Grade by Grade
C. Reading / D. Writing · Reading and Writing in French: Telling, Convincing and Connecting

La francophonie au Canada: Reading a Magazine Page and Writing a Community Profile

C3 D3 C1 C2 D1About 50 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can read a magazine page about French-speaking communities in Canada and find the main facts.
  • I can explain that French in Canada lives alongside English and Indigenous languages, and that some French words come from Indigenous languages.
  • I can recognize Canadian French words and say what is used in France.
  • I can use Canadian French writing conventions for addresses, numbers, dates and prices.
  • I can write a short profile of my own community in French.

Words to know

la francophonie
All the French-speaking people and places (from Grade 5).
un/une francophone
A person who speaks French, often as a first language.
les Fransaskois / les Fransaskoises
French speakers of Saskatchewan.
l'inuktut
The Inuit language of Nunavut, which includes Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun.
les racines
Roots: where a family comes from.
un profil
A short text that presents a person or a community.
Le savais-tu ?
Did you know? A box with a surprising fact, common in Canadian French magazines for kids.

French from sea to sea

In Grade 4 you learned about Franco-Ontarians and their flag, and in Grade 5 you read about the Acadians, the Carnaval de Québec, the Festival du Voyageur and the Métis Nation. You also learned that déjeuner, dîner and souper mean different meals in different places.

This year you will read a magazine page about more French-speaking communities, discover how French in Canada lives side by side with Indigenous languages, and learn the writing conventions French Canadians use every day.

Worked example

Let's read a magazine page

Le français, d'un océan à l'autre

Une page de magazine pour les jeunes

En Ontario L'Ontario a la plus grande communauté francophone au Canada après le Québec. Des francophones habitent partout dans la province : à Ottawa, à Sudbury, à Hearst, à Toronto... Beaucoup de familles francophones de l'Ontario ont des racines au Québec, en Acadie, en Haïti, en Afrique, en Europe ou ailleurs. Il y a des écoles de langue française dans toute la province.

En Saskatchewan Les francophones de la Saskatchewan s'appellent les Fransaskois et les Fransaskoises. La petite ville de Gravelbourg est un centre important de la culture fransaskoise.

Au Nunavut Au Nunavut, les langues officielles sont l'inuktut (l'inuktitut et l'inuinnaqtun), l'anglais et le français. Beaucoup d'Inuit parlent l'inuktut à la maison, à l'école et au travail. Il y a aussi une communauté francophone à Iqaluit, la capitale.

Le savais-tu ? Le nom « Canada » vient probablement du mot iroquoien « kanata », qui veut dire « village ». Le mot français « caribou » vient du mi'kmaq, et le mot « kayak » vient des langues inuites.

  1. Text features: a big title, a subtitle that tells the audience (pour les jeunes), headings by place, and a Le savais-tu ? box with a surprising fact.
  2. Skim for the main idea: French is spoken in communities across Canada, not only in Québec.
  3. Scan for details: the Ontario section names 4 cities. The Saskatchewan section names one town: Gravelbourg.
  4. Ontario: it has the largest francophone community in Canada outside Québec. Families have roots in many places, including Haiti and Africa.
  5. Nunavut: Inuktut, English and French are official languages. Most important to notice: many Inuit use Inuktut every day, at home, at school and at work.
  6. Words travel: Canada probably comes from the Iroquoian word kanata (village). Caribou comes from Mi'kmaq; kayak from Inuit languages.

French-speaking communities live across Canada (Ontario, Saskatchewan, Nunavut and more), alongside English and Indigenous languages. Some everyday French words come from Indigenous languages.

A small northern town beside a lake in autumn, with houses, a church steeple and spruce forest around it.
Many small towns in northern Ontario, like Hearst, have large French-speaking communities. Imagine writing a community profile about a town like this. AI-generated image

Respecting every language

Canada has two official languages (English and French) and many Indigenous languages, spoken by First Nations, Métis and Inuit people today. In Nunavut, Inuktut is an official language. When you see a word in an Indigenous language, write it carefully, with its exact spelling.

Just for fun

Funny-but-true: the Canadian French word clavarder (to chat online) was made by squishing together clavier (keyboard) and bavarder (to chat). Keyboard + chatting = clavarder ! ⌨️💬

EnglishCommon in Québec and other parts of CanadaCommon in France
cell phoneun cellulaireun portable
ice creamla crème glacéela glace
parking lotun stationnementun parking
to chat onlineclavardertchatter
podcastun baladoun podcast
store flyerune circulaireun prospectus
mittensdes mitainesdes moufles
corner storeun dépanneurune épicerie (de quartier)
stop signARRÊT (au Québec)STOP
More Canadian French words (new ones this year). Both columns are correct French. Many Canadians also understand the France words, and the reverse.
ARRÊTau QuébecSTOPen Francela crème glacée(Canada)la glace(France)Both are correct French. They are just used in different places!
Same thing, different words: a stop sign says ARRÊT in Québec and STOP in France, and ice cream is la crème glacée in Canada but la glace in France.

