Peer Review

Langue au chat

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Reviewed:: Aug 10, 2002 by World Languages

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: Langue au chat is a site in two parts that treats the proper use of the French
language. Section One provides clarification on tricky vocabulary, grammar and
pronunciation issues and pitfalls. Created by a professional translator and
editor, Daniel Roy, Langue au chat provides explanations for native speakers as
well as second language learners on such topics as the ever difficult agreement
of the past participle, difficult plural forms, the word "tout" in all of its
forms and when to use "on" versus "l'on". Out of bilingual Canada, Langue au
chat also provides French equivalents to Anglicisms that find their way into
newspapers, magazines and other publications. This peer review will concern
itself primarily with the resources in Section One.

Section Two, edited by Germain Savard, takes a more lighthearted approach to the
use of the French language. Here the user will find crossword puzzles, word
games and humorous examples of awkward or improper uses of the French language,
affectionately known as "perles".
Type of Material:: Reference
Recommended Uses:: Langue au chat is best used independently as a resource for writers, although it
could be profitably incorporated into a classroom setting.
Technical Requirements:: Optimal resolution suggested by authors: 1024 x 768
Identify Major Learning Goals:: Section One of Langue au chat serves as a reference tool for the proper use of
the French language.
Target Student Population:: Native and near-native speakers of French and advanced FL students.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: An intermediate to advanced proficiency in French

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:: Langue au chat provides answers to the tricky questions in phonetics, grammar
and vocabulary. Its major value is in its use as a resource for writing. It
promotes the importance of precision and accuracy, which can in turn help the
writer to develop a more polished and correct French writing style. Its section
on the correct prepositon to use with verbs is extensive and impressive. The
external links are well-chosen and useful.

The author, who is himself a professional translator, cites reputable references
in all of his explanations and provides a useful bibliography steering the
user to valuable reference tools.
Concerns:: Langue au chat appears to be a continuing work in progress as the number of
topics treated under various rubrics could be expanded. However, what is
currently online is thoroughly researched and extremely useful. One can only
hope that the number of these helpful units will increase.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:: Langue au chat is best used by writers who want to improve acuracy and perfect
their French writng style. The amount of pertinent information is very easy to
absorb and once the user visits langue au chat, he will surely return in search
of additional help.There is a user's forum that allows users to post their own
language questions which are answered with references cited.
Faculty can use the sections "Improprietes", "Regles" and "Divers" to put a
finer point on their classroom explanations.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:: The author makes a point of introducing the user to the straightforward
navigation scheme of Langue au chat in an informative introductory text.
Everything on the site is well-indicated and explained, including the loading
time for the search engine.

Sections One and Two are neatly and graphically separated, giving the impression
of two sites in one.

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