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Archive for the ‘Games’ Category

To continue in somewhat the same vein as last week, we present a series of sites that complement the method ofTapis Volant (flying carpet), a fully integrated course in three stages written specifically for secondary school students learning French in Australia and New Zealand. Even without the books, the Tapis Volant website, with its abundance of interactive exercises remains very useful for all learners of French.

Tapis Volant 1 is intended for beginners. The site consists of 16 different units each of which includes several exercises. Each unit presents first the outcomes. The exercises are divided into multiple sections : Situation where you listen to the story and fill in the missing speech bubble or highlight a missing word; Manières de dire (ways of saying) where you match a picture with the appropriate label; Grammaire where you will find fun activities to practice your grammar;  Vocabulaire where you classify the words to test your vocabulary; and finally Lecture where you identify the missing word from the story. Finally, the Infos section allows you discover more through links to surf the web.

http://www.tapis.com.au/studentbook1/

Tapis Volant 2 is the companion site to the second textbook of the series and has 12 units meant for intermediate learners. After a short presentation of each lesson’s outcomes, we find the same sections as the previous site : Situation to listen to a story, Manières de dire (ways of saying), Grammaire (grammar) and Vocabulaire to improve your vocabulary by choosing the correct word. The Infos section is replaced with Document culture with links and suggestions of keywords to discover more through research on the Internet.

http://www.tapis.com.au/studentbook2/

Tapis Volant senior is the companion site of the last textbook of the series and was created for advanced learners. Under the Podcasts tab, you will discover a link leading to a site that allows you to watch or download ten different videos. Extra Material provides access to PDF documents containing some exercises that can be done without the manual. Finally, the Grammar Quiz tab offers two to four questionnaires for each of the ten units.

http://www.tapis.com.au/senior/

See you next week,

Your Bon Français team

This week, all of the posts of both this blog and GoFrenchGo will have the Allons-y! French teaching method for a central theme. This method is used in many English speaking countries and is meant for high-school and college students. The companion sites that the publisher Pearson has put online make it particularly interesting. Even in the absence of textbooks, most of the exercises found on these sites can be very useful for learners of French.

Allons-y ! 1 is the first book in the series and has eight chapters. By clicking on each you will also have access to a 5 question Quick Quiz, to the Review Questions section that includes 38 to 40 statements, to the Technology Applications section where there are exercises on grammar and vocabulary and to the Web Destinations section that offers links to many sites on culture, Francophonie and French language.

http ://wps.pearsoned.com.au/allonsy1/32/8203/2100105.cw/index.html

Allons-y ! 2 follows the previous manual and also has 8 chapters. Although the formula is reminiscent of Allons-y  1, there are some differences. The introduction provides a sample of questions and presents the main characters of the book. Each Quick Quiz has 10 questions and 15 to 30 Review Questions. Each lesson is supplemented with 5 audio exercises. The grammar and vocabulary exercises in are in the Drag & Drop Activities. As for Web destinations, they always have interesting links leading to cultural and other resources.

http://wps.pearsoned.com.au/allonsy2/13/3533/904541.cw/index.html

Allons-y ! 3 & 4 concludes the series. Like the two previous books, it is divided into eight chapters and offers a similar format: 5 question Quick Quiz, 15 Review Questions, and an Audio Questions section which offers four to five listening exercises. The Web Destinations section offers links on the multi-faceted culture of the French-speaking world.

http://wps.pearsoned.com.au/allonsy34/

See you next week

The Quebec Winter Carnival is a major popular festival that emerged from the earliest days of the French colony. The largest winter carnival in the world, it is the third largest carnival after the Rio Carnival and the celebrations of Mardi Gras in New Orleans.

The word carnival comes from the Italian phrase “carne levare”, that is to say « to remove the meat », because it ends on Mardi Gras which preceeds Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Thus, February is the month of carnivals. Like all other carnival celebrations, the Quebec Winter Carnival is associated with symbols such as orchestral or brass band music, parades and processions with floats and costumes, in the case above, the wearing of a traditional sash : the pointed belt. Today we present three links to learn more about the festivities that surround this great winter celebration.

