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I have successfully used this versatile ice-breaker/Day 1 class activity countless times in my French courses, both at the beginning of the academic year and after the winter break. It is suitable for any level beyond French 1.

This activity proves incredibly effective in helping students transition into a new class or semester. It provides them with an opportunity to engage with their French language skills comfortably, in a fun, friendly, and social manner—even those who might be a bit shy.

I go over the various characteristics with them, offering clarification on vocabulary whenever necessary. Following that, I instruct them to converse exclusively in French while interacting with their classmates to complete the form.

Before commencing, I ensure we revisit authentic greetings, especially for those who are meeting some of their classmates for the first time. I also strongly encourage my students to not use inverted questions when trying to match the descriptions with names as inversions don’t sound natural in conversational French (“Parles-tu en dormant ?” -> “Tu parles en dormant ? / Est-ce que tu parles en dormant ?”).

This activity can be easily transformed into a friendly competition, motivating students to gather as many different names as possible within a designated time frame. Subsequently, more time can be devoted to discussing each number in detail, potentially evolving into a full-fledged class discussion. 

For instance, in the second form, « N°17: Qui est allé au cinéma ? Quel film est-ce que tu as vu ? Ça t’a plu ? De quoi ça parle ? C’est ton acteur/actrice préféré(e)? Qui a aussi vu ce film ? Quel est votre film préféré ? Vous connaissez des films français ou francophones ? »

Overall, this activity is extremely flexible, adaptable for completion within a brisk 15-20 minutes (racing to match each description with a name) or spanning over two class sessions if leveraged as a foundation for a substantial class discussion.

This PDF includes two printable versions with different lists of charasteristics:

1. Post-Summer Break Form

2. Post-Winter Break Form

Bonne conversation ! 😊

🛎️ YOU CAN SKIP THE CREDIT CARD INFO. YOUR “BILLING ADDRESS” IS JUST A DEFAULT SETTING (feel free to use a fake one, though I’d love to know which state or country you live in!) AND WILL NOT BE USED.