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Quel est mon problème?

This is a game I came across online which would work very well with good intermediate or advanced students. It would be a great way to practise phrases such as tu dois, tu devrais, à ta place je..., il te faut, il te faudrait or even il faut que + subjunctive. It would probably take 15-20 minutes.


Produce on post-its or sticky labels a load of simple problems. To save preparation time you could get advanced students to write them and then dish them out at random.Stick one on the back or the forehead of every pupil in the class. The pupil must not see their own problem. Students must circulate and give advice to the person on what they should do to solve the problem. The person with the problem has to work out what it is.

Here are some which might work well. You will need lots because some will be solved quickly and students will need replacements. Clever advanced students may be able to string out the dialogues by suggesting amusing or obscure solutions to the problems - encourage them to do this. You could then set a written homework where students would have to write, say, twenty problems with twenty solutions.

J'ai mal à la tête
J'ai mal à la gorge etc
Je n'ai pas fait mes devoirs hier soir
Mon meilleur ami ne me parle pas
Je fume et je veux abandonner la cigarette
J'ai peur des insectes
Je suis claustrophobique
Je n'ai pas d'argent
J'ai peur du sexe opposé
Je suis gay et j'ai peur de le dire à mes parents
Je veux laisser tomber mon copain/ma copine et je ne sais pas quoi faire
Je suis distrait et j'oublie souvent des choses
Je ne peux pas m'endormir
J'ai du mal à me lever le matin
Je n'ai pas d'amis
Je suis trop timide
J'ai peur de l'avion
J'ai le vertige
Je mange mal
Je ne fais pas d'exercice
Je pèse trop
J'ai toujours de mauvaises notes en sciences
Je suis nul en langues vivantes
Je m'entends mal avec mon père
Mes parents ne me laissent pas sortir seul
Je bois trop d'alcool
Je sors trop et je ne travaille pas assez
Je mange trop de sucreries
Je passe trop de temps devant l'ordinateur
Je mens tout le temps
Mon ami veut coucher avec moi, et moi je ne veux pas
Je ne sais pas comment réviser pour les examens
Je transpire beaucoup
Mes parents me critiquent tout le temps
Mes parents sont trop strictes
Mon prof de maths ne m'aime pas
Je suis nul en sport

I'll leave you to think of others - probably better and more imaginative.




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