Websites for the French classroom.
Compiled by Delia Stark, Queen Anne School
updated 12 01 2005
This list has been compiled for my personal use and you are welcome to make use of it as you will. If you find some useful websites in your wanderings on the web, please email me and I’ll add them to the list.
General resources
From Manchester University : http://www.realfrench.net/. An extensive site; will need lots of time to explore this one.
Le français en affaires au Québec et en Amérique du Nord: http://francais-affaires.com/ From Québec with information about letter writing, resumés, and other business conventions. Click on “usages/practiques” to get to this section of the site.
Biodome of Montreal website: http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/biodome/bdm.htm - explore vocabulary of flora and fauna as you study different regions, including the artic, the tropics, etc. Lots of clips, games, activities - a rich resource.
Languageguide: http://www.languageguide.org/francais/ I primarily have used this for the pictorial vocabulary – covers MANY topics of topics from level one vocabulary through more specialized terms. To use, mouse over the picture and you will hear and see it . The vocabulary ranges from the basic to advanced. The web site also has a section for grammar review on a variety of topics with accompanying exercises. Also includes Readings – actually these are voice recordings with text provided; mouse over words to see meaning. from beginning to advanced, level of difficulty is indicated. The “difficult” readings in the beginning level would be good from levels III and up.
Lexifle : http://lexiquefle.free.fr/index.htm Developed by two FLE teachers in Nice; nice vocabulary resource for beginning/intermediate students. Pictures, mouse over word to get sound. Also includes some quizzes. Similar to the Languageguide site listed above but not as extensive – but a little more humorous. Be sure to instruct students to click on “en ligne” rather than “telecharger”. Has a good exercises on dealing with prepositions and identification of countries. Available on this site -. Based on three little pigs; animated. Student can listen, read, then do exercises.
Online dictionary : http://www.wordreference.com/ - a free, on-line dictionary. Easy to use.
Le dictionnaire multifonctions: un dictionnaire français and a French-English dictionary from TV5's website: http://dictionnaire.tv5.org/ - Easy to use; can mouse over any word in the definition and find its meaning. Also provides synonyms and conjugations.
Tex 's French Grammar :http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tex/index.html. A very well organized and thorough treatment of many aspects of grammar; includes amusing dialogues with a cartoon armadillo and his friends. The online exercises are challenging and present a thorough review of the topic covered. Includes audio files as well. I have used this successfully with level IV and AP classes.
Lexifle :http://lexiquefle.free.fr/cochon.swf provides a way to explore past tenses beginning with PC then bridging to pc/imparfait together.
Centre Collégial de développement de matériel didactique: amélioration du français . http://www.ccdmd.qc.ca/. Excellent for exercises, photo bank, teaching materials. Very useful for advanced /AP courses. I used it when teaching a native speaker who needed more advanced exercises than those provided in textbooks.
On-Line Verb Conjugator – www.verbx.com . “This site contains verb conjugations for hundreds of languages, ranging from national and international languages to regional and even extinct languages.”
La chanson en cours du FLE : http://www.lepointdufle.net/chansons.htm . A site with links to songs and videos – EXCELLENT! Use as basis for language lab exercises on pronunciation, situations, music, history, etc. Has some great interactive exercises.
LangMedia: French in France. http://langmedia.fivecolleges.edu/collection/lm_france/fr_index.html From the Five College Center for the Study of World Languages. Videos of native speakers organized by the following categories: basic communications, culture and social life, necessities, shopping and services, transportation. Transcripts provided in English and French. Topics are very relevant – internet cafés, using public transportation etc .
LangMedia Language by Country Websites: http://langmedia.fivecolleges.edu/lm_collection.html. Video clips of native French speakers in Canada, Martinique, Morocco, Senegal, and Luxembourg organized into the same categories. Transcripts available for some, but not all. Excellent at explaining and allowing student to see cultural differences within the francophone world.
