Melissa Duluc

Communicative TaskProficiency level: Beginning

I. Task objectives and general description

In this lesson, students will express their preferences by playing the role of college roommates meeting for the first time and want to get to know each other. In groups of two or three students, each student will receive two pairs of pictures side by side (e.g. summer and winter, sports and music, etc.). The students must then show their pictures to their group and ask them in the target language, what they prefer. Each student will express which one they prefer. Students have the freedom to get creative in this open-ended communicative activity. They can explain why they prefer or do not prefer one of the objects or places in the pictures. Finally, students will share with the instructor what preferences were similar among their group.

II. Instructional/Task-based/Realia materials needed

Materials provided by the instructor are six pairs of images that go along with each other. Each person in the group receives two pairs to work with.

III. In class

a) Warm-up/pre-communicative activity: 3-4 minutes

Instructor will demonstrate an example on how to express preferences. In this pre-communicative activity, instructor will ask students how to ask the main question “Which do you prefer?” in French. The instructor will verify that the students know how to conjugate “préferér.”

b) Communicative task: 7-8 minutes

Students will now take on the task remembering that this is the first time they are meeting their partner as new college roommates. One student will begin by showing his/her two pictures and asking their partner which they prefer. This will begin a flow of conversation. The students have freedom of oral expression, which gives them the opportunity to take the conversation to multiple directions. Once they have completed the task, they can discuss with the instructor which similarities and differences they shared.

Communicative Task Visuals: