One’s gotta go! – using a popular meme to spark discussion in French class

One’s got to go/one’s gotta go is a popular meme on many social media sites.  When I first started thinking about adapting it for use in my French classes, I thought it would be pretty simple. Then I found out that while it’s common in the USA, this particular meme is not at all popular in France! 

After discussing it with several native speakers (and having to explain exactly what is meant by one having to “go”) I found that that the most accurate translation was a bit clunky – which may be why the meme hasn’t caught on in the Francophone world.

Anyway, I’ve now come up with a set of 100 “il faut en éliminer un” graphics that you can use in your classes.  If you’re not sure how you’ll use them, there’s also a freebie pack of 5 that you can try as a sample. Here are the ways you might use them in different levels – they are very versatile!

Using One’s gotta go in different levels

Level 1 – from the beginning, you can have them just choose between options A, B, C and D. Get lots of comprehensible input by having a class discussion about who wants to get rid of each item. Later on, have them write complete sentences starting with “je choisis.”

Level 2 – have students start to add more detail to their responses. Tell them to include details – why did they pick the one’s gotta go item that they did? Have them write more complex sentences explaining why they think their item should go.

evel 3 – have students make their choice and then talk about why they are getting rid of the item and why the other three items get to stay.  You could also have students write a paragraph or more to make their arguments if you want to get some writing practice in.

Check out the One’s gotta go freebie here, and if you want to get all 100 graphics PLUS a bonus template to make your own graphics, they’re available here on Frenchified.com, or at the TPT store.