Etre ou Ne Pas Etre

Être ou ne pas être – To Be or Not to Be
http://cdhyltonfrench.pbwiki.com/f/Podcast%20etre.mp3

This lesson is designed to explain the conjugation of être (to be), help to master this verb. As everything comes in audio format, students are able to listen and repeat. Furthermore, they can also download the file to be reviewed later.

The verb être, along with avoir, faire, and aller, is one of the most important and basic verbs of the French language. Moreover, être is the most frequently used verb in French. The difficulty for the beginners in learning French language is that this verb is an irregular one, which means its forms do not follow a predictable pattern. So make sure you know this verb thoroughly!



Exercise 1: Répétez après moi, SVP – Repeat after me!

Now we are going to learn how to conjugate this verb. Ensure you repeat out loud!
l When you hear the liaison (gliding) in the vous form – vous êtes, make the same liaison (gliding) as I do.
l Be extra careful in ils/elles (3rd person plural) form. The pronunciation is <> and not <>. Have you forgotten the verb avoir? If your answer is yes, you definitely need to review avoir! Ils ont elles ont are the 3rd person plural for the verb avoir

Je suis
Tu es
Il est
Elle est
Nous sommes
Vous êtes
Ils sont
Elles sont


Remember : The French have two ways of saying they
l ils refers to two or more males or to a mixed group of males and females.
l elles relfers to two or more females


Exercise 2: Add the correct form.

Now, when you hear the pronoun choose the appropriate form and say it out loud. There will be enough time for you to speak. Then I will say the correct form and give you time to repeat it again.

Tu tu es
Elle (singulier) elle est
Nous nous sommes
Ils (pluriel) ils sont
Je je suis
Il (singulier) il est
Vous vous êtes
Elles (pluriel) elles sont

Now that you know how to conjugate and pronounce le verbe être, you must practice to master its spelling.

Remember, memorization comes with repetition!!!

Au revoir!

Lesson Plan 2 Using Podcasts

Lesson 2

• Lesson Title: Une Chanson - Alouette
• Type of Web 2.0 Tool: Podcasts
• Objectives: Students will be able to learn parts of the body and sing a popular French-Canadian folk song
• Brief Description of Overall Lesson: Students are provided with podcasts on this song with script in their class web page.
  As a pre-listening song activity, students will learn the background information on this song. Practice and listen the vocabulary that appears in this chanson.
  As a during-listening activity, they can point out the different body parts that they have identified while listening the song.
  After-listening activity, they will listen another popular French folk song and discuss about this song.

Lesson Plan 1 Using Podcasts

Lesson 1

• Title: Liaison
• Type of Web 2.0 Tool: Podcasts
  
• Objectives: Linguistic goal - Students in French 1 will be able to understand and perform liaison to link words in French.
• Brief Description of Overall Lesson: Students are provided with a podcast on liaison with script in their class web page.
  What is la liaison? Examples of pronunciation such as un ami, un Américain, un Anglais, un artiste. In general, the n of un is silent. However, in the above words, the n in un is pronounced as if it were the first letter of the next word. This is called LIAISON.
  When does it occur? Liaison occurs between two words when the second one begins with a VOWEL SOUND, that is with a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes h and y.
  

Learn French

I tried two podcasts in iTunes on French language, The French Pod Class and Learn French by Podcast. I realized that unless you know the subject well, you would have difficult time to decide which podcast to choose, or which one would provide your need.

PBS podcast site

There are about 15 podcasts available in PBS site. The site also provides an explicit explanation on what a podcast is and how it works. I have just subscribed to two podcasts- WorldView and TeacherCast.

Virginia Minutes

The correct URL is
http://www.fcps.edu/colvinrunes/crescasts06_07.htm#virginiaminute .
With good instruction from the teacher, fourth graders were able to create history podcasts. Now I want to figure out how to utilize this amazing tool with a class of more than 30 students. What would be the most efficient way? How to motivate them, how to engage all of them?

