My time at school

Mon temps à l'école

Learn about the country's education system.
Talk about your time at school and childhood memories.

Explore memories and vocabulary related to school life in French, focusing on expressions like "m'inscrivais" (I enrolled) and "obtenais" (I obtained) in the imparfait tense to describe your time at school.

Vocabulary (17)

Student worksheet

Share Copied!

Le souvenir

The memory Show

Le papier

The paper Show

Le cahier

The exercise book Show

Aller à l'école

Going to school Show

Le crayon

The pencil Show

Le stylo

The pen Show

Le maître

The master Show

Le diplôme

The diploma Show

Le baccalauréat

The baccalaureate Show

Le collège

The secondary school Show

Le lycée

The sixth form college Show

La classe

The class Show

La primaire

The primary school Show

S'inscrire

To enroll Show

Obtenir

To obtain Show

Au fil des années

Over the years Show

Avoir des bonnes notes

To have good grades Show

Exercises

Student worksheet

Share Copied!

These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.

Exercice 1: Conversation exercise

Instruction:

Describe the education path of Eva. (Describe the education path of Eva.)
Describe where you studied at high school. (Describe where you studied at high school.)
Talk about what you studied at school. (Talk about what you studied at school.)

Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes

Example phrases:

Pendant les premières années, Eva était à l'école primaire.

For the first years Eva was in primary school.

Puis elle était au lycée. Elle a toujours été une élève travailleuse avec de bonnes notes.

Then she was in secondary school. She always was a hard-working student with good grades.

Elle a terminé le lycée à 18 ans.

She finished high school when she was 18 years old.

Je suis allé à l'université et j'ai étudié le droit.

I went to university and studied law.

J'ai terminé le lycée à l'âge de 18 ans.

I finished high school when I was 18 years old.

Maintenant je travaille dans une école et j'enseigne.

Now I work in a school and teach.

...

Exercise 2: Dialogue Cards

Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.

Discussion sur le système scolaire français

Example 1

Tu sais comment fonctionne le système scolaire en France ?

Do you know how the school system works in France?

Oui, il y a l'école primaire, le collège, puis le lycée.

Yes, there is primary school, middle school, then high school.

Le collège commence à quel âge ?

At what age does middle school start?

À onze ans, et il dure quatre ans.

At eleven years old, and it lasts four years.

Après le lycée, on peut aller à l'université.

After high school, one can go to university.

Exactement, c'est la suite normale des études.

Exactly, it's the normal continuation of studies.

Example 2

Comment sont les écoles en France ?

What are schools like in France?

Elles sont publiques ou privées, et l'enseignement est obligatoire jusqu'à seize ans.

They are public or private, and education is compulsory until sixteen years old.

Les enfants commencent l'école à quel âge ?

At what age do children start school?

À trois ans, pour l'école maternelle, puis l'école primaire.

At three years old, for nursery school, then primary school.

Il y a beaucoup d'examens au lycée ?

Are there many exams in high school?

Oui, surtout le bac à la fin.

Yes, especially the baccalauréat at the end.

Parler de ton temps à l'école primaire

Example 1

Tu te souviens de ton école primaire ?

Do you remember your primary school?

Oui, j'aimais beaucoup apprendre le français et les mathématiques.

Yes, I really liked learning French and mathematics.

Moi, j'adorais la récréation avec mes amis.

I loved recess with my friends.

Et toi, quelles matières préférais-tu ?

And you, which subjects did you prefer?

J'aimais bien les sciences naturelles.

I liked natural sciences.

C'était une belle période de ta vie ?

Was it a nice period of your life?

Oui, c'était très amusant et instructif.

Yes, it was very fun and instructive.

Example 2

Comment était ton école primaire ?

What was your primary school like?

Elle était assez grande avec un grand jardin.

It was quite large with a big garden.

Tu avais des amis ?

Did you have friends?

Oui, j'avais plusieurs amis dans ma classe.

Yes, I had several friends in my class.

Qu'est-ce que tu faisais pendant la pause ?

What did you do during the break?

On jouait au foot ou on discutait.

We played soccer or chatted.

Quelle est ta meilleure mémoire de cette époque ?

What is your best memory from that time?

Les fêtes organisées par les enseignants.

The parties organized by the teachers.

Partager des souvenirs d'enfance à l'école

Example 1

Quand tu étais petit, est-ce que tu aimais aller à l'école ?

When you were little, did you like going to school?

Pas toujours, parfois j'étais un peu fatigué.

Not always, sometimes I was a bit tired.

Moi, j'avais peur du professeur de maths.

I was afraid of the math teacher.

Ah oui ? Moi, je préférais les arts plastiques.

Oh really? I preferred art classes.

Qu'est-ce que tu as appris de plus important ?

What was the most important thing you learned?

Apprendre à lire et à écrire a été essentiel.

Learning to read and write was essential.

Example 2

Tu te rappelles ton premier jour d'école ?

Do you remember your first day of school?

Oui, j'étais un peu nerveux mais content de découvrir la classe.

Yes, I was a bit nervous but happy to discover the classroom.

Moi, j'ai vite fait des amis.

I quickly made friends.

Est-ce que tu aimais les devoirs ?

Did you like homework?

Pas vraiment, mais ça m'aidait à apprendre.

Not really, but it helped me learn.

Et toi, quels souvenirs gardes-tu ?