Writing conventions in French Canada

French writers in Canada follow some rules that are different from English:

  • Addresses: the number, a comma, then the street with a small letter: 123, rue Principale.
  • Big numbers: a space, not a comma, every three digits: 1 000, 25 000.
  • Decimals: a comma: 2,5 km (two and a half kilometres).
  • Prices: 4,50 $ (comma, then $ after).
  • Dates: day, then month in small letters: le 24 juin, le 1er juillet (1er = premier, first).
  • Times: 14 h 30 (from Grade 5).
  • Holidays: la fête du Canada (July 1), l'Action de grâce (Thanksgiving), le jour du Souvenir (November 11).
Englishfrançais (Canada)one thousand1,0001 000two and a half km2.5 km2,5 kma price$4.504,50 $a dateJuly 1le 1er juilleta time2:30 p.m.14 h 30an address123 Main Street123, rue Principale
The same information written two ways. In French Canada, look for a space in big numbers, a comma for decimals, $ after the price and 24-hour times.
Worked example

Let's write a community profile

Write a 5-sentence profile of a pretend town, Lac-des-Pins, Ontario: about 2 500 people, a lake, a winter carnival in February, a French school and an English school, and a Franco-Ontarian flag at the town hall.

  1. Title and where: Lac-des-Pins, en Ontario. Start with a sentence that presents it: Lac-des-Pins est une petite ville du nord de l'Ontario.
  2. A number with the French convention: Il y a environ 2 500 habitants. (environ = about; a space in 2 500)
  3. Places: Il y a un grand lac, une école de langue française et une école de langue anglaise.
  4. A tradition with a date: En février, il y a un carnaval d'hiver. (month in small letters)
  5. A francophone connection: Le drapeau franco-ontarien flotte devant l'hôtel de ville.
  6. Add a Le savais-tu ? box for one surprising fact, as in the magazine.

Lac-des-Pins, en Ontario

Lac-des-Pins est une petite ville du nord de l'Ontario. Il y a environ 2 500 habitants. Il y a un grand lac, une école de langue française et une école de langue anglaise. En février, il y a un carnaval d'hiver. Le drapeau franco-ontarien flotte devant l'hôtel de ville.

Hands-on activity

Bilingual label hunt and my community profile

You need: a few packages from your kitchen (cereal box, juice carton, can), paper and a pencil.

  1. Many products sold in Canada have labels in English and French. Find 3 packages and copy 5 French words with their English partners: céréales / cereal, ingrédients / ingredients...
  2. Look for French conventions: a number with a comma for decimals (1,5 L), a space in big numbers, g or mL.
  3. Now write a profile of your own community (6 sentences): where it is, about how many people live there (ask a grown-up to help you find the number), 2 places, a celebration or tradition, and one link to French or to an Indigenous language (a place name, a school, a festival). Only include facts you have checked with a grown-up.
  4. Add a Le savais-tu ? box with one fact you checked.
  5. Use the conventions: dates in small letters, spaces in big numbers.

Your turn

1

Which province has the largest francophone community in Canada after Québec?

2

What are the francophones of Saskatchewan called?

3

Name the three official languages of Nunavut.

4

Where does the name Canada probably come from?

5

What is un cellulaire? What do people often say in France?

6

Write the address 45 Maple Street the French Canadian way.

7

What is the job of the Le savais-tu ? box?

More practice: warm-up

1

Translate: la crème glacée.

2

Write one thousand the French way.

3

What does clavarder mean?

4

Write July 1 in French.

5

What does Le savais-tu ? mean?

More practice: on your own

1

Find the mistakes in this convention: Le 15 Août, j'ai payé $3.50.

2

Write 2.5 km the French way and say it in English.

3

A text says: Je vais au dépanneur pour acheter de la crème glacée. Is it more likely written in Canada or in France? Why?

4

Is it right to say Canadian French words are "wrong"? Explain.

5

Why does the magazine say families in Ontario have roots en Haïti, en Afrique, en Europe ou ailleurs?

Challenge

1

Write a 3-sentence Le savais-tu ? box about French words that come from Indigenous languages.

2

Write 2 sentences that compare your community with one in the magazine. Use comme or mais.

3

Rewrite with Canadian French words: Le week-end, je regarde mon portable dans le parking.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

The francophones of Saskatchewan are called...

2.

Which is an official language of Nunavut?

3.

How do you write 2,500 in French?

4.

The Canadian French word for cell phone is...

5.

The word caribou comes from...

6.

Which address is written the French Canadian way?

7.

Which statement is true?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 6 students read texts about French-speaking communities in Canada (C3), use reading strategies such as skimming and scanning to find information (C1) and identify the features of a magazine page (C2). In their writing they show awareness of Canadian French conventions and culture (D3) and write a profile for readers (D1).

Indigenous perspectives: The lesson presents First Nations, Métis and Inuit languages as living languages used today, and shows respectfully that some French words come from them. If your family has connections to an Indigenous language, this is a wonderful time to share it.

How to help:

  • Do the bilingual label hunt together; Canadian packaging is a free French textbook.
  • Help your child find and check facts about your own community (for example on your municipality's website).

Common difficulties:

  • Writing prices, decimals and big numbers the English way.
  • Capitalizing months and days (Août, Lundi).
  • Treating regional words as wrong. Both Canadian and European French are correct.

Canadian French used (heard in Québec and other parts of Canada): un cellulaire, la crème glacée, un stationnement, clavarder, un balado, une circulaire, des mitaines, un dépanneur, ARRÊT.