French Chat Mat: Vacations
Talking about vacations is one of the most exciting and motivating topics for French learners. Whether describing past trips, planning future adventures, or sharing favorite destinations, the French Chat Mat: Vacations gives students the vocabulary, structures, and confidence they need to communicate—all in French.
This chat mat supports meaningful, real-world language use while helping learners stay in the target language with ease.
Why Use a Vacation-Themed Chat Mat?
A vacations unit is perfect for novice and intermediate learners because it:
- Connects to students’ personal experiences and interests
- Encourages storytelling, opinions, and descriptive language
- Reinforces high-frequency verbs (aller, faire, visiter, voyager)
- Supports interpersonal speaking tasks
- Provides a natural way to weave in geography, culture, and travel vocabulary
With clear support, even beginners can describe where they go, what they do, and how they feel about it.
What’s Included in the French Vacation Chat Mat?
A well-designed vacation chat mat might include:
Common Vacation Destinations
- à la plage
- à la montagne
- à la campagne
- en ville
- à l’étranger
- chez ma famille
- dans un parc national
- dans un hôtel / un camping
Useful Verbs & Phrases
- Je vais…
- Je suis allé(e)…
- Je voudrais visiter…
- J’ai passé mes vacances à…
- Je voyage avec…
- Nous restons… (une semaine, quelques jours, etc.)
Activities Vocabulary
- nager
- faire de la randonnée
- visiter des musées
- faire du shopping
- essayer de nouveaux plats
- prendre des photos
- se détendre
- faire du vélo
High-Utility Sentence Starters
- Pendant les vacances…
- Mon endroit préféré est…
- Je voyage souvent en…
- Je veux aller à… parce que…
- Le meilleur moment était quand…
Extra Vocabulary
- les moyens de transport
- le temps / la météo
- les hébergements
- les souvenirs
- les activités culturelles
Visual Icons
Destination symbols, activity images, and travel icons help novices make meaning quickly.
Classroom Activities Using This Chat Mat
Try these fun, communicative activities:
1. Vacation Interviews
Students ask and answer questions about past or future vacations, using sentence starters for support.
2. “Dream Trip” Presentations
Students describe their ideal vacation destination and activities.
3. What Did I Do?
One student describes a vacation; the partner guesses the destination or activity.
4. Travel Brochure Role-Play
Students become travel agents and recommend destinations based on a partner’s interests.
5. Cultural Connections
Explore popular vacation spots in francophone countries—French beaches, Québec ski towns, Moroccan cities, Caribbean islands, etc.
A Fun Way to Build Real-World Communication Skills
The French Chat Mat: Vacations is perfect for helping learners talk about travel, experiences, and future plans in meaningful and engaging ways. With built-in vocabulary support and accessible structures, it works beautifully for speaking centers, pair tasks, warm-ups, or full unit lessons.
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