A–B. Listening and Speaking · Listening and Speaking Across la Francophonie

Faisons connaissance ! Asking Great Questions and Listening Actively

A2.1 A2.2 B1.4 B2.1 B2.2About 70 minutes

Learning goals

I can ask questions three ways (intonation, est-ce que, inversion) and choose the right one for the situation.
I can use question words and make quel agree with its noun.
I can show I'm listening with reactions, follow-up questions and respectful body language.
I can take turns politely in a conversation and in a think-pair-share.

Words to know

faire connaissance
To get to know each other (fair koh-neh-SAH(N)S). Faisons connaissance ! = Let's get to know each other!

un brise-glace
An icebreaker activity (breez-GLASS), literally ice-breaker, like the ships on the St. Lawrence.

quel / quelle / quels / quelles
Which / what (+ noun). All four sound the same: KEL.

Ah bon ? / Vraiment ?
Oh really? / Really? Reactions that show interest (ah BOH(n) / vreh-MAH(n)).

Moi aussi / Moi non plus
Me too (after a positive) / Me neither (after a negative).

Si je comprends bien, ...
If I understand correctly, ... (a way to check by paraphrasing).

À toi ! / Vas-y !
Your turn! / Go ahead!

relancer la conversation
To keep the conversation going (ruh-lah(n)-SAY), usually with a follow-up question.

Qui sont ces gens ?

In the first week of Grade 9, you'll meet dozens of new people. Teachers love icebreakers (des brise-glaces), and in French class that means one thing: questions. Lots of them.

But a good conversation is not an interrogation. The best conversation partners ask, then really listen, react, and ask a follow-up. Today you'll sharpen your question grammar and learn how to be the kind of listener people enjoy talking to.

Remember from Grade 7

In Grade 7 you learned three kinds of questions: rising intonation (Tu aimes le hockey ?), est-ce que (Est-ce que tu aimes le hockey ?) and inversion (Aimes-tu le hockey ?). In Grade 9 you'll use all three on purpose, choosing the right one for the situation, and handle the trickier details of inversion.

Three ways, three registers

All three questions below mean Where do you live? The difference is the register (how formal it sounds):

Intonation (familier/casual): Tu habites où ? (tü ah-BEET OO) Your voice goes up at the end. Question words often go at the end in casual speech.
Est-ce que (courant/everyday): Où est-ce que tu habites ? (oo ess-kuh tü ah-BEET) Works almost everywhere.
Inversion (soutenu/formal): Où habites-tu ? (oo ah-beet-TÜ) The verb and subject pronoun swap places, joined by a hyphen. Common in interviews, presentations and writing.

Same meaning, different register. With a new classmate, est-ce que is always safe; with a principal or in an interview, try inversion.

Question words (les mots interrogatifs)

Qui (KEE), who: Qui est ton prof de maths ?
Que / Qu'est-ce que (kuh / kess-kuh), what: Que fais-tu ? = Qu'est-ce que tu fais ? = casual Tu fais quoi ? (KWAH)
Où (OO), where: Où est-ce que tu habites ?
Quand (KAH(N)), when: Quand est-ce que tu as ton entraînement ? (Notice the liaison: kah(n)-TESS-kuh.)
Comment (koh-MAH(N)), how: Comment vas-tu à l'école ?
Pourquoi (poor-KWAH), why: Pourquoi aimes-tu la musique ? Answer with parce que (pars-KUH).
Combien de (koh(m)-BYAH(N) duh), how many / how much: Combien de langues parles-tu ?
Depuis quand / Depuis combien de temps (duh-PWEE), since when / for how long: Depuis combien de temps habites-tu ici ?

Que becomes qu' before a vowel: Qu'aimes-tu faire ?

Quel, quelle, quels, quelles

When what or which comes right before a noun (or before être + noun), French uses quel, and it agrees with the noun:

Quel est ton cours préféré ? (masculine singular: le cours)
Quelle est ta matière préférée ? (feminine singular: la matière, school subject)
Quels sports pratiques-tu ? (masculine plural)
Quelles langues parles-tu ? (feminine plural)

Good news for speaking: all four sound exactly the same (KEL). In the plural, listen for liaison before a vowel: Quels_anniversaires (kel-zah-nee-vair-SAIR).

