Le Grimoire was developed by Pascal Michelucci in support of a year-long course, Introduction to French Studies, which he teaches at Erindale College, University of Toronto. In addition to the course outline, one will find materials to support the four major components of the course: grammar, dictionary, literature and composition. Each part includes subsections, such as, for the grammar part, a glossary of grammatical terms, lessons on specific grammatical rules, online exercises (still in development) and printable tests along with their correction. The literature part includes a synopsis of French history and literature, surveys of each period, and an anthology of works (excerpts from 69 titles) from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. A notable component of the site is the composition guide, which includes proof-reading tools, a list of the "top 30" grammatical difficulties and accepted forms and structures, and advice on content and presentation. A collection of links relevant to French studies is also available.
Type of Material:
Grammar, literature and composition resources
Identify Major Learning Goals:
This website will be a resource for teachers and learners of French composition and grammar at the advanced level.
Target Student Population:
Advanced French studies
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
Appropriate level of French
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
Le Grimoire is a website built for a specific French Studies course. Grammar and literature are well covered for advanced level second-language learners. The grammar is presented in a traditional way. The grammatical explanations are clear, concise, and supported by original, well chosen examples. The javascript exercises are still in development and at the moment some do not function well on Macintosh computers. The overall excellent quality of the language (spelling, grammar, style) makes this site a highly reliable reference for second language teachers and learners.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
Le Grimoire will be best used as a reference for an advanced composition course that includes review of grammar and an introduction to French literature and French history. One must remember that the site is aimed at supporting an introductory course to French studies. It was not designed for independent study but it will provide useful resources to independent learners or teachers developing online courses on related subjects.
Concerns:
Once the online grammatical exercises are fully developed and the links to external resources updated, the site will be more functional for independent learning.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
Le Grimoire is very easy to use. One navigation bar, at the top right of the page, shows the part that was selected by the reader while a second navigation bar, right below the first one, shows the subsections of the part being consulted. The navigation tools are consistent and clear. Colors are used efficiently, without interfering with the content. There is very little help available, as it is not necessary. The site is simple to use and there aren't any bells and whistles, but it is well designed and it delivers
Creative Commons:
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