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 fun413 glasses4 language acquisition229 next french president1 personal13 political songs1 recital1 repertoire1 story46 story listening19 story script6 stressfree43 target structures13 targeted input1 teaching42 TPRS71 uplifting1 upper intermediate414 vote1 voting1 voting day1 where9

French the natural way: Joyeuses Pâques !

Joyeuses Pâques ! Happy Easter!

Today is Lundi de Pâques in France and it is a bank holiday. Children have been told that the bells from Rome flew all the way to France to deliver chocolate eggs and they are now happily hunting chocolates in their gardens.

[read more…]

acquisition65 acquisition process41 bell4 catholic12 celebrate26 celebration20 chocolate cake4 chocolate eggs2 chocolates1 christian33 church bells1 ci145 compelling39 compelling input31 comprehensible100 Easter6 easter eggs5 Easter Monday1 easter treats2 fluent in French7 France221 French art2 french artists3 French history41 French King1 French monarchy8 french painters3 french traditions7 jesus9 jesus christ5 language acquisition229 languagelearning9 Lent2 Louis IX1 Louis XIV3 painter9 painting33 resurrection2 Saint Louis1 story listening19 TPRS71 tradition57 traditions2

French Story listening

Acquire French the natural way by listening to stories:

The natural way to acquire another language is to first listen to the language. You already did it when you were a baby. You did not talk first and your parents did not force you to talk, they kept talking to you and telling you stories.

[read more…]

acquire50 acquired4 acquisition65 active listener94 charles perrault3 compelling39 complex2 comprehend52 comprehensible100 comprehensible input36 comprehension250 cultural10 culture246 fluency107 folk tales1 french stories5 french tale1 intent3 listener5 listening52 natural165 natural approach59 natural way9 naturally5 peau d'ane2 proficiency12 rich content105 story46 storylistening142 tale117 understand67

Spanish story script number 5: ¿Por qué?

Here is another story script which follows the last story about Elena trying to apologize to Pedro. This time Elena offers a present to Pedro and he has to open different packages. The focus is on the difference between “¿Por qué?

[read more…]

acquire50 acquisition65 because4 beginner318 ci145 comprehensible100 comprehensible input36 comprehension250 creative13 Education20 escuela1 furniture9 grade 68 grade 74 history92 imagination7 imagine9 input47 intermediate707 key structure10 languagelearning9 learn spanish1 material escolar1 por qué1 porque1 present565 re-write2 read40 reading252 school35 school furniture2 Spanish33 spanish input3 story46 story asking15 story listening19 structure10 surprise6 target9 target language12 target structure20 TPRS71 vocabulary256 why8 write59 writing55