Let’s celebrate success!

https://goo.gl/photos/ZvJ23xgZM28AiXo58

Today as we enter the month of September and we slowly start to wave goodbye to summer, let the sun shine and let me share a success story using TPRS and comprehensible input online!

Back in April an ex Spanish student of mine contacted me because he wanted to learn French.

[read more…]

acquire50 acquisition65 advanced course1 answer1 answering11 celebrate26 celebration20 ci145 circling5 comprehend52 comprehensible100 customized2 edmodo3 Education20 fluency107 fluent57 free writing37 immerse2 immersion116 improve19 input47 languages13 listen306 listening52 Martina Bex11 online38 personalized16 PQA8 proficiency12 proficient9 progress124 reading275 ressources40 share17 Skype6 story46 storyasking15 storytelling39 success17 successful2 teaching42 understand67 understanding22

How to build up to a story in French?

My online learners are acquiring French at a fast and steady pace and it is amazing to watch them progress naturally. Unlike last school year when I was trying to use TPRS along with my other resources, I have decided to give it a full go following each of the three steps…

[read more…]

acquire50 acquiring18 acquisition65 brain61 build up1 building4 ci145 comprehensible100 Education20 French41 frequent38 high frequency217 high interest7 improve19 input47 language45 logical2 meaningful15 mother4 motivate174 motivation224 natural188 naturally5 parent1 personal13 personalized16 progress124 putting it together1 script201 second language44 story46 story asking15 story script6 storytelling39 tpr19 TPRS71 unconscious3 unconsciously3

The lion’s breath or how to refocus

Last year when I was teaching Spanish, I became a fan of brain breaks. According to Dr. Lori Desautels: “They refocus our neural circuitry with either stimulating or quieting practices that generate increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, where problem solving and emotional regulation occur.

[read more…]

Adriene3 Adriene Mishler1 body20 brain61 brain break6 break6 breath3 breathe17 breathing18 classroom9 comprehensible100 Education20 endofyear1 energy2 engage173 engaged161 engaging10 feelgood30 findwhatfeelsgood3 fool1 fwfg1 homepractice2 input47 keepmotivated196 lion11 motivation224 movement1 refresh1 relax48 release10 reset1 Spanish33 strength5 stressfree43 target language12 tension1 yoga12 yogaevrydamnday2 yogaforstrength4 yogalove5 yogapose2 yogawithadriene5 yogaworks3

How can a children’s book be for everyone?

I am always on the look for interesting funny stories and at the same time stories which are comprehensible to my learners. A few months ago when I was busy breastfeeding, I was reading the TPRS bible “Fluency through TPR storytelling” by Blaine Ray and Contee Steel and one chapter entitled “Kindergarten Day”

[read more…]

acquiring18 acquisition65 activities5 animal sounds1 animals97 bedtime3 children28 ci145 circle3 circling5 comprehensible100 connection128 engaging10 exercises1 fun436 funny256 high frequency217 home practice3 input47 interesting23 kindergarten day1 listening52 own pace2 parallel story3 practice33 present tense435 reading275 repetition42 repetitive22 story46 storytelling39 teacherspayteachers11 TPRS71 verb forms3 video351 vocabulary256

Total Physical Response in online teaching

It is amazing how time is flying and I have realized that it has been way over a month that I have written a new post! As it happened, I have been busy teaching students online face to face. It is a truly exciting time for me because I am experiencing teaching in another way than in a set classroom and because I help learners acquire different languages (French,

[read more…]

acquistion1 beginner318 ci145 commands12 compelling39 comprehensible100 demo5 Education20 engaging10 face to face1 flashcards8 French41 fun436 input47 inspiring7 interaction47 intsructions1 listening52 memorize11 one to one1 online38 own pace2 physical response6 practice33 quizlet9 responding1 scenario1 Skype6 storytelling39 tpr19 TPRS71 understanding22 video351 vocabulary256 webcam1 youtube67

French story and poem: un amour qui finit mal !

My French students are now learning the passé composé in class and I am looking for ways to help them acquire this new tense without doing the traditional grammar approach.

The first text which came to my mind was Le déjeuner du matin which is actually a poem widely taught in French classes because the language is quite simple and repetitive.

[read more…]

acquire50 acquisition65 breakfast13 comprehensible100 cultural10 culture246 déjeuner du matin1 Education20 food154 French41 guidelines2 literature92 love81 Martina Bex11 meal10 miming1 MovieTalk14 passé-composé227 perfect tense4 poem71 poet16 Prévert4 questions74 reading275 repetition42 script201 story46 storytelling39 target language12 target structure20 teacherspayteachers11 TPRS71 youtube67

Personalized questions in French: l’étoile du jour.

This morning, I was reading the Active learner blog post about “Café y conversación” and it inspired me to share about an authentic conversation I had last week with my French students. As mentioned in the post: “When we have authentic conversation about topics that students want to talk about,

[read more…]

acquire50 acquisition65 answers24 authentic168 beginner318 Blogging1 compelling39 comprehensible100 conditional13 Education20 French41 if clauses1 IGCSE12 oral12 output44 personalized16 PQA8 practice33 questions74 repetition42 repetitive22 speaking73 story46