Teacher Information

CHAPITRE 4
Un appartement ou une maison à Paris

• Let students explore housing in Paris as they plan to find an apartment or house to rent or buy

• 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.

• 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.