6.00 Strasbourg

Strasbourg is the and main city of the Alsace region in northeastern France. Located in the region of Alsace in eastern France, it projects its long, rich, and diverse in many ways. At first glance the buildings lining the Ill (that is i l l) River reflects the influence of neighboring .

The core of Strasbourg, the Grande Île, is an island filled with museums, , industry, and markings of its past and present. Strasbourg has been under the of many groups, including Celts, Alemanni, Huns, Franks and Romans.

Its history dates back to times. Strasbourg Cathedral, Notre Dame de Strasbourg, is an example of Gothic architecture begun in the century. Completed in the 1400s it became the world’s building, surpassing the Great Pyramid of Giza. It is still known as one of the tallest churches in the world.

It is best known for its clock. The clock displays the accurate placement of the sun and moon including the eclipses. Each day at midday, the clock reveals the figures of Christ and the Apostles.

When it was completed in the 1400s German born Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in Strasbourg. This led to

the first mass production of printed including the Gutenberg Bible.

Les Ponts Couverts:

In the 13th century, Strasbourg had grown and began expanding beyond its banks. To link the island to the shores across the river and to its defense of the waterway, construction began on “les ponts couverts,” bridges.

They were built of wood with roofs covering them and on each of the four arms of the Ill river. The roofs were removed later though.

The river remains a method of

Center of Academics, Art and Architecture

Strasbourg maintains its importance as a center of academics, art, and much more. It is one of the largest on the Rhine.

It houses more than 20 institutions. Ex: the European Science Foundation, the Assemble of European , the International Institute of Rights.

6.01 Une Grande Ville: Vocabulary

Qu’est-ce qu’il y a dans une grande ville?

The vocab in this lesson is related to places in the city. Look at the picture and the pronunciation of each word. Read the sentence, say the words and sentences out loud to practice your pronunciation.

Many of these words are cognates. Notice the similarities in how they sound. This will help you remember then words when you hear them in French.

English FrenchHere is a park.

Et voici un stade pour les jeux.Here is a café. Are you hungry?

On dine bien dans ce restaurant élégant.

We study a lot in middle school.

Ce sont des étudiants dans un lycée.

Look at this pretty tree.Ces belles fleurs sont des roses.

This avenue is a street.On traverse la rivière sur on pont.

If you have a question, you ask the question.

Les étudiants traversent la rue.The tourists are arriving.

Voilà des touristes.There is a movie theater.

On entre dans le Louvre par la Pyramide.

These are some leaves.C’est un agent de police.

France is far from the United States.

La France est près de l’Espagne.

Turn right.Tournez à gauche.

Continue straight ahead.Voici mon adresse.

I live in a house.Un coin

A museum

Additional vocabulary

English FrenchTo find

FacilementWay

Pressé (e)Never mind, it doesn’t matter

In France, “Une ” is elementary school, “Un “ is middle school, and “Un ” is high school.

“Bon” and “mauvais” are two adjectives that usually go in front of the noun. Note that the feminine of “bon” is “bonne.”

Be careful when you say you are going to a place that you watch the use of “à”

Je vais au collège.

Je vais à la banque.

Je vais à l’école.

Why do we use «au ». « a la » and « a l’ » in these cases?

The preposition “à” has many meanings depending on the word following it.

“à”+ a city = in

“à” + a place = to or at

The preposition “à” is going to contract only with the articles “le” and “les”

Look at this chart:

Preposition Examplesà+ la stay the same Je vais à la banqueà+ l’ stay the same Nous allons à l’école.à+le contract to au Vous allez au collège.

à+ les contract to aux Ils vont aux magasins.

6.02 Carcassonne

Carcassonne is France’s famous walled city. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. More than three people visit Carcassonne every .

It is located in the of France. It is a one trip from Paris. You can fly, drive or enjoy the train (TGV) for most of your travels.