Common mistake: Qu'est-ce que est ton nom ? ✗ → Quel est ton nom ? ✓

Inversion: the fine print

Swap the subject pronoun and the verb, and add a hyphen: Tu parles → Parles-tu ?
If the verb ends in a vowel and the pronoun is il, elle or on, add -t- between them, so the two vowel sounds don't bump: Il parle → Parle-t-il ? · Elle a → A-t-elle ? · On va → Va-t-on ?
With a noun subject, keep the noun first and add a pronoun after the verb: Ton frère joue-t-il au hockey ? (Does your brother play hockey?)
Don't invert with je in everyday speech (Parlé-je sounds strange). Use est-ce que instead: Est-ce que je peux poser une question ? (Two fixed exceptions: Puis-je... ? May I...? and Suis-je... ?)

The -t- has no meaning: it's just there so the words flow. You only need it when the verb ends in a vowel and the pronoun starts with one.

Listening actively (l'écoute active)

Asking is half of a conversation. The other half is showing you're really listening:

Reactions (réagir):

Ah oui ? / Ah bon ? / Vraiment ? Oh really?
C'est cool ! / C'est intéressant !
Moi aussi ! (after a positive) · Moi non plus ! (after a negative: Je n'aime pas le brocoli. Moi non plus !)
Ah, je comprends. Ah, I understand.

Follow-up questions (relancer):

Pourquoi ? / Comment ça ? Why? / How so?
C'était comment ? How was it?
Et qu'est-ce que tu préfères ?

Checking you understood (paraphrase):

Si je comprends bien, tu es arrivé(e) à Ottawa l'année dernière ?
Tu veux dire que... ? You mean that...?

Body language: In most Ontario classrooms, people show attention by facing the speaker, nodding, and looking at them from time to time. Customs about eye contact differ between cultures and families: in some, looking down is a sign of respect, especially with an elder. The goal is to show attention in a way that is comfortable and respectful, and not to judge someone who does it differently.

Ask, listen, react, follow up, then hand over: Et toi ? A conversation is a ball you pass back and forth.

Taking turns

Don't interrupt. Wait for a pause. If you do cut someone off: Oh, pardon, je t'ai coupé(e). Vas-y ! (Sorry, I cut you off. Go ahead!)
Ask to add: Je peux ajouter quelque chose ? (Can I add something?)
Invite others: Et toi, qu'est-ce que tu en penses ? (And you, what do you think?)

Think-pair-share is a routine you'll use all year: (1) think alone for a minute, (2) pair up and share with a partner, (3) share with the group, often reporting your partner's idea: Mon partenaire pense que...

Worked example

Let's listen to an icebreaker

Malik and Sophie are paired up for a brise-glace on the first day.

Malik : Salut ! Tu t'appelles comment ? Sophie : Sophie. Et toi ? Malik : Malik. Tu étais à quelle école l'année dernière ? Sophie : À l'école Maple Grove, mais j'habite ici depuis seulement deux ans. Avant, j'habitais à Moncton. Malik : Ah bon ? Au Nouveau-Brunswick ! Pourquoi est-ce que vous avez déménagé ? Sophie : Pour le travail de ma mère. Et toi, quels sports pratiques-tu ? Malik : Le basketball, surtout. Mais je n'aime pas courir. Sophie : Moi non plus ! Si je comprends bien, tu aimes le basket, mais pas la course ? Malik : Exactement ! C'est bizarre, hein ?

Three registers: Tu t'appelles comment ? (intonation, casual) · Pourquoi est-ce que vous avez déménagé ? (est-ce que) · quels sports pratiques-tu ? (inversion).
Quel agreement: quelle école (feminine) and quels sports (masculine plural).
Active listening: Ah bon ? (reaction), Pourquoi... ? (follow-up), Moi non plus ! (agreeing with a negative), Si je comprends bien... (paraphrase to check).
New word from context: déménagé comes after j'habitais à Moncton and before for my mother's job, so it must mean moved (to a new home). Déménager = to move house.

Translation:

Malik: Hi! What's your name? Sophie: Sophie. And you? Malik: Malik. Which school were you at last year? Sophie: At Maple Grove school, but I've only lived here for two years. Before, I lived in Moncton. Malik: Oh really? In New Brunswick! Why did you (all) move? Sophie: For my mother's job. And you, which sports do you play? Malik: Basketball, mostly. But I don't like running. Sophie: Me neither! If I understand correctly, you like basketball but not running? Malik: Exactly! It's weird, eh?

