.
Read down to “ouf!”
a) What phrase tells us that the fair was busy?
b) What catches the writer's attention while he’s there?
c) What kind of machine is it that Cindy wants to try?
d) What happens when you hit the punchball?
e) When Cindy tries, what is the verdict given?
425
f) Comment on the use of the phrase “mon gars”.
g) Why are the boys a bit anxious?
h) Why does the writer say “ouf!”?
Now read to the end of the passage.
a) Describe Petit Bobo’s approach to the machine.
b) Did he make a good score?
c) Why did he get
i) his knee bleeding
and
ii) a slap on the face?
d) In what state did they take him home?
e) “Ça a bien meublé la fin de la journée” means “This filled in the latter part
of the day”. How does this comment fit in with the attitude of the young
people in the first paragraphs?
Holidays and Travel
5.
Higher Still FRENCH
Vacances
Comprehension: Answer Sheet
Some of the questions asked were factual and your answers to these will be either
right or wrong. Others asked for your opinion and you should not assume that you
are wrong if your answer is not given here. Ask your teacher about any answer you
are uncertain about.
1.
– on the terrace outside Jonathan's house;
– at the fair;
– Jonathan, his friends Sarah, Jean-Louis, the writer, and an American girl
Cindy, his brother Petit Bobo, an old lady.
2.
a) in the hills (in the South of France);
b) on n'avait jamais vu un été pareil;
tout le monde cuisait;
c) his parents have the nicest house in Saint-Ferréol;
d) it suggests that they were all sprawled out, that they were like things with
no life;
e) it suggests that there were a lot of them, that they had been laid down
anywhere, nobody had the energy to pick them up;
f) they were lacking in energy, they seemed to have no zest for life;
g) it suggests that he wasn’t really trying, was not much interested in what
he was doing;
h) i)
yawning;
ii) sleeping;
iii) trying to get off with the American girl.
i) he wasn't sure it was worth while since Cindy had to go back to the States
soon;
j) the fair has arrived.
3.
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
426
Holidays and Travel
he has red hair and freckles, is always on roller skates;
hang around with big brother's pals;
he groaned when he appeared – there he is again!
Cindy wanted to;
they had nothing better to do.
Higher Still FRENCH
Vacances
Comprehension: Answer Sheet continued
4.
a) il y avait là toute la jeunesse de Saint-Ferréol;
b) two very pretty Italian girls;
c) a machine that's supposed to measure your strength;
d) a score comes up on a glass column which looks iike a gigantic
thermometer
e) a flattering comment comes up – not bad at all, lad;
f) it's not very appropriate for a girl – obviously it is expected that boys will
want to test their strength;
427
g) they were afraid that they wouldn’t do as well as Cindy (who has been
reared on orange juice and cornflakes);
h) he is relieved that he has managed to make a better score than Cindy;
a) he went back ten metres, and, between two rows of kids who were yelling
encouragement, he skated at full speed towards the machine with his fist
raised;
b) no – the comment was “nothing special”;
c) i) he banged into the edge of a caravan;
ii) it was administered by an old lady whose skirt he had torn in his efforts
to miss the caravan;
d) shouting, crying, yelling;
e) they were bored, finding time Iying heavily on their hands.
Holidays and Travel
5.
Higher Still FRENCH
428
Vacances
Stage 2: Language Development
1.
Look at the passage and find the French for:
a) a summer like it;
b) it wasn’t worth it;
c) there he is again;
d) covered with;
e) a good while;
f) which are supposed to measure;
g) at full speed;
h) the old lady.
2.
Pluperfect Tense
Look at these sentences from the passage:
On n’avait jamais vu
We/they had never seen
Petit Bobo avait mis une pièce
Petit Bobo had put a coin
s’était reculé de dix mètres
had moved back ten metres
dans laquelle il était entré
into which he had gone
dont il avait déchiré la jupe
whose skirt he had torn
These phrases are written in the pluperfect tense, which goes a stage further
back in time than the perfect, and is usually recognised in English by the word
had. To make the perfect tense, you use the present tense of avoir or être (j’ai or je
suis) + the past participle, – to make the pluperfect tense, you use the imperfect
tense of avoir or être (j’avais or j’étais) + the past participle. Here are some further
examples:
Comme j’avais oublié mon argent, je suis rentré à pied.
As I had forgotten my money, I walked home.
Il a dit qu’il avait déjà vu le film.
He said he had already seen the film.
