Vendredi tout est permis avec Arthur - Jeux TV en classe de FLE

Bonjour, les amis! Ah, comme je voulais bien écrire un billet en français! Sorry, English teachers, today it's all on France...

Aujourd'hui, on va se centrer un peu dans le cours de FLE (Français Langue Étrangère). Oui, la langue française a aussi assez de sources de TICs pour utiliser en cours. Ce billet nous présente une façon de combiner les TICs avec des jeux qu'on trouve dans la vie quotidienne. Dans ce cas-ci, on se rappelle du billet précédent (Cluedo dans le cours d'Anglais). Aujourd'hui on va plus loin des jeux de rôle ou des jeux en famille: On passe aux jeux et concours populaires qu'on trouve dans la télé. Mesdames et messieurs, on va reproduire un concours TV dans notre cours de FLE.

Le jeu qu'on a choisi pour ce post est addressé aux niveaux moyen et avancé. Ce jeu est purement oral. Ici, on ne entraîne aucun trait grammatical ou lexique. Ce jeu est dessigné pour aider à nos élèves à parler en français. Avec le système actuel bilingue anglais-espagnol dans la plupart de nos collèges et lycées, les élèves espagnols sont toujours prêts à nous répondre en anglais. Cependant, la langue française est l'élément oublié dans ce système. Nos élèves ne pratiquent pas le français (ou d'autres langues secondes) autant que l'anglais. Ce jeu-ci leur aide à parler la langue en cours et à comprendre que la langue française peut être aussi belle et facile que la langue anglaise. 

Oui, oui, j'arrive... c'est quoi, ce jeu, vous demandez? Ce jeu télé est un programme très célèbre en France et l'un des très programmes à succès en France depuis 2011. Il a été adapté dans plusieurs pays (l'Espagne entre eux). Bon, comment il s'appelle donc? Rappellez ce nom... Vendredi Tout est Permis avec Arthur (désormais VTEP). 

VTEP (Me Resbala) est un programme télé où les comédiens les plus célèbres de France doivent passer quelques épreuves pour gagner le prix de l'audience (une égout du programme, voir logo à gauche). Ce concours est fait à propos de la comédie: le but principal de ce programme est l'improvisation pour faire rire notre audience. L'un qui fait rire le plus est normalement l'un qui gagne le prix de l'audience. Si vous ne connaissez pas bien ce programme, voici un petit vidéo-résumé de ce qu'on y fait.

Mais pourquoi ce programme? Comme on voit dans la BA, on n'a pas besoin d'être parfait... if faut justement parler et passer un bon temps. VTEP nous présente une série des épreuves physiques, orales et surtout d'improvisation, quelque chose d'intéressant pour inviter nos élèves à parler en cours. Évidemment, tous les épreuves ne sont pas prêtes à les adapter à nos cours de Français. Voici quelques idées du programme intéressants à faire en classe:

1. Décollage immédiat: Les élèves doivent définir un mot sans dire une lettre de l’alphabet. S’ils la disent, ils perdront une vie pour leur équipe. 
2. Mots interdits: Un élève doit décrire un mot sans dire une série de mots, et un autre doit le deviner. Chaque fois que l’élève dit un mot interdit, le groupe perdra une vie.
3. Casting pub: Les élèves doivent créer un produit à annoncer et représenter une bande annoncée selon les indications du professeur. Ils devront adopter des personnalités différentes (tristesse, folie, alcoolisé, nerveux, amoureux, enfantin...) selon ce qu’ils obtiendront par hasard d’une enveloppe. 
4. Qui suis-je?: Les élèves devront choisir un personnage fameux, et ils devront l’imiter. Les équipes devront deviner de qui il s’agit. Le plus fidèle au personnage, le mieux. 
5. ABC Story: Les élèves doivent nous raconter une histoire, en commençant chaque phrase avec une lettre de l’alphabet, en ordre. Chaque élève continuera l’histoire avec une lettre différente. 

