Loisirs, météo et projets
Chapter Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Name common leisure activities and describe the weather using set expressions.
- Use on to talk about people in general or to mean "we" in ordinary conversation.
- Form simple near-future plans using aller plus the infinitive, with familiar models.
- Extend a simple invitation, and accept or politely decline using set formulas.
- Understand and produce a short, guided conversation about weekend plans.
- Recognize and reproduce selected liaison and enchaînement patterns in a small set of verified phrases, and continue to control nasal vowels already introduced in earlier chapters.
- Recycle vocabulary and grammar from Units I and II, and from Chapter 11, while communicating about a new domain.
Communication Scenario
It is Friday afternoon, and Léa is messaging her friend Marc to plan the weekend. Saturday looks sunny, so they decide to go hiking and invite their friend Amina. Amina cannot join in the morning because she is working, so the group agrees on a new time and place. This chapter continues Unit III, Dans la communauté, by giving you the tools to talk about leisure time, the weather, and simple weekend plans.
- Learn key vocabulary for leisure activities and weather.
- Use on to talk about people in general and among friends.
- Talk about simple near-future plans with aller plus the infinitive.
- Extend, accept, and decline a simple invitation.
Core Vocabulary
The following vocabulary supports talking about leisure, weather, and plans. Nouns are listed with their article and gender; verbs are listed in the infinitive. Each table below is limited to Chapter 12 productive and formulaic content.
| French | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| faire une randonnée | to go hiking | faire + activity, recycled from Chapter 4 |
| jouer au foot / au tennis | to play soccer / tennis | jouer à + sport, with contraction |
| se promener | to go for a walk | reflexive; recycled pattern from Chapter 7 |
| retrouver des amis | to meet up with friends | regular -er verb |
| aller au parc | to go to the park | le parc, masculine |
| aller au cinéma | to go to the movie theater | le cinéma, masculine |
| le week-end | the weekend | masculine; borrowed spelling, hyphenated |
Formulaic activity expression: voir un film ("to see a film") is taught as one fixed phrase, always used exactly this way in this chapter. The conjugation of voir in other forms is not required.
| French | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| il fait beau | it's nice out | fixed impersonal expression with faire |
| il fait chaud / froid | it's hot / cold | fixed impersonal expression |
| il pleut | it's raining | fixed impersonal phrase; taught as a whole unit, not conjugated |
| il neige | it's snowing | fixed impersonal phrase; taught as a whole unit, not conjugated |
| il y a du soleil | it's sunny | recycled il y a pattern |
| le temps est nuageux | it's cloudy / the weather is cloudy | le temps, masculine; whole descriptive phrase |
| le temps est ensoleillé | it's sunny / the weather is sunny | whole descriptive phrase |
| French | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| tu veux... ? | do you want to... ? | informal invitation opener |
| ça te dit de... ? | are you up for... ? | informal formula; taught as a fixed expression |
| avec plaisir | with pleasure | acceptance formula |
| je suis désolé(e), mais... | I'm sorry, but... | polite decline opener |
| je ne peux pas samedi | I can't on Saturday | fixed formula for declining; not a general introduction to pouvoir |
Every item above is either productive or formulaic, and each is used the same way throughout this chapter's exercises and assessments. No item is treated as receptive-only and then required for production.
Note on il va pleuvoir and il va neiger: the listening and reading passages use these near-future weather forms as formulaic forecast expressions. Learners recognize and understand them but are not required to conjugate pleuvoir or neiger independently. Productive near-future weather statements in speaking and writing tasks should use il pleut and il neige, or the modeled patterns with il fait... and le temps est....
Pronunciation Focus
Liaison occurs when a normally silent final consonant becomes audible before a following vowel sound, in specific grammatical environments. Enchaînement occurs when a final consonant that is already pronounced links smoothly to a following vowel-initial word. These are different processes, and this chapter uses only verified examples of each.
Liaison (recycled from Chapter 6): the n of on is normally silent, but it becomes audible before a vowel-initial verb.
- on invite — the silent n of on links to the vowel-initial invite.
Enchaînement: the already-pronounced final consonant of one word links directly into the vowel sound that begins the next word.
- avec Amina — the pronounced c of avec links into Amina.
- avec un ami — the pronounced c of avec links into un.
Continue to practice the nasal vowels you already control in words used throughout this chapter, such as on va, on invite, le temps, and dimanche.
Language Focus: On, the Near Future, and Invitations
Purpose: talk about people in general, make simple near-future plans, and manage invitations.
12.1 On for general and inclusive reference
On is a subject pronoun you have already used since Chapter 5. In ordinary conversation among friends and family, on very commonly replaces nous to mean "we." On also expresses general reference, similar to English "people" or "you" in general statements. On always takes the same verb form as il or elle, even when it refers to a group.
- On va faire une randonnée ? Shall we go hiking? on + va (3rd person singular form of aller)
- Au cinéma, on regarde un film. At the movies, people watch a film.
