French Speaking Activities to Get Students Talking Online

May 2026  ·  9 min read

French learners often arrive with a familiar problem: they can read and write more than they can say. The spelling hides the sound, the grammar feels formal, and so the speaking muscle stays weak. Online, with you as the only conversation partner, the right speaking activity is what turns a passive lesson into an active one.

Below are ten French speaking activities designed for 1-to-1 video lessons. Each lists a level suitability and a real French prompt you can use straight away. They run from heavily scaffolded to fully open, so you can match the task to the student in front of you.

Why do speaking activities matter more online?

In a 1-to-1 online lesson you are the entire room. That is wonderful for personalisation but risky for balance: without a task, you fill the silence and the student stays passive. A planned speaking activity shifts the talking ratio toward the learner, ideally 60 to 70 percent, which is exactly what builds fluency and pronunciation confidence.

1. The boulangerie or cafe role play (A1-A2)

Share a short menu on screen and play the server. The student practises je voudrais, numbers, prices and politeness, and naturally meets obligatory liaisons such as vous avez.

Real prompt: "Vous etes dans une boulangerie a Lyon. Je suis le boulanger. Commandez deux choses et demandez le prix." Add a twist: "Desole, il ne reste plus de croissants" to push a spontaneous second choice.

2. Information-gap "spot the difference" (A2-B1)

Give the student one image and keep a slightly different one yourself, neither visible to the other. They describe and question to find the differences, drilling il y a and position words.

Real prompt: "Nous avons deux images presque identiques. Sans me la montrer, decris ton image et pose-moi des questions pour trouver les cinq differences. Par exemple: Dans mon image, il y a un chat sur le canape, et chez toi?"

3. Picture description into storytelling (A2-B2)

Share one rich image. Ask the student to set the scene in the imperfect, then narrate what happened in the passe compose. This builds the tense contrast that defines intermediate French.

Real prompt: "Regarde cette photo. D'abord, decris l'ambiance a l'imparfait: il faisait beau, les gens se promenaient. Maintenant raconte ce qui s'est passe au passe compose." The framing does the grammar teaching for you.

4. Two truths and a lie (A2-B1)

The student gives three statements about themselves; you guess the lie and then question them. It generates real question-and-answer practice and loosens nervous speakers.

Real prompt: "Dis-moi trois choses sur ta vie: deux verites et un mensonge. Je vais te poser des questions pour deviner le mensonge."

5. The advice role play for the subjunctive (B1-B2)

The subjunctive appears naturally when someone gives advice or expresses a wish. Bring the student a problem and ask what they recommend.

Real prompt: "J'ai un probleme: je dors mal et je suis toujours fatigue. Qu'est-ce que tu me conseilles?" This pulls out Il faut que tu te couches plus tot, Je propose que tu fasses du sport. Swap roles so they also produce the trigger phrases.

6. Opinion debate and dilemmas (B1-C1)

Choose a topic with two sides and argue the opposite to keep the student talking. This develops connectors (cependant, d'une part, bien que) and the language of agreeing and disagreeing.

Real prompt: "Sujet du jour: vaut-il mieux vivre en ville ou a la campagne? Tu defends la ville, je defends la campagne. Convaincs-moi." For C1, the conjunction bien que forces the subjunctive: "Bien que ce soit cher, tu penses que ca vaut la peine?"

7. The "what would you do" hypothetical (B2-C1)

Conditionals come alive when tied to vivid scenarios. Pose dilemmas and react to the answers.

Real prompt: "Si tu gagnais a la loterie demain, qu'est-ce que tu ferais? Et si tu pouvais vivre dans n'importe quel pays, ou irais-tu et pourquoi?"

8. Role play a complaint or negotiation (B1-B2)

Transactional conflict produces rich, polite-but-firm language. Play an unhelpful hotel receptionist while the student complains and negotiates.

