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B2

Le débat animé

Upper intermediate

You argue and add nuance: debating, defending an idea, catching what's implied. You express yourself clearly and in a structured way, even on abstract or current topics.

What the European framework says

  • You understand the main ideas of a complex text, on concrete or abstract topics, including in your own field of work.
  • You interact spontaneously and fluently: a conversation with a French speaker takes no strain on either side.
  • You express yourself clearly and in detail on many subjects, and defend a viewpoint by weighing the pros and cons.

Source: Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), Council of Europe

Possible lessons

30 lessons

We don't work through a textbook page by page: together we choose the lessons that are useful to you, in the order that suits you. Open a lesson to see what we work on.

Arguing, telling, being precise

  1. Taking a stand on social mediaYou can clearly defend your point of view on a social issue.
    Grammar
    il me semble que, j'estime que, force est de constater que; indicative or subjunctive after verbs of opinion (review)
    Vocabulary
    social media, the digital world
    Activity
    timed "for or against" debate
  2. Remote work up for debateYou can acknowledge an opposing argument while holding on to yours.
    Grammar
    concession (quoique, bien que, malgré, en dépit de, avoir beau); contrast (tandis que, en revanche, au contraire)
    Vocabulary
    the world of work, work-life balance
    Activity
    a table of advantages and drawbacks, then a debate
  3. Imagining the effects of artificial intelligenceYou can make hypotheses about the past, the present and the future.
    Grammar
    si + plus-que-parfait, past conditional; à supposer que, en admettant que + subjunctive; même si
    Vocabulary
    technology, artificial intelligence
    Activity
    « Et si l'IA n'avait jamais existé ? »; future scenarios
  4. Telling HistoryYou can understand a historical account written in the passé simple.
    Grammar
    the passé simple (recognition and common forms); the passé antérieur (recognition)
    Vocabulary
    history, war and peace
    Pronunciation
    il chanta / il chantait, hearing the difference
    Activity
    reading a historical account; retelling it orally in the passé composé
  5. Reading an extract from a novelYou can understand and comment on a short literary extract.
    Grammar
    passé simple and imparfait in narrative; the imperfect subjunctive (recognition)
    Vocabulary
    literature, the characters' emotions
    Pronunciation
    expressive reading aloud
    Activity
    guided reading; imagining what happens next
  6. Describing a trendYou can comment on figures and describe a trend.
    Grammar
    the present participle and the verbal adjective (fatiguant / fatigant); augmenter, baisser, chuter, se stabiliser
    Vocabulary
    statistics and trends
    Activity
    commenting on a graph; presenting how a phenomenon has evolved
  7. Reporting and commenting on what was saidYou can report what someone said while conveying their intention.
    Grammar
    reporting verbs (affirmer, prétendre, nier, admettre, reconnaître); reported speech (review)
    Vocabulary
    the press, politics, public statements
    Activity
    summarising an interview with the right verb; comparing two articles
  8. Saying exactly what you meanYou can build complex and precise sentences.
    Grammar
    compound relative pronouns (lequel, auquel, duquel, dans lequel); ce qui, ce que, ce dont
    Vocabulary
    the city, urban planning, community projects
    Activity
    describing the ideal neighbourhood; linking sentences with the right relative pronoun
  9. Getting things done by othersYou can say what you have someone else do for you.
    Grammar
    faire + infinitive (faire réparer); se faire + infinitive (se faire couper les cheveux); se laisser + infinitive
    Vocabulary
    services, home improvements, administration
    Activity
    describing your errands and paperwork; role play with a tradesperson
  10. Expressing your fearsYou can express a worry and a precaution.
    Grammar
    avoir peur que, craindre que + subjunctive; the expletive ne; de peur que, de crainte que, avant que
    Vocabulary
    worries, mental health
    Activity
    an advice column; giving advice to someone who is worried