- Le week-end, on retrouve souvent des amis. On weekends, people often meet up with friends.
On is very frequent in informal conversation. Nous remains correct and is more common in careful speech and formal writing. The choice between them depends on register and context, not on one form being more natural than the other.
12.2 The near future with aller plus infinitive
- Je vais regarder un film. I'm going to watch a film.
- Tu vas jouer au foot. You're going to play soccer.
- On va faire une randonnée. We're going to go hiking.
- Nous allons retrouver des amis. We're going to meet up with friends.
To make a near-future sentence negative, place ne...pas around the conjugated form of aller, exactly as you learned for the present tense in Chapter 7: On ne va pas jouer au foot.
At this stage, focus on recognizing and producing a small number of clear near-future sentences rather than combining many different infinitives in one sentence.
12.3 Making, accepting, and declining invitations
Invitations among friends commonly begin with tu veux...? or the more casual ça te dit de...?, both followed by an infinitive. Acceptances and polite declines are formulaic at this stage.
- Tu veux jouer au foot samedi ? Do you want to play soccer on Saturday?
- Avec plaisir ! With pleasure!
- Je suis désolée, mais je ne peux pas samedi. I'm sorry, but I can't on Saturday.
Je ne peux pas samedi is a fixed formula for declining an invitation. It is not a general introduction to the verb pouvoir, which you will study more fully in Chapter 13.
Model Dialogue: On va faire une randonnée ?
Context: Léa and Marc, close friends, message each other on Friday afternoon to plan the weekend.
Notice how on is used to mean "we" among friends, and how aller plus infinitive expresses simple plans for the near future. Every structure in this dialogue belongs to Chapters 1–12.
Listening Practice
If no audio recording is available, ask a partner, instructor, or text-to-speech tool to read the lines below aloud, or read them aloud to yourself slowly.
- What is the weather going to be like Saturday morning?
- What is the weather going to be like Saturday afternoon?
- What is going to happen all day Sunday?
- Name the two activities planned for Saturday.
- What are they going to do on Sunday?
Speaking Practice
Pratique contrôlée — Controlled practice: describe the weather and one plan
Say what the weather is like today, then say one thing you are going to do this weekend, using aller plus an infinitive.
Tâche communicative — Communicative task: a guided invitation
With a partner, follow these steps in order.
- Learner A states one weather condition.
- Learner A invites Learner B to one activity.
- Learner B accepts, or declines using the formula je ne peux pas samedi.
- Together, Learner A and Learner B state one plan using on va + infinitive.
- Together, they close politely.
Phrase bank:
- Il va faire beau samedi.
- Tu veux aller au parc ?
- Ça te dit de jouer au foot ?
- Avec plaisir.
- Je suis désolé(e), mais je ne peux pas samedi.
- On va se retrouver à deux heures.
- À samedi !
Pratique individuelle — Solo alternative
Using the phrase bank above, record yourself inviting an imaginary friend to do one activity this weekend, and then answer your own invitation as if you were that friend, either accepting or declining with the formula you learned.
Reading Practice
Un message entre amis — A message between friends
Salut Amina ! Samedi, il va faire beau. On va faire une randonnée avec Marc. Tu veux venir avec nous ? On va se retrouver au parc à dix heures du matin. Dimanche, il va pleuvoir, alors on va rester à la maison. Réponds-moi vite !
Tâche de lecture — Reading task:
- What is the weather going to be like on Saturday?
- What is the plan for Saturday, and who is invited?
- Where and when are they going to meet?
- What is the weather going to be like on Sunday, and what are they going to do?
Writing Workshop
Complete the following linked writing tasks in order.
Tâche 1 — Label a forecast: Write two short sentences describing the weather for two different days, using two different weather expressions from the vocabulary list.
Tâche 2 — A short invitation message: Using the model below, write a supported four-to-six-sentence informal message inviting a friend to do something this weekend.
Your message should include:
- one greeting;
- one weather expression;
- one invitation, using tu veux...? or ça te dit de...?;
- one or two sentences with aller plus infinitive;
- one use of on meaning "we";
- one time or meeting place; and
- one closing.
- Choose one activity. Pick a single activity to invite a friend to do.
- Choose the weather. Decide what the weather is like on the day of your plan.
- Draft your message using the model. Follow the same order: greeting, weather, invitation, plan, meeting detail, closing.
- Read your message aloud once. Listen for the liaison in on invite if you use it, and for accurate nasal vowels.
- Check your aller plus infinitive forms. Confirm that aller is conjugated correctly and that the second verb stays in the infinitive.
Tâche 3 — Respond to an invitation: Write one or two sentences accepting or politely declining the invitation you wrote in Tâche 2, using a formula from this chapter.
Liste de révision — Editing checklist:
- The message follows the model order and stays within four to six sentences.
- on appears at least once, meaning "we."
- At least one weather expression appears.
- An invitation formula appears.
- Accents, apostrophes, and punctuation are accurate throughout.