Real prompt: "Vous avez reserve une chambre avec vue sur la mer, mais la votre donne sur le parking. Je suis le receptionniste. Expliquez le probleme et trouvez une solution." This pulls in the conditional of politeness: je voudrais, pourriez-vous.

9. Personal storytelling from a prompt card (A2-C1)

Show one prompt and let the student tell a true story. Beginners give a few sentences; advanced students narrate with tense shifts and reported speech.

Real prompt: "Raconte-moi la derniere fois que tu as voyage a l'etranger. Qu'est-ce qui s'est passe? Quel a ete le meilleur moment?" Follow up to force the pluperfect: "Et avant ce voyage, tu y etais deja alle?"

10. The interview swap (B1-C1)

Have the student interview you, then reverse it. Learners who only ever answer rarely build the questioning skills fluency needs.

Real prompt: "Tu es journaliste et je suis un chef cuisinier celebre. Prepare cinq questions et interviewe-moi. Ensuite on echange les roles."

How do I correct speaking without killing the flow?

Do not stop every error. During an activity, note two or three recurring slips and address them afterwards. For instant fixes, recast gently: if the student says "J'ai alle au cinema," reply "Ah, tu es alle au cinema? Qu'est-ce que tu as vu?" The correct auxiliary is modelled without breaking the conversation. Reserve patterns, such as etre-versus-avoir in the passe compose or gender agreement, for the feedback slot.

Tackling the French-specific speaking challenges

Three features need targeted attention in speech. Liaison is best built through repeatable obligatory phrases (nous avons, les enfants) used many times in context. Nasal vowels and the French R improve through modelling and patient recasting rather than mid-task correction. Gender agreement errors fade with high-frequency recycling, not interruption. A spaced-repetition review system, like the one in Derstina, keeps recycling vocabulary with its article and key phrases so they surface correctly when the student speaks.

Building speaking into a structured curriculum

Speaking practice lands best on a clear progression, so each task targets language the student is ready to use. Derstina's French curriculum gives you ready-made, level-aligned lessons with built-in speaking tasks, progress tracking and spaced-repetition vocabulary review, so your energy goes into the conversation, not the planning. For the bigger picture, read our guide on how to teach French online, and for adaptable ideas, the companion post on Spanish speaking activities.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are good speaking activities for online French lessons?

The most effective online French speaking activities are role plays such as ordering at a boulangerie, information-gap tasks, picture description, opinion debates and personal storytelling. They suit a 1-to-1 video lesson because they give the student a concrete reason to speak, can be scaled from A1 to C1, and can be designed to surface tricky features like liaison, the passe compose and the subjunctive in natural speech.

How do I help a French student with liaison while speaking?

Build short, repeatable phrases into speaking tasks where liaison is obligatory, such as nous avons, vous etes or les enfants, then have the student use them many times in context. During free speech, recast rather than interrupt: if they say les amis without the link, repeat it naturally with the liaison. Treat optional liaisons as polish for advanced learners, not a beginner rule.

How do I get a French student to use the passe compose in speech?

Use storytelling and weekend-recap tasks that force completed past actions. Ask Qu'est-ce que tu as fait ce week-end? and the passe compose appears naturally. For the contrast with the imperfect, show a picture and ask them to set the scene in the imperfect, then narrate what happened in the passe compose. The framing teaches the tense distinction without a grammar lecture.

What is a good French speaking activity for beginners?

A guided cafe or bakery role play suits A1 and A2 well. Put a short menu on the shared screen and play the server. The student practises je voudrais, numbers, prices and politeness inside a predictable frame, and naturally meets obligatory liaisons like vous avez. Add a small complication, such as an item being sold out, to push a spontaneous second choice.

How long should a French speaking activity last in a lesson?

Aim for eight to fifteen minute blocks, with two or three activities per lesson. Beginners need shorter, more scaffolded bursts, while advanced learners can hold a single debate or discussion for twenty minutes or more. Reserve a few minutes at the end for targeted feedback on two or three points so the speaking turns into measurable progress.