Pourquoi la rentrée scolaire est-elle en septembre ?

As you might know, French students go back to school (after 2 months of summer break!) at the start of September. But this wasn't always the case, and indeed the date of the rentrée des classes has greatly evolved over the years. Learn all about why and when these changes took place in the fascinating video below, followed by its very own bilingual transcript!

After watching the video, scroll down for the transcript in our bilingual reader, where you can click any French phrase for the English translation and related grammar lessons.

How this exercise works

  1. Choose your setup
    Use the tick box above the text to turn translations and grammar tips on or off. When they're on, click on any phrase to see them.
  2. Read the text
    Work through the Interactive Reader at your own pace
  3. Answer the questions
    When you're ready, start the comprehension exercise

Answer in English: we're testing your understanding of the text, not your grammar or expression, so nothing you write here will be marked for accuracy. To get feedback on how you write, try one of our writing exercises.

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