عادات وتقاليد · Programme: Customs and festivals in other countries and in Tunisia · Grammar: Articles: a / an / the (review)
By the end of this lesson, I can:
- I can talk about some customs and habits in Spain.
- I can compare them with customs in Tunisia.
- I can use a, an and the correctly.
- I can write about a festival in my country.
🖼️ Picture dictionary قاموس مصوّر
tap 🔊 to listen📚 كلمات الدرس
12 كلمة من هذا الدرس في القاموس المدرسي: المعنى بالعربية والفرنسية، والنطق، ومثال.
📖 Read: An email from Valencia أقرأ
Hola Yasmine!
I’m Lucia, your new pen friend. I live in Valencia, a city in the east of Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea, like Tunisia!
Our flag is red and yellow. The most famous dish here is paella. It is made with rice, seafood or chicken, and red pepper. My grandmother cooks the best paella in the family!
In August, there is a funny festival near my city: La Tomatina. For one hour, people throw tomatoes at each other in the street. Everybody is red at the end!
In the south of Spain, flamenco is very popular. A dancer moves to the music of a guitar and people clap their hands.
Another custom: we have dinner very late, at nine or ten o’clock in the evening.
What about Tunisia? Have you got a festival too?
Love, Lucia 💃
Do you understand? أفهم
Answer in your copybook first, then check.
- Where does Lucia live?
Answer
In Valencia, a city in the east of Spain.
- What colours is the Spanish flag?
Answer
Red and yellow.
- What is paella made with?
Answer
Rice, seafood or chicken, and red pepper.
- What do people do at La Tomatina?
Answer
They throw tomatoes at each other.
- When do Spanish people often have dinner?
Answer
Very late, at nine or ten o’clock.
🧩 Grammar القواعد
Articles (review)
- a + consonant sound: a festival, a dancer, a guitar
- an + vowel sound: an email, an orange, an old custom
- the = a known thing, or the only one: the flag of Spain, the Mediterranean Sea, the best paella
First time ➡️ a / an. Second time ➡️ the: There is a festival in August. The festival is funny.
We also use the with seas, superlatives and musical instruments: the sea, the most famous, play the guitar.
نستعمل a / an عند ذكر الشيء لأوّل مرّة، وthe عند ذكره مرّة ثانية أو إذا كان معروفًا أو وحيدًا، ومع البحار وصيغة التفضيل والآلات الموسيقية.
Spain and Tunisia
| Spain 🇪🇸 | Tunisia 🇹🇳 | |
|---|---|---|
| Flag | red and yellow | red and white |
| Famous dish | paella 🥘 | couscous |
| Music and dance | flamenco 💃🎸 | mezoued, stambeli 🥁 |
| A festival | La Tomatina 🍅 (August) | Sahara Festival in Douz 🐪 (winter) |
| The sea | the Mediterranean Sea 🌊 | the Mediterranean Sea 🌊 |
a, an or the?
| First time | Second time |
|---|---|
| Lucia has a guitar. | The guitar is brown. |
| I ate an orange. | The orange was sweet. |
| There is a festival in Douz. | The festival is in winter. |
Customs are different in every country. We can learn about them and enjoy them with respect. 🤝
💬 Useful expressions عبارات مفيدة
Talking about customs
Asking about a country
🔊 Pronunciation النطق
Worked examples أمثلة محلولة
Try first, then read the solution.
Complete: Lucia sends … email. She has … guitar.
Step-by-step solution
- email starts with a vowel sound ➡️ an.
- guitar starts with a consonant sound ➡️ a.
✓ Lucia sends an email. She has a guitar.
Complete: There is … festival in Buñol. … festival is in August.
Step-by-step solution
- First time ➡️ a.
- We know which festival now ➡️ The.
✓ There is a festival in Buñol. The festival is in August.
Write a sentence about dinner time in Spain and in your family.
Step-by-step solution
- In Spain, people have dinner at 9 or 10 p.m.
- Say when your family has dinner.
✓ In Spain, people have dinner later than in my family. We eat at 8 o’clock.
⚠️ Common mistakes أخطاء شائعة
⭐ Remember أحفظ
- Spain: paella, flamenco, La Tomatina, a red and yellow flag, late dinners.
- Tunisia: couscous, the Sahara Festival in Douz, a red and white flag.
- a / an = first time; the = second time or known thing.
- the with seas, superlatives and instruments: the sea, the best, the guitar.
- Every country has its customs: we learn about them with respect.
Quick quiz اختبار سريع
4 questions · instant feedback1. What colours is the flag of Spain?
2. What do people throw at La Tomatina?
3. Choose the correct article: Lucia plays … guitar.
4. Paella is made with…
✍️ Write: A festival in my country أكتب
Answer Lucia’s email. Write a short paragraph (50–80 words) about a festival in Tunisia.
Steps
- Give the name of the festival.
- Say where and when it is.
- Say what people do there (dance, sing, ride camels…).
- Say what people eat or wear.
- Say why you like it.
A model text to compare with (after writing mine)
Hello Lucia! In Tunisia, we have a lot of festivals. My favourite is the Sahara Festival in Douz, in the south of Tunisia. It is in winter. People come from many countries. There are camel races and horse shows in the desert. Musicians play traditional music and dancers wear colourful clothes. We eat dates and drink mint tea. It is a great festival because it shows the life of the desert. Love, Yasmine
One good example among many: compare, don’t copy.
😊 The lighter side استراحة
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
I am red and round. People throw me at a festival in Spain. What am I?
Answer
A tomato.
Why did the tomato go red? — Because it saw the salad dressing!
✅ Exercises تمارين
All exercises →6 exercises on three levels, with new questions every time.
- Choose the right answerTo do
- ClassifyTo do
- Situation 1To do
- Situation 2To do
Practise: Customs and Habits
True or false, complete, choose, classify and situations: instant correction with explanations.
Got the lesson? Try it yourself
6 exercises · instant correction · new questions every time
Start the exercisesPictures: Twemoji (CC-BY 4.0). Texts, explanations and exercises: Scolaire.tn.