Holidays and Travel
Make up two sentences like the “comme” sentence above, and two which report
what someone said like the “il a dit” sentence.
Higher Still FRENCH
Vacances
Negatives with the perfect and pluperfect tenses
Look again at the phrase on n’avait jamais vu. Note that when you have a negative
(ne pas, ne rien, ne plus, ne jamais) with the perfect or the pluperfect tense, the
pas, rien, plus or jamais comes after the part of avoir or être, and before the
past participle.
Put the following into the perfect tense:
je ne joue pas de la guitare
on ne boit plus de coca
ils ne comprennent rien
tu ne manges rien
vous n'allez pas à la piscine
elle n'arrive jamais à temps
Holidays and Travel
3.
429
Higher Still FRENCH
Vacances
4.
venir de
Look at the sentence:
je venais de repérer dans la foule deux Italiennes vraiment très
mignonnes quand Cindy s’est écriée…
I had just spotted in the crowd two really very pretty Italian girls when Cindy
exclaimed…
You know that the verb venir means to come, but when the present or imperfect
tense is followed by de and an infinitive, it means have just or had just.
Here are some more examples:
Je viens de rentrer de Londres
I have just come back from London
Il vient de commencer un nouvel emploi
He has just started a new job
Nous venons d’apprendre la vérité
We have just learned the truth
Il venait d’arriver à Saint-Ferréol quand il a commencé à faire très
chaud
He had just arrived at Saint-Ferréol when it began to be very hot
Elles venaient de recevoir la lettre quand leur amie est entrée.
They had just received the letter when their friend came in.
430
Remember, it is only the present and the imperfect tenses which can be used in this
way. The present tense may be very useful in conversation and in the introduction
to a letter, but when you are telling a story in the past tense you will want to say
what someone had just done and must therefore use the imperfect tense.
Write a sentence to complete this little dialogue, using the present tense of venir.
Jonathan: Ah, te voilà, Sarah.
Sarah:
Oui, je…
Check your work with the Answer Sheet or with your teacher.
Holidays and Travel
Now write a sentence in the opening paragraph of a letter, saying you have just
done something. Now write two sentences saying you had just done something
when…
Higher Still FRENCH
Vacances
Stage 2B: Additional Language Development
1.
dont
Look at the sentences:
Jonathan dont les parents possèdent la plus belle maison de SaintFerréol.
Jonathan whose parents have the nicest house in Saint-Ferréol.
la vieille dont il avait déchiré la jupe
the old woman whose skirt he had torn
We have translated dont as whose, but it may help you to use this structure correctly
if you realise that it means of whom or of which. The rule is that after dont you
put the subject of the following part of the sentence, then the verb, then the object,
if there is one, so that here you are saying “Jonathan of whom the parents have the
nicest house” and “the old woman of whom he had torn the skirt”.
This is, of course, unnatural English and we prefer to say “whose”.
431
Remember that after dont the order is subject – verb –␣ (object).
Here are two more examples:
Une Américaine, dont je connais la soeur
An American whose sister I know
Un copain dont le frère est insupportable
A pal whose brother is unbearable
Complete the following in any way appropriate:
Holidays and Travel
Une amie française dont…
Mon prof d'anglais dont…
Les enfants dont…
La maison dont…
Higher Still FRENCH
Vacances
Stage 2B: Additional Language Development continued
2.
Inversion after direct speech
You will probably remember that after direct speech in French, you have to put the
verb before the subject when you use the phrases such as “he said”, “I asked” etc.
There are several examples of this in the passage:
Mais c'est pas vrai a gémi Jonathan
C'est quoi, la vogue? a demandé Cindy
A vous! a décidé Cindy.
This is in contrast to two examples of the “he said” type of phrase coming before
the direct speech:
432
Cindy s'est écriée “Je veux jouer!”
Sarah a crié “Petit Bobo”
If you are writing a conversation essay, or if you bring a little conversation into a
narrative essay, you must be sure to use this inversion. When writing a conversation
essay, you may, of course, set your essay out as a dialogue, simply putting the
name of the speaker at the left-hand side. The best plan is to learn some phrases
off by heart so that you have the pattern in your minds. Here are a few examples:
First of all, with a noun subject, as above:
a demandé Cindy
a dit le professeur
a répondu son copain
s’est écrié le garçon
Now with a pronoun subject:
Holidays and Travel
a-t-il demandé
ai-je dit
a-t-elle répondu
s’est-elle écriée
Higher Still FRENCH
Vacances
Stage 3: Writing
Your teacher will tell you which tasks you should do:
1. Imagine the same group of young people displaying the energy and joie
de vivre seen in TV ads. Write a short paragraph describing their activities.