The French Experience: http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/experience/ From the BBC; audio and video files on a variety of topics
Comme au cinéma : http://www.commeaucinema.com/index.php . Toute l'actualité cinéma sur internet. Find out what films are currently playing in France. Choose "Bandes-Annonces" to see a list of movie trailers en français.
TV5 for teachers: http://www.tv5.org/TV5Site/enseignants/apprendre_francais.php. If the link does not work correctly, go to http://www. tv5.org and click on “enseignants.” The site contains a wealth of useful tools:
France 2: http://www.france2.fr/ Go to band at top of page to choose from 3 channels, France2, France3, France5 Articles and some video clips available on this; level of difficulty advanced. Go to http://jt.france2.fr/8h/ to view Le Journal online.
ComFm : http://www.comfm.com/live/radio/?c=fr - use this link to get to radio stations in French; for viewing clips from TV stations, use this: http://www.comfm.com/live/tv/?c=fr
Clips Metiers : http://www.onisep.fr/national/PAGE_VIDEO/index.htm. A collection of clips in which young professionals discuss their work – with transcriptions. Use with Dico des métiers : http://education.france5.fr/dicodesmetiers/
Radio Canada: http://www.radio-canada.ca/
Civilisation Française. http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/civ/ Maintained by Marie Ponterio. Extensive collection of videos with activities to complete. .http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/ is the main website for SUNY Courtland’s language department and it contains many resources and links.
Fairy tales in French : http://www.realprincess.com/fr/main Fairy tales on line with cute animations and a voice-over. Canadian.
Animal sounds in French. http://www.georgetown.edu/faculty/ballc/animals/french.html -“Sounds of the World’s Animals” from Georgetown University. for animal sounds in French. Includes picture of animal, and spells out transcription in French.
Marie-Lise et sa famille. http://www.btinternet.com/~s.glover/S.Glover/languagesite/marylise.htm. 15 listening exercises of varying levels of difficulty.
Chloé : http://www.ur.se/ur/sok/frameset_popup.html?/chloe/index.html A series of episodes for listening – about the life of young Parisienne. With activities and vocabulary. Level – III or above.
Polarflé : www.polarfle.com. Solve a mystery (roman policier) as you read and listen to the story. Exercises and activities on three different levels, from novice to advanced.
The following are sites that provide lots of links to other websites :
CCSF Language Center French Links -- http://www.ccsf.edu/Departments/Language_Lab/frlinks.htm. From the City College of San Francisco. This site is regularly updated – sites are current. Begins with “reference tools” dictionaries, etc.
Tennessee Bob’s Famous French Links :http://www.utm.edu/departments/french/french.html. A very comprehensive and topically organized list of links.
Green eclipse crossword. http://www.greeneclipsesoftware.com/ecw/index.html. Use for creating crossword puzzles that students can printout or complete online.
New York State Regents’ Exams for French:
http://www.nysedregents.org/testing/lotegre/regentfren.html.
“Histoire de l’immigration en France de 1820 à nos jours.” http://www.histoire-immigration.fr/ This film (approximately 40 minutes; divided into segments by time period) is available for viewing online from the website for the new Cité National de l’histoire de l’immigration.
http://www2.wheatonma.edu/Academic/AcademicDept/French/ViveVoix/Home.html -- recordings of famous poems.
www.paroles.net - words of songs
http://www.utas.edu.au/french/language/ventenpoupe
http://www.canalplus.fr/pid20.htm Les Guignols
http://www.biographie.net/ - to find biographies on famous French-speaking people
http://www.uqtr.ca/%7Ebougaief/Expression/index_en.html Illustrations of 10 idioms in French
Word problems in French. also contains links to other disciplines. http://www.momes.net/education/problemes/textes/problemes2.html
New additions 1 2010:
http://www.francais-extra.co.uk/ - primary through advanced
http://web.mac.com/sanferminuk/Advanced_Level_Listening/French_/French_.html - podcasts; also spanish
http://www.didierbravo.com/modulesflash/module7/voyante.swf - for future tense
http://www.lafrancebis.com/ - le francais bis
http://www.didierbravo.com/html/jeux/index.htm
for beginning