Look at this French language site on the BBC languages site.
Review the site for its user friendliness, input, interactivity (human and computer), feedback, availability of resources, content etc. How does it compare to a paper textbook?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
I really enjoyed this interactive site...when I finish with this blog, I'm actually going to mess around with some other languages.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I really appreciated the fact that the videos had an authentic feeling. I have seen some interactive language software with horribly scripted video clips.
I also found the repetition of material comforting. In the activities/games, I saw the same material covered in the vocab section as well as the grammar section.
As you roll over the French text, you can hear a native speaker pronounce the word(s)/phrases making it easier to accurately reproduce the phrase.
I would like to see some voice recording interactive sections that rate pronunciation.
Overall, I really enjoyed this software.
Great site. It had a lot to offer but I didn't feel overwhelmed or that it was too busy. It was really easy to navigate, a plus - learning a language can be frustrating enough as is. Reiterating one of Marc's comments, the authentic feel of the videos added a lot to the site. It had a very current feel, something that is normally missing from language learning videos - an advantage of being on the internet, evidemment. Also, I liked how you got to listen to all types of people from all over the country. Going into this I knew very litte French, still do, but it seemed accessible enough where I'll probably go back.
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed...The site offers an overview of practical uses of the French language without being repetitive and dull. The camera work and the vivacity of the speakers drew in my attention and kept it even though I did not understand most of what was being said. I also really appreciated the fact that the videos are not painfully contrived and extremely cheesy as some language videos of this nature tend to be. I also liked the user-friendly interface, availability of the transcripts, and the option to turn both the French and English subtitles off and on.
ReplyDeleteReally nice site! It is very practical and entertaining. You can even learn Portuguese!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this site, too. I went through the lesson for "dating" on the Ma France and was impressed at how everything is so easy to navigate through. What I thought was extremely useful were the repetitions of the vocab and grammatical aspects, and how the all the activities were connected. The audio (how the words are actually said) are very valuable, even more because sites like these are free and easily accessible.
ReplyDeleteAfter playing around with the "dating" unit, I got more ideas: this site can aid in providing valuable input, and then students can go through a task and we can actually have a turbo-dating activity in order to have genuine communication in the classroom. I think tools like these make language learning more relevant and motivating.
I'm so glad to have been shown this. As a learner myself, using a textbook to teach myself Spanish, I found this to be a refreshing change from the sometimes bleak practice drills and content. I really appreciated the variety of topics that you can watch videos on--some of which were more practical (getting directions), some more interesting (learning wine terminology), and some both (eating out--how to order and different types of meal options). I also thought that the activities were fun, and that the site was careful not to make the grammar or vocabulary sections too overwhelming. Very well done. Easy to use, not too busy, and definitely something you could use even if you had limited time to do so. I will definitely be returning.
ReplyDeleteSince my discipline is in French, I viewed the Italian language site. What immediately struck me was the user-friendliness of the site, and the many options provided for second language learners. For example, language learners could take a course online, or find local Italian courses (at least if one is living in Britain!). Students could also test themselves to gauge their proficiency in Italian. A translation dictionary is provided on the site (from L1 to L2, and L2 to L1), as well as tips for beginners. The units have an audio component, which helps students to comprehend the language through pronunciation, learn vocabulary, and to create meaning through the context. A few exercises are provided to reinforce taught concepts. Lastly, helpful materials were also provided to tutors, or anyone teaching Italian.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this site! They did a phenomenal job in creating a useful site for practicing / maintaining a language and it really got me excited to learn the language… if only I wasn’t in grad school & lacked any freetime! : )
ReplyDeleteKey features that impressed me:
- The UI was clean, easy to use, easy to navigate through.
- Plenty of hotspots to jump around with and follow one’s one personal interest / agenda.
- Provided the necessary help screens
- The videos were brilliant and well done. The instructor gave it a personal touch. Instead of being generic & impersonal, the instructor was physically there, talking to me & guiding me through the content. I began to trust him as a tour guide. Within the videos, loved the optional French/English subtitles, the fact that each had supporting vocab, grammar & activities to complement it all, with quizzes, background info, transcripts, pheww… lots to do. Cool!!!
- The podcasts were excellent. Visually focusing on words, ideas & highlighting what they covered. Brilliant.
- Syllabuses & tutor material provided so users know exactly what they’re dealing with and plenty of exercises / practice.
Recommendations:
It’s so hard to think of any. The authors really thought this through!!! The only thing I felt it lacked was in the area of user contributions. All site material was brilliantly & professionally done, but it would’ve been nice to see an informal playground for the users. (especially helpful if the user was an individual & had no one to do any practical application with) Users could upload their own videos for fun, could have a chat room to practice French with other users, could submit stories to practice writing in French.. There could be contests (for fun) where users could vote / rank videos/stories (from the community) that they like the best. Not to mention adding in a viral component to all of this – sharing with friends.
Also, it would’ve been nice to have a comment/suggestion area where users could submit ideas for lessons & site feedback.
In addition to this, I would’ve liked to see more “reaching out” to the users. Podcasts should be delivered through RSS feeds, emails or again content feeds could go out announcing new lessons & giving users a “tease” to see what / when new lessons are introduced OR what's just been added to the site.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAt first I felt completely overwhelmed by the layout of the site. I tend to prefer websites that are clean and simplistic. I felt that the site was too cluttered and felt a bit lost about where to start. Once I got past the aesthetics and reviewed the content, I was really impressed.
