French · Upper intermediate (B2) · Chapter 7 of 12
Education and learning
L'école et les études
Talk about school and training choices, express regrets with j'aurais dû and j'aurais aimé que, and use the past infinitive: après avoir fini.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Talk about school, grades and training choices
- Express regrets with j'aurais dû, j'aurais pu, il aurait fallu
- Use the past infinitive: après avoir obtenu, regretter de ne pas avoir fait
- Understand the French school system
Listen
At a lycée in Pau, Stéphane Roux meets his son's form teacher, Aïcha Bensaïd. His son Mathis, who is seventeen, wants to change direction. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Aïcha
Bonjour, monsieur Roux. Merci d'être venu. Je voulais vous parler de Mathis et de son orientation.
Hello, Mr Roux. Thank you for coming. I wanted to talk to you about Mathis and his plans for the future.
Stéphane
Oui, il nous a annoncé qu'il voulait quitter le lycée pour faire un apprentissage en cuisine. Ma femme et moi, on est un peu inquiets.
Yes, he told us he wanted to leave the lycée to do an apprenticeship as a cook. My wife and I are a bit worried.
Aïcha
Je comprends. Ses notes ont beaucoup baissé cette année, mais ce n'est pas parce qu'il ne comprend pas. Il s'ennuie en classe, tout simplement.
I understand. His marks have gone down a lot this year, but it isn't because he doesn't understand. He's simply bored in class.
Stéphane
C'est un peu de ma faute. J'aurais dû m'occuper plus de lui. Avec mon travail, je n'étais jamais là le soir.
It's partly my fault. I should have looked after him more. With my job, I was never there in the evenings.
Aïcha
Ne vous reprochez rien. Il aurait pu rester au lycée général et avoir son bac sans problème. Il a choisi autre chose, c'est tout.
Don't blame yourself. He could have stayed at the general lycée and passed his bac without any trouble. He's chosen something else, that's all.
Stéphane
Moi, je regrette de ne pas avoir fait d'études. C'est pour ça que j'aurais aimé qu'il aille à l'université.
I regret not going on to study. That's why I would have liked him to go to university.
Aïcha
Je vous comprends. Mais l'apprentissage, ce n'est pas un échec, au contraire. Après avoir obtenu son CAP, il pourra continuer ses études, s'il le souhaite.
I understand. But an apprenticeship isn't a failure, quite the opposite. After getting his CAP, he'll be able to carry on studying if he wants to.
Stéphane
Et s'il se rend compte dans un an qu'il s'est trompé ?
And what if he realises in a year that he's made a mistake?
Aïcha
Il pourra toujours changer de voie. Ce qui compte, c'est qu'il ait retrouvé l'envie d'apprendre. Depuis son stage dans un restaurant, il est transformé.
He can always change direction. What matters is that he's found his desire to learn again. Since his work placement in a restaurant, he's a different person.
Stéphane
C'est vrai. Il parle de cuisine du matin au soir. Je regrette qu'on ne l'ait pas écouté plus tôt.
That's true. He talks about cooking from morning till night. I'm sorry we didn't listen to him sooner.
Aïcha
L'important, c'est que vous l'écoutiez maintenant. Je vous conseille d'aller avec lui aux portes ouvertes du centre de formation, en février.
The important thing is that you're listening to him now. I'd advise you to go with him to the training centre's open day in February.
Stéphane
Merci, madame. Je repars beaucoup plus rassuré qu'en arrivant.
Thank you. I'm leaving much more reassured than when I arrived.
Understand
Regrets: j'aurais dû, j'aurais pu
To say what should have happened, use the conditionnel passé of : (I should have looked after him more). gives what could have happened: Said to someone, … is often a reproach.
+ subjunctive expresses a regret about someone else: + infinitive means “we should have, it would have been necessary”.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| I should have told him. | |
| You could have called me! | |
| He could have stayed. | |
| I would have liked to go on to study. | |
| We should have left earlier. |
The past infinitive: après avoir fini
The past infinitive is or + past participle: , être parti(e). Use it for a finished action after (after), (without) and verbs like or , when the subject is the same: In the negative, goes before or :
When the subject changes, use + subjunctive, in the subjonctif passé for a finished action:
- Après être rentrée, elle a appelé sa mère.After getting home, she called her mother.
- Il est parti sans avoir dit au revoir.He left without saying goodbye.
- Je suis content d'avoir choisi ce travail.I'm glad I chose this job.
The French school system
In France, school is compulsory from 3 to 16. After , pupils go to , where they follow one of three tracks (): general, technological or vocational (). () is the exam at the end of the .
An (apprenticeship) combines work in a company with classes in a training centre. A common first qualification is the (), for example in cooking.
| School | Ages |
|---|---|
| 3 to 6 | |
| 6 to 11 | |
| 11 to 15 | |
| 15 to 18 | |
| from about 15 |
More in the grammar: The conditional: je voudrais, si j'avais… · The past subjunctive: que j'aie fait, qu'il soit parti
New words
- l'orientationchoice of studies or career; guidance · feminine
- l'apprentissageapprenticeship; learning · masculine
- la notemark, grade (at school)
- s'ennuyerto be bored ·
- la fautefault; mistake · , in speech often : it's my fault
- se reprocherto blame yourself · : don't blame yourself
- le bacthe baccalauréat (exam at the end of the lycée) · : to pass the bac
- l'échecfailure · masculine; : on the contrary
- obtenirto get, to obtain (a diploma) · like , but with :
- la voietrack, path · : to change direction
- le stagework placement, internship
- écouterto listen (to)
- conseillerto advise · + infinitive
- rassuré / rassuréereassured
Practise
1.“I should have looked after him more.” Which sentence is correct?
2.Complete with the past infinitive of .
I regret not going on to study.
3.Complete with the subjunctive of .
I'm sorry we didn't listen to him sooner.
4.“After getting his CAP, he'll be able to carry on studying.” Which beginning is correct?
5.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.He could have stayed at the general lycée.
6.Match the French with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
J'aurais dû m'en occuper plus tôt.
I should have dealt with it sooner.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.