French the natural way: top Christmas stories

Coucou les French learners,

When I was living and teaching in England, I used to sing in a choir. Yesterday my amazing conductor, Hannah Brine posted an inspiring quote:

I hear so many people around me saying things like “I am not an expert in languages”

[read more…]

acquire french11 advent20171 amateur1 autonomous reader42 avent20172 bed time stories4 calendrieravent2 choir2 christmas27 christmas spirit16 christmascountdown19 christmaspreparation7 christmastales1 ci145 communicate9 compelling input31 comprehensible100 comprehension261 compteàrebours3 contes4 contesdenoel1 countdowntochristmas6 fêtedeslumières1 free voluntary reading32 french acquisition12 french love6 french lover3 french songs6 frenchculture295 frenchsong14 frenchstorytime26 frenchtradition49 frenchvocabulaire113 Great Story Reading Project11 input47 laminutefrançaise2 language acquisition240 learnfrench20 lefrançaisnaturellement92 legend78 legends2 love81 lyon5 mother tongue2 natural approach59 nikolaus1 noël23 noelenfrance5 noelenpreparation3 pureci43 saintnicolas2 self french205 singing7 sla123 song29 spirit6 stories40 tales4 TCI74 tools14 TPRS71 weekly french33 weekly videos55

French the natural way: listen to stories!

Coucou les French learners,

Last week, I mentioned a story I co-created with a learner to help her remember a list of words she had to memorize. I strongly believe in the power of stories because when your mind listens to a story, it generates multiple connections.

[read more…]

accuracy4 acquire50 acquirefrench76 active listener94 ci145 compelling39 complexstructures1 comprehend52 comprehensible100 comprehension261 confidence92 enjoyable39 fable59 fables21 fluency107 free voluntary reading32 french for free4 french input13 french stories5 frenchvocabulaire113 Great Story Reading Project11 IB9 language acquisition240 learnfrench20 lefrançaisnaturellement92 listeningfirst20 listentofrench6 listentostories41 online french22 online french tutor4 power15 powerful6 pureci43 rangeofvocabulary3 reading263 reading skills1 retell3 retelling4 self confidence54 self french205 sla123 Spanish33 spanish input3 spanish story3 stories40 story script6 storylistening153 structures7 TCI74 teachfrench12 understanding22 untargeted structures1 vocabulary256 weekly french33 weekly input15 writing skills1 youtube channel52

French the natural way: the only cure is more input!

Coucou les French learners,

Last night, I was tutoring a 12 years old French student and she had to learn a list of vocabulary about all the different rooms in a school: la cantine, le gymnase, la salle des profs, le laboratoire… Instead of having the learner memorize each word and repeat them after me,

[read more…]

acquire french11 acquisition process41 apprendslefrançais91 belles histoires1 challenge22 challenge de la semaine1 children magazine2 children story15 ci145 ciworks1 compelling input31 comprehensible100 comprehension261 daily french3 daily french input12 easy french51 Education20 enjoy48 enjoyable39 french acquisition12 french children books8 french for free4 french immersion23 french teacher4 frenchstorytime26 language acquisition240 learnfrench20 lefrançaisnaturellement92 listen294 messages3 natural approach59 online tutor3 online tutoring6 podcast127 read40 self french205 setting2 setyourself3 sla123 spanishplans1 Stephen Krashen11 stories40 TCI74 teachfrench12 Tuesday french stories3 understand67 watch53 weekly french33 weekly videos55 youtube67 youtube channel52

French the natural way: l’armistice

Coucou les French learners,

Novembre, November is un mois sombre, a dark month. Last week I mentioned La Toussaint when the French commemorate the dead. Tomorrow the French commemorate the end of la Première Guerre Mondiale,

[read more…]

11novembre3 armistice5 audio55 audio file10 bank holiday1 bedtime3 bedtime stories2 biography40 celebration20 ci145 cimetière2 commemoration1 familiale2 family164 first week2 firstworldwar2 french learner6 french poem8 french traditions7 frenchculture295 google drive1 guerre3 Jacques Prévert10 languageacquisition49 learnfrench20 lefrançaisnaturellement92 listen294 listening52 Mario Ramos1 mp39 natural approach59 november3 novembre2 onze novembre1 poem71 poème43 Première Guerre Mondiale4 pureci43 quiestleplusfort1 record3 recording1 remember1 remembrance1 remembrance day1 sad53 sadness15 self french205 sla123 teachfrench12 veteran1 veterans1 war30

French the natural way: watch TV series

Coucou les French learners,

My Dad shared with me this interesting article about Tomi Mester, who is a data analyst and researcher who wants to learn Swedish because he moved to Sweden six months ago. I thought this article was interesting because Tomi mentions that he watched two popular TV shows in Swedish with Swedish subtitles.

[read more…]

accident8 apprendslefrançais91 ci145 compelling39 compelling input31 comprehensible100 faispascifaispasça2 french videos6 frenchvocabulaire113 frequency words45 high frequency217 input47 input hypothesis3 le bureau des légendes1 learnfrench20 lefrançaisnaturellement92 listening52 natural approach59 natural way9 naturally5 newsletter5 popular series1 pureci43 series71 Stephen Krashen11 studyfrench1 TCI74 teachfrench12 the bureau1 time management1 tv5 tv series2 un gars une fille1 videos25 vocabulary256 watch53 watchfrench1 watching3 weekly videos55

French the natural way: voyage au Portugal

Coucou les French learners,

Je suis de retour à la maison ! I am back home! J’étais en voyage au Portugal ! I was travelling in Portugal!

Viana do Castelo au Portugal.

Portugal is such a beautiful country and les portugais sont très hospitaliers,

[read more…]

another country1 apprendslefrançais91 bed time stories4 brain work49 ci145 compelling39 comprehensible100 comprehension261 discover47 discovering33 easy french51 focus on meaning26 french film5 french immersion23 french input13 french love6 immigration8 language acquisition240 lefrançaisnaturellement92 natural approach59 portugais1 portugal19 portuguese3 portuguese film1 portuguese life2 portuguese migrants1 real stories2 restaurant22 self french205 TCI74 trip41 true life story43 understand67 understandfrench35 understanding22 voyage45 weekly french33 weekly videos55

French the natural way: how to find comprehensible input?

Coucou les French learners,

I am so lucky indeed to be teaching amazing learners from all over the world! Check out my website’s map to find out where my learners come from.

My French learners are amazing because they understand the power of getting input consistently and over time.

[read more…]

acquirefrench76 acquisition process41 active listener94 anne-marie chapouton1 apprendslefrançais91 automne7 autumn9 bike3 Canada24 canadian series1 ci145 compelling39 compelling input31 compelling input productions1 comprehensible input36 contes4 deliver1 delivery3 dual language book1 Facebook4 fall17 film41 flashcards8 focus on meaning26 french film5 french learner6 french love6 french poem8 french poet14 french poetry6 frenchstorytime26 frenchvocabulaire113 fun story10 funny256 input47 language acquisition240 learnfrench20 lefrançaisnaturellement92 listening52 livraison1 natural approach59 package3 paquet1 parcel1 paris69 pierre gripari2 poem71 poème43 poésie40 poète4 poetry49 quartier latin1 québec19 quizlet9 rich content105 rue mouffetard1 self french205 slow pace126 story listening19 TCI74 teachfrench12 television5 TPRS71 tv5 vélo2 vocabulary256 weekly french33 weekly videos55 world map1 youtube67