Lesson 15: Holidays – Bastille Day (14 juillet) & Noël; Advanced Notions
Review: Lessons 9 & 10 Recap
In Lesson 9, you learned about the enchanting castles of the Loire Valley and the cultural legacy of Nantes, including key vocabulary like château (castle) and grammar notions such as the passé simple. In Lesson 10, you reviewed Occitanie and practiced tenses, regional vocabulary, and exam techniques. Refresh your memory with the quiz below!
Interactive Quiz
Theme: Holidays in France – Bastille Day & Noël
French holidays are celebrated with passion and tradition. On Bastille Day (14 juillet), France commemorates the storming of the Bastille (prison) in 1789—a symbol of liberty and revolution. Festivities include military parades, fireworks, and public dances. In contrast, Noël (Christmas) in France is a blend of religious tradition and festive family gatherings, featuring midnight mass, Christmas markets, and special holiday meals.
For example, a formal dinner might begin with an apéritif (aperitif) and end with a digestif (digestif) to aid digestion, showcasing both refined and casual approaches.
Notions: Advanced Teaching Language Notions
In this lesson, you will also learn and prepare to teach several key language notions:
- Vocabulaire of Weather: Basic terms such as le soleil (sun), la pluie (rain), and le froid (cold).
- Asking for Help: Useful phrases like Où est…? (Where is…?) and Comment aller à…? (How to get to…?).
- Filling Online Forms in French: Practice vocabulary and phrases for online tasks, for example, "Veuillez remplir le formulaire (please fill in the form)."
Mini‑Lesson Instruction: Prepare a mini‑lesson where you explain these notions. Use your previous resources (from Lesson 7 and 8) and create a PDF exercise on:
- Describing the weather (le soleil, la pluie, le froid),
- Asking for help (Où est…?, Comment aller à…?), and
- Filling an online form in French.
During our next class, you will teach these concepts to me. Make sure to explain every term clearly; for instance, if you mention "the bed" and the student learned le lit (bed), use that form to reinforce learning.