As you enter, you will notice the which date from the 17th

century. They are the gateway from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. You can take a or riverboat on the canal and enjoy the countryside.

The castle of Carcassonne rests high upon a above the city which makes it very to attack without the knowledge of the townspeople. It is one of the best and protected castles in Europe. The castle was a where townspeople went. You had to go through the main gates.

You can see the history of the castle in the of stone and the design of the towers and walls. You can walk the double walls. The second one was built in to show they could not be conquered. The lower you go on the wall, the older the stone is: some dating back to the .

The Romanesque capitals (pillars) are still standing. The Roman influence is still quite evident. Some of the demonstrate the classic Roman design with slits visible to shoot down enemies when Carcassonne was under attack.

Lesson: L’Heure

Start the day

1:00 PM

The verb être is used to express time in French. The form of être that you will see in time expressions is il est (It is).

Example” Quelle heure est-il? Il est une heure.

English translation : What time is it? It’s one o’clock

3:00 PM

In English, we use the expression o’clock for full hours like 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, etc. In French, we say heure(s)

Example 3:00 Il est trois heures.

4:00PM

Add these expressions to specify AM or PM:

Du matin (AM)

De l’apres midi – afternoon (PM)

Du soir – in the evening, at night (PM)

Example: 4:00 PM – Il est quatre heures de l’après-midi.

5:10 PM

Use numbers to say the minutes past the hour.

Example: 5:10 – Il est cinq heures dix.

6:15 PM

Use et quart the same way we’d say a quarter past in English. You can say the numeral quinze only when using the 24 hour clock.

Example: 6 :15- il est six heures et quart. Or il est dix-huit heures quinze.

7:30 PM

Use et demi(e) the same way we’d say a half past in English. You can say the numeral trente only when using the 24 hour clock. You would use et demi without the e at the end only with midi and minuit.

Example; 7:30 – Il est sept heures et demie.

Or il est dix-neuf heures trente.

8:40 PM

When the minutes on the clock are between 31 and 59, use moins (minus). It would be like saying it is 9 o’clock minus 20

minutes. You can say the numeral quarante only when using the 24 hour clock.

Example: 8:40 Il est neuf heures moins vingt.

Or Il est vingt heures quarante.

9:45 PM

Use moins le quart (minus the quarter). It would be like saying 10 o’clock minus the quarter. You can say the numerical quarante-cinq only when using the 24 hour clock.

Example: 9:45 il est dix heures moins le quart.

Or il est vingt et une heures quarante-cinq.

6.03 Le Transport : Vocabulaire

English FrenchTransportation

Une voiture, un automobileA bus

Une motoA bike

Un camionA mini-van

Un bateauA train

Un avionA helicopter

Un tracteurBy foot

Un taxiA sports car

Une voiture lente

When you say you are going somewhere using a mode of transportation, we use « en » in front of the form of transportation. However here are a few exceptions:

Je vais en taxi. Je vias en vélo.

Je vais à pied.

Je vais par le train.

Pronunicaition

You have learned that when a word ends in the letter “e” the consonant before it is pronounced.

You have also learned to pronounce the final consonants. “c’ “r” “f” and “l.” Other consonants may be pronounced when they are followed by words beginning with vowel sounds. This is called liason.

The sound n:

Un examen (un nexamen)

Un bon examen (un bon nexamen(

Son examen (son nexamen)

Sound of « z »

Des examens (des zexamens)

Des bons examens (des bons zexamens)

Ses examens (ses zexamens)

The adjectives « bon » and « mauvais » generally come before the . When the noun begins with a sound, pronounce the final consonant of “bon” or “mauvais.” The masculine and feminine forms will sound the same.

C’est un bon ami: c’est un bon nami

C’est un mauvais élève. Un mauvais zélève

C’est un petit hotel. C’est un petit totel.

C’est une bonne amie. C’est une bonne namie.

C’est une petite maison. (No liason)

When French numbers come before nouns, their pronumciation will depend on what you are counting. Note that the final consonants of “sept” and “neuf” are always pronounced.

