1

RONNY MINTJENS

A Product of Mass
FIRST EXAMS MAY 2020
Instruction

Published by Mintjens Press ©

All rights reserved
 2

My French Ab Initio Portfolio (for first exams in 2020)

My French Ab Initio Portfolio contains 333 questions and answer options that cover all 20 topics of the Ab
Initio syllabus. It helps students understand all the questions that can be asked about the 20 topics and prepare
and practise their personal responses to these questions. The various answer tables are presented in a way that
allows the students to pick and choose the parts of the answers that best reflect their own situation.

The Portfolio also encourages the students to review the relevant vocabulary and grammar prior to answering
the questions, thus providing a great revision tool in preparation for the different assessment components.

About the author

Ronny Mintjens is a practising Language Ab Initio teacher, examiner and workshop leader for the International
Baccalaureate. He is the author and publisher of the “Language Ab Initio Student Workbook” – the source
publication for this Portfolio. He is also an IB workshop developer, a language acquisition and mother tongue
consultant, a moderator for the IB Programme Communities, the Head of Languages at a world-renowned IB
school and a tireless advocate for mother tongue entitlement in international education. Beyond his life as a
linguist, Ronny is a world traveler, a published novelist and photographer, a former professional football coach,
a serial writer and an avid reader.

ISBN-13 978-988-78755-7-4

Second edition (2018)

Cover design : © Ronny Mintjens

Published in e-version

Published by Mintjens Press, a subsidiary of MIH Unlimited Group of Companies

Contact – mihabinitio@gmail.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or held within any
information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

This Portfolio is directly linked to the Language Ab Initio Student Workbook (ISBN 978-988-78756-6-6)

For orders of the Student Workbook, contact mihabinitio@gmail.com

For further information, visit www.mihunlimited.com

The Language Ab Initio

Student Workbook
ISBN 978-988-78756-6-6

A student guide for all fifteen Ab Initio

languages currently on offer
Order your class set today !
 3

French Ab Initio Portfolio

Welcome to your French Portfolio. This resource will help you turn your French Ab Initio course
into a personal journey and prepare you fully for the final assessments. The French portfolio is
designed to be used in conjunction with the Language Ab Initio Student Workbook but can also
be used independently.
What is the Ab Initio Portfolio ?
The Language Ab Initio course is an organic course. You will learn vocabulary, grammar, syntax,
skills and cultural facts throughout the various units that your teacher presents. While the course
is open-ended, there are a wide range of themes and topics that must be covered and that are the
same for all languages.
The following are the Themes and Topics of the Ab Initio course :

Identities Experiences Human Social Sharing the

ingenuity organization planet
Personal Daily routine Transport Neighbourhood Climate
attributes
Personal Leisure Entertainment Education Physical
relationships geography
Eating and Holidays Media The workplace Environment
drinking
Physical Festivals and Technology Social issues Global issues
well-being celebrations

Since the acquisition of a new language is an ongoing and organic process, you are encouraged to
develop your personalized French Ab Initio Portfolio. The development of a Portfolio is not an
IB requirement but will help you a great deal as you expand your knowledge and understanding of
spoken and written French and as you undertake progressively more complex readings, writings
and oral presentations.
In this Portfolio, the Ab Initio course has been divided up into its various Themes (5) and Topics
(20). For each topic a number of questions have been suggested. The questions range from basic
to complex and you are encouraged to answer each one of these questions whilst using the
vocabulary and grammar that you learn in your lessons.
This process of answering many questions allows you to familiarize yourself with the topic-specific
vocabulary, to revise and practise the grammatical concepts learned and to provide personalized
answers in writing and speaking. The creative nature of the Portfolio also allows for differentiation,
where you can challenge yourself to provide detailed answers, to explore grammatical variations
(eg tenses) and to set minimum requirements for yourself (eg “use at least three adjectives”).
The table on page 4 shows you the various applications of your Portfolio.
 4

Applications of the Writing Listening Reading Individual

Portfolio (Paper 1) Comprehension Comprehension Oral
(Paper 2) (Paper 2)
Coverage of all the √ √ √ √
course topics
Vocabulary practice √ √ √ √

Grammar practice √ √ √ √

Writing practice √ √

Speaking practice √

Listening practice √

Combining Portfolio √ √
paragraphs will lead
to almost complete
responses
Cultural √ √ √ √
understanding

By the time you reach the end of the course, you will have a complete set of questions and answers
that will, in various forms, be tested in your Individual Oral examination, your Paper I creative
writing and your Paper 2 reading and listening comprehension exercises.
How do I use my French Portfolio ?
This Portfolio workbook contains a comprehensive list of questions and answer options that have
been grouped by theme and by topic.
Your task is to :

