Teaching
Resources 1.
Cultural Projects: Ready-to-use teaching material!
Cultural
projects are an excellent way to put French into practice,
and focus on your students’ cultures of origin (a key
element in the teaching of French as a heritage language).
Below are guidelines for projects that we successfully used
in our classrooms. Each project comes with all the worksheets
you will need, or links to useful Francophone websites. These
documents are geared for teachers who wish to implement differentiated,
culture-based, project-based pedagogy.
When
it comes to teaching French to French speakers, the political,
social and cultural realities of your students’ native
countries really become an essential aspect of your pedagogy.
Whether you want to integrate on-line press into your lessons,
find information on Haitian music or African politics, show
a francophone movie, or create a class blog, you will find
everything you need in this collection of Heritage Language
internet resources.
Below are 6 categories of websites. All websites are in French, unless otherwise noted.
These
sites offer Guidelines for the teaching of Heritage Languages,
the latest research articles, information about Heritage Language
Programs across the United States, and links to major resource
centers (all websites in ENGLISH).
National Heritage Language Resource Center http://www.international.ucla.edu/languages/nhlrc
Newly created, the NHLRC is a federally-funded resource center.
Above all, the NHLRC endeavors to develop pedagogical approaches
to teach heritage learners, primarily by creating a resource
base and by pursuing curriculum design.
Curriculum Guidelines for Heritage Language Classrooms
at the University of California http://www.international.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=24734
This is a report prepared by the NEH Focus Group in 2003.
It covers such topics as instruction materials and teacher
training for Heritage Language Classrooms.
Heritage Language Journal http://www.heritagelanguages.org
This is an online research journal "dedicated to the
issues underlying the teaching and learning of Heritage Languages."
It is published by the National Heritage Language Resource
Center and includes essays and book reviews on subjects related
to Heritage Language development.
Alliance for the advancement of Heritage Languages
in America @
Center for Applied Linguistics http://www.cal.org/heritage/index.html
This alliance groups, individuals and organizations interested
in promoting Heritage Language development. It also supports
citizens who use multiple languages in their professions.
Find resources, forums, profiles of HL programs and information
on conferences. If you are running an HL program, please complete
the program profile for possible posting on the Alliance website!
National Foreign Language Center – University
of Maryland http://www.nflc.org/policy_and_strategy/heritage_language_development
Read about the active series of steps the National Foreign
Language Center has taken to help promote the development
of Heritage Languages in the US, launching the Heritage Languages
Initiative with the Center for Applied Linguistics.
These
websites aim at helping French teachers by providing teaching
methods, ready-to-use material, studies on various pedagogical
topics, francophone educational news, etc.
EspaceFrancophone http://www.espacefrancophone.org/francophonie
EspaceFrancophone is an internet portal aimed at French-speaking
educators and all francophiles. Based in Louisiana, the site
is of interest to teachers of French as a heritage language,
French as a foreign language and those in immersion programs.
The website features an audiovisual section with many downloadable
documents, including clips that come with ideas for classroom
use. It also provides info about the indigenous francophone
communities of Créoles, Cajuns and Native Americans,
and the French-speaking world in general.
Franc-parler.org http://www.franc-parler.org
“The global community of teachers of French”.
OIF’s Education website offers very diverse, up-to-date
resources.
Le Point du FLE http://www.lepointdufle.net
A portal whose objective is to facilitate access to the best
free web-based activities for learning and teaching French.
There are sites for interactive grammar, self-correcting exercises
etc., which can all be used for work in the classroom or for
self-studies. NB: this website focuses on French as a foreign
language.
Ethnokids http://www.ethnokids.net/enseignants.php
This website will help you create and carry an ethnographic
study with your students! Advice, ideas and methods for you
and your students to become French-speaking ethnologues en
herbes. Ethnokids has had participants from all over the world!
RFI – Radio France Internationale http://www.rfi.fr/lffr/statiques/accueil_apprendre.asp
Radio France Internationale (RFI). Radio news reports in French
suited for pedagogical use. Great opportunity to hear news
reports in simple French language – ideal for learners
of French. Online listening and downloadable audio documents
you can save on your computer for use in class.
These
are sources of daily news, articles, reports, forums, blogs,
etc., pertaining to francophone countries. These websites
will provide you with authentic francophone material that
will help your students understand today’s world.
AFRICA Jeune
Afrique http://www.jeuneafrique.com
One of the best reference sites of African news for adolescents.
JeuneAfrique, a weekly magazine, publishes articles targeting
a younger reading audience. By reading JeuneAfrique students
will gain awareness of African political affairs.
Afrix.com http://www.afrix.com
Daily news over events in Africa. Good source of articles
on African society and culture. Access to blog.
Afromix.org http://www.afromix.org/html/actualite/index.fr.html
Extensive news coverage for Africa and the entire Caribbean.
MOROCCO L’Opinion http://www.lopinion.ma
One of the principal sources of Moroccan daily news.