NB: As this is background information, the tense, as in the passage, will be imperfect.
2. Back in the USA, Cindy writes a letter to a French friend in Paris, telling
him/her about the holidays she spent in the South of France.
3. Vous avez passé des vacances plutôt ennuyeuses. A la rentrée au collège,
vous rencontrez un copain/une copine qui, par contre, a passé des
vacances excellentes. Ecrivez votre conversation.
433
Notes:
Although you can, of course, talk about one-off incidents, as in the passage, the
relation of such incidents should not take up the whole of your essay.
Remember that both parties have to say their share.
Holidays and Travel
You can set this out as a dialogue, but if you choose to write it as a conversation
with “I said”, “he replied”, etc, you must remember the rules about inversion after
direct speech.
Vacances
Language Development: Answer Sheet
1.
a) un été pareil
b) ça ne valait pas le coup
c) le revoilà
d) couvert de
e) un bon moment
f) qui sont censées mesurer
g) à toute vitesse
434
Higher Still FRENCH
h) la vieille (note spelling)
je n'ai pas joué de la guitare
on n'a plus bu de coca
ils n'ont rien compris
tu n'as rien mangé
vous n'êtes pas allé à la piscine
elle n'est jamais arrivée à temps
Holidays and Travel
3.
The Wider World:
Holidays and Travel
Les petits enfants du siècle
– un voyage
Relations Wrksht/449
Page 449
- un voyage
On remontait dans la voiture, où le père resté
s’impatientait en regardant sa montre.
“Avec vous autres, j’arriverai jamais à tenir ma
moyenne.”
Patrick se mit à rigoler bruyamment.
“Toi je vais te laisser sur la route”, dit le père. “Je
vais te laisser sur la route tu vas voir!”
Il pensait que quitter sa belle voiture c’était un
châtiment suprême.
“Oke,” dit Patrick. “J’aime mieux être orphelin que
d’être mort.”
Comme on n’était pas encore démarrés il eut sa
gifle.
Le père avait une faiblesse pour l’aîné de ses garçons,
celui qui le continuait en somme: mais question
voiture c’était un autre homme: plein d’allant, de
dynamisme, d’autorité: ça le révélait.
“Descends,” dit-il en ouvrant la porte de droite,
devant laquelle la mère achevait de reculotter
Catherine.
“Maurice” dit la mère faiblement.
“Ça lui servira de leçon”, dit le chef de famille. “Ce
morveux. Ça lui servira de leçon, tiens.”
Sur le bord de la route, Patrick jubilait. Le père
démarra, avec difficulté parce qu’il s’etait mis dans
un tas de sable. Aussitôt commença une scène avec
la mère, qui trouvait qu’il avait été trop dur, et qui
voulait qu’on retourne. Lui ne voulait pas.
“J’en ai marre à la fin, de ce morveux. Toujours à
critiquer ce que font les autres.”
Dans le fond ça le soulageait de ne pas l’avoir à
côté de lui en train de lui faire remarquer toutes ses
conneries. Nous on les remarquait aussi mais au
moins on la bouclait. Il s’offrait une petite
récréation. Quand il eut assez profité, il se laissa
fléchir. “Il doit avoir compris maintenant,” dit-il,
et exécuta sur la route un demi-tour qu’il valait
mieux que Patrick n’ait pas vu, et il nous dit que
les vitesses dans la traction ça grinçait toujours.
Patrick n’était plus où on l’avait laissé. Plantés de
part et d’autre de la route, le père et la mère
observaient l’environ. Rien. L’angoisse s’établit. On
appela, Paaatrick! Je te l’ai dit, disait la mère, que
t’étais trop dur. Je le savais: le père ne répondait pas.
Moi les jumeaux et Nicolas, on avait trouvé un
buisson de mûres et on était dedans.
“Vous pouvez pas nous aider à chercher plutôt,
non?” J’émis l’idée qu’il s’était peut-être jeté dans
la rivière, qui coulait non loin: mais dans le fond je
n’y croyais pas. Cathy se mit à hoqueter. Je dis
qu’après tout on s’était peut-être trompés d’endroit,
est-ce qu’il y avait bien cette bâtisse, là, je ne me
souvenais pas de l’avoir vue la première fois; les
jumeaux dirent qu’ils étaient absolument sûrs
qu’elle n’y était pas, ils avaient vu un
transformateur.