- No vocabulary or grammar from outside Chapters 1–12 has been used.
Culture and Communication
On is highly frequent in informal conversation, including among friends planning a weekend. Nous remains correct and is more common in careful or formal writing. The choice between an informal invitation formula like tu veux...? and a more formal one depends on the relationship between speakers, their age, the setting, and the region. No single choice is correct in every situation; register awareness matters more than a fixed rule.
Popular leisure activities and the expressions used to describe them can vary across Francophone regions. This variation is receptive at this level: you do not need to produce region-specific vocabulary, but you may encounter different weather or activity words depending on where French is spoken. The core expressions in this chapter remain broadly usable across the Francophone world.
Common Mistakes
Error: Writing je vais je fais une randonnée or conjugating the second verb.
Correction: Only aller is conjugated; the second verb stays in the infinitive: je vais faire une randonnée.
Error: Writing on vont instead of the correct form.
Correction: On always takes the same verb form as il or elle, even when it refers to more than one person: on va, not on vont.
Error: Writing on ne va pas faire pas de randonnée.
Correction: ne...pas surrounds only the conjugated form of aller: on ne va pas faire de randonnée.
Chapter Review
Partie A — Compréhension (Comprehension)
1. Return to the Model Dialogue, and answer these short questions.
- What activity do Léa and Marc plan for Saturday?
- Why can't Amina join Saturday morning?
- What time and place do they agree on instead?
Partie B — Écriture (Writing)
1. Complete the sentence using aller plus infinitive: Ce soir, je ______ (regarder) un film.
2. Rewrite this sentence using on instead of nous: Nous allons jouer au foot samedi.
Partie C — Lecture (Reading)
1. Return to "Un message entre amis," and answer: What are Léa and Marc going to do on Saturday, and what are they going to do on Sunday?
Partie D — Oral (Speaking)
1. With a partner, follow the guided invitation task from the Speaking Practice section: state the weather, invite, respond, and agree on one plan with on va + infinitive.
Practical Performance Task
Chapter 12 Practical Check — Leisure, Weather, and Plans
Loisirs, météo et projets : Inviting a Friend for the Weekend
Use the fictional weekend forecast from the Listening Practice section. With a partner, Learner A wants to invite Learner B to one activity based on that forecast. Complete the following steps in order.
- Learner A identifies the weather. State the weather for one day of the weekend, based on the Listening Practice forecast.
- Learner A invites Learner B to one activity. Use tu veux...? or ça te dit de...?
- Learner B accepts or declines. Use avec plaisir or je ne peux pas samedi.
- Together, Learner A and Learner B state one plan. Use on va + infinitive. Also say the sentence On invite un ami. aloud at least once, so that the liaison between on and the vowel-initial invite can be demonstrated.
- Learner A writes a four-to-six-sentence informal message. Follow the model and checklist from the Writing Workshop.
| Criterion | What is assessed |
|---|---|
| Weather vocabulary | The learner uses at least one accurate, chapter-appropriate weather expression drawn from the forecast. |
| On agreement | The learner uses on with correct third-person singular verb agreement. |
| Aller + infinitive | The learner forms at least one correct near-future sentence. |
| Invitation and response | The learner uses an appropriate invitation formula and an acceptance or decline formula. |
| Pronunciation | The learner's speech is understandable, with reasonable control of nasal vowels, and correctly produces the liaison in the required phrase on invite. |
| Task completion | The learner's spoken exchange and message include all required elements and stay within Chapters 1–12. |
This task assesses only material introduced through Chapter 12 and continues to recycle Units I and II, along with Chapter 11. It is not a unit assessment; the Unit III assessment occurs in Chapter 15.
Answer Key
Model Dialogue — Comprehension
- They plan to go hiking on Saturday.
- Amina works Saturday morning.
- They agree to meet at the park Saturday afternoon, around two o'clock.
Writing
- vais regarder
- On va jouer au foot samedi.
Listening
- It's going to be nice with sun.
- It's cloudy.
- It's going to rain all day.
- Going to the park and playing soccer.
- Staying home and watching a film.
Reading
- It's going to be nice on Saturday.
- They're going to go hiking, and Amina is invited.
- They're going to meet at the park at ten o'clock in the morning.
- It's going to rain on Sunday, and they're going to stay home.
Chapter Review — Partie C
Saturday, Léa and Marc are going to go hiking. Sunday, they are going to stay home.
Speaking and open writing tasks
Answers will vary. Evaluate using the criteria in the Practical Performance Task rubric above: appropriate weather vocabulary, correct on agreement, at least one correct aller plus infinitive sentence, an appropriate invitation and response, understandable pronunciation, and task completion within Chapters 1–12.
Looking Ahead
Ce que vous savez déjà faire — What you can do now
You can talk about leisure activities, describe the weather using set expressions, use on to talk about yourself and others in general or among friends, and form simple near-future plans using aller plus infinitive. You can also extend a simple invitation and accept or decline it using set formulas. This continues Unit III: Dans la communauté.