Written with the young learner in mind, FSL Activities with M.Renaud is a resource site for teachers, parents and students of French as a Second Language. The site features self-checking exercises on grammar and vocabulary, printable worksheets and game boards ready for classroom use and a very extensive list of FSL external links. Renaud also provides tips for parents who wish to help their children with their French at home. There is a showcase of student work on the site as well.
Type of Material:
Drill and Practice, Tutorial, Teacher Resources
Technical Requirements:
Plug-in to play MP3s
Identify Major Learning Goals:
To develop French language skills and effective language learning techniques.
Target Student Population:
Beginning students, grade school and middle school.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
Beginning French.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
There are many ready-made materials at this site for use with young learners. The illustrations are colorful, (lots of primary colors) and appropriate to the younger age group. The collection of French MP3s present a great way to engage students through popular music. Many of the songs have both printed lyrics and a recording of the song right there on the site. The author has recently added the possibility of viewing the MP3 lyrics in large fonts, a line at a time. In this way, an instructor can project lyrics on a screen for the whole class to sing along.
The online activities include typical multiple choice and matching formats that are familiar to students. The illustrations in the matching exercises are appropriate to the text that accompanies them. There is a drag and drop exercise on shapes and colors which is particularly effective. The game boards that can be printed out , on such topics as the weather and methods of transportation, will be a welcome resource to classroom teachers.
Concerns:
It is clear that the author intends to expand his collection, hence the many ?Coming soon!? advisories throughout. Activities at the intermediate level will be a welcome addition to this site.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
So many different users can benefit from this site- teachers, students and parents. It is this latter group that is so often neglected in traditional learning materials, where the primary learning activities focus on the classroom. The author extends his teaching into the home where parents are given a list of techniques to keep language alive for their students.
The online activities can be done at home or in a lab independently or can be projected in the classroom. The MP3s can provide hours of instructional value throughout a semester. They are thematically arranged and the accompanying lyric sheets invite sing-alongs. Teachers who would not sing alone to their classes can play the MP3s and sing with them instead.
The puzzles and game boards provide supplementary materials for use with grammar and vocabulary lessons.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
FSL Activities has a clear and consistent design. The background, full of children bouncing about, reinforces the playful, lively atmosphere of the site. Navigation is very straightforward. The author has recently added a very useful site map and has made a concerted effort to include navigation tips throughout the site.
Creative Commons:
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