From post office to email
De la poste au courrier électronique
- Send and receive messages.
- Email and internet.
This lesson teaches practical French vocabulary and expressions for sending parcels at the post office (poste, colis, tarif), exchanging professional emails (réunion, e-mail, visioconférence), and using the internet for messages (pièce jointe, nouveau message). Key verbs like poster and recevoir are highlighted in useful contexts.
Vocabulary (15) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercice 1: Conversation exercise
Instruction:
- Do you still send letters or only emails? (Do you still send letters or only emails?)
- What is necessary when you want to send a letter? Use the subjunctive. (What is necessary when you want to send a letter? Use the subjunctive. )
- How many emails do you usually receive in a day? (How many emails do you usually receive in a day?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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J'envoie uniquement des e-mails maintenant. C'est plus rapide et plus facile. I only send emails now. It’s faster and easier. |
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Parfois, j'envoie des lettres pour des occasions spéciales, comme des anniversaires ou des fêtes. Sometimes I send letters for special things. Like birthdays or holidays. |
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Il est important que vous signiez la lettre. It is important that you sign the letter. |
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Il est nécessaire que vous envoyiez la lettre en la portant par exemple à la poste. It is necessary that you send the letter by taking it to the post office for example. |
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Je reçois généralement 10 ou 15 emails. La plupart sont pour le travail. I usually get 10 or 15 emails. Most are for work. |
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Je reçois 5 e-mails par jour. Certains viennent d'amis, d'autres de journaux. I receive 5 emails a day. Some are from friends, some from newspapers. |
| ... |
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. Il faut que je ____ ce colis avant midi pour qu'il arrive demain.
(It is necessary that I ____ this package before noon so that it arrives tomorrow.)2. Je doute que tu ____ le message sans vérifier l'adresse électronique.
(I doubt that you ____ the message without verifying the email address.)3. Il est important que nous ____ la lettre avec un timbre avant demain.
(It is important that we ____ the letter with a stamp before tomorrow.)4. Il faut que vous ____ l’e-mail avec la pièce jointe avant la fin de la journée.
(You must ____ the email with the attachment before the end of the day.)Exercise 4: Send a message at work
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Poster - Poster
Subjonctif présent
- que je poste
- que tu postes
- qu'il/elle poste
- que nous postions
- que vous postiez
- qu'ils/elles postent
Poster - Poster
Futur simple
- je posterai
- tu posteras
- il/elle postera
- nous posterons
- vous posterez
- ils/elles posteront
Poster - Poster
Passé composé
- j'ai posté
- tu as posté
- il/elle a posté
- nous avons posté
- vous avez posté
- ils/elles ont posté
Espérer - Espérer
Présent
- j'espère
- tu espères
- il/elle espère
- nous espérons
- vous espérez
- ils/elles espèrent
Recevoir - Recevoir
Présent
- je reçois
- tu reçois
- il/elle reçoit
- nous recevons
- vous recevez
- ils/elles reçoivent
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!
Poster to post Share Copied!
subjonctif_present
| French | English |
|---|---|
| (je/j') poste | I post |
| (tu) postes | You post |
| (il/elle/on) poste | he/she/one posts |
| (nous) postions | we post |
| (vous) postiez | you post |
| (ils/elles) postent | they post |
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Lesson Overview: From Post Office to Email
This lesson focuses on everyday communication skills in French, especially relating to sending packages, letters, and emails. It is designed for A2-level learners who wish to handle practical situations both at the post office and in professional email exchanges.
Key Topics Covered
- Sending parcels and letters: You will learn how to ask about postage prices, delivery times, and services such as registered mail.
- Professional email exchanges: This includes vocabulary and expressions for organizing meetings via email politely and efficiently.
- Using the Internet to send messages: Step-by-step language for composing emails, attaching files, and troubleshooting common issues like file size limits.
Essential Vocabulary and Expressions
Here are some useful words and phrases from the lesson:
- Envoyer un colis – to send a package
- Recommandé – registered (mail)
- Tarifs – rates or prices
- Lettre urgente – urgent letter
- Suivi en ligne – online tracking
- Invitation par e-mail – email invitation
- Pièce jointe – attachment
- Numéro de suivi – tracking number
Verb Focus: "Poster" (To Post)
The lesson offers multiple exercises to practice the correct conjugation of the verb poster in the subjunctive present tense and other key tenses such as future simple and passé composé. For example:
- Il faut que je poste ce colis avant midi. (I must post this package before noon.)
- Je doute que tu postes le message sans vérifier l'adresse. (I doubt that you will post the message without checking the address.)
Mastering these verb forms is critical for politely expressing obligations, doubts, and intentions when communicating about sending mail.
Short Story Practice
A short story helps consolidate the usage of key verbs like poster, espérer, and recevoir in context, inviting learners to understand subtleties of mood and tense, such as subjunctive and future simple.
Important Differences and Useful Phrases
Unlike English, French often uses the subjunctive mood after expressions of necessity, doubt, or desire. For instance, "Il faut que tu postes..." translates to "You must post..." but uses the subjunctive to convey obligation. English does not have a direct subjunctive form in these contexts.
Other useful phrases include:
- "Je voudrais envoyer ce colis" – I would like to send this package
- "Combien ça coûte ?" – How much does it cost?
- "Puis-je suivre la lettre en ligne ?" – Can I track the letter online?
- "Je t'envoie le lien pour la visioconférence." – I’m sending you the link for the video conference.
Understanding these expressions and their polite forms increases your ability to navigate real-life and professional French communications smoothly.
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