Word What it sounds likeUn frère frehrUne gare Gahr

Deux theatres TayahtrTrois cartes KahrtQuatre lycees LeesayUn oncle OnklUne eglise AyglizDeux hopitaux OhpitohTrois affiches AhfishQuatre ecoles AycolDix eleves AhlehvCinq arbres AhrbrSix annees AhnaySept copains KopainHuit copines KopinsNeuf maisons MaysonsCinq feuilles FeuySix mois MwahSept amis AhmiHuit amies AhmiNeuf hotels OtelDix profs Profdix-huit copains Dis wea Kohpaindix-huit eleves Dis wheat ehlevVingt gares Vin gahrVingt aeroports Vin arayohpohr

Etudes des mots

Word families are groups of that come from a common root word. If you know the meaning of one word, you should be able to recognize others from the same . For example the word “travailler.”

So when you hear a sentence “elle aime beaucoup son travail,” you can guess that the “travail” is related to the “travailler.”

What does “travail” mean? Look at this list of unfamiliar nouns and try to give the related verbs. Can you guess what the nouns might mean?

L’arrivée

Les habitants

La demande

Le parlement

Le don

La danse

L’étude

L’entrée

6.04 Le spectacle (entertainment)

Everyone likes to talk about and make plans for what they want to do in their free time. Listen to the dialog below and see how

you would talk about themes having to do with the movies. Be sure to repeat after each speaker.

Je m’ennuie. Il n’y a rien a faire chez moi. Allons au cinéma!

Plus tard, au cinéma…

Comment est le film?

Très bon. Excellent!

Les acteurs jouent très bien leurs rôles, n’est-ce pas?

Ils sont super! Ils jouent leurs rôles très bien!

English FrenchA play

Une actriceAn actor

Un concertA female singer

Un chanteurA movie

Une chansonBoring

Heureux (heureuse)Famous/well known

Inconnu (inconnue)

Être à

We use “être à” in French to show to whom something belongs. When we use this construction, we generally see only the forms of “est” and “sont” since we are speaking about third person items.

Le vélo est à moi.

Les papiers sont à Marc.

This is an alternative way of showing possession. Both of the above sentences could have been stated like:

C’est mon vélo.

Ce sont ses papiers.

If the noun is masculine the « il » replaces it, if it is feminine, the pronoun « elle » it.

À qui le crayon? il est à moi.

À qui est la classe? Il est à nous.

6.05 Les Verbes Review

There are six basic subject pronouns : je, tu , il/elle/on, nous, vous, ils/elles

Verbs talk about activities. They are generally given in the infinitive form. (An infinitive is the basic form of the verb: to run, to walk, to eat, etc…). There are three categories of verbs:

those that end in “-er” “-ir” and “-re.” Examples Aimer, finir, vendre.

The spelling of the verbs changes depending upon the subject of the verb.

Les verbs difficiles

Some verbs do not follow a pattern and they have to be learned separately. You already know a few of these.

“etre” and “aller” are irregular verbs

Er verbs

Subject Ending ExamplesJe/j’ (I) E Je revise, je joueTu (you) Es Tu revises, tu jouesIl/elle/on (he/she) E Il revise, il joueNous (we) Ons Nous révisons, nous

jouonsVous (you) ez Vous révisez, vous

jouezIls/ells (they) Ent (which is silent Ils révisent, ils

jouent

Les verbes en –er

“Aller,” “être,” and ‘”avoir” are called irregular verbs because their present-tense forms do not follow a pattern. Regular

verbs do follow a pattern. So if you know one verb in a group, you can conjugate (change) any other verb in that group.

Most regular French verbs have an infinitive that ends in “-er.” Regarder (to look at, to watch) belongs to this group. To find the written forms of any verb like “regarder,” drop the “-er” ending of the infinitive to get the stem. Then add these written endings:-e, -es. –e. –ons, -ez, and –ent.

