Teacher Information

CHAPITRE 4
Un appartement ou une maison à Paris

• Encourage students to learn about housing in Paris as they plan to "buy/rent" an apartment or house

• Familiarize students with the Paris arrondissements

• Tell students that each of the 20 arrondissements has its own individual character. The word arrondissement contains the word rond, which (in this context) means "around." Have them look at the map on their worksheets and point out that the arrondissements spiral around and around, from the 1^er in the center of the city, to the 20^ème in the outer loop. (Students should already be familiar with the 7^ème arrondissement if they have read Chapter 4, Lecture et Culture in their textbook.)

• Stress that students are not expected to know all of the vocabulary in the housing listings. Have them concentrate on looking for the vocabulary they know (e.g. chambres, toilettes, etc.).

• Tell students that when the French refer to a house or apartment as a 3 pièces, they mean it has three rooms, not including the kitchen or bathrooms.

• Additional vocabulary helpful for this activity:

  meublé furnished
  vide unoccupied
  une cave a cellar
  une cheminée a fireplace
  une cuisine équipée a kitchen with appliances
  l'immobilier (m.) real estate
  à louer for rent
  à vendre for sale
  le loyer the rent

• Explain to students that in the U.S. we use square feet to measure the dimensions of living space, while in France they use mètres carrés, or square meters. Maison 300m² indicates a house that is 300 square meters. (3.28 feet = 1 meter). To give students an idea of the approximate size of the apartments and houses being adverstised, tell them:

  40m² = a small apartment

  70m² = a medium-size apartment

  120m² = a large apartment

• If students are able to download the photos and print them out, display the photos of the apartments and houses on a large map of Paris in the classroom. Have students read their descriptions aloud and see if the others can match the apartments or houses to the descriptions.