Lecture podcasts

My interest in international relations is one of the reason why I ended up listening the lecture on Switzerland in the United Nations. With a strong will power and good searching skills of the internet, anyone can accumulate information and expand the knowledge...

Grammar Girl

I especially liked the topic who and whom. My students who don't have a solid grasp of English grammar often find it difficult the difference between qui and que. I might try this tip in January when school starts!

I also enjoyed reading and listening Mighty Mommy, Legal Lad, and Modern Manners Guy.

However, to what extent can I trust them?

Lesson Plans Using Image Blogs

Lessons Plans Using Image Blogs

Lesson 1

• Lesson Title: Les Chateaux de Loire
  
• Type of Web 2.0 tool : Image Blogs ( such as Flickr)

• Objectives: Students will be able to expand cultural awareness by doing research projects on French castles and architectural styles.

• Description of lesson.
  Find a map of France with Loire on it.
  Identify major rivers in France.
  Find interesting facts about these castles.
  Prepare yourself to explain which one you like best in French.
  Add 4 more castles of your choice located in Loire

• Evaluation:
  Exactitude of the facts and research on the locations.
  Research on more castles and addition of the pictures.
  Oral performance:
• 
  
  Lesson 2
  
  
• Lesson Title: Demain dès l’aube by Victor Hugo

• Type of Web 2.0 tool: Flickr
• Objectives: Students will be able
  to form and use future tense in French
  to recite the poem with the slide show they have made
  to appreciate one of the shortest but most poignant poem by Victor Hugo
• Description of the lesson
  Students will review the future tense in French.
  Identify the verbs in the poem
  Learn the vocabulary in the poem
  Make the slide show
  Memorize the poem
  Recite the poem
  
  Demain, dès l'aube...
  Demain, dès l'aube, à l'heure où blanchit la campagne,Je partirai. Vois-tu, je sais que tu m'attends.J'irai par la forêt, j'irai par la montagne.Je ne puis demeurer loin de toi plus longtemps.Je marcherai les yeux fixés sur mes pensées,Sans rien voir au dehors, sans entendre aucun bruit,Seul, inconnu, le dos courbé, les mains croisées,Triste, et le jour pour moi sera comme la nuit.Je ne regarderai ni l'or du soir qui tombe,Ni les voiles au loin descendant vers Harfleur,Et quand j'arriverai, je mettrai sur ta tombeUn bouquet de houx vert et de bruyère en fleur.

• Evaluation :
  The slide show
  Oral performance
  Cloze test

Lesson Plans using Blogs

Lesson 1

Suggested level: French 3
Lesson Title: Impressionist Artists
Type of Web 2.0 Tool: Blogs
Objectives: To learn about impressionism and impressionist artists such as Monet, Degas, Renoir, Manet, and Morisot.
Brief Description of Overall Lesson: Show students impressionist paintings. Ask them if they are familiar with any of these artists or paintings. Discuss impressionism. What are the characteristics of impressionist style?

Blog: Whose paintings (or which artist) do you like most? Describe the characteristics of your artist.


Lesson 2

Suggested Level: French 4
Lesson Title: Paul Éluard
Type of Web 2.0 Tool: Blogs
Objectives: To read and understand the poem Liberté by Paul Éluard and to expand awareness of French history in the 20th century especially during the World War II.
Brief Description of Overall Lesson: Provide information about important periods and event of France in the 20th century. Then, students will do research on important people in science and politics, artists who participated in the French Resistance.

Blog: If you could add your own line to the poem, suggest other place where you would write the word liberté.