ReplyDeleteThe videos were really well done. They were not the typical foreign language learner videos I have seen in the past. The quality of both video and sound were crisp and at a pace that I could follow.
I explored the "Talk French" activities. It involved watching a short video on various subjects such as greetings, shopping, family, and so on. The videos were then reinforced by activities. I actually learned something! I will definitely use this in the future.
The user interface is simple. Even the less computer savvy should have no problem operating the controls. The practical real-life subjects like "Chemists" and "Eating Out" draw me in. The learning map is nicely done -- not drawn as a straight horizontal line which might make the course look tedious or a vertical line which might make it look arduous. The meandering line makes the course seem like an adventure and the contours of the line reflect the nature of language learning.
ReplyDeleteThe host's introduction is reassuring and reinforces learner paced work and other elements that make this kind of program valuable. With the ability to add or subtract French and/or English subtitles, you can configure the videos in a way that suits your ability level and remove supports as you advance.
I did one of the activities for the Walks unit that was like a game of bocce where correctly identified vocabulary words were rewarding with a gratifying sound effect.
I have to say I am quite pleased with the site and will probably visit it in the future and repost on this blog.
I thought that this site was well put together. The topics are interesting and practical without being too simplistic, and the interface is definitely user friendly.
ReplyDeleteIt took a little time for me to get into the program, however. I was a little thrown initially by the first video, which splices together clips from videos in subsequent lessons so that the viewer can get a preview of what is to come and gauge whether this program might be useful. While the exercise in itself is useful, I found the video a little difficult to follow, and the subsequent exercise almost impossible, even with the little French knowledge that I thought I possessed. Chunking words and phrases together is good, but these chunks were difficult to process.
Also, I liked the speaking role-play practice but thought it would be more effective with some form of feedback. Language learners often look for cues from their conversation partners in order to determine whether they responded appropriately and were understood.
That said, I find the Ma France program, and others that I have viewed from the BBC Languages website, refreshing - certainly a superior alternative to a dry textbook.
Finally, I have had some more time to take a closer look at Ma France. It is a fantastic language learning (or re-learning) opportunity, which is not only based on dry vocabulary and/or grammar, but also includes relevant, and intresting cultural and personal information relating to native French speakers and the country. What I like most is that the creators of Ma France tried to address all learning styles, including acustic, visual and kinesthetic learners.
ReplyDeleteMore, by depicting various people from different regions of France, the various accents are represented. Depending on the accent that ma learner is more familiar with, it might someimes be more, and sometimes less difficult to follow the conversation.
Overall, I think it is an outstanding opportunity to learn (or improve) one's French skills, and I hope that there are similar programs, which are available for German language learners.
But for now, I am happy with the French version, because at least, I can repeat what I have almost forgotten.
........never mind.....
ReplyDeletethis is even better than I expected...
instead of focusing on my French skills, and playing around with only Ma France, I also found the German language learning site. But as I see, all of you have already discovered those additional languages ;0P....
This is great!!
I certainly will try the 12week program with my German learning boyfriend to see, whether it is truly as effective and interesting as I beliebe it to be.
Overall, I liked Ma France a lot because everything is done step by step and the author is helping you to get comfortable since the beginning. Especially, I believe that the screens that take us to Video, Progress, Help, etc are very helpful for any user. I usually believe that in order to learn a language one has to immerge in it and avoid translations as much as possible. But when a person is learning a language by himself, subtitles can be powerful. The topics that the authors cover are pretty authentic and I’m even planning to use some of them when creating my lessons. I notice, through personal experience, that the more you like the topics, the more interested you get into the target language.
ReplyDeleteIn other occasions I have heard that when people are learning a language through school, they seldom acquire authentic phrases for the everyday life in a specific country, so in this case I find a positive and negative aspect for teaching so many chunk phrases in this web site. I believe they are authentic, but they can be confusing if the person has a different kind of knowledge from the class. Moreover, it can become frustrating when they believe that they have enough knowledge of a language and then discover that there are actually better ways to transmit an idea.
I believe that to solve this problem, there should be extra instruction on the language (more specific). For example, when using connotations, explain how they are used, in what cases, and in what cases they are not, etc. Like some of you mentioned already, this would be a perfect opportunity for the students to receive feedback. Moreover, I noticed the presence of a dictionary, but I would suggest including a corpus. By now, I believe they are very helpful.
One think that I’ll have to agree with Zetta is the suggestion of a playground and chatrooms for learners. The web site lacks of CMC applications and after going through this course I believe these types of communications are essential when learning a language.
Overall, I really liked this site. It seems to have everything (videos, explicit goals, supplements, glossaries, grammar support, lexical support...), and it is mostly easy to navigate. I did at first get confused with the "units" vs. the "mini-lessons" and was a bit unsure as to where to begin. Aside from that, I greatly enjoyed it. I have always steered away from French, but watching the videos on this site had me interested for quite a bit of time. I feel that I could learn French at least well enough to survive on a trip to France. This is a great site for a student who is motivated to learn a language on his/her own. I think it is also a great resource to continue practicing a language when outside of the classroom setting for long periods of time, such as over summer break.
ReplyDelete