Bon Français.com

Archive for January, 2011

The study of grammar is to language what the memorization of dates is to History, that is to say something often dull, yet inevitable. Recognizing this, we have chosen for you high quality grammars, pleasant to read and filled with exercises that allow you to monitor your understanding of the material as you go along. We sincerely hope that you enjoy exploring them.

Pomme, an initiative of the University of Alberta, is a completely free site dedicated to French grammar. It provides 400 rules and 400 exercises classified by degree of difficulty where 1 indicates the beginner level and 5 the most advanced one. ABC of French Grammar is an English simplified version of French grammar and can be found in the index. The Conjugaison component provides access to the conjugation of all verbs in all tenses. A registrant will receive an individualized program of rules and exercises through the online diagnostic test. Learners can even take personal notes with the notebook available online. http://www.pomme.ualberta.ca/pomme/

Both French grammars of Glenunga International High School in Australia are written in English and also include exercises. The first is designed for learners of all levels. The topics are: verbs, nouns and articles, prepositions, adjectives, pronouns, adverbs, days, months, seasons and  weather as well as numbers, time and quantity. http://www.gihs.sa.edu.au/loteweb/Grammar/

The second link takes you to an advanced grammar about  verbs, adjectives, problem words and pronouns:

http://www.gihs.sa.edu.au/loteweb/grammar_advanced/index.html

See you soon,

Your Bon Français Team

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

This week, entire courses have the place of honor. Whether you’re a true or false beginner, a learner of intermediate or advanced level, the resources that we recommend today will enrich your knowledge of the language of Molière step by step.

FrançaisFacile.com : Here is an ideal site to learn French or improve your knowledge of it. There are level tests, 7241 courses and exercises as well as the following utilities: conjugate, play, translate, pronounce, check and multiple dictionaries. A component on the site allows you to record yourself to hear your pronunciation. A registration to the site allows you, among other things, access to the system  to translate French / other language, to participate in forums, find pen pals, have your scores recorded in the school report and enjoy a customized workbook. You can also receive a free weekly French lesson by email. http://www.francaisfacile.com/

The following link provides access to courses divided into four levels. http://www.francaisfacile.com/guide/index.php?niv=1

Ielanguages.com : This site offers a complete French course, from basic phrases and sounds to past and imperfect subjonctive tenses. The lessons, divided into seven courses, include MP3s, exercises and flashcards, some of them with an audio component allowing you to record yourself to compare your accent with the native speaker’s pronunciation on the audio files. Among other things, the site also includes sections devoted to informal French, a blog, and French-Italian, French-German bilingual resources. A site to discover! http://www.ielanguages.com/french.html

Canal Rêve’s course 1,2,3 Bravo is primarily meant for beginner and intermediate learners. It aims to develop oral and written comprehension, as well as specific skills in everyday communication. It consists of 8 modules divided into three parts: communication, vocabulary and writing (écrit). Each of these parts includes videos, audio files and exercises. http://babelnet.sbg.ac.at/canalreve/bravo/index2.htm

The following link includes activities that complement the units of 1,2,3 Bravo. http://babelnet.sbg.ac.at/canalreve/bravo/bravo.htm

Good studying!

As announced in our last post, we present today some intermediate courses for those of you who already know the basics of French. The Ma France course, which offers an excellent transition between beginner and intermediate level, can be an good choice in many cases. Anyway, a visit to these sites will allow you to judge for yourself which course is the best for you.

BBC.co.uk : Ma France : Ma France is an interactive French video course with 24 lessons for post-beginners to improve or brush up your basic French with the help of Stéphane Cornicard. It includes mini-lessons, extra topics, maps, a glossary, a syllabus and a progress page. You can complete the course in 12 weeks with Ma France weekly email tips and encouragements. http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/mafrance/

Open Learning Initiative : Carnegie Mellon University, through its Open Learning Initiative, offers two French courses at no cost. The French courses are introductory, interactive video-based courses intended for use by university students and independent learners on the Internet. Each course has 15 lessons comprising the following components: introduction, communication 1, words and expressions, structure, sound, communication 2, cultural world and synthetic activity. If you want to keep track of your progress, click on the button Join French 1 or on Join French 2 to create an account and decide whether or not to be part of a study conducted by the University. Otherwise click on “Peek in”.

To create an account: http://oli.web.cmu.edu/openlearning/forstudents/freecourses/

Syllabus Elementary French 1 Online : https://oli.web.cmu.edu/jcourse/lms/students/syllabus.do?section=5cb4627c80020ca6017270458206520a

Syllabus Elementary French 2 Online : https://oli.web.cmu.edu/jcourse/lms/students/syllabus.do?section=5cb49ae280020ca6000e3047b7e3b344

UTexas.edu : Français interactif : This wonderful site presents the  first-year French program developed at the University of Texas. A click on any of the 13 chapters’ titles will get you to the chapter’s PDF version, a video introduction, vocabulary lists and notes on phonetics with audio files, grammar and exercises, several videos with exercises and finally an Internet activity. The grammar book « Tex’s French Grammar » is also available through the website to be consulted by theme. The site allows you to download PDF documents, MP3 and podcasts. http://www.laits.utexas.edu/fi/

See you soon.

This week, we suggest three French courses that are aimed at beginners and « false beginners », who are those who want to get back to studying French and need substantial revision. We selected these courses due to their organization which  follows a logical progression likely to facilitate your learning and help you acquire a solid foundation.

FrenchTutorial.com : Learn French for free with 13 chapters, 160 pages and more than 200 audio files. The French Tutorial is a step by step course  covering the basics and pronunciation, as well as grammar, vocabulary and everyday French. It offers audio support for better oral comprehension, a table of contents and an index for faster searches. http://www.frenchtutorial.com/

BBC.co.uk : French Steps : Here is a great online course intended for beginners. Learn practical spoken French with the help of French teacher Hakim M’Barek in just 24 manageable steps. Includes a user guide, syllabus, vocabulary list, grammar tips, pronunciation with audio files, Fast Tracks for revision, progress page and a printable learning log. You can complete the course in 12 weeks with French Steps weekly email tips and encouragement. http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/lj/

About.com : Learn French – French for beginners : Learn French with hundreds of pages written for anyone with little or no French knowledge. Whether you’re just beginning to learn French or picking it up again after a long absence, you’ll find everything you need on these pages. You can subscribe to a 20 week French for Beginners email course, or go to the checklist to get the same lessons organized in a logical study order. You can also access a French proficiency test and the French for Beginners forum on the page.

http://french.about.com/od/lessons/a/beginningfrench.htm

Good Studying !

Your Bon Français’ team

Next week : intermediate level courses