How are the lessons organized?
There are (generally) 3 elements in a lesson:
Theory: grammar explanation, vocabulary, with relevant exemples to put things in context.
Practice exercise: to, well... practice and get better at it.
Audio: to listen to a real French person. Reading and listening at the same time is a very efficient way of memorizing.
How do I practice with your exercises?
There are several ways of making this work for you.
- You can start with learning the theory. Read, take notes, make sense of it with the examples. And then apply your new knowledge to the exercises.
- Or, you can start directly with an exercise, before reading the theory. Starting with an exercise is good: it helps you practice and develop your language intuition, a key element of language learning.
- You can start with listening to the Audio recording, if there is one. Listen to the sentences while reading them and doing the exercise. Or listen without reading and try to make sense of what you grasp. It's also a good way of developing your language intuition.
It's your lesson, your choice. Do what works best for you.
How can I be really efficient in my learning?Write down the sentences, the vocabulary, the grammar points on your French notebook that you carry everywhere, (you have one of those, n'est-ce pas?), your smart phone, or your computer.
Speak: Repeat the sentences, read aloud. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of reading aloud, of talking to yourself. Even if it's not perfect, it's good for you.
How do I know how I did on the exercises?
I post all the answers here, on a separate blog just for the responses (and some extra explanations.)
What are the Levels ?
I use the official levels of the Cadre Européen Commun de Référence pour les Langues, the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The levels: A1 (beginner) A2 (pre-intermediate) B1, B2 (intermediate) C1, C2 (advanced). I added one, that I named R for "Racines", which means "Roots". It corresponds to complete beginner in French, and aims at providing a solid foundation on which to build.
How do I know my level?
If you are currently attending a French language programme, or studying at a University, you probably know your level. For all the other free learners, just pick what you think might be your level and experiment. You can self-assess your level by selecting a type of exercise entitled "Test", which mixes various grammar, vocabulary, cultural points.
If you find the "test" you are taking too challenging, move to the previous level, if you find it easy, just go up to the next level. (I'm working on putting up a bunch of tests, so if you visit regularly you should find a test for you).
Les chiffres français - Numbers in French
Aujourd'hui: un exercice sur les chiffres. Trouvez l'équivalent en lettres des chiffres (à droite). Amusez-vous bien!
Match the numbers on the right with their transcription. Enjoy!
Question subsidiaire: dans ce document se trouvent 3 dates importantes. Lesquelles? Répondez à cette question dans les commentaires.
Additional question: In this document are 3 important dates. Which ones?
Post your answers as comments!
Match the numbers on the right with their transcription. Enjoy!
Pour écouter ces chiffres, cliquez sur le bouton.
To listen to all those numbers, click Play.
To listen to all those numbers, click Play.
Question subsidiaire: dans ce document se trouvent 3 dates importantes. Lesquelles? Répondez à cette question dans les commentaires.
Additional question: In this document are 3 important dates. Which ones?
Post your answers as comments!
A bientôt!
-Sandrine
-Sandrine
all original material ©Sandrine de Paris
Expressions Courantes 2 - Common Idiomatic Expressions 2
La leçon d'aujourd'hui est un méli-mélo d'expressions courantes que les Francophones utilisent tous les jours.
> augmentez votre vocabulaire et pratiquez votre écoute.
Today's French lesson is a "méli-mélo" of common expressions which francophones use everyday.
> increase your vocabulary, practice your listening skills.
Les enfants s'________ comme des fous! (Photo: © moi)Votre travail est de
- replacer les verbes dans les phrases
- écouter la transcription.
Your job is:
- place the missing verbs in the sentences
- listen to the transcription.
Pour écouter, cliquez sur le bouton ci-dessous:
To listen, click on the button below:
To listen, click on the button below:
Exercice numéro 1
Exercice numéro 2
Exercice numéro 3
Exercice numéro 4
Exercice numéro 5
©2009 Sandrine de Paris
***Correction / Answers***
Vous avez fini? Bravo! Envoyez-moi un email à sandrinedeparis arobase rocketmail point com, et je vous enverrai la correction et la traduction!You're done? Good job! Email me at sandrinedeparis at rocketmail dot com
*Photo: les enfants s'amusent comme des fous!
Article: Une Rentrée En Vert
Aujourd'hui, place aux niveaux très avancé et perfectionnement. Nous vous proposons de travailler sur un article de l'excellent magazine Terra Eco, le média du développement durable. Nous recommandons vivement sa lecture à ceux et celles qui croient en un journalisme combinant sérieux, éthique et haute qualité rédactionnelle. (Faites comme moi: abonnez-vous !) Le sujet de cet article est la fameuse "rentrée" (des classes), vue sous l'angle écolo.
Focus
Vocabulaire:
- L'école / le matériel scolaire
- L'écologie
- La consommation
Culture:
- La rentrée des classes
- Les habitudes de consommation
- Le Grenelle
Exercice suggéré: Lecture active
- Replacez les mots manquants dans le texte.
- Relevez les expressions intéressantes (en gras).
Vous pouvez lire cet article à trous sur directement sur ce blog ou le trouver en cliquant ci-dessous:
RentreeEcoloTE
UNE RENTREE SCOLAIRE EN VERT
La rentrée rime souvent avec nouveaux achats et nouveaux déplacements... Mais il ne s’agit pas pour autant d’alourdir son ardoise environnementale. Petits conseils pour une rentrée plus verte.par Karine Le Loët
Journaliste à Terra Eco (Paris).
Journaliste à Terra Eco (Paris).