On réussit à faire remonter les vieux comme ça un
bon bout de chemin, et à la fin ils ne savaient plus
rien du tout. Le père décida de prévenir les
gendarmes et les Recherches dans l’intérêt des
familles, si on peut dire dans le cas de Patrick. Et de
continuer.
“Les petits enfants du siècle” Christiane Rochefort ©Editions Bernard Grasset 1961.
Page 450
Higher Still FRENCH
Les petits enfants du siècle - un voyage
This is an account of a family’s journey to its holiday destination. The events are
related by one of the children in the family and a number of colloquial expressions
are used. Here are some of these:
tenir ma moyenne
rigoler
sa gifle
plein d’allant
ce morveux
ses conneries
on la bouclait
keep up my average (speed)
laugh
slap in the face
full of energy
brat
stupid actions
we kept our mouths shut
451
1. Read quickly through the text and:
a.
note who all the people are and how they are travelling
b.
state in 2–3 sentences what actually happens.
2. Now read as far as il eut sa gifle and answer the following questions:
a.
The family has obviously stopped for a break. The word s’impatientait
tells us about Father’s attitude. What else conveys his impatience ?
b.
Why is he impatient ?
c.
Trace the exchange between Father and Patrick:
i) Father's statement
ii) Patrick's response
iii) Father's further statement
iv) Patrick's reponse
v) Father's response
What is Father's attitude to his car ?
Holidays and Travel
d.
Higher Still FRENCH
3. Now read as far as ça grinçait toujours.
a.
What is Father's general attitude to Patrick?
b.
Why is he changed on this occasion?
c.
What does he actually do?
d.
what is:
i) the reaction of Mother?
ii) the reaction of Patrick?
e.
toujours à critiquer ce que font les autres
In fact, who did Patrick criticise?
f.
Why was Father quite pleased to have a short break from Patrick’s
company?
g.
Did the other children criticise him?
h.
When the break had lasted long enough, what did he decide to do?
i.
Two things in the story tell us how he made a mess of the manouevre.
What are they?
452
4. Now read to the end of the text.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
What shock did the family get?
As they grew anxious, what did they do?
What was Mother's contribution to the situation?
Why do you think Father said nothing?
What did the other children do meanwhile? Why did this annoy Father?
On réussit à faire remonter les vieux.
What suggestions did the children make which did not exactly help the
situation?
What shows us that Father was taking the matter seriously?
Holidays and Travel
Check your answers
Higher Still FRENCH
Now, using the answers you have given to the above questions, write short notes in
English on:
a.
the character of Father.
b.
the rôle of Mother.
c.
the attitude of the other children to Patrick’s disappearance.
Holidays and Travel
453
Higher Still FRENCH
Answer Sheet
b.
2. a.
b.
c.
d.
3. a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
4. a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
father, mother, Patrick, the writer, Catherine, Nicolas, the twins
travelling by car.
Father gets annoyed with his son Patrick, leaves him by the roadside; when
he goes back, Patrick has disappeared.
he's looking at his watch.
he's afraid of not keeping up his average speed.
i) with you lot, I'll never keep up my average speed.
ii) laughs loudly.
iii) I’ll leave you behind.
iv) I’d rather be an orphan than be dead.
v) slaps his face.
thinks that the worst punishment possible is to leave his beautiful car.
fond of him, sees him as a continuation of himself.
he's a changed man as far as his car is concerned - full of energy, dynamism,
authority.
opens the car door for Patrick to get out.
i) she tells him he's been too severe – wants him to go back.
ii) he's rejoicing.
his father.
he wasn't there to point out all the stupid things he did.
no, they noticed them, but they kept their mouths shut.
turn round and go back for him.
it was a good job Patrick did not see it; the grating of the gears.
Patrick had disappeared.
shouted his name.
repeated that father had been too harsh.
possibly he was now agreeing with Mother.
got busy eating brambles in a nearby bush; thought they should be helping
to look for Patrick.
writer suggested he had perhaps thrown himself in the river; suggested
they had come back to the wrong place; didn’t remember seeing that
building the first time; twins were absolutely sure it wasn’t there – they
had seen a transformer.
decided to inform the police and an organisation for family welfare.
Holidays and Travel
1. a.
454

The Wider World: Holidays and Travel (b)

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