C'est vrai quand même que nos élèves ne sont pas toujours prêts à participer, surtout s'il s'agit des jeux de compréhension orale. Cependant, si le prof est ouvert à participer et à guider nos élèves, ça sera plus facile pour les convaincre. Le prof peut devenir ici un autre élève, pour les montrer qu'ils peuvent avoir un bon temps en cours. Cette activité est un peu différente à ce qu'ils sont habitués, donc, il fault la présenter bien pour que nos élèves finissent comme ça:

On recommande de faire ce jeu bien au début de l'année ou bien à la fin de chaque trimestre, quand les élèves ont besoin des distractions des examens finales. Ce jeu peut se faire dans n'importe quelle langue (yes, English teachers, you can also take this idea!). Cependant, on l'a décidé de le présenter en français, car c'est la langue originelle du programme. À travers de ce programme, on peut apprendre nos élèves à connaître un peu la culture et la personnalité des Français de nos jours. C'est une activité drôle et facile à faire: il nous faut justement des feuilles de papier, une grande imagination et de l'envie à participer dans les activités ci-proposés.

Voici mon petit apport pour le cours de FLE. Je vous laisse ici, je vais chercher de nouvelles épreuves dans le programme! Enjoy teaching!

Common and popular games in the ESL classroom - Cluedo

Are you tired of having the same dull, grammar-based Foreign Language course? Can you stand teaching/memorising looooooong lists of vocabulary in class? Do you miss more listening+speaking exercises in class? Wait... WHAT? Are you afraid of speaking in class?

A student's normal attitude...
Me speaking in class? Erm, no thanks

Thank goodness this situation is changing bit by bit in most Language courses around the world. The new teaching methods include more spoken activities in class. One of the best ways to increase the speaking skills in class is by using games. Now with the Internet and all the ICT resources available, finding games is as easy as it gets. I personally use some of these Internet games and dynamics. However, I tend to be quite realistic in class, especially with the higher levels. Sometimes I look for real-life examples to show in class. So, playing real-life games, why not? If students play the games they play in their lives, they may feel motivated to participate. By playing a game they know, they'll enter into a positive atmosphere, just like they do when playing any game! One of my favourite 'real' games I play in class is Cluedo... the perfect game for a Halloween special session!

Happier now? Let's play Cluedo!

I personally enjoy doing mystery games in class. Cluedo is one of my special games for a Halloween special class. Normally, I use this game for higher levels, as they are normally more eager to speak. Besides, they make perfect use of the past tenses, something we'll need to play this game. Some features we train in this game are the following:

• Review of the past tenses (Past Simple/Past Continuous/Present Perfect/Past Perfect/Past Perfect Continuous).
• Linking words:
• Possibility 
• Certainty
• Time
• Making deductions (I think/I believe...)

As I introduced, Cluedo can be played on a very special day: Halloween. I'm sure your higher level classes will have had enough of 'trick or treat' and other cultural sessions. For this day, I introduce Cluedo as a cultural thing we find in the US: creating a murder mystery. A murder mystery is kind of a party/a celebration most American young-adults play on the Halloween Night. This game is played in big groups - although in class it's preferably to have a little number. There's always a topic - a murder. You'll have to give different roles to your different students. You can use the different Cluedo characters for this matter. Actually, most Halloween murder mysteries are based on Cluedo cases. Students will listen to several stories from the case during the session. Then, at the end of the class, students will have to make their own deductions. To make it more fun, students will have to act like their characters (they're provided with a personality file to make their acts). 

This activity tends to be fun among students. The main drawback is that in most English courses there's usually a high number of students to play just a six-character game. Despite that, students seem to enjoy this dynamics. This is an unusual way to celebrate Halloween - and they actually seem to appreciate it. Students tend to be more participative if a native speaker (assistant teacher) is present in the class, so, if you have the chance, bring them to class. Besides, if they're American, they'll be able to explain the tradition behind this game! 

Do you dare try a real murder mystery for next Halloween?

Enjoy teaching!

Learning a language - Steps to success!

Hi, everyone, and welcome back!

This is definitely a session to boost your language learning process. Special thanks to Miss Brit Lolita for this picture!

Learning a language can be easy or a pain in the ass. It all depends on you. Here are Miss Brit Lolita's advice for a better language learning experience:

Don't panic. Be happy. A language doesn't bite. It's not a monster. It's not a complex code to decipher, so you better start to chillax now. A language is a communicative tool used by millions of people everyday, just like you and your native language. See? Languages are friendly and ready to use every day! Make friends with the language - you can get to be an expert just like with your mother tongue!