------------------------------------------------------
Mots manquants:
PVC / bénévoles / trajet / constate / alléger
dès / avant / afficher / lorsqu’ / recyclés
------------------------------------------------------
Fini les compét’ Hello Kitty contre Batman. Cette année la bataille d’agendas se fera entre les écologiques et... les autres. Déjà mi-août, l’Ademe* avait amorcé la tendance en demandant aux parents de revoir leurs stocks existants avant de se ruer dans les magasins, de fuir les objets gadgets, de miser sur les labels.
1. Faire son cartable
- Les cahiers et les stylos
Aujourd’hui, ce n’est plus l’offre qui manque. Toutes les grandes marques ont repeint leurs produits au pinceau vert. Clairefontaine dispose de la gamme Forever : des cahiers, agendas, papiers à lettre estampillés 100%_________. Depuis janvier, Pilot propose un stylo fabriqué à 89% à base de plastique recyclé, dont deux tiers sont directement issus du tri des consommateurs. Même effort chez Post-it, Bic ou Pentel. Mais comment peut-on faire le tri sans se tromper ? Grâce aux labels, souligne l’Ademe qui répertorie les petites étiquettes de confiance : label français NF Environnement, ou écolabel européen, "Ange bleu" allemand ou "cygne blanc" nordique qui mettent en ___________ des produits respectueux de l’environnement. Labels FSC et PEFC enfin qui marquent des articles fabriqués dans le strict respect des forêts. Et pour les produits impossibles à labelliser ? Il suffit de respecter quelques règles de base : éviter le _______ , très polluant, ou privilégier le bois et le métal plutôt que des matériaux plus fragiles comme le plastique.
Or, ces articles-là ne sont pas forcément plus chers. C’est ce qu’affirme en tout cas, le site internet Consoglobe. Pour le prouver, la petite société a comparé deux paniers équivalents de fourniture scolaire, l’un garni de produits classiques, l’autre de leurs équivalents - de même marque si possible – et respectueux de l’environnement. Résultat : 1,38 petits euros soit seulement 2,7% de plus pour le caddie écolo. Autant opter pour le crayon en fibre de papier, la gomme blanche sans PVC ou le correcteur sans solvants. "Même s’ils se disent prêts à payer plus pour acheter écolo, on __________ qu’au moment d’acheter, les gens sont avant tout sensibles aux prix, souligne Jean-Marie Boucher, le fondateur de Consoglobe. Et c’est encore plus vrai dans ce contexte de crise, les produits un peu plus chers ne se vendent pas."
- Les livres
Pour les livres, pas besoin de se ruer dans les magasins. La majorité des librairies en ligne comme Amazon proposent des manuels d’occasion. A moins que l’avenir se trouve du côté du numérique. ________ cet automne, le ministère de l’Éducation va expérimenter dans les classes de 6ème d’une soixantaine de collèges l’utilisation de manuels scolaires électroniques. "A l’école, il y aura une classe équipée d’ordinateurs portables avec un tableau numérique interactif destiné au professeur et des ordinateurs disponibles au CDI**", explique Pascale Gélébard, directrice de Savoir Livre, une association regroupant des éditeurs de livres scolaires papier et... numériques. Le moyen d’__________ les cartables et de faire un effort pour l’environnement ? Peut-être. Reste que le débat entre bilan carbone du livre traditionnel (qui consomme du papier) et du livre électronique (qui demande plus d’énergie pour être fabriqué et pose le problème des déchets) n’est toujours pas tranché.
- Le cartable
OK pour le contenu. Mais quid du contenant ? Les cartables en plastique et synthétiques pèsent lourd sur l’environnement notamment ____________ ils sont acheminés depuis la Chine ou l’Inde. Mieux vaut donc opter pour le bon vieux cartable en cuir. Surtout s’il est en cuir récupéré. C’est le pari de la jeune maison d’édition Coq en pâte qui propose aussi des sacs en coton bio. Les marques Sativa bags ou Hemp Age misent, eux, sur le chanvre dont la culture utilise peu ou pas de pesticides.
2. Goûter bio
Si le gouvernement tient ses engagements du Grenelle, en 2012, 20% des denrées servies dans les cantines devraient __________ l’étiquette bio. Mais en attendant, les parents peuvent déjà équiper leurs enfants d’un goûter bio – biscuits, chocolat - et d’un fruit de saison. Mieux, ils peuvent ressortir la vieille boîte en fer. Car celle-ci évite la multiplication des emballages individuels, et permet, pour les plus courageux, d’offrir des goûters faits maison, donc plus équilibrés.
3. Aller à l’école à pied
Selon l’Ademe, un __________ quotidien de 1 km en voiture serait responsable d’une tonne d’équivalent Co2 émise par an… Mieux vaut donc opter pour le pédibus ou le cyclobus, ramassages scolaires à pied ou en deux roues. En clair, des caravanes d’enfants emmenés par des adultes __________ prennent de nouveaux passagers à horaire fixe pour les conduire vers l’école. Quelques départements se sont lancés dans l’aventure avec pas mal de succès. Sur son site, la mairie de Brest fait par exemple la promotion de ce transport doux, livre un carnet de route, des exemples d’itinéraires type...
* Ademe: Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Energie
** Centre de Documentation et d'Information
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!
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!
J'ai ou Je suis ? Les réponses
"Cocorico ! Je suis français !" For Audio click this button:
J'ai un sac français -I have a French bag
Je suis une touriste en France -I am a tourist in France
Je suis un touriste à San Francisco -I am a tourist in San Francisco
J'ai un appartement à Paris -I have an appartment in Paris
J'ai une maison en France -I have a house in France
Je suis à Paris -I am in Paris
J'ai un dollar -I have a dollar / one dollar
J'ai un Euro -I have a euro / one euro
Je suis française -I am French (female)
Je suis à San Francisco -I am in San Francisco
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