Did you hear the news?
As-tu entendu les nouvelles ?
- Discuss what you saw on television or heard on the radio.
- Time expressions for recent events.
- Get to know the popular media stations in your host country.
Learn to discuss recent news in French through practical dialogues featuring key vocabulary like "les nouvelles" (the news), "le journal télévisé" (news broadcast), and verbs in passé composé such as "j'ai regardé" and "nous avons appris." This A2 lesson helps you talk about current events heard on TV or radio with confidence.
Vocabulary (17) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercice 1: Conversation exercise
Instruction:
- Describe what happened on the news. (Describe what happened on the news.)
- Describe the different media types you see. (Describe the different media types you see.)
- Do you read or watch the news regularly? (Do you read or watch the news regularly?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Au Luxembourg, le gouvernement a tenu une réunion. Une femme a prononcé un discours. In Luxembourg, the government had a meeting. A woman gave a speech. |
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Il y a eu une grande manifestation à Paris. Les bus et les voitures ne pouvaient plus circuler. There was a big protest in Paris. Busses and cars could not drive anmore. |
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Je vois des courtes vidéos et des images sur l'actualité sur les réseaux sociaux. I see short videos and pictures about the news on social media. |
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Je regarde les nouvelles à la télévision. I see the news on the television. |
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J'ai lu les nouvelles sur un site web. I read the news on a website. |
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Je regarde les infos tous les soirs. I watch the news every night. |
| ... |
Exercise 2: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 3: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Hier soir, j'___ réagi rapidement à l'article que j'ai vu à la télévision.
(Last night, I ___ reacted quickly to the article I saw on television.)2. Tu ___ appris les nouvelles du jour en écoutant la radio ce matin.
(You ___ learned the day's news by listening to the radio this morning.)3. Nous ___ réagi aux rumeurs qui circulaient sur Internet hier.
(We ___ reacted to the rumors circulating on the Internet yesterday.)4. Ils ___ appris les nouvelles grâce au journal et au magazine hier soir.
(They ___ learned the news thanks to the newspaper and the magazine last night.)Exercise 4: Did you hear the news?
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Regarder - Watch
Passé composé
- j'ai regardé
- tu as regardé
- il/elle/on a regardé
- nous avons regardé
- vous avez regardé
- ils/elles ont regardé
Annoncer - Announce
Passé composé
- j'ai annoncé
- tu as annoncé
- il/elle/on a annoncé
- nous avons annoncé
- vous avez annoncé
- ils/elles ont annoncé
Aller - Go
Passé composé
- je suis allé(e)
- tu es allé(e)
- il/elle/on est allé(e)
- nous sommes allé(e)s
- vous êtes allé(e)(s)
- ils/elles sont allé(e)s
Apprendre - Learn
Passé composé
- j'ai appris
- tu as appris
- il/elle/on a appris
- nous avons appris
- vous avez appris
- ils/elles ont appris
Réagir - React
Passé composé
- j'ai réagi
- tu as réagi
- il/elle/on a réagi
- nous avons réagi
- vous avez réagi
- ils/elles ont réagi
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Réagir to react Share Copied!
passe_compose
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') j'ai réagi | I reacted |
| tu as réagi | You reacted |
| il/elle/on a réagi | he/she/one reacted |
| nous avons réagi | we reacted |
| vous avez réagi | You reacted |
| ils/elles ont réagi | they reacted |
Apprendre to learn Share Copied!
passe_compose
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') j'ai appris | I have learned |
| tu as appris | You learned |
| il/elle/on a appris | he/she/one learned |
| nous avons appris | we learned |
| vous avez appris | You learned |
| ils/elles ont appris | they learned |
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About This Lesson: Talking About Recent News in French
This lesson focuses on everyday conversations in French about recent news events, tailored to an A2 (elementary) level. You will learn how to discuss what you've seen on television or heard on the radio, share opinions about current events, and talk about popular French media outlets.
Key Conversation Contexts
- At the Office: Discuss the latest news you saw or heard, for example: "As-tu entendu les nouvelles ce matin ?" (Did you hear the news this morning?) or "Ils ont parlé d'une nouvelle loi sur l'environnement." (They talked about a new law on the environment.)
- At the Café: Talk about recent events, such as strikes or changes in public services. Example phrases include "As-tu entendu les nouvelles sur la grève ?" (Did you hear the news about the strike?) and "C’est vraiment un sujet important ces jours-ci." (It's really an important topic these days.)
- At the Supermarket: Describe popular French radio stations and TV channels, like "J’écoute souvent France Inter et RTL." (I often listen to France Inter and RTL.) or "Ce sont des sources fiables et populaires." (They are reliable and popular sources.)
Important Vocabulary and Expressions
Some useful verbs in the past tense (passé composé) connected to the topic are:
- regarder (to watch) – "j'ai regardé"
- annoncer (to announce) – "ils ont annoncé"
- aller (to go) – "je suis allé(e)"
- apprendre (to learn) – "nous avons appris"
- réagir (to react) – "vous avez réagi"
Verb Usage Highlight: Passé Composé
The lesson emphasizes the use of passé composé to talk about past events, especially regarding news and information you have received or shared. Note the use of auxiliary verbs avoir and être depending on the main verb.
French vs English: Differences in Discussing News
Unlike English, in French, past events often require the passé composé tense with auxiliary verbs. For example, "I watched the news" translates to "J'ai regardé les informations," using avoir as the auxiliary. The phrase "Have you heard the news?" is "As-tu entendu les nouvelles ?" Note that the French reflexive or direct translation differs slightly in construction but retains similar meaning.
Useful phrases include:
- As-tu entendu les nouvelles ? – Have you heard the news?
- J’ai vu un reportage – I saw a report
- Ils ont parlé de... – They talked about...
- C’est intéressant – That’s interesting
Summary
This lesson equips you to comfortably discuss recent news, share your views on current events, and talk about media sources in French. Mastering these expressions and verbs will improve your ability to engage in everyday conversations about the news with confidence.
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