French the natural way: Election Day

French presidential election day, the first round

Coucou les French learners,

today is the first round to vote for the next French president and in my mailbox, I received the programs of each of the eleven candidates along with their names printed on a piece of white paper.

[read more…]

acquirefrench76 acquisition process41 advanced french93 candidates1 ci145 comprehensible input36 demagogy1 election1 election day1 french acquisition12 french citizen2 french government1 french songs6 frenchelections1 glasses4 language acquisition229 next french president1 personal13 political songs1 recital1 repertoire1 story46 story listening19 story script6 story telling4 stressfree43 target structures13 targeted input1 teaching42 TPRS71 uplifting1 upper intermediate414 vote1 voting1 voting day1 where9

Language game to provide more comprehensible input: Guess Who?

https://goo.gl/photos/JPio26rjA9UosKXR7

As I mentioned in my previous post about story listening, I am part of an amazing group on Facebook called “CI Liftoff” where educators around the world are discussing about how to use pure comprehensible input in the language acquisition process.

[read more…]

acquire50 acquisition65 adults1 children28 ci145 comics7 communicate9 communication10 communicative7 compelling39 comprehend52 comprehensible100 comprehensible input36 comprehension250 content6 culture246 describe37 describing40 description96 Education20 engaging10 foreign language35 France221 French41 game21 guess who1 high frequency217 high interest7 input47 interest10 interesting23 language45 language learning9 learner217 learners6 message4 online38 physical10 play27 playing3 reading252 story46 story asking15 story building8 TPRS71 tutor3 tutoring2 unconscious3 unconsciously3 understand67 understanding22 write59 writing55

How to find out about your learners interests in a compelling way?

I have started teaching French to a group of 3 girls aged 10 years old. They are native German but they have been attending a primary school where they were taught French intensively, it was like an immersion type of school so their level is very good.

[read more…]

10 years old1 5 a day1 acquire50 acquisition65 answers24 approach38 asking1 Ben Slavic2 brain break6 chinese portrait1 chinois1 cognates7 communicate9 communication10 communicative7 compell1 compelling39 comprehend52 comprehensible100 dance4 dancing2 dig up1 disco1 dislikes13 Education20 engage150 engaging10 establish1 establishing1 find out1 fit3 fitness3 foreign language35 get to know2 girls2 group4 information7 input47 interest10 interesting23 language45 learner217 level3 likes12 meaning17 natural165 naturally5 near cognates2 one word image2 party7 personalized16 portrait4 questions74 repeat78 repeating70 repetition42 repetitive22 second language44 session2 story46 story asking15 storyasking15 target language12 target structure20 TPRS71 try out1 video350 vocabulary256 youtube67

From story-telling to story-asking

I am reading TPRS with Chinese characteristics: making students fluent and literate through comprehensible input by Terry Waltz and I am learning a great deal! I definitely recommend this book if, like me, you want your learners to truly develop fluency and proficiency in another language and on the other hand you do not consider yourself advanced in TPRS and comprehensible input,

[read more…]

acquire50 acquisition65 animals97 Ben Slavic2 ci145 circling5 complex2 comprehensible100 confidence92 confident8 content6 contribute1 contributing1 contribution1 creative13 creativity4 easy300 Education20 engage150 engaged138 finger1 fluency107 fluent57 ideas7 image4 input47 intent3 interest10 language45 learner217 learning15 one word image2 ownership2 proficiency12 proficient9 puppets1 simple15 story46 story asking15 story building8 story script6 storyasking15 storytelling39 target9 target language12 target structure20 Terry Waltz1 TPRS71 understand67 understanding22 word5

French game to recycle and repeat: Jean-Jacques Julier

I am back home after a big road trip which took my whole family all the way down to Portugal, then Spain and finally to La Bretagne in France. We got to discover beautiful places and meet amazing people and we also had the chance to reunite with family and old friends.

[read more…]

acquiring18 acquisition65 activity13 brain break6 center3 challenge22 ci145 comprehensible100 curricula2 curriculum5 family164 focus36 French41 game21 ideas7 input47 learner217 learning15 lessons36 mantra2 Martina Bex11 memorize11 multitasking3 online38 personal13 power15 quick3 recycle2 recycling1 repeating70 repetition42 repetitive22 ressources40 retain1 retaining1 retention1 session2 share17 sharing6 simple15 starter11 story asking15 story building8 storytelling39 structures7 tenses2 TPRS71 vocabulary256 warm up36 yoga12

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 comprehension250 connection105 engaging10 exercises1 funny256 high frequency217 home practice3 input47 interesting23 kindergarten day1 listening52 own pace2 parallel story3 practice33 present tense435 reading252 repetition42 repetitive22 story46 storytelling39 teacherspayteachers11 TPRS71 verb forms3 video350 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 comprehension250 demo5 Education20 engaging10 face to face1 flashcards8 French41 input47 inspiring7 interaction47 intsructions1 listening52 memorize11 one to one1 online38 own pace2 physical response6 practice33 quizlet9 responding1 scenario1 Skype6 storytelling39 tpr19 TPRS71 understanding22 video350 vocabulary256 webcam1 youtube67