Trust me, it's not as complex as this algorithm

Chill out and take your time: No pressure allowed, my friend. Language is all about PATIENCE. You're not going to learn a language in a single day! A language takes time and effort. You may not see your results now, but hey, that doesn't mean you haven't done any progress so far! Progress in language learning is invisible, but trust me, you know more than you did yesterday. Just keep that in mind ;)

Relax, take it easy. Everything flows.

Be constant and motivate yourself: Starting learning a language is easier compared to keep on learning. Language learning process can be very tough, especially when you don't get to see your progress (again, you're unaware of it, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist). In order to seek a progress, it is necessary to practise the language every single day (the more, the merrier!). Language is not just about filling in the gaps or completing dull grammar exercises. That can let you down for sure! There are fun ways to practise a language, such as watching TV, watching movies, getting in touch with native speakers (thank you, Google for existing!) or reading a good book. Do what makes you happy. Do what you do in your daily life - you'll see you can enjoy your own hobbies no matter the language you're speaking! A language is not fun, YOU make a language fun.

Yep, there's a whole world of possibilities out there!

Enjoy every single bit of it. As Joy says, think positive! Think of the language as a game: You are an explorer, and the language, your treasure. In the meantime you'll be finding some little treasures and prizes for your job. Learning a language can be very rewarding if you are optimistic. Do your research about the language, its literature, its culture... The more you get, the more prizes you'll earn! At the end of the day you'll realise about how far you've got, and trust me, that's completely nuts! You'll be closer to a native speaker if you follow this advice (trust me, I know what I say). It's time to start a new quest, Indiana Jones!

Time to play, my friend...

BONUS - Don't be afraid to speak!
If you really want to learn a language, you should start speaking it by now! It's OK if you're not an advanced language student, not everyone is. Everyone makes mistakes, even native speakers! By speaking, you'll be able to be more fluent and accurate. No one will punish you, they just want to hear your lovely voice. Try speaking with your teachers, with the language assistants, even with some native speakers in a bar or online! (again, thanks Google for existing!). I'm sure most of them will want to join a nice chat with you. Don't be shy, it's high time to open your mouth!

Calm down, be friendly and enjoy the chat

These are some of the rules I use when it comes to learning a language, but there are some more, of course. Impossible is nothing, that's something The Brit Lolita and I try to show you. Even pets can learn to speak! Don't be a whiner and start learning now!

Wow, those pets had really something to say! Stay tuned for more advice and remember... Enjoy language learning!

Diigo Data Saver - Don't forget anything on the web!

Have you checked thousands of ESL websites but you don't know how to save them? Luckily for us, the Internet has evolved a great deal over the last years. Nowadays, we count of a wide range of servers that help us save our favourite websites for later. One of them is Diigo. Diigo is a web saver that helps us save, store and even highlight our favourite websites. We can tag them, mark as read and even bookmark our sources if we are not done yet. Diigo provides us with annotation and highlight services, in case we want to save important PDF files online worth highlighting. You can activate this through Diigolet, one of the multiple services the website offers us. Unlike other web savers, Diigo is one of the few who provides us with educational services - they're aware of everything a teacher wants and needs. One of these features is the Outline. Teachers here can plan a whole session with using their favourite URLs and their favourite posts. You can also connect to other teachers all around the world, and even create cooperation groups to share your favourite sites to the world!

Diigo can be used on any web browser. However, Google Chrome offers us a faster web to enjoy this experience. Diigo has created a tool for Google Chrome that allows you to save your contents in a second! There's no need to open Diigo website, you need just a click on the tool and voilà! All your surfing experience will be saved!

Diigo has personally helped me in my teacher career. Do you want to discover its benefits! It's easy and it's free! (As in other servers, it offers us the possibility to go premium for just a little a month).
Now you'll be able to go back to your ESL stuff anytime you want!

Before I leave, let me just show you an example of how it works:

For more info, check www.diigo.com

Hope all this helps! See you soon, and remember... Don't forget to comment and subscribe! Enjoy blogging!

Welcome y'all!

Hello everyone and welcome to this blog!

If you love languages, you've come to the right place! This blog is addressed to both Language teachers and language lovers. Here you will find interesting sources to make your Languages sessions better... and more dynamic! (This is not just about English...)

Feel free to use any kind of source in this blog! Warning: Do it responsibly.

In both sides you'll find some extra sources for your English courses. They can be a great help in case you're stressed out!

Enjoy blogging! and hopefully... See you soon!