Contains five articles concerning: (1) exploitation of commercials to enhance comprehension and oral/written expression; (2) a game involving matching picture and text in advertisements; (3) a vocabulary-development game used in teacher training; (4) comprehension and analysis of literary texts in intermediate classes; and (5) techniques for…

Describes an approach to the utilization of news items and ads from a local newspaper in the culture and civilization classes of a French language program for foreign students. Suggests criteria for the selection of materials by students and provides examples of "grids" that facilitate the content analysis of texts. (MES)

After finding that French language learning was declining in Rio de Janeiro schools because of inadequate resources, oversized classes, and irrelevant curricula, several teachers turned to a magazine for adolescents for motivating students to read. Extracts from an article and a series of exercises developing varied competencies illustrate the…

It is proposed that the multiple-choice test can be useful in helping language students understand the meaning of text better without overwhelming them. Techniques for drafting effective questions are discussed, and a sample list of questions is presented. (MSE)

It is proposed that video materials for French language instruction help illustrate two closely related aspects of the foreign language, linguistic and cultural. Guidelines for video materials selection are offered, common pitfalls are noted, and principles used by a French applied linguistics group to develop a series of materials are outlined.…

Four ideas for use in the French language classroom are presented, including a card game about regional France; activities using tape recorders and music to improve oral reading; a true-false quiz about food to develop vocabulary and comprehension; and an exercise in deciphering French using a bad copy of a document. (MSE)

This article consists of suggestions for activities for French instruction, and specifically discusses the use of philately as teaching material, songs, the development of communicative competence, and understanding French cultural identity. (Text is in French.) (CLK)

An overview of the topics in this issue. The place of authentic documents; their use in promoting communicative competence; new uses of visuals, such as cartoons; visuals for evaluation purposes; their cultural value; and the development of video-cassettes are discussed. (Text is in French.) (AMH)

A language teacher urges the use of authentic listening materials that do not conform to the strictest standards of spoken usage, as a way of getting to know the language's norms and variations. (MSE)

The adoption of the method used in "La France en Direct," of introducing authentic (i.e., not fabricated) cultural materials, in French language instruction in a Chinese university is discussed. It is suggested that foreign language instruction, when it brings cultural realities into contact, is in essence a study of human behavior and…

Describes the use of professional technical journals in a seminar program taught in French at a technical school in Bucharest.

Provides guidelines for the selection of audio materials for developing listening comprehension in beginning French. (AM)

A method for making an intermediate language course at the postsecondary level responsive to the different professional needs of students is discussed. The first segment of the course focuses on the use of the language for communication, and the second teaches, through easily obtained instructional materials, the construction of specialized…

Presents various activities designed to foster the learning of a language. These include the use of everyday "street words" taught to advanced level students, the use of political speeches of French presidential candidates in order to familiarize advanced adolescents with political discourse, and the playing of cassette tapes and videos…

Having children make useful, decorative, and stimulating articles in the second-language classroom is seen as a means of encouraging student participation and active learning. Specific classroom procedures for using this technique to enhance second-language acquisition are suggested. (MSE)