Décrire La Vie Rurals – JSS1 French Lesson Note (Second Term)

Describing rural and urban life in French means using simple sentences and vocabulary to say what life is like in a village (la vie au village) and in a town or city (la vie en ville). Students name places and things, such as le champ and l’électricité, then state the advantages and disadvantages of each and compare the two.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. name places and things linked to village life and town life in French;
2. describe life in the village in simple French sentences;
3. describe life in the town in simple French sentences;
4. compare life in the village with life in the town.

What are the key words for village and town life? (Vocabulaire de base)

Le village is the village and la ville is the town or city.

• la vie: life.
• au village: in the village (au = à + le).
• en ville: in town (no article after en).
• rural(e): of the countryside. Example: la vie rurale.
• urbain(e): of the town. Example: la vie urbaine.

How do we describe rural life in French? (Décrire la vie rurale)

Rural life is described with village words and short sentences such as La vie au village est tranquille.

Useful vocabulary (Vocabulaire/expressions utiles)

What are the advantages of village life? (Les avantages)

Village life is quiet, free and offers things that do not exist in town.

• La vie au village est tranquille. Village life is quiet.
• La vie au village est bonne. Village life is good.
• La vie au village est une vie libre. Village life is a free life.
• La vie au village a beaucoup de choses qui n’existent pas en ville. Village life has many things that do not exist in town.

What are the disadvantages of village life? (Les inconvénients)

The main disadvantages of village life are lower wealth and poorly equipped hospitals.

• Les gens au village ne sont pas aussi riches que les gens qui vivent en ville. People in the village are not as rich as people in town.
• Les hôpitaux au village ne sont pas bien équipés. Village hospitals are not well equipped.
• C’est à cause de ça que les gens au village meurent facilement. Because of this, people in the village die easily.

What work do people do in the village?

• Dans le village, il y a beaucoup de chasse. In the village, there is a lot of hunting.
• Ils font ça pour leur profession ou métier. They do that for their profession or trade.
• Il y a des champs, une rivière et une forêt. There are fields, a river and a forest.

How do we describe urban life in French? (Décrire la vie urbaine)

Urban life is described with town words and short sentences such as La vie en ville est très bonne.

Useful vocabulary (Vocabulaire/expressions utiles)

What are the advantages of town life?

Town life is easier because of electricity, good buildings, well-equipped schools and skilled hospital staff.

• La vie urbaine n’est pas la même chose que la vie au village. Urban life is not the same as village life.
• La vie en ville est très bonne comparée à la vie au village. Town life is very good compared with village life.
• Pour parler de l’électricité, c’est une chose qui rend la vie très facile pour les gens en ville. Electricity makes life very easy for people in town.
• Les gens en ville ont beaucoup d’opportunités pour vivre dans les meilleurs bâtiments de leur choix. People in town have many chances to live in the best buildings of their choice.
• Les écoles en ville sont bien équipées. Schools in town are well equipped.
• Les élèves en ville sont toujours les mieux placés pour l’éducation formelle. Students in town are always best placed for formal education.
• Dans les hôpitaux, il y a beaucoup de professionnels, c’est-à-dire que les médecins et les infirmiers connaissent bien le travail. In hospitals there are many professionals: the doctors and nurses know the work well.

What are the disadvantages of town life?

Town life has problems such as high cost, noise and heavy traffic.

• La vie en ville est chère. Town life is expensive.
• Il y a beaucoup de bruit. There is a lot of noise.
• Il y a beaucoup de véhicules sur les routes. There are many vehicles on the roads.

How do we compare village life and town life in French?

We compare two things with plus … que (more than), moins … que (less than) and aussi … que (as … as).

Comparison patterns

• plus + adjective + que: La ville est plus grande que le village.
• moins + adjective + que: Le village est moins bruyant que la ville.
• pas aussi + adjective + que: Le village n’est pas aussi riche que la ville.

Village and town at a glance

Evaluation

1. Name three places or things you find in a village, in French.
2. Complete the sentence with a word from the lesson: La vie au village est ___.
3. Give two disadvantages of village life, in French.
4. Give two advantages of town life, in French.
5. Translate into English: Les écoles en ville sont bien équipées.

Assignment (Devoir)

La ville ou le village : lequel est le mieux ? Write five simple French sentences to answer. Use at least two words from the vocabulary tables and one comparison with plus … que.