Worked example

Let's ask one question three ways, then follow up

You want to know what your new lab partner does on weekends. Ask three ways, then plan a follow-up for the answer Je fais du bénévolat à la banque alimentaire. (I volunteer at the food bank.)

Casual: Tu fais quoi, la fin de semaine ? (la fin de semaine = the weekend, used in Québec and other parts of Canada)
Everyday: Qu'est-ce que tu fais, la fin de semaine ?
Formal: Que fais-tu la fin de semaine ?
React and follow up: Ah, c'est super ! Depuis combien de temps est-ce que tu fais ça ? or Qu'est-ce que tu fais là-bas, exactement ?

Any of the three questions works with a classmate; the follow-up (Depuis combien de temps... ? / Qu'est-ce que tu fais là-bas ?) is what turns a question into a conversation.

Just for fun

Think of the -t- in A-t-elle ? as the filling in a sandwich: two slices of vowel (a and elle) would slide right off each other without it. It's the hardest-working letter in French, and it doesn't even mean anything.

Hands-on activity

Le dé des questions (The question die)

You need: one die (from a board game), 6 index cards or scraps of paper, a pencil, and a partner (family member, friend, or a video call).

Write 6 questions in French, one per card, numbered 1 to 6. Use at least: one quel/quelle question, one depuis combien de temps question, one pourquoi question, and one inversion.
Roll the die and ask the matching question. Your partner answers (in French if they can, in English if not; you then say their answer in French: Si je comprends bien, tu...).
You must react (Ah bon ? Moi aussi !) and ask one follow-up before rolling again.
Swap roles if your partner speaks French.
Reflect: Which reaction did you use most? Which follow-up got the longest answer?

What to look for: correct hyphens and -t- in inversion, quel matching its noun, and real follow-ups, not just the next card.

Your turn

Ask Do you speak Spanish? three ways.

Make an inversion question: Elle a un chien.

Fill in: ___ est ta chanson préférée ? (quel / quelle / quels / quelles)

Your partner says Je n'aime pas les films d'horreur. You agree. What do you say?

Paraphrase to check: your partner said they moved from Sudbury last year.

You accidentally interrupted someone. What do you say?

Ask how long your partner has played the guitar.

More practice: warm-up

What does pourquoi mean, and how do you answer it?

Which question word means how many?

Is Tu habites où ? casual, everyday or formal?

What does Vas-y ! mean?

How do quel and quelles sound different?

More practice: on your own

Correct: Qu'est-ce que est ton numéro de casier ?

Turn into inversion: Ton frère joue au hockey.

Change to the est-ce que form: Que manges-tu le midi ?

Your partner says: J'adore le théâtre. Give a reaction and a follow-up question.

Why is Est-ce que je peux ajouter quelque chose ? better than Peux-je ajouter... ?

Challenge

Write a formal question to ask a guest speaker (a nurse from a francophone health centre) how long she has worked there, and which languages she speaks at work.

Listen and infer: « — Tu viens au club de robotique ? — Bof... Je ne sais pas trop. Peut-être. » Is the second speaker excited? What would a good follow-up be?

A classmate from another culture keeps their eyes down while you speak. Your friend says She's not listening. How would you respond, in English, using what you learned?

Check your understanding

Quiz

Which question is formal (soutenu)?

Choose the correct inversion of Il aime le soccer.

___ langues parles-tu ?

Your partner says Je ne joue pas aux jeux vidéo. You don't either. You say:

Which is the best follow-up to J'ai passé l'été au Sénégal ?

Si je comprends bien, ... is used to...

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Students ask questions in three registers (B1.4), take part in getting-to-know-you conversations (A2.2, B2.2) and practise active listening and turn-taking (A2.1, B2.1).

How to help: Play the question-die game. If you don't speak French, answer in English and let your teen restate your answer in French with Si je comprends bien.... Reward follow-up questions more than perfect grammar.

Common difficulties:

Using qu'est-ce que for "what is": Qu'est-ce que est ton nom ? ✗ → Quel est ton nom ? ✓
Forgetting the -t- (Parle-il ?) or the hyphens in inversion.
Moi aussi vs moi non plus: after a negative, it's moi non plus.
Asking question after question without listening to the answers. Encourage the ask–listen–react–follow-up cycle.

Good to know: Customs about eye contact and personal space vary. This lesson teaches students to show attention respectfully without judging people who show it differently.