Adding nuance, writing, mastering registers

  1. Ecology and economic realityYou can show the consequences of a choice and how strong they are.
    Grammar
    de sorte que, si bien que, au point de / que; tellement… que, si… que, tant de… que
    Vocabulary
    the environment, energy, the economy
    Activity
    debate on an environmental measure; arguing from a document
  2. Qualifying informationYou can present information with the right degree of certainty.
    Grammar
    il est probable que, il semblerait que, apparemment; the journalistic conditional (le ministre aurait déclaré…)
    Vocabulary
    information, the media, rumours
    Activity
    rewriting certain information as unconfirmed; analysing headlines
  3. Organising an argumentative textYou can build a clear line of reasoning, from start to conclusion.
    Grammar
    tout d'abord, en outre, néanmoins, ainsi, par conséquent, bref; punctuation in argumentative writing
    Vocabulary
    discourse markers
    Activity
    putting an argumentative text in order; outlining an essay from a question
  4. Writing an open letterYou can write a 250-word argued text to persuade.
    Grammar
    introduction, arguments, examples, conclusion; the formal register in writing
    Vocabulary
    civic engagement
    Activity
    writing an open letter, then commented correction
  5. Moving to a formal registerYou can adapt your register to the situation, from informal to formal.
    Grammar
    complex inversion (Peut-être viendra-t-il ; Ainsi est-il possible…); on or l'on; ceci, cela, ça
    Vocabulary
    informal, standard, formal
    Pronunciation
    optional liaisons in the formal register
    Activity
    turning an informal dialogue into a formal one, and the other way round
  6. The little words that trip you upYou can choose without hesitation between c'est and il est, and the right article.
    Grammar
    c'est or il est; no article (il est médecin, avec plaisir); de before a plural adjective (de belles idées)
    Vocabulary
    jobs, descriptions
    Activity
    correcting a text full of traps; describing well-known people
  7. Enriching your vocabularyYou can vary your words and avoid repetition.
    Grammar
    prefixes and suffixes; synonyms for all-purpose verbs (dire, faire, mettre, avoir)
    Vocabulary
    synonyms, word families
    Activity
    rewriting a text without the verbs « faire » and « dire »
  8. Placing things precisely in timeYou can express deadlines, limits and simultaneity precisely.
    Grammar
    dès, à partir de, d'ici; en attendant que, jusqu'à ce que + subjunctive; après que + indicative
    Vocabulary
    projects, deadlines, due dates
    Activity
    planning a project under time constraints
  9. Idiomatic verbs with y and enYou can use common verbs with fixed pronouns.
    Grammar
    s'en aller, s'en sortir, s'en vouloir, s'y prendre, en vouloir à; advanced y and en
    Vocabulary
    relationships, conflict, reconciliation
    Activity
    telling about a conflict and how it was resolved; reconciliation role plays
  10. Consumption under scrutinyYou can analyse a consumer habit and get agreement right in writing.
    Grammar
    past participle agreement with avoir (les livres que j'ai lus); agreement of colour adjectives (des chaussures marron, bleu clair)
    Vocabulary
    consumption, advertising
    Activity
    analysing an advert; debate « consommer moins, vivre mieux ? »

Refining, debating, reviewing

  1. Travelling differentlyYou can condense your sentences to tell a story and argue elegantly.
    Grammar
    the compound participle (ayant visité, étant arrivé); the participial clause; the gérondif (review)
    Vocabulary
    mass tourism, responsible travel
    Activity
    a condensed travel story; debate on mass tourism
  2. Negotiating and making a reproachYou can negotiate, express a reproach and respond diplomatically.
    Grammar
    the past conditional for reproach (tu aurais pu, vous auriez dû); the past subjunctive (je regrette que vous ne soyez pas venu)
    Vocabulary
    negotiation, asking for a pay rise
    Pronunciation
    the intonation of reproach and diplomacy
    Activity
    role play "asking for a pay rise"
  3. Debating healthYou can defend a public health measure with solid arguments.
    Grammar
    il est indispensable, il est temps, il est inadmissible que + subjunctive
    Vocabulary
    the health system, prevention
    Activity
    debate on a public health measure
  4. Does art have a meaning?You can describe and comment on a work of art precisely.
    Grammar
    adjectives whose meaning changes with their position (un grand homme / un homme grand; ancien, cher, propre, seul)
    Vocabulary
    art, museums, criticism
    Activity
    commenting on a work; debate « l'art est-il réservé à une élite ? »
  5. Nature expressionsYou can understand and use colourful expressions related to nature.
    Grammar
    figurative meaning
    Vocabulary
    expressions with nature (tomber des cordes, se jeter à l'eau, être dans le brouillard…)
    Activity
    guessing the meaning; telling a story with five expressions
  6. Words not to mix upYou can choose between similar words that are often confused.
    Grammar
    apporter / emporter / amener / emmener; rentrer / revenir / retourner; tard / en retard
    Vocabulary
    getting around, objects
    Activity
    a text to correct; targeted mini-dialogues
  7. Tricky plurals and agreementsYou can correctly agree words with unusual plurals.
    Grammar
    irregular plurals (bijoux, travaux, yeux); plurals of compound nouns
    Vocabulary
    the home, everyday objects
    Activity
    a tricky dictation; correcting a text
  8. Bringing the tenses togetherYou can choose the right tense in a story or an argument.
    Grammar
    review of all indicative, conditional and subjunctive tenses; sequence of tenses
    Vocabulary
    review of the level's topics
    Pronunciation
    review
    Activity
    rewriting a story in the past; choosing-the-tense exercises
  9. Review: the lively debateYou can lead a full debate: present, argue, refute, conclude.
    Grammar
    review of concession, hypotheses, relative pronouns and the formal register
    Vocabulary
    review of the level's topics
    Pronunciation
    review
    Activity
    a twenty-minute debate on a topic chosen by the learner, with detailed feedback
  10. Speaking like in everyday lifeYou can understand and use about ten common B2-level expressions.
    Grammar
    figurative meaning and registers
    Vocabulary
    colourful and informal expressions (se la couler douce, avoir du pain sur la planche, tourner autour du pot…)
    Activity
    guessing what the expressions mean; using them in a debate

By the end of the level, you can

  • Defend your point of view, refute an argument and make a concession
  • Understand articles, debates and literary extracts
  • Make hypotheses, express fears and reproaches with nuance
  • Move from an informal to a formal register, in speaking as in writing
  • Write a clear, well-built argued text

Alongside the lessons

  • Listening: debates, interviews and radio programmes
  • Reading: opinion pieces and editorials
  • Words not to mix up (quand / quant, tout / tous, en fait / au fait)
  • The most common mistakes at B2
  • DELF B2 preparation for learners who want it

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