About Me

“About Me” Vocabulary

• Familiarise yourself with a range of vocabulary on topics related to personal identity such as hobbies, family, personal characteristics, education and career aspirations.
• Learn synonyms for common adjectives to describe oneself, to expand your vocabulary. For example, instead of always using ‘heureux’, learn alternatives such as ‘content’, ‘joyeux’, or ‘ravi’.
• Understand the use of reflexive verbs that are commonly used when speaking about oneself such as ‘se sentir’, ‘se trouver’, and ‘se comporter’.
• Utilise resources like French blogs, vlogs and autobiographies to expose yourself to the particular vocabulary used in “About me” contexts.

“About Me” Speaking

• Practice speaking about yourself fluently and confidently; describe personal interests, family, experiences and aspirations.
• Enhance your language skills by describing abstract aspects of your personality, aspirations, and feelings. Practice using expressions of intent, opinion, and desire such as ‘j’aimerais’, ‘je pense que’, and ‘je rêve de’.
• Incorporate various tenses to talk about past experiences, present conditions and future aspirations. For example, use the past tense to discuss your childhood, present tense for your current situation, and future or conditional tense for your aspirations.
• Use conversational fillers like ‘vous voyez’, ‘en fait’, ‘franchement’, to sound more natural and effortless.

“About Me” Use of Language

• Use appropriate register for ‘About me’ contexts. Generally, an informal or conversational tone is preferred, but showing a balance between informal and formal language can demonstrate your versatile language skills.
• Pay attention to gender and agreement rules particularly when using adjectives to describe oneself. Remember, most adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify.
• Use complex sentences to express your thoughts succinctly. Experiment with sentence starters, conjunctions and a variety of clause structures to add richness to your language.
• Be mindful of idiomatic expressions that could enhance your language when describing personal experiences and emotions. For example, ‘avoir hâte de’, ‘avoir du mal à’, ‘il me tarde de’.
• Strive for precision and conciseness in conveying your thoughts. Effective communication should always prioritise clarity over complexity. Being verbose or overly complicated may confuse the listener and detract from clear, effective communication.