And you, what memories do you keep?

Les sorties scolaires avec la classe, c'était très amusant.

Field trips with the class, they were very fun.

Exercise 3: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Quand j'étais enfant, je m'___ toujours dans la même école.

2. Au fil des années, j'___ de bonnes notes grâce à mes efforts.

3. Je m'___ toujours en septembre pour commencer l'année scolaire.

4. Pendant le collège, j'___ souvent des félicitations pour mes devoirs.

Exercise 4: My enrollment at school and my childhood memories

Instruction:

Quand j'étais enfant, je (S'inscrire - Imparfait) à l'école primaire de notre village. Chaque année, je (Obtenir - Imparfait) de bonnes notes car le maître était très gentil. Mon frère, lui, (S'inscrire - Imparfait) toujours au collège dans une autre ville. Nous (Obtenir - Imparfait) souvent nos diplômes avec fierté. Pendant les cours, nous (Écrire - Imparfait) dans nos cahiers et (Utiliser - Imparfait) des crayons et des stylos. Ces souvenirs me rappellent combien j'aimais aller à l'école et apprendre avec mes amis.

When I was a child, I enrolled (Enroll - Imperfect) in the elementary school of our village. Every year, I got (Get - Imperfect) good grades because the teacher was very kind. My brother, on the other hand, enrolled (Enroll - Imperfect) always in middle school in another town. We often got (Get - Imperfect) our diplomas with pride. During the lessons, we wrote (Write - Imperfect) in our notebooks and used (Use - Imperfect) pencils and pens. These memories remind me how much I loved going to school and learning with my friends.

Verb Tables

S'inscrire - Enroll

Imparfait

je m'inscrivais
tu t'inscrivais
il/elle s'inscrivait
nous nous inscrivions
vous vous inscriviez
ils/elles s'inscrivaient

Obtenir - Get

Imparfait

j'obtenais
tu obtenais
il/elle obtenait
nous obtenions
vous obteniez
ils/elles obtenaient

Écrire - Write

Imparfait

j'écrivais
tu écrivais
il/elle écrivait
nous écrivions
vous écriviez
ils/elles écrivaient

Utiliser - Use

Imparfait

j'utilisais
tu utilisais
il/elle utilisait
nous utilisions
vous utilisiez
ils/elles utilisaient

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

Student worksheet

Share Copied!

S'inscrire to enroll Share Copied!

Imparfait

French	English
(je/j') m'inscrivais	I was enrolling
(tu) t'inscrivais	you enrolled
(il/elle/on) s'inscrivait	he/she/one was enrolling
nous inscrivions	We enrolled
vous inscriviez	You would enroll
(ils/elles) s'inscrivaient	they enrolled

Exercises and examples phrases

Obtenir to obtain Share Copied!

Imparfait

French	English
(je/j') obtenais	I was obtaining
(tu) obtenais	you were obtaining
(il/elle/on) obtenait	he/she/one obtained
(nous) obtenions	We were obtaining
(vous) obteniez	You were obtaining
(ils/elles) obtenaient	they obtained

Exercises and examples phrases

Don't see progress when learning on your own? Study this material with a certified teacher!

Do you want to practice French today? That is possible! Just contact one of our teachers today.

Enroll now!

Lesson Overview: My Time at School

This lesson at the A2 level focuses on discussing past school experiences in French, particularly emphasizing the French school system and personal memories from primary school and childhood. It is structured around dialogues, verb conjugation exercises, and a short story that together help learners understand and practice talking about education and childhood memories.

Key Learning Areas

French School System Vocabulary: Terms like école primaire (primary school), collège (middle school), lycée (high school), and université (university) are central to the lesson.
Discussing School Life: Using phrases to describe school experiences and daily activities, such as la récréation (recess), les matières (subjects), and les examens (exams).
Past Tense — Imparfait Conjugation: Mastering the imperfect tense of key verbs like s'inscrire (to enroll), obtenir (to obtain), écrire (to write), and utiliser (to use) to describe habitual actions and states in the past.

Example Words and Phrases

Tu sais comment fonctionne le système scolaire en France ? — Do you know how the school system works in France?
Je m'inscrivais toujours dans la même école. — I always enrolled in the same school.
Les enfants commencent l'école à quel âge ? — At what age do children start school?
J'aimais beaucoup apprendre le français et les mathématiques. — I really enjoyed learning French and mathematics.

Understanding the Lesson Content

The dialogues simulate natural conversations about education, helping learners get familiar with common questions and answers about schooling in France and childhood memories. Exercises focus on the imperfect tense, crucial for describing past routines and habits, making this lesson especially practical for speaking and writing about your school days.

Differences and Useful Notes for English Speakers

Unlike English, French often requires the imperfect tense (imparfait) to talk about past habitual actions or states. For example, j'inscrivais translates roughly as "I was enrolling" or "I used to enroll," which is different from the simple past in English. Words like école maternelle (preschool), which starts at age three in France, have no exact English equivalent but can be considered similar to kindergarten or preschool.

Useful phrases for discussing school include:

Le système scolaire — the school system
Les examens — exams
La récréation — recess
Les matières préférées — favorite subjects

Mastering these common terms and the imperfect tense will boost your ability to talk naturally about your own school experiences in French.

Vocabulary (17)

Student worksheet

Share Copied!