To be retired
À retirer
- Talk about activities and lifestyle changes after you retire.
- Talk about ongoing actions in the future.
This lesson explores life 'À la retraite' with dialogues and vocabulary on retirement activities like 'le jardin' (garden), 'le bénévolat' (volunteering), and expressions such as 'je profite de mon temps libre' (I enjoy my free time), perfect for A2 learners expanding practical conversation skills.
Vocabulary (16) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercice 1: Conversation exercise
Instruction:
- How long have you been working and when will you retire? (How long have you been working and when will you retire?)
- What activities will you keep doing when you are retired? (What activities will you keep doing when you are retired? )
- What changes will you be making when you retire? How will you use your free time? (What changes will you be making when you retire? How will you use your free time?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Je travaille depuis 10 ans. Je veux prendre ma retraite à 60 ans. I have been working for 10 years. I want to retire when I am 60. |
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J'ai commencé mon travail il y a 5 ans. Je ne sais pas quand je prendrai ma retraite. I started my job 5 years ago. I don’t know when I will retire. |
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Je veux continuer à apprendre l'anglais et à pratiquer tous les jours. I want to keep learning English and practicing every day. |
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Je veux continuer à rencontrer mes amis et faire de l'exercice. I want to keep meeting my friends and do exercise. |
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Je veux voyager vers de nouveaux endroits et me détendre davantage. I want to travel to new places and relax more. |
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Je vais prendre des cours d'art et rendre visite à ma famille souvent. I will take some art classes and visit my family often. |
| ... |
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 à la retraite, je ______ parfois de m'ennuyer si je n'avais pas de projet personnel.
(When I was retired, I ______ sometimes risked getting bored if I didn't have a personal project.)2. Pour économiser de l'argent, j'______ régulièrement une partie de ma pension.
(To save money, I ______ regularly saved part of my pension.)3. Je ______ moins de stress en choisissant une maison de retraite calme et relaxante.
(I ______ less stress by choosing a calm and relaxing retirement home.)4. Si j'____ assez, je pourrais commencer une nouvelle activité bénévole pour ce nouveau départ.
(If I ______ enough, I could start a new volunteer activity for this new beginning.)Exercise 4: Being Retired
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Risquer - Risquer
Imparfait
- je risquais
- tu risquais
- il/elle/on risquait
- nous risquions
- vous risquiez
- ils/elles risquaient
Économiser - Économiser
Imparfait
- j'économisais
- tu économisais
- il/elle/on économisait
- nous économisions
- vous économisiez
- ils/elles économisaient
Être - Être
Imparfait
- j'étais
- tu étais
- il/elle/on était
- nous étions
- vous étiez
- ils/elles étaient
Réfléchir - Réfléchir
Présent
- je réfléchis
- tu réfléchis
- il/elle/on réfléchit
- nous réfléchissons
- vous réfléchissez
- ils/elles réfléchissent
Avoir - Avoir
Présent
- j'ai
- tu as
- il/elle/on a
- nous avons
- vous avez
- ils/elles ont
Stresser - Stresser
Imparfait
- je stressais
- tu stressais
- il/elle/on stressait
- nous stressions
- vous stressiez
- ils/elles stressaient
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!
Risquer to risk Share Copied!
Imparfait
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') risquais | I was risking |
| (tu) risquais | You were risking |
| (il/elle/on) risquait | he/she/one was risking |
| (nous) risquions | we were risking |
| (vous) risquiez | You were risking |
| (ils/elles) risquaient | they risked |
Économiser to save Share Copied!
Imparfait
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') j'économisais | I was saving |
| tu économisais | You were saving |
| (il/elle/on) il économisait / elle économisait / on économisait | he was saving / she was saving / one was saving |
| nous économisions | We were saving |
| vous économisiez | You were saving |
| (ils/elles) ils économisaient / elles économisaient | they saved |
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Lesson Overview: Talking About Retirement in French
This lesson is designed for A2-level learners to practice conversational French focused on the theme of retirement and future plans after leaving work. It offers engaging dialogues and exercises that highlight practical vocabulary and common expressions about retirement life, hobbies, and daily routines.
Key Content
- Dialogues: Realistic conversations in various contexts, such as at the doctor’s office, in a café with friends, and chatting with a neighbor, exploring topics like retirement activities, plans, and lifestyle changes.
- Vocabulary and Expressions: Words and phrases related to retirement, leisure activities (e.g., "jouer du piano", "faire du bénévolat", "peinture"), and everyday life after retirement (e.g., "profiter de son temps libre", "rendre visite à", "être actif").
- Grammar Focus: Use of the imperfect tense (l’imparfait) for describing past habits and conditions related to retirement, as seen in verbs like "risquais" (I risked), "économisais" (I saved), and the present tense for current actions and plans.
Language Highlights
The dialogues introduce essential verbs and expressions including:
- être à la retraite (to be retired)
- profiter de (to enjoy/take advantage of)
- prévoir (to plan, to intend)
- faire du bénévolat (to do volunteer work)
- prendre des cours (to take classes)
Example sentence: "Je vais apprendre à jouer du piano et je vais être plus actif dans mon jardin." (I will learn to play the piano and I will be more active in my garden.)
Grammar and Verb Practice
The lesson reviews the imperfect tense, useful for describing repeated or ongoing past actions and situations, such as describing how one used to feel or what habits one had before retirement.
Example conjugation for risquer in the imperfect:
- je risquais
- tu risquais
- il/elle risquait
- nous risquions
- vous risquiez
- ils/elles risquaient
These forms are essential to express nuance about past possibilities, risks, or situations in French retirement contexts.
Comparisons and Useful Phrases for English Speakers
Unlike English, French often uses the imperfect tense (l’imparfait) to describe habitual past actions or ongoing states, especially when talking about life changes such as retirement. English might say "When I was retired, I sometimes got bored," while French uses "Quand j'étais à la retraite, je risquais parfois de m'ennuyer." Note the use of the imperfect étais and risquais.
Important phrases include:
- profiter de son temps libre – enjoy one’s free time
- prendre des cours de... – take classes in...
- faire une promenade – go for a walk
- rendre visite à – visit (someone)
- être actif/active – be active
Summary
This lesson helps learners comfortably discuss retirement topics in French, practice imperfect tense verbs, enrich their vocabulary related to hobbies and lifestyle changes, and understand cultural aspects of talking about aging and new phases in life.
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