Talking about leisure activities is one of the most enjoyable and meaningful ways for French learners to build real-world communication skills. The French Chat Mat: Leisure helps students express what they like to do, ask others about their interests, and carry on simple conversations about pastimes—all in French.
With clear themes, visual support, and student-friendly language, this chat mat is perfect for novice and intermediate learners alike.
Why Use a Leisure-Themed Chat Mat?
Leisure activities are ideal for classroom communication because they:
- Connect directly to students’ real lives
- Encourage natural conversation and opinions
- Reinforce high-frequency verbs like faire, jouer, aimer, and aller
- Support interpersonal speaking tasks and partner activities
- Provide great cultural bridges to francophone hobbies and pastimes
A chat mat gives learners the structure they need to speak confidently and stay in the target language.
What’s Included in the French Leisure Chat Mat?
A well-designed chat mat might include:
Common Leisure Activities
- regarder des films
- écouter de la musique
- lire
- faire du vélo
- jouer aux jeux vidéo
- cuisiner
- faire du shopping
- jouer d’un instrument
- faire du sport
- sortir avec des amis
Useful Verbs & Structures
- J’aime / Je n’aime pas…
- Je préfère…
- Je fais…
- Je joue à / Je joue de…
- Je vais…
- Le weekend, je…
High-Utility Sentence Starters
- Mon loisir préféré est…
- Le soir, j’aime…
- J’aimerais essayer…
- Je pratique…
- Je passe mon temps à…
Extra Vocabulary
- les fréquences (souvent, rarement, tous les jours…)
- les lieux (au parc, à la maison, au cinéma…)
- les personnes (avec ma famille, avec mes amis…)
Visual Icons
Small images or icons representing activities help beginners understand and communicate quickly.
Classroom Activities Using This Chat Mat
Here are a few engaging ways to use it:
1. Partner Interviews
Students ask and answer questions about their favorite activities.
2. Find Someone Who…
A classmate scavenger hunt where students walk around asking questions in French.
3. Weekend Forecast
Students describe what they will do—or hope to do—this weekend.
4. Leisure Showcase
Students create a mini-poster or slide about one favorite activity and present it using the chat mat.
5. Cultural Connections
Explore popular leisure activities in francophone countries—music festivals, café culture, cycling, pétanque, and more.
Perfect for Everyday Communication
The French Chat Mat: Leisure helps learners engage in authentic, meaningful conversation about everyday interests. With built-in support and versatile vocabulary, it’s ideal for classrooms, tutoring, or independent study.
Building Proficiency for World Language Learners: 100+ High-Interest Activities
Discover over 100 dynamic activities to make world language learning interactive and fun. I wrote this book with some of my favorite activities for educators aiming to build proficiency with high-impact strategies.
Learn more and get your copy here.
5 Weeks of No and Low Prep Fun
Need quick, engaging activities for your class? This free guide includes 25 no-prep and low-prep ideas to save time while keeping students excited about learning.
Download your free copy now.
