Learn French the natural way: the ball is in your court

Coucou les French learners,

The title of this newsletter “the ball is in your court” is also a French expression: la balle est dans ton camp. And today, I thought I would change from politics and culture and I would talk to you about sport!

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Year 2016 in review and looking forward to 2017!

Prosperous and healthy new year!!! Bonne année ! ¡Feliz Año Nuevo! Frohes neues Jahr!

As 2017 has just begun, I am full of inspiration and hope! I am committed to be a patient and loving mum taking care of my family.

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Reflection on Comprehensible Input

I haven’t updated my blog for a while now, and as I am taking a break due to my fourth baby coming at the end of September, I wanted to reflect on my last school year. I was teaching Spanish from grade 6 to 12 and I decided to turn to comprehensible input and TPRS since I was never fully satisfied with the traditional way to teach languages.

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6th graders2 acquisition65 comments3 comprehensible100 Education20 encourage2 feedback41 fluency107 fluent57 grade 108 grade 74 grade 85 grade 98 IGCSE12 input47 inspire13 languages13 listening52 Martina Bex11 middle school3 motivate151 motivation201 personalized16 reading252 song29 Spanish33 story46 story asking15 storytelling39 TPRS71

Reviewing holidays with IGCSE students

We are now reviewing for the IGCSE speaking examination in less than two weeks time! As I mentioned in an earlier post, I created different boards on Audioboo related to the different topics my students will be asked about. I posted samples of questions and answers which my students recorded in groups so that they can review at home or in the bus or wherever and whenever they want!

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How to practice and review the general conversation for the IGCSE oral exam?

My students in grade 10 have a speaking examination in 5 weeks time and I believe this is the most stressful part of their IGCSEs. In order to prepare them well for the general conversation (which consists of asking a series of linked questions on two or three topics which students have covered in grade 9 and 10) I asked my students to get in pairs,

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