• find the questions that you cover as you progress through the Ab Initio course. For
example, once you have covered part or all of the topic of “Eating and Drinking”, you
should consult the Portfolio section on this topic;
• study the vocabulary and the grammar related to the topic in question before attempting
to answer all the relevant questions;
• study the many answer options that have been given and select the ones that apply to your
personal situation. From these options, construct your answers in a personalized manner.
For example, when you describe yourself, simply select the features that correspond with
what you look like. Of course, you are free to add more features or to change what needs
to be changed;
• practise your writing but also your speaking : read the questions and the answer options
out loud, draft your answer paragraph and learn how to say that paragraph;
• keep up to date with your course. As soon as you have covered a certain topic, or parts
thereof, you should work on the corresponding questions. This will prevent your
independent work from building up beyond manageable levels. Always remember that a
new language is learned on a daily basis, not on the eve of the examination …
 5

• add your own additional questions at the end of each section. We do not claim to have
produced an exhaustive list of questions.

Portfolio example
When you are being asked : « Est-ce que tu peux décrire ta maison/ton appartement ? » (Question 14), you
must not simply say that your house is big or small or that your flat has five rooms. In order to
fully exploit this question and show how much you have learned in French, you should
differentiate between :

• whether your home is a house, an apartment, a chalet, a mansion

• whether your home is big or small
• whether your home is modern or not
• whether your home is near the city centre, in the suburbs or in the countryside
• whether there is one floor or more than one floor
• whether there is a garden or not
• whether there is a view of the mountains or of the town
• how many rooms there are in your home
• which rooms there are in your home
• etc.

When describing your home, why not include a photo in your write-up, Powerpoint presentation
or blog entry ? Be as creative and artistic as you can when working on your Portfolio – it is there
for you to enjoy !
Possible formats of your Portfolio
Eventually your Portfolio will become a summary and a record of your language-learning
experience. It is something you should celebrate and be proud of, so think of a way in which you
can fully express yourself and revise best for your IB examinations.
Some options include :

• using an exercise book to prepare your answers in writing;

• working on a word-processed Portfolio;
• developing a blog;
• creating Powerpoint presentations;
• producing short video clips;
• etc.

Your teacher may also ask you to produce a combination of the above (and other) options.
The addition of visuals to some of the responses will provide a great creative touch and will, in
many cases, also aid recognition and recollection of these responses. Furthermore, you may
occasionally present parts of your Portfolio to your classmates, either as practise or as an
assessment.
Remember, in order to stand out from the crowd and fully explore your linguistic ability, you must
produce answer paragraphs that have a range of vocabulary, grammar and cultural content. Don’t
 6

be satisfied with one-word answers – they will not earn you good grades and they will limit the
communication that you must establish with your audience.
Good luck !

Share the ways in which you use the Ab Initio Portfolio – as a classroom resource,
an independent study resource, a differentiation resource or simply to learn a
language you will use during your next holiday !

Join one of our Language Ab Initio online communities

for further support and resources :

For teachers :

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1081827915163033/

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8447950

For students :

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/500435416956563/
 7

Table of contents

A. Identities p. 8

B. Experiences p. 45

C.Human ingenuity p. 73

D.Social organization p. 93

E. Sharing the planet p. 133

F. Additional questions p. 150

 8

A. IDENTITéS

CONTENU :

A.1. CARACTÉRISTIQUES PERSONNELLES p. 9

A.2. RELATIONS PERSONNELLES p. 23
A.3. ALIMENTS ET BOISSONS p. 30
A.4. BIEN-ÊTRE PHYSIQUE p. 38
9
 10

1. Comment vas-tu ?

Je vais bien, merci, et toi ?

Ça va bien, et vous ?
Assez bien,
Pas trop mal,
Superbe,
Comme ci comme ça,
Ça ne va pas du tout.
Ça va mal.
Je ne me sens pas bien.

