Bucket list
Liste de souhaits
- Talk about your bucket list and future plans
This lesson focuses on expressing future plans and bucket lists in French, teaching key phrases like "liste de choses à faire" (bucket list) and verbs such as "planifier" (to plan) in everyday contexts like cafés and the workplace.
Vocabulary (14) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercice 1: Conversation exercise
Instruction:
- What did you want to be when you were a child? (What did you want to be when you were a child?)
- What plans do you have for the future? Would you like to change your job anytime soon? (What plans do you have for the future? Would you like to change your job anytime soon?)
- How will you accomplish them? (How will you accomplish them?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Quand j'étais petit, je voulais devenir pompier. When I was little I wanted to become a firefighter. |
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Quand j'étais enfant, je rêvais de devenir médecin. As a child I dreamed of becoming a doctor. |
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Je veux avoir plus de responsabilités dans mon travail à l'avenir. I want to have more responsibility in my job in the future. |
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Je veux devenir le patron de mon entreprise dans quelques années. I want to be the boss of my company in a few years. |
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Je souhaiterais changer de métier bientôt car je ne suis pas satisfait de mon emploi actuel. I would like to change my profession soon because I am not happy with my current job. |
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Je retournerai à l'université pour devenir enseignant. I will go to university again to become a teacher. |
| ... |
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. Quand j'étais jeune, je ________ toujours mes voyages futurs avec soin.
(When I was young, I ________ always planned my future trips carefully.)2. Si j'avais plus de temps, je ________ une aventure inoubliable cette année.
(If I had more time, I ________ an unforgettable adventure this year.)3. Nous ________ un saut en parachute pour le week-end prochain.
(We ________ a parachute jump for next weekend.)4. Si tu ________ mieux tes journées, tu serais plus productif.
(If you ________ your days better, you would be more productive.)Exercise 4: To-Do List
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Planifier - Plan
imparfait
- je planifiais
- tu planifiais
- il/elle/on planifiait
- nous planifiions
- vous planifiiez
- ils/elles planifiaient
Avoir - Have
imparfait
- j'avais
- tu avais
- il/elle/on avait
- nous avions
- vous aviez
- ils/elles avaient
Croire - Believe
imparfait
- je croyais
- tu croyais
- il/elle/on croyait
- nous croyions
- vous croyiez
- ils/elles croyaient
Préparer - Prepare
imparfait
- je préparais
- tu préparais
- il/elle/on préparait
- nous préparions
- vous prépariez
- ils/elles préparaient
Réaliser - Realize
imparfait
- je réalisais
- tu réalisais
- il/elle/on réalisait
- nous réalisions
- vous réalisiez
- ils/elles réalisaient
Apporter - Bring
imparfait
- j'apportais
- tu apportais
- il/elle/on apportait
- nous apportions
- vous apportiez
- ils/elles apportaient
Planifier - Plan
présent
- je planifie
- tu planifies
- il/elle/on planifie
- nous planifions
- vous planifiez
- ils/elles planifient
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!
Planifier to plan Share Copied!
Imparfait
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') planifiais | I was planning |
| (tu) planifiais | You were planning |
| (il/elle/on) planifiait | he/she/one was planning |
| (nous) planifiions | we were planning |
| (vous) planifiiez | you were planning |
| (ils/elles) planifiaient | they were planning |
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Lesson Overview: Talking About Your Bucket List in French
This lesson focuses on discussing future plans and personal goals using French expressions related to a "bucket list". It is tailored to A2 level learners, providing practical vocabulary, common phrases, and conversational dialogues to help you confidently talk about your dreams, projects, and objectives in everyday contexts.
Key Topics Covered
- Expressing future intentions and desires (e.g., Je veux visiter Paris)
- Sharing personal projects and lists of goals (une liste de choses à faire)
- Using the imperfect tense (imparfait) to describe past habits and ongoing past actions
- Conjugation of common verbs related to planning and dreaming (planifier, avoir, croire, préparer, réaliser, apporter)
- Conversational practice in three everyday settings: café, office, and while strolling
Example Words and Phrases
- Planifier (to plan): je planifiais (I was planning), nous planifions (we plan)
- Liste de choses à faire: a to-do list or bucket list of goals
- Projets futurs: future projects or plans
- Common questions like Qu'est-ce que tu veux faire cette année ? (What do you want to do this year?)
- Expressions of motivation and cooperation: C'est motivant, On peut s'entraider
Grammar Highlight: The Imperfect Tense (Imparfait)
This lesson introduces the imperfect tense used to describe habitual actions or states in the past, for example, je planifiais (I used to plan). It also contrasts with the present tense to express current planning, such as je planifie.
Practical Dialogue Contexts
- At the café: Talking about your lists and future dreams with friends
- In the office: Discussing personal ambitions and upcoming projects with colleagues
- On a walk: Sharing individual goals and encouraging each other
Differences and Useful Expressions
Unlike English, French uses specific tenses like imparfait to express ongoing or habitual past actions, which has no direct equivalent tense in English. For example, planifiais implies a repeated or continuous action in the past versus the simple past or past continuous in English.
Some useful phrases or expressions:
- Liste de choses à faire = bucket list
- Qu'est-ce que tu veux faire ? = What do you want to do?
- Ce sont de très bons objectifs ! = Those are very good goals!
- On doit planifier nos objectifs ensemble ! = We must plan our goals together!
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