Carnaval.qc.ca is the official website of the Quebec Carnival. It consists of several sections, among others “About” which details all activities surrounding the carnival and the Teacher’s Corner where you’ll find a school kit consisting of book games, online games and crafts; Fun Zone includes photo albums, wallpapers, a great video called Carnaval in Action as well as excerpts of Carnival songs with French lyrics. http://www.carnaval.qc.ca/en

The French version of the site is available at: http://www.carnaval.qc.ca/

The Virtual Museum of Canada made the Quebec Winter Carnival one of its online exhibits. This site includes sections like The Carnival devoted to the origins of this celebration; the Quebec section briefly traces the history of the city, Merry Carnival! and The Palace explore some of Quebec Carnival’s most famous symbols, and finally, the section Festivities examines some of it sactivities.

http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Festiva1/en/mcq/index.html

For the French version of the site, click on the link: http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Festiva1/fr/mcq/

Finally, the OQLF (Office québécois de la langue française) devotes a page to the Carnival entitled Les mots du Carnaval (The Words of the Carnival) that contains about twenty terms associated with the carnival. Click on each one to obtain a definition. In French only.

http://www.olf.gouv.qc.ca/ressources/bibliotheque/dictionnaires/terminologie_carnaval/lex_carnaval.html

Merry Carnival !

Portals or directories, each of the several sites that we present today are worth a long detour. Whether you are looking for a complete course or just want to check a specific point of grammar, you will surely find what you need there.

Charity begins at home, the proverb  goes. Well, we start our nomenclature with our own FSLall directory, searchable in  English as well as in French. It includes  over 1400 free online resources for French learning and teaching, carefully divided by levels and categories.  One of these categories is devoted to business French and is designed specifically for those who must write or speak French at work. http://www.fslall.com/

Le point du FLE: This site lists and organizes high-quality free resources, relevant and useful in the fields of French as a second, foreign or native language. Its main sections are: activities, grammar, tenses of the indicative and other moods, French for specific audiences, general resources and a special section for teachers. It offers French dictionaries, audio exercises, humor, vocabulary, FFL courses online and news. There are also writing tips, software downloads, and resources for French teaching. For all levels. http://www.lepointdufle.net/

ClicNet is dedicated to French as a second or foreign language. Although this site is not regularly updated anymore, it remains of high value. The many educational resources there are directly usable in a French course and are classified by subjects. Each one shows a description and the language level required. (Level 1 = beginners and false beginners;  Level 2 = intermediate and advanced ; Level 3 = high advanced). http://clicnet.swarthmore.edu/fle.html

In conclusion, we would be remiss to ignore the excellent Français Facile website which contains thousands of French resources and of which we made an extensive reference to in our last article.

Good surfing,

The Bon Français team

French comics are often Belgian. In fact, it is almost impossible to speak about French cartoons without emphasizing  the outstanding contribution of Belgium, where comics are considered an art in itself. Creators like Hergé, Franquin, Peyo, Greg and Morris, to name a few, have all created unforgettable characters who have acquired an immense fame. It is with pleasure that we present today a series of fun sites where you will learn about French culture through some of his most famous cartoons.

Tintin.be : With 24 albums having sold 230 million copies and translated into over 80 languages, Tintin is a cult comic strip. Created by the cartoonist Hergé more than 80 years ago, his adventures have delighted generations of readers while often helping them learn geography. Tintin’s official website, available in English, French and Dutch, not only brings together everything you need to know about his adventures and the endearing characters contained therein, but also many other things. There are games for all, and for children videos, topical articles focusing on several issues, including the conquest of space, and a section for tintinologists, who are Tintin’s hardcore fans. http://www.tintin.be/

Smurf.com : These little guys came out of the imagination Peyo (Pierre Culliford) in 1958. Fifty years later, books, activity books, television series, figurines and games are extremely popular all over the world. Their official website, available in six languages, tells the origin of the Smurfs, introduces the author, and each of the different but similar little blue characters, as well as the detestable Gargamel and his cat Azrael. A perfect location to learn to speak Smurf and French! http://www.smurf.com/smurf.php/www/home/fr

