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| Reviewed: |
Nov 25, 2008 by World Languages Editorial Board |
| Overview: |
Lexique FLE is primarily a French vocabulary site for beginning learners.
Learners can click on images and hear the item pronounced. Once having listened
to the names of each item, learners can practice by taking a quiz on the
vocabulary items. For correct and incorrect answers they receive immediate
feedback and, in the case of incorrect answers, are permitted to keep trying
until correct.
Vocabulary includes parts of the body, the family, the alphabet, telling time,
and animals. For a slightly higher proficiency level there is also a writing
tool which helps with the typing of French accent marks as well as a module on
"Les Trois Petits Cochons" which deals with the passe compose and imparfait.
Additionally, users are invited to subscribe to a list for e-mail updates on
other FLE modules by the author, Thierry Perrot.
A description of this excellent site is narrated by the author Thierry Perrot on Teacher Tube:
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8c3fcbea5809d74aae95 |
| Learning Goals: |
The major learning goal of the vocabulary modules is to help learners with
the comprehension and pronunciation of French vocabulary. Users can also learn
to count and type French accents at this site. Learners of French can also
review past tenses with the "Trois petits cochons" module.
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| Target Student Population: |
Novice and beginning students of French can use the vocabulary modules. A
somewhat higher proficiency level is needed for the passe compose/imparfait
module.
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| Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills: |
No prior knowledge is needed for the basic vocabulary modules.
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| Type of Material: |
Drill and practice
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| Recommended Uses: |
This module may be used in the classroom and/or for independent study.
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| Technical Requirements: |
Flash (Download information on the site)
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| Strengths: |
With vivid colors and clearly articulated sound, Lexique FLE is extremely
straightforward and well-designed. The module "Le corps", for example, is
divided into sub-pages (Le corps/Le visage/la jambe/la main) leaving a
manageable amount of vocabulary on uncluttered screens. The accompanying
exercises provide immediate feedback with scoring on the bottom of each screen.
All of the vocabulary modules follow this clear and consistent format, making
this site useful to novice and beginning students of French. Under "L'Alphabet"
there is also a practical section on "Les Accents et la Cedille" that reviews
both how accents are used and the effect that they have on pronunciation and
spelling. The exercise for this segment is a word dictation that will build
confidence in beginning students who are getting used to French phonetics and
spelling. There is yet another part of Lexique that features an application
that allows the user to type French accents into a text box and later copy and
paste a whole written text into another application (e.g. a word processing
program, a discussion board, or e-mail message). This is a feature that will
appeal to users who do not have the codes for French accents at their disposal.
"Les Trois Petits Cochons" is the most complex of the modules on Lexique FLE. It
follows the same straightforward design principles while engaging learners who
are more advanced.
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| Concerns: |
With the tool in "Les Accents", it is important for users to realize that
they cannot go back and add missing accents once they have gone past a word in
the text. This is explained in the "Mode d'emploi" and probably should be
repeated on the actual screen where writing is done.
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Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool |
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| Strengths: |
All the vocabulary modules can be used in the classroom on a large screen for
introducing vocabulary and for group drill and practice. The modules can also be
assigned for independent work outside the classroom. The exclusive use of the
target language is a feature that will appeal to those who prefer to avoid
translation in the teaching of vocabulary.
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Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty |
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| Strengths: |
The modules can be used on or off-line. Clear downloading instructions appear on
the homepage for both PCs and Macs. The author grants permission for
educational, non-commercial use of the downloaded applications. The navigation
is clear on all screens. When additional information is necessary to use a
module a "Mode d'emploi" page is provided. External links on this site include
other French instructional sites by Thierry Perrot, including the well-known
Polar FLE, also reviewed by MERLOT.
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