Utilisation: how does it work? Comment ça marche?

Why this blog? Why do you post your French lessons online?
I put some of my French lessons and exercises online as a practice tool. A language student needs a regular practice in order to make progress. However, many of y'all don't have a lot of time to devote to daily practice. I wanted to put online a tool for learning and practicing French adapted to today's fast and busy lives. So my students would stop saying: "le chien a mangé mes devoirs!" *

"Susannah et le subjonctif" (good title for a Rohmer movie...)

How to use this blog to learn French?
Start by picking what you would like to do for your practice. On the right side, the French lessons are organized by level and by types of exercise. You can also click on Your Level and see what's in stock for you. You can also search by key words (Query tool: on the left, at the very top) . If you don't have anything in mind, just browse the menu on the right until you see something for you.

What are your French lessons like?
There are different types of lessons:

- Topic-based: these lessons focus on specific topics.
They can be situational, i.e. inspired by real situations, conversations. Their goal is to help students practice real-life interraction with native French speakers. They are an in vitro preparation for in vivo communication. For instance if you are planning a trip to France, you might want to check a lesson called "Au restaurant".
They can be grammatical, i.e. focused on one particular grammar point. This is especially helpful for students who need to review for school exams.
They can be based on learning new vocabulary, to help students expand their lexical capital.

These lessons all work together to provide students with tools for mastering the French language.

- Tests: these exercise-based lessons assemble a number of different points or topics relevant to a specific level. For instance a test for level A1 will feature some present tense, some definite articles, some adjectives, whereas level C1 test will have some conditional, some subjunctive, some pronouns etc. These tests can help assess your level as well as determine your strengths and weaknesses. If, when you complete a test, you feel that you are not quite mastering a certain topic, you can just go to the corresponding lesson.

What are the exercises like?
- As you might have noticed, I love fill-in-the-blanks exercises! I believe that they really engage the student, who has to be fully active.
- My exercises are short. Even busy students should be able to practice. If you do have more time, it's your choice to do as many exercises as you wish.
- These exercises are made for real life. Each sentence or text is chosen for its relevance. You will certainly have a chance to hear or use their content.
- People speak like that. For intance, I chose to use "on" much more than "nous" because that is what French people use. I chose "Comment ça va?" or "Vous allez bien?" over "Comment allez-vous?" because the latter sounds far too formal and artificial.

Are there different types of exercises?
Yes. Apart from the classic exercises, you can practice with:
- Texts : written documents, from the press mostly, for the more advanced. I select them for their relevevance and cultural interest, as well as their vocabulary and expressions.
- Songs : music is a fantastic (and enjoyable) way to learn a language. Songs are also part of a country's popular culture, and people often refer to singers, quote lyrics… You might want to know what they are talking about!

I am a student and I have a test next week! Help!
Don't panic! Pick the subjects that will be on your test and start practicing. Browse the column on the right, or type in the grammar points you need to review in the search engine.
If you can't find what you need, email me and I'll post something as soon as I can!  sandrine {at} sandrinedeparis {dot} com

Who can use this blog?
Anyone who has a desire to learn French or improve their language skills. This is designed for people who want to have a regular practice, even short. There are different levels: chose your own.
Don't hesitate to do things designed for another level: for the more advanced, it's always good to review basic things. You might learn a thing or two and strengthen your foundations. For the newer students, you can try and read a challenging text or listen to something you don't quite understand. It's all good, don't panic: if it doesn't make sense now, it will at some point. Your brain registers the information. But step back if you are feeling overwhelmed. Step by step is the key.

Are you updating often?
I'm trying! My goal is to post a big sum of original French lessons for every level and every need.

What about © Copyrights?
These are exercises that I created and on which I worked a lot. If you wish to use them (in a non-commercial way, of course), please mention their author and link to my blog. For any question, you may email me: sandrine {at} sandrinedeparis {dot} com

Can I ask something? Request a lesson? Comment?
By all means! I love suggestions and feedback.

Why all these colors for the levels?
The levels have colors, just like the rainbow, or the 7 chakras. I do live in Northern California after all…
(More details on the levels here)


*the dog ate my homework!

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