Gaston Lagaffe.com : Here is the official site of the mythical character created by André Franquin in 1957. Indolent, lazy and blundering, Gaston is the anti-hero par excellence. He holds a (too often lying) position in Spirou Magazine, where he spends most of his time trying to avoid work. On his website, you will discover all about Gaston Lagaffe: albums, characters, unpublished drawings, news, games and goodies as well as contests … and loads of blunders! French only.  http://www.gastonlagaffe.com/

Astérix.com : Astérix is from France or rather from ancient Gaul. He is also another iconic character of the 9th art. His adventures take place in 50 BC, at the very time of Julius Caesar, in a village of indomitable Gauls. The series, created by writer René Goscinny and illustrator Albert Uderzo, has over 30 albums translated into 107 languages. The site is thus multilingual. The official virtual village of Asterix and his faithful companion Obelix includes all the news from Asterix, e-cards, « smailix »(smileys), video games, contests, unpublished drawings, film clips and much more and can be found at the following address: http://www.asterix.com/index.html.fr?rub=francais

Have Fun!

This post presents four links especially directed to our young learners in elementary school. They will find coloring pages and a wide variety of games and interactive activities with audio files. Children will surely enjoy themselves while improving their French vocabulary and their general knowledge as well. Hours of fun!

Zut Language skills : Interactive Activities for French Teachers and Students. A terrific site that contains plenty of online interactive activities organised by class year. The resources include an opportunity to listen to conversations and then do comprehension exercises. The more difficult words are highlighted and may be selected for a translation. In addition to audio clips, there are word searches, crosswords, worksheets and other interesting resources. This British site is free to use after 4pm and before 9am (which is, in North America a part of the night and of the morning only) so it could be used as a homework resource. A subscription is required to access it at any time. http://zut.languageskills.co.uk/index.html

Zut Junior Language skills : Interactive Activities for French Teachers and Students. As its name suggests, this site is the younger brother of the former and is intended for younger children. The exercises include the following sections: Je parle français (I speak French), Je me présente  (I introduce myself), En famille, (in the family), Les animaux (animals), Mon anniversaire (my birthday),  Le monde (the world), Moi et mon école (my school and I),  Qu’est-ce que tu veux ? (what do you want?), Les sports, Les vêtements, (clothing), J’habite (my place) and La France. The site also contains a Christmas section with exercises, christmas carols and pictures to print out and colour in. http://zutjunior.languageskills.co.uk/index.html

Enchanted Learning : French : This is a perfect site for children from third to fifth grade. In addition to visual English-French and French-English dictionaries wirh many audio files, this site offers printable colouring pages, some of which are real short books. There are interactive activities on several themes including: Colours, Numbers, Time and the Calendar, Shapes, Animals, The Body, People, Food, Clothing, The House, Vehicles, Opposites, Musical instrument, etc..  A place where children learn many things in addition to learning French! http://www.enchantedlearning.com/themes/french.shtml

BBC.co.uk : French Games : This page offers matching games with audio files that also rely on memory and observation. Themes include: Sounds, Numbers, All About Me and Families.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primarylanguages/french/all_games/

See you next week

According to some foreign language teachers, it would be possible to get by in everyday life with a 300 word vocabulary, but on a purely practical level only. The dictionary of fundamental French would consist of 3,000 words, half of which are regularly seen. These 1500 words not only allow us to understand others but also to express our needs, our feelings and opinions. Here are three sites that will help you build your vocabulary without neglecting the important aspect of pronunciation.

LexiqueFLE.free : This excellent site offers vocabulary courses to learn and study French. You’ll discover the vocabulary by clicking on the images. Each word is associated with an audio file to help you to master the pronunciation. An exercise is then proposed on the same theme. Each course is downloadable for use without being connected to the Internet. Also includes also stories, games, a forum and more. http://lexiquefle.free.fr/index.htm

Internet Polyglot.com is a multilingual site that offers free vocabulary  lessons in thirty different languages. Several games are available: Tutorial Slide Show include photos and audio files; Guessing Game is based on flashcards and can be played with or without hints. The Typing Game is used to write the new vocabulary correctly , the Matching Game allows you to match the words of two languages with the same meaning. Game Mix will randomly select between these games for you. Those wishing to register may, among other things, keep their results and create their own lessons. http://www.internetpolyglot.com/mainMenu.html?locale=en

Language Guide.org offers free resources with audio files for language learning. The tab “Pictorial Vocabulary Guide” is divided into several main sections: writing, numbers, clothing, food, animals, nature, the house, transportation, time and a chapter entitled “Miscellaneous.” The vocabulary presented is also available as quizzes.The site also includes a section about grammar and another for readings. http://www.languageguide.org/french/

See you soon,

The Bon Français Team.