Image Blogs

1. Jane Goodall's camp gave me an idea to use Image Blogs in reviewing and learning new vocabulary. Visual learners would enjoy this activity.
2. It is amazing to notice how many different and creative ideas could come out with simple Red Color.
3. I found an image blog on Claude Monet: http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=Claude+Monet&m=text

It would be great if I could use the pictures in class when we study the Impressionism. However, the safety of my students is my utmost priority, thus before I launch to a new activity that involves any technology, I need to ascertain that my students learn and know any peril that might be present.

lesson Plans

French 3

First Lesson

Lesson Title: Mon look!
Objectives: Students will be able to describe their outfit and explain why they like it.



Imagine that you are an exchange student in France. Your host parents are having a party for you. The only problem is that you don't have anything dressy enough for this occasion. Now you have to find an appropriate outfit and describe it in French.

Second Lesson

Lesson Title: Le look de mes amis
Objectives: Students will be able to give opinions about clothes and fashion and to respond to compliments.


Choose one description posted by your classmate. Give your opinion. You can even suggest a hairstyle, compliment him or her. Don't be too critical. Let's be nice to each other!

PB Wiki

I explored http://pbwiki.com/academic.wiki to learn more about how to use Wiki with my students. It seems like a great tool to share information among students and teachers. As I share French 1 teaching with another teacher, it would be great to have a Wiki for French 1 level so that we can share information and pace curriculum throughout the academic year. The only issue is to convince the teacher to try it out.

How to encourage non-technical people (including myself) to use a Wiki

In ITSopedia.pbwiki.com, I noticed an interesting video " How to encourage non-technical people to use a Wiki". It was a useful video just to know that there are people who care about non-technical people like me and who try to engage them and make them learn how to use Wikis!

About Planet Math

In my school, we are strongly recommended to form PLC Group (Professional Learning Community) among teachers. Thus, I am with two PLCs. One is PLC-AP World Language Teachers, and the other is with a teacher who teaches one class of French 1 level. I would like to pilot the virtual community with my AP language PLC. The obstacle would be whether other AP teachers will be eager to venture in this new area with me. If not, how should I convince them to join me in this new project?

About The Holocaust Wiki Project

I am so overwhelmed by the information pool this Wiki Project cast on me that now I am no sure whether I can create and use Wiki in my classroom... Also it looks kind of similar to WebQuest Project. Am I wrong? How different is it from WebQuest? How can we provide our students with accurate and reliable resources?

La Liberté de Paul Eluard

If you could add your own line to the poem, suggest other place where you would write the word liberté.

Les Impressionnistes

Whose paintings (or which artist) do you like most? Describe the characteristics of your artist.

The Last Lecture

I check my tech teacher's blog http://tekkieteacher.com/ very often. It provides answers for most of my wonders, thus saves my time. If you haven't watched "The Last Lecture", I invite you to have a look at it.

Coffee Break French, Podcast Exploration

In Colleen NcNeil's resources, I was able to taste a Podcast in French, Coffee Break French. It was refreshing and easy to follow, which I believe I can introduce safely to my high school students.

Blog for after school activity

Emmet Rosenfeld 's idea on using blog for after school activities drew my attention. I am sponsor of French Club and French Honor Society as well. Most of my students are members of so many different clubs that it is not easy to find an afternoon when all of them can attend a meeting even if I announce it as mandatory. Next time, I will put the minutes on my blog and ask those who were unable to attend the meeting to post their responses.

Scott Hambrick 's blog

His link on Technology and learning was very interesting as it is directly related to my learning at GMU and my teaching at high school. Especially I share Scott Hambrick's view on incorporating database and graphics in teaching probably because I have just finished those two courses.

What does technology mean to a class teacher like me?

As a teacher, I would do anything to enhance my students learning. If by using technology in class, I can bring my students'performance at the highest level, then I shall learn and use it. It doesn't matter to me that it is about technology itself or technology as a tool in teaching.

Filtered or Unfiltered?

I have the same problem as Will Richardson explained in his blog. I found a very useful site and the following day, I wanted to share with my students. The result? All blocked. Gone all my lesson plan for that day. How can we protect our students and enjoy at the same time the technology?