Grade 9French

Loisirs et Divertissements

Hobbies, vacations, weekends; expressing preferences and feelings.

📖 3 min read · 3 worked examples · 7 practice questions

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The lesson

Today we'll explore how to talk about the fun things we do in our free time. First, let's look at the course strand 'Loisirs et Divertissements – Fun & Enjoyment.' This area helps you share what you love—whether it's playing football after school, listening to Kenyan pop music, or hanging out with friends on the weekend. Why does this matter? Being able to discuss hobbies makes everyday conversations smoother, lets you make new friends, and gives you confidence to describe your life in French. Key French expressions you'll use: 'J'aime' (I like), 'Je préfère' (I prefer), and 'Je me sens' (I feel). We'll practice each with simple sentences like 'J'aime le football' – I like football. A quick check: Who can tell me how to say 'I prefer reading a book' in French? Remember, 'Je préfère lire un livre.' Great! To wrap up this slide, remember: talk about your hobbies using 'J'aime,' 'Je préfère,' and 'Je me sens,' and you'll be ready to share your free‑time stories in French.

Everyone, let's dive into our Vocabulary Carousel focusing on common hobbies you might enjoy here in Kenya. First, "Faire du sport" means "to play sports" – things like football on the field, athletics at the track, or even a weekend game of basketball. At this table: you'll see each French hobby, its English meaning, and a Kenyan example to help you connect the word to real life. For instance, under "Lire des livres" you'll find a picture of a student reading under a mango tree – a favorite spot for many of us after class. Similarly, "Écouter de la musique" links to a scene of someone with headphones on a bus ride to school, and "Regarder la télé" shows a family gathered around the TV after dinner. Remember, practicing these words by talking about your own hobbies will make them stick. Any questions before we move on?

Worked examples

– Expressing Preferences

Our worked example titled Worked Example 1 – Expressing Preferences. First, notice the French question 'Qu'est‑ce que tu aimes faire ?' – that means "What do you like to do?" This is the phrase we use to ask someone about their favourite activity. We'll see the dialogue format. Each line appears in French with an English translation underneath, so you can compare side‑by‑side. When the student answers, they use the structure 'Je préfère … parce que …' – "I prefer … because …". This lets you give a reason for your choice, which is key for expressing preferences. Let's run through a quick role‑play: I'll ask, 'Qu'est‑ce que tu aimes faire le week‑end ?' and you can reply using 'Je préfère … parce que …'.

– Describing a Vacation

Our worked example titled Worked Example 2 – Describing a Vacation. We'll see how to talk about a recent holiday using the past tense. First, the passé composé of aller (to go) is formed with the auxiliary être plus the past participle allé(e). For example, Je suis allé(e) à la plage means "I went to the beach". Next, we can use visiter (to visit) in the same way: J'ai visité le parc national – "I visited the national park". Notice the feeling words that often accompany a vacation story: c'était amusant (it was fun) and j'étais content (I was happy). Adding these makes your description more vivid. A quick sentence together: Je suis allé au lac, j'ai nagé, et c'était très amusant! – "I went to the lake, I swam, and it was very fun!" Any questions before we move on?

– Weekend Plans

Worked Example 3 – Weekend Plans. We use the future‑time construction called future proche: Je vais + infinitive, which means "I am going to …" for actions happening soon. Notice the bullet point: Future proche: Je vais + infinitif (I am going to + verb). This is the pattern we will apply. Here is an example sentence: Je vais jouer au football ce week‑end – "I am going to play football this weekend." Now fill in the blank: Je vais _______ au football ce week‑end. Take a moment to think of a verb you enjoy. When you're ready, share your sentence with the class. Remember, just add je vais before any infinitive to talk about your upcoming weekend plans.

Practice questions

Remember the key verbs we covered: *jouer* (to play), *faire* (to do), *aimer* (to like). For single‑choice questions, choose the option that matches the exact meaning in French.
For the multiple‑choice item, read the French paragraph carefully and tick every hobby that appears. The words "football," "basket," "roman" (reading), and "danser" (dancing) are all mentioned, while "painting" is not.
The short‑answer question lets you create your own sentence using the structure "Le week‑end, je préfère …". Think about a hobby you enjoy—maybe *jouer au football* or *lire un livre*—and place it after the comma.
For the first question, think about the correct order: subject, auxiliary (avoir/être), past participle, then any time words. The word list is "hier, nous, avons, visité, le, musée.
The future proche questions ask you to spot weekend plans. For the pattern "aller + infinitive" and make sure the verb matches the subject.
The feeling‑word item is simple: after a great trip with perfect weather, which emotion fits best? Think about the positive vibe of the story.
Finally, for the short‑answer, write two sentences about a past vacation. Remember to include at least one passé composé verb—like "nous sommes allés" or "j'ai visité"—and an expression of time such as "l'été dernier".

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Loisirs et Divertissements

📖 The lesson

✏️ Worked examples