This week we will focus on the main difficulties faced by advanced learners who, like native French  speakers are not always flawless. We will also see a list of common mistakes en français as well as a quiz on them to have fun while reviewing.

French.about. com : mistakes- advanced. Top 10 advanced French mistakes made by students. Find clear explanations about : Rythm, À vs de, De, du, de la, or des?, Verbs with prepositions, C’est vs il est, Le facultatif, Indefinite french, Impersonal French, Reflexive vs object pronouns and Agreement. http://french.about.com/od/mistakes/a/advanced.htm

French.about. com : French mistake of the week. This page displays a long alphabetical list of common French mistakes analyzed by Laura K. Lawless, to aid your learning. http://french.about.com/od/mistakeoftheweek/French_Mistake_of_the_

Week.htm

French.about. com : French mistake of the week – test. This page provides a test on the most common errors in French in four different versions: 25, 50, 75 and 100 questions. Explanations are provided with answers. http://french.about.com/library/weekly/bl-mistakest.htm

Next week we will see why some friends are unsavoury

See you soon

Always with the goal to help you learn French quickly, we now offer three links that will save you time because they tell you what mistakes you are more likely to commit in French. They also give you all the explanations needed to help you immediately. This week, we examine the major errors associated with beginner, intermediate and upper intermediate levels.

French.about. com : mistakes- beginning. Top ten French mistakes made by beginning-level students.  Find clear explanations and quizzes about : gender, accents marks, to be, contractions, French H, que, auxiliary verbs, tu and vous,  capitalization,  and the famous word cettes… that does not exist. http://french.about.com/od/mistakes/a/beginning.htm

French.about. com : mistakes- intermediate. Top ten French mistakes made by intermediate-level students.  Find clear explanations about : y and en, manquer, le passé (past), agreement, faux amis, relative pronouns, temporal prepositions, depuis and il y a, « ce homme » étrange, and finally pronominal verbs and reflexive pronouns. http://french.about.com/od/mistakes/a/intermediate.htm

French.about. com : mistakes- high intermediate. Common French mistakes made by high-intermediate-level students. Find clear explanations about : se and soi, encore vs toujours, what, ce que, ce qui, ce dont, ce à quoi, si clauses, final letters, subjunctive, negation, and two or more verbs. http://french.about.com/od/mistakes/a/intermediate_3.htm

Continuation and end of the subject next week.

See you soon!

Spelling, syntax, vocabulary, and the use of the words : the three following sites will help you to write impeccable French, whether to translate or to compose directly in Molière’s language.

Office québécois de la langue française

The home page of the Office québécois de la langue française (Quebec’s Office for the French language) contains many resources including Le grand dictionnaire terminologique (The Large Terminological Dictionary), a repository of linguistic troubleshooting help, a virtual library, and loads of interesting links. You will also find a section of language games and many specialized or bilingual glossaries. http://www.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca/

Termium Plus

Termium Plus is a bilingual English-French website containing a Spanish section as well. It is the Government of Canada’s terminology and linguistic data bank specialized in translation and interpreting. This site’s French section contains among other things Les clefs du français pratique (The Keys to Practical French), ConjugArt (The Art of Conjugation), an analogical dictionary to find French equivalents of hard to translate English terms, and an invaluable co-occurrences dictionary giving the list of adjectives and verbs suitable for a given noun. http://www.termium.com/

Trésor de la langue française informatisé

This web site provides a spellchecker. Enter a word as you pronounce it, without accents or hyphen to get its correction and a comprehensive definition with its etymology and history, its pronunciation and even statistics of its use.  http://atilf.atilf.fr/tlf.htm

Have a good week !