2. Comment t’appelles-tu ?

Je m’appelle Anna
Christopher
Daniela
Ibrahim
Suh Yoon

3. Comment est-ce que tu écris ton nom ?

A-n-n-a
C-h-r-i-s-t-o-p-h-e-r
D-a-n-i-e-l-a
I-b-r-a-h-i-m
S-u-h Y-o-o-n

4. Quel est ton numéro de téléphone ?

Mon numéro de téléphone est 1234 5678

876 54 321

5. Quelle est ton adresse de courriel ?

Mon adresse de courriel est cdupont@yahoo.fr

jsmith@gmail.com

Note : « @ » se prononce « arobase » en français

« . » se prononce « point » en français

Donc on dit : « cdupont arobase yahoo point fr »

 11

B. EXPéRIENCES

CONTENU :

B.1. HABITUDES QUOTIDIENNES p. 46

B.2. LOISIRS p. 49
B.3. VACANCES p. 60
B.4. FÊTES ET CÉLÉBRATIONS p. 68
12
 13

6. A quelle heure est-ce que tu … ? (routine quotidienne)

Les jours scolaires je me réveille à six heures

Pendant la semaine me lève à sept heures et demie
Tous les samedis matin m’habille juste avant le petit déjeuner
Le dimanche …* le plus tard possible
Pendant le weekend vers midi
Pendant les vacances j’aime me réveiller après le déjeuner
D’habitude me lever vers deux heures de l’après-midi
En général m’habiller en fin d’après-midi
…* après le dîner
assez tard dans la soirée
juste avant de me coucher

*Réfère-toi au Student Workbook pour voir une liste détaillée des routines quotidiennes

7. Quelles corvées de ménage est-ce que tu fais chez toi ?

Chez moi je prépare le petit déjeuner

Chaque matin fais la vaisselle
Tous les jours vide la poubelle
Après le dîner range mes affaires
Tous les samedis nettoie ma chambre
Quand j’ai le temps j’aide à faire les lits
promener le chien
laver la voiture
balayer la cuisine

8. Combien de fois par semaine est-ce que tu prépares le dîner ?

Je prépare le dîner une fois par semaine

chaque soir
quand je n’ai pas de devoirs
les mardis, car mes parents travaillent jusqu’à tard
les vendredis, avant mon programme favori
les dimanches, pour que mes parents puissent se reposer un peu
Je ne prépare jamais le dîner, mon père est un excellent chef !
nous avons une bonne à la maison
ma famille et moi, nous mangeons au restaurant tous
les soirs
chaque soir j’achète un repas à emporter
 14

c. Ingéniosité humaine

CONTENT :

C.1. TRANSPORTS p. 74
C.2. DIVERTISSEMENTS p. 80
C.3. MÉDIAS p. 85
C.4. TECHNOLOGIE p. 90
 15

D. ORGANISATION sociale

CONTENU :

D.1. VOISINAGE p. 94
D.2. ÉDUCATION p. 105
D.3. LIEU DE TRAVAIL p. 121
D.4. PROBLÈMES SOCIAUX p. 127
 16

E. partage de la planÈte

CONTENU :

E.1. CLIMAT p. 134

E.2. GEOGRAPHIE PHYSIQUE p. 138

E.3. ENVIRONNEMENT p. 141

E.4. QUESTIONS MONDIALES p. 146

17
 18

259. Qu’est-ce que tu aimes faire quand tu vas à la plage ?

Quand je vais à souvent je me repose et je lis un bon livre

la plage d’habitude j’ fais de longues promenades
parfois joue au football ou au badminton
me fais bronzer
prends des photos des gens
ramasse les ordures dans la mer
Je vais à la plage au moins une fois par mois avec mon école. Nous passons toute
la journée à nettoyer la plage et à ramasser les bouteilles et les sacs en plastic. Nous
collectionnons les ordures qui se sont échouées sur la plage et nous les emballons
dans de grandes boîtes. Après notre travail, la ville nous offre un déjeuner !

260. Qu’est-ce que tu aimes faire quand tu vas à la montagne ?

Quand je vais à je aime faire une randonnée avec mes ami(e)s

la montagne j’ adore découvrir de nouveaux sentiers
faire de la pêche dans les ruisseaux
faire du camping
passer la nuit sous les étoiles
Quand je vais à la montagne avec mes ami(e)s nous aimons passer la plupart
de la journée à nous promener sur les sentiers et à ramasser les feuilles de
plantes et d’arbres différents. Quelques-un(e)s d’entre nous aimons aussi faire
des photos du paysage et de l’environnement. Le long des sentiers nous
ramassons les déchêts que d’autres promeneurs ont oubliés.

261. Qu’est-ce que tu fais pour protéger l’environnement ?

Pour protéger ramasse toujours les ordures

l’environnement suis devenu(e) membre du club écologique de mon école
je (j’) aide à sensibiliser mes copains et copines à l’environnement
participe à des projets de sensibilisation en ville
n’utilise jamais de sacs en plastic
fais du recyclage de papier
vais à l’école à vélo
 19

The Language Ab Initio Student Workbook

The Language Ab Initio Student Workbook covers all the components of this language acquisition
course and provides a step-by-step guide to the various assessments. Each component is broken
down into its various parts and plenty of advice and practice are provided in order to ensure that
the student is fully prepared when it matters most. This workbook focuses on reading, writing,
listening and speaking and is supported by online resources on the author’s website
(www.mihunlimited.com).

