French A1 Lesson 2

Cultural: Lyon – La Ville des Lumières

Lyon is a city full of charm, history, and incredible food! Often referred to as "la capitale de la gastronomie" (the capital of gastronomy), it is the perfect destination for food lovers.

Où est Lyon?

Lyon is located in the southeastern part of France and is the third-largest city after Paris and Marseille. The Rhône and Saône rivers run through the city, creating picturesque quays perfect for a leisurely walk.

Un Peu d'Histoire

With over 2,000 years of history, Lyon was founded by the Romans under the name Lugdunum. Today, you can visit ancient sites such as the Théâtre Romain, and imagine life during the Roman Empire.

La Gastronomie

Lyon is famous for its bouchons – traditional restaurants serving hearty, home-style meals. Here, you can enjoy dishes like:

• La Quenelle – A light dumpling made from fish or meat with a creamy Nantua sauce.
• Le Saucisson de Lyon – A renowned sausage often served with potatoes or in a stew.
• Le Gras Double – A slowly cooked tripe dish with onions and white wine.
• La Tarte à la Praline – A delightful pink tart made with pralines and almonds.

L’Art de Bien Manger: In a bouchon, meals are savored slowly with friends and family—a true celebration of French dining culture.

Lesson: Understanding the Present Simple in French

The present simple in French is constructed with a straightforward formula: Subject + Verb + Complement.

For example:

• Je mange une pomme. (I am eating an apple.)
• Tu es étudiant. (You are a student.)

Key Verbs: Être and Avoir

These essential verbs open up many possibilities. Here is how they are conjugated in the present tense:

Recall the regular -er verbs from Lesson 1. Now, let’s further explore these by conjugating and practicing with examples such as parler and chanter.

Conjugating Regular First-Group (-er) Verbs

• Je parle (I speak)
• Tu parles (You speak)
• Il/Elle parle (He/She speaks)
• Nous parlons (We speak)
• Vous parlez (You speak – formal/plural)
• Ils/Elles parlent (They speak)

Clever Tip: Mix and match these verbs with the new conjugation rules to form your own sentences!

La Famille : Les Liens Qui Nous Unissent

Learn vocabulary to talk about your family:

• Le père – the father
• La mère – the mother
• Le frère – the brother
• La sœur – the sister
• Les parents – the parents
• Le grand-père – the grandfather
• La grand-mère – the grandmother
• L’oncle – the uncle
• La tante – the aunt
• Le cousin / La cousine – the cousin (male/female)
• Les enfants – the children
• Le mari – the husband
• La femme – the wife

Use these words to form sentences such as: Ma mère est très gentille.

Vouvoiement et Tutoiement : Parler avec Respect ou Amitié

Vouvoiement involves using the formal pronoun vous for respectful, formal, or professional interactions.

Tutoiement involves using the informal pronoun tu with friends, family, or peers. It expresses closeness and familiarity.

• Comment allez-vous? (Formal: How are you?)
• Comment vas-tu? (Informal: How are you?)

When unsure, it’s always safer to start with vous.

Les Syllabes en Français : Le Secret pour Bien Prononcer

A syllable is a unit of sound. Mastering syllables is essential for clear pronunciation.

How to Divide a Word into Syllables

• Each syllable must contain one vowel sound.
• A consonant between vowels generally attaches to the second syllable.
• Divide groups of consonants appropriately (e.g., ap-pel).

Genius Tip: Clap your hands for each syllable to help you practice. For instance, “Par-is-ien” has three claps!

This practice helps you achieve the smooth, even flow of French pronunciation.

Devoirs - Homeworks

Theme 1: Les Verbes du 1er Groupe au Présent

• Conjugate the following verbs in the present tense: parler, chanter, aimer, travailler. Write 3 sentences using each verb.
• Record yourself reading:
  • Je parle avec mes amis. (I speak with my friends.)
  • Nous aimons la musique. (We love music.)
  • Ils travaillent tous les jours. (They work every day.)

  Phonetic help: parle (pahrl), aimons (eh-mohn), travaillent (trah-vah-yuh)

  Écouter l'audio

Theme 2: La Famille

• Write 5 sentences describing your family using words like le père, la mère, le frère, la sœur, les parents.
• Record yourself reading:

  "Mon père est professeur et ma mère travaille à la maison. J'ai une sœur qui est étudiante. Nous sommes une famille heureuse."

  Phonetic help: père (pehr), professeur (pro-fess-eur), heureuse (uh-ruz)

  Écouter l'audio

• Reading Practice:

  "Mon frère est plus jeune que moi. Mes parents sont très gentils. Nous avons une grande famille."

  Écouter l'audio

Theme 3: Les Syllabes en Français

• Practice breaking words into syllables (e.g., fa-mille, par-lons, pro-non-cer).
• Record yourself pronouncing:

  syllabe (see-lahb), voyelle (vwah-yell), con-so-nne

  Écouter l'audio

• Reading Practice:

  "En français, nous prononçons chaque syllabe. Les voyelles et les consonnes sont importantes pour bien parler."

  Écouter l'audio

Theme 4: Vouvoiement et Tutoiement

• Write 3 situations where you would use tu and 3 where you would use vous.
• Record yourself reading:

  "Quand je parle à un ami, j'utilise 'tu'. Quand je parle à mon professeur, j'utilise 'vous'."

  Phonetic help: ami (ah-mee), vous (voo), professeur (pro-fess-eur)

  Écouter l'audio

• Reading Practice:

  "Avec mes amis, je me tutoie toujours. Mais avec mon patron, je préfère le vouvoiement."

  Écouter l'audio

Theme 5: Understanding the Present Simple

• Conjugate être and avoir in the present tense and write 3 sentences using each verb.
• Record yourself reading:

  "Je suis étudiant. Nous avons un cours de français. Il est important d'apprendre les verbes."

  Phonetic help: suis (swee), cours (koor), verbes (vairb)

  Écouter l'audio

• Reading Practice:

  "Nous sommes en classe aujourd'hui. J'ai un livre de français. Elle a beaucoup de questions."

  Écouter l'audio

Reminder: Please review the daily vocabulary and upload your Duolingo proof before the next class!