CANADA Branchez-vous http://www.branchez-vous.com/index1.php
Information about Canada. Source of news and current events
(culture, society, politics, technology, business), forums.
Canoë http://canoe.com
Canadian news, culture and society, people, cinema, art and
literature.
FRANCE Les
Clés de l’actualité Junior http://www.lesclesjunior.com
This marvelous website geared for teenagers will give you
access to short and engaging news articles written in simpler
French. News on France, the world, culture, sports, a weekly
dossier and a section dedicated to French teachers!
HAITI Haiti
Press Network http://www.haitipressnetwork.com
Website dedicated to Haitian news: economy, politics, society,
sport.
Grioo http://www.grioo.com
Extensive news on African, Caribbean and French culture and
society. World news from a francophone perspective. Biographies
of important cultural and political characters throughout
history.
Haitian Times http://www.haitiantimes.com
ENG. Online edition of the weekly magazine.
Learn
more and keep up-to-date with francophone culture in the world.
Below are links to general websites and websites that contain
information on specific cultural activities.
AFRICA
Africultures http://www.africultures.com/index.asp
An exhaustive website about Africa’s vivid cultural
life. Find references to African cultural events, from conferences
to TV documentaries on African life. Limited access to Africulture’s
journal (must have a subscription)—a fantastic source
of articles covering African culture.
Afromix.org http://www.afromix.org/index.fr.jsp
Extensive information about music, arts, travel, news in Africa
and the Caribbean. This great portal also features sections
on economy, industry, religion, education, development, conflicts.
You will also find a beautiful photo section, and a forum.
Revafrique http://revafrique.com
Website of an explorer of the African continent. Interesting
photos and first-hand accounts of Africa’s sights. Proverbs
and fables.
Dak’Art http://www.dakart.org Wonderful articles and information dealing with
contemporary African art in Dak’Art journal. Contributors
from all over Africa. Fespaco – Festival
panafricain du cinéma et de la télévision
de Ouagadougou http://www.fespaco.bf
Pan-African film and T.V. festival held every year. The largest
film festival in Africa.
------------------- [ Soccer in Africa ]
Caf On Line http://www.cafonline.com
The official website of African soccer. Includes news on the
2010 World Cup in South Africa.
HAITI
Haiti on Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiti
ENG. Wikipedia entry on Haiti.
Portraits d’Iles http://www.lehman.cuny.edu/ile.en.ile/haiti/index.html
A fantastic resource on Haitian culture that contains biographies
of important cultural characters and links to websites. This
sight provides in-depth information exposing the richness
of Haitian culture: cuisine, arts, cinema, literature, dance,
music, etc.
Alliance-Haiti http://www.alliance-haiti.com
Great source of information on Haitian culture, society, history,
etc.
Haiti-référence http://www.haiti-reference.info
Another reference to information on Haitian culture.
Image Nouvelle http://www.imagenouvelle.com
By privileging music and cinema this site offers a different
perspective on Haitian culture.
-------------------
[ Festivals in Haiti ]
Haitian
international film festival
http://www.festivalfilmjakmel.com
Haitian international film festival held in Jacmel, cultural
capital of Haiti. Films from around the world.
National Geographic http://worldmusic.nationalgeographic.com/worldmusic/view/page.basic/home
ENG. National Geographic World Music webpage. On this great
website you will learn all about music genres and artists
from all over the world. You can also watch and listen to
them for free. This page also gives access to photo galleries
from National Geographic.
Song Lyrics – French
and International http://www.paroles.net
Hundreds of songs! Song Lyrics – African and
Caribbean on Afromix http://www.afromix.org/html/musique/paroles/index.fr.html
Hundreds of songs! Song Lyrics – Quebec and Francophone http://www.chansonduquebec.com/chanson/accueil.html
Hundreds of songs! This website also provides lots of information
about the Quebec music industry and Quebec artists (singers
and musicians, actors, authors, painters…).
------------------- [ Francophonie in NY, NJ,
CT and DC ]
These are excellent sources of information about Francophone
events in Washington, DC and the Tri-State area: festivals,
exhibitions, conferences, concerts, films, literature, etc.
OIF
– Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie http://www.francophonie.org/
This is the official website for the Organisation Internationale
de la Francophonie. It gives rudimentary, in-depth information
about la Francophonie. A great way to keep up with la Francophonie.
Fédération Internationale des professeurs
de français http://www.fipf.org/
FIPF’s official website.
AUF – Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie http://www.auf.org
With over 600 member institutions of higher learning throughout
la Francophonie, AUF carries five programs of research in
the fields of linguistic diversity, democracy, new technologies
in education, cooperation, and sustainable development.
Afriblog
Create your class blog here and give your student a chance
to express opinions or publish francophone class projects!
Blogs are all Francophonie-related, very easy to create in
a few steps, and easy to maintain. Here is an example of what
you can do on Afriblog: http://www.afriblog.com/blog.asp?code=fhlp1