The introduction of a personal Portfolio helps the student create an ongoing record of their
learning and allows them to manipulate the language according to the assessment tasks, the formats
and the criteria. By making language learning fun and personal, the Ab Initio student will find a
great deal of motivation to create, share and reflect on content and culture in the target language.

For more information, visit www.mihunlimited.com

To place an order, please contact mihabinitio@gmail.com

ISBN 978-988-78756-6-6
 20

Also by Ronny Mintjens

The Language Ab Initio Student Workbook

See description on page 19

More than a Game

An autobiographical novel about the author’s life in football and in foreign cultures – his journey
from being a footballing toddler in Belgium, then a top division football player in Swaziland and
Tanzania, and finally becoming the national youth team coach of Tanzania and Qatar

A Journey through North Korea

A photographic album highlighting the various aspects of life, society, history, nature, culture and
food in the world’s most fascinating and least understood country. All the photos were taken
during the author’s nine trips to North Korea

Siri Ya Ndani (“Secrets from the Inside”)

The Swahili version of “More than a Game”, now out of print

A Chief’s Story
A short story, winner of the ROC-Taiwan 40th Anniversary Writing Contest, Swaziland, 2008

The Winner Within

A motivational short story, unpublished

For more information on any of these titles, contact mihabinitio@gmail.com or visit

www.mihabinitio.com
 21

In our “Products of Mass Instruction” series

For the IB Diploma Programme – Language Ab Initio

< Language Ab Initio Student Workbook >

< My IB English Ab Initio Portfolio >

< My IB French Ab Initio Portfolio >

< My IB Mandarin Ab Initio Portfolio >

< My IB Spanish Ab Initio Portfolio >

<How to Ace Spanish Ab Initio – Composition>

<How to Ace Spanish Ab Initio – Reading Comprehension>

<How to Ace Spanish Ab Initio – Listening Comprehension>

< How to Ace Mandarin Ab Initio - Composition >

< How to Ace Mandarin Ab Initio – Reading Comprehension >

<How to Ace Mandarin Ab Initio – Listening Comprehension>

For the IB Diploma Programme – Language B

< My IB English B Portfolio >

< My IB French B Portfolio >

< My IB Mandarin B Portfolio >

< My IB Spanish B Portfolio >

<How to Ace Spanish B – Reading Comprehension – for DP 1>

<How to Ace Spanish B – Listening Comprehension – for DP 1>

< How to Ace Mandarin B - Composition >

< How to Ace Mandarin B – Reading Comprehension – for DP 1>

<How to Ace Mandarin B – Listening Comprehension – for DP 1>

For the IB Middle Years Programme – Language Acquisition

< My MYP English Portfolio >

< My MYP French Portfolio >

< My MYP Mandarin Portfolio >

< My MYP Spanish Portfolio >

 22

For updates on our latest publications, please visit

https://www.mihunlimited.com/ib-language.html

All types of duplication and/or distribution without express permission from

the author are strictly prohibited by copyright law.

© Mintjens Press
 23

Teacher and Student Networks

Teachers of Language Ab Initio – join our teachers’ Facebook group to share, ask, answer and
discuss :
“IB Ab Initio Language” - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1081827915163033/
Join our mailing list for updates on new resources and special offers !

Students of Language Ab Initio – join our students’ Facebook group : “IB Language Ab Initio
Student Community” - https://www.facebook.com/groups/500435416956563/

YouTube : MIH Productions -

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdGm7OsXdpwS9kV7ifXm8Iw
Instagram : @mihunlimited (for practice visual stimuli and updates on resources)
Twitter : @MIH Unlimited

Website : www.mihunlimited.com
Email : mihunlimited@gmail.com

Contact rmintjens@gmail.com for enquiries on :

• any of the above products
• consultancies on designing and implementing Group 1 and Group 2
Language programs
• consultancies on designing and writing a Language Policy
• consultancies on effective language teaching (Group 1 and Group 2)
• consultancies on Language A School-Supported Self-Taught
• teacher training for Groups 1 and 2
• author school visits (Book Week, Reading Week)
• CAS trips/educational trips to Bangladesh, Bhutan, DPRK (North
Korea)