The government and elections
Le gouvernement et les élections
- Get to know the basic government institutions of the country.
- Talk about elections and voting.
This A2 lesson covers French government institutions and presidential elections, introducing key terms like Président, Premier ministre, Parlement, électeurs, and scrutin. Practice expressing opinions on voting and using imparfait tense verbs comme parler et voter.
Vocabulary (18) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercice 1: Conversation exercise
Instruction:
- What government does your country have? (What government does your country have?)
- Does there exist a royal family in your country? (Does there exist a royal family in your country?)
- Did you go to the army? (Did you go to the army?)
- When are the elections? (When are the elections?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Le 7 juillet, nous avons voté pour un nouveau président et un nouveau gouvernement. The 7th of july we voted for a new president and government. |
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Le roi est le chef de l'État. The king is the head of the state. |
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Le dernier gouvernement était composé de 3 partis politiques. The last government consisted out of 3 political parties. |
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Le gouvernement est contrôlé par le parlement et les juges. The government is controlled by the parliament and judges. |
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J'ai dû aller à l'armée tout comme tous mes amis. I had to go to the army just like all my friends. |
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Je ne suis pas allé à l'armée mais j'ai travaillé dans une organisation sociale pendant un an à la place. I did not go to the army but I worked in a social organisation for a year instead. |
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Le Premier ministre a changé depuis les dernières élections. The prime minister changed since the last elections. |
| ... |
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. Tous les citoyens __________ de la campagne présidentielle l'année dernière.
(All the citizens __________ about the presidential campaign last year.)2. Le maire __________ toujours avec sérieux aux élections municipales.
(The mayor __________ always seriously in the municipal elections.)3. Nous __________ souvent de la politique locale pendant les réunions.
(We __________ often about local politics during meetings.)4. Les candidats __________ pour élire le président du parti politique.
(The candidates __________ to elect the president of the political party.)Exercise 4: An election campaign in the city
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Parler - To speak
Imparfait
- je parlais
- tu parlais
- il/elle parlait
- nous parlions
- vous parliez
- ils/elles parlaient
Voter - To vote
Imparfait
- je votais
- tu votais
- il/elle votait
- nous votions
- vous votiez
- ils/elles votaient
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Parler to speak Share Copied!
Imparfait
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') parlais | I was speaking |
| (tu) parlais | you were speaking |
| (il/elle/on) parlait | he/she/one was speaking |
| (nous) parlions | we were speaking |
| (vous) parliez | You were speaking |
| (ils/elles) parlaient | they spoke |
Voter to vote Share Copied!
Imparfait
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') votais | I was voting |
| (tu) votais | you were voting |
| (il/elle/on) votait | he/she/one was voting |
| (nous) votions | we were voting |
| (vous) votiez | you were voting |
| (ils/elles) votaient | they were voting |
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The Government and Elections Lesson Overview
This lesson is designed for A2-level learners of French to understand key vocabulary, phrases, and concepts related to French government institutions and the electoral process. It covers everyday conversations discussing the roles of government bodies, the presidential election system, and expressing opinions about voting.
Understanding French Government Institutions
Students will learn about the primary components of the French government: the Président (President), Premier ministre (Prime Minister), and the Parlement (Parliament), which consists of two chambers: the Assemblée nationale (National Assembly) and the Sénat (Senate). Key verbs include nommer (to appoint) and diriger (to lead). Recognizing these terms helps follow French political discussions.
Discussing Presidential Elections
The lesson explains the French presidential election process held every five years, emphasizing the possibility of two voting rounds (tour) and the idea of suffrage universel direct (direct universal suffrage). Useful phrases include faire campagne (to campaign), convaincre (to convince), and expressions to describe voting actions like mettre le bulletin dans l'urne (putting the ballot in the box).
Expressing Opinions about Voting
Conversation practice covers sharing feelings about voting, whether motivated by a sense of civic duty or skepticism about candidates. Useful expressions include un devoir civique (a civic duty), changer les choses (to change things), and participer à la vie du pays (to participate in the country's life).
Verb Usage: Imparfait Tense
This lesson highlights verbs in the imparfait tense (past imperfect), such as parler (to speak) and voter (to vote), to describe ongoing or habitual past actions. For example: Nous parlions de la politique locale pendant les réunions.
Key Vocabulary Examples
- Le Président – The President
- Le Premier ministre – The Prime Minister
- Le Parlement – The Parliament
- L'Assemblée nationale – The National Assembly
- Le Sénat – The Senate
- Une élection – An election
- Un candidat – A candidate
- Le scrutin – The ballot/voting process
- Un bureau de vote – A polling station
- Un bulletin de vote – A ballot paper
- Un devoir civique – A civic duty
Grammar Notes and Language Tips
French uses the imparfait tense to talk about past repeated or ongoing actions, which differs from English past simple. For example, je parlais translates as "I was speaking" or "I used to speak." Practicing this tense helps express background information about past events logically.
In political vocabulary, French often uses specific terms not common in English, such as suffrage universel direct for "direct universal suffrage," meaning citizens directly elect the president. This differs from some English-speaking countries with indirect systems.
To express opinions politely, French uses phrases like je trouve que... (I find that...) or cela montre que... (this shows that...), which are useful to articulate thoughts clearly.
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