Singular PluralJe regarde NousTu Vous regardezIl/elle/on regarde Ils/ells

Imperative forms for the regular “-er” verbs: (tu) Regarde! (vous) Regardez! (nous) Regardons!

English FrenchTo love, to adore

AimerTo arrive

ChanterTo dance

DemanderTo detest, to hate

DonnerTo listen to

Entrer

To studyHabiter

To rentManger

To speakRentrer

To stayTourner

To workTraverser

To dinePréparer

Singular PluralJe danse Nous dansonsTu danses Vous dansezIl danse/ Elle danse/ on danse Ils dansent/elle dansent

The ones in bold all sound the same

Verb notes:

1. When you speak, all the forms and the third person plural from sound alike: they all sound like the stem. So your chances of saying the right form are pretty good. Remember not to pronounce the “-e” “-es” and “-ent” endings. Some people refer to the “-er” verbs as the

boot verb because the pronunciation pattern in in the shape of a boot.

2. Remember to drop the “e” in “je” before a : “j’arrive” or silent h “j’habite”. And remember that there is a with the subject pronouns when the verb starts with a sound: on habite, nous écoutons, vous aumez, ils adorent, ells entrent.

3. When the infinitive ends in –ger as with manger, add an “e” to the form to keep the soft “g” sound: nous mangeons.

4. When you write commands for the “-er” verbs, drop the “s” of the “tu” form just as you did with “tu vas”. Travaille! Étudie!

6.06 Les Prepositions à/De

La preposition à

You know that the preposition “à” can be the equivalent of “in,” “at,” “on,” or “to” in English.

Nous arrivons à Paris à 8H. à la gare, je parle au téléphone avec Pierre Dufour.

Nous allons à son appartement à pied.

Nous continuons à parler jusqu’à minuit.

When "à" (pronounced like the a in father) is followed by “le” or “les,” the words combine to form “au” or “aux”

(both pronounced like the o in open). There is no contraction when "à" is followed by “la” or “l’.” Here are some common expressions that contain the word "à"

À la mode

Au revoir

À lundi

Le magnétophone à cassettes (cassette recorder)

You can use a form of “être” + “à” to ask and tell to whom something belongs.

C’est à Jean-Claude

Les livres sont à Luc?

Non, ils sont au prof.

Some verbs need the preposition “à” to link them to another verb that is in the infinitive. “Continuer” is one of these:

Elle continue à travailler.

Here’s an overview of how it should be used.

Singular Plural In front of a vowel sound

Masculine au aux À l’Feminine À la Aux À l’

If you are struggling with this, visit https://www.frenchspanishonline.com/magazine/contraction-a-la-a-l-au-de-la-du-in-french/

http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tex/gr/pre2.html

La présposition de

The preposition “de” can mean “from” or “of.” “De” is also used to show to whom something belongs (possession).

Jean Perrin rentre de la ville à 6h30. Il regarde la porte de son appartement

Voilà le vélo de son frère, Paul, a cote de la porte. Paul arrive toujours chez son frère à 6h.

Il reste dans l’appartement de 6h à 9h pour regarder la télé de son frère.

La préposition de deux

When « de » is followed by « le » or « les, » the words combine to form « du » or « des. » There is no contraction when « de » is followed bu « la » or ‘l’ »

The preposition “de” usually means “from” when referring to places or time.

“De” is part of many common expressions like:

Une feuille de papier

à gauche de

When you are showing possession of something to a person, you use “de”+a person’s name.

Below is an overview of how the preposition “de” should be used.

Singular Plural In front of a vowel

Masculine du des De l’Feminine De la des De l’In the negative, all forms of “de” revert back to “de” after “pas”

J’ai un chien. Je n’ai pas de chat.

Voilà le voiture de Pierre.

C’est la motod’Eric.

6.07 La lecture

This is a great practice for listening activities! Don’t skip it!