Students are bombarded with media and spend too many hours in front of computer and TV screens. Does this mean we shouldn’t show videos in class? Of course not.
There is an important place for watching videos in the French or Spanish language classroom. Second languages are best learned in situ but not every student can jet off to Paris to experience French immersion. Video is a convenient alternative. For years I have used educational videos to help students learn French because it exposes them to native speakers.
Téléfrancais is for children in elementary grades. Sol, a French Canadian comedian, stars in the Parlez-Moi series for older students. I’m on the lookout for more modern materials, but the content and the pedagogy is excellent. My students giggle at the passé fashions but still enjoy the characters and stories.
The beauty of these two series is that episodes are short and funny. They explain vocabulary using sight, sound and repetition, within a controlled vocabulary which accumulates chronologically. For each video I make up a brief worksheet and have students hunt for the answers as they watch. Classes ask me to repeat the video, sometimes twice, to help them find the answers. In language teaching, repetition is gold and any time the students are asking to watch a native speaker over and over, they are concentrating on immersion learning.
French teachers interested in using my Parlez-Moi worksheets should leave me a comment and I’ll email you my hand-written activities. Be patient. This will not be automatic. I am a full-time teacher and spend much of my free time writing novels and short stories. (If you are interested in those, you can get free stories here)
Adult learners and students looking for enrichment can benefit from videos too. Check your local library for movies and TV shows in your target language. Make sure there is an option to view with English subtitles for maximum comprehension. Series which deal with everyday life and express a lot of emotion are especially good for learning common vocabulary, cultural gestures and facial expressions. I learned a lot of Spanish watching telenovelas (soap operas) before visiting Peru and it made a measurable difference in my ability to understand native speakers. If you need to refresh your oral comprehension or you are learning a language for the first time, I recommend watching a serial whether or not you like soaps in your mother tongue.
For pleasure as well as utility I strongly recommend BBC’s interactive web mystery for Spanish learners, Ma Vida Loca. In it, you are a tourist caught in a web of intrigue that takes you all over Spain. I wish there were more free web resources of this quality. If you know any, please share with fellow teachers by leaving a comment.
Creative Teacher Librarian
— Teaching more fun!
Hello Maaja,
I love the series Parlez-moi but I am having a hard time finding a copy of it, I have season one but I was wondering if you could send me a copy of season two (or I can buy a copy of it from you). I have checked everywhere for the second season and it’s not online, public library, and I had even contacted TVO to see if they have a copy and they don’t.
If there is anyway you can share the second season with me that would be much appreciated.
Thank you,
Jen
As far as I know you can’t buy Parlez-Moi anywhere. What you can do is find it on YouTube. I did a search for “Parlez-Moi” and found lots of links right away. Here is episode 1 & 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qd28nQkMCwA&list=UUrxIsK1rxSWdkoVkcCfdH3Q With WiFi, a digital projector and a laptop, you would be able to show this like a movie. I just wish the quality were better.
Thank you for your response. I found season 1 episodes on Youtube but there is no season two videos on Youtube or anywhere else online. Is there anyway you can send me a copy of just season 2 videos? I think season 2 only has 30 episodes.
Thank you,
Jen
Sorry I can’t be of more use but I don’t have the technology to copy a copy of an old video tape. If I could, it would infringe copyright. Sorry I can’t be more helpful. I know my school board (TDSB) stopped carrying recordings of this series as of last year. Have you thought of checking out the BBC website for French learning materials? Also, try the links on my old French blog “FSL avec Madame W” http://fsl8.blogspot.ca/ There are lots of good links collected there.
Hi,
My name is Denise and I just came across your site while searching for resources for my French classroom in NY. I just learned about “Téléfrançais” and would love to use it in my French classroom. So far, I can only find the videos online but I have read that there were teacher guides to go along with them. Do you know of where I may be able to find them. You also mentioned in your entry that I can message you personally for handouts that you had made for the program, which would be very helpful and useful in our classroom. Where should I e-mail or or how can I contact your further regarding this?
Thank you,
Denise
Hi Denise,
Sorry I took so long to reply. I have never had handouts for Telefrancais myself. I just make them up one-by-one. I was going to fax them to you but I see you are long distance for me. Maybe I can scan them and send them to you that way? I would need an email address to do that. I think you can do that via this website so that it won’t appear in the comments. (You don’t want to broadcast your email address to the spammers). Once again, sorry it took me so long to see your message.
hello Maaja,
Is it possible to get the worksheets that you have made up for the telefrancais series? I love it and my kids like it too – I will make up sheets but if you already have some I’d like to see them.
Please send me them if you are willing
Ellen dot vesterdal at tdsb dot on dot ca
Hi Ellen,
Thanks for your interest. All the worksheets I have made are available with one click. Go back up and read the article. Click on the word in red. This will take you to a page which asks you for the email address to send them to. — Enjoy!
Hi!
Is it still possible to get the Parlez-moi worksheets?
thanks!
Chantelle
Sorry about the late reply. I figured out your email address and will send you the sheets from school this week. Just promise not to use it beyond your own classroom. I didn’t make the videos, just the worksheets that go with them. — Thanks for your patience.
Hi Maaja,
I wanted to use the videos with my daughter, who is learning French in school. Could I still receive the worksheets to ‘Parlez-moi’?
Thanks,
Dino
Sorry about the late reply. I’ll email it to you this week. Just promise not to use it beyond your own home. I didn’t make the videos, just the worksheets that go with them.
Oh my, this is exactly what I was looking for… ideas of what to do with Téléfrançais! I am also going to check out Parlez-moi! I would love copies of your activities. Merci!!!
Thanks for your interest Madamie. I will try to send you the files when I have access to them tomorrow. In the meantime, please note I have made sheets to got with Telefrancais only. They are my own work, building on the work of the videos. Please use them only for your own personal teaching and do not pass them on. If your colleagues want a copy, they can contact me here. Take care. — Maaja
Hi Maaja,
You are probably starting to get tired of people bothering you about the worksheets. I teach French in a school in Australia and my students have loved the couple of episodes we’ve watched.
Could I still receive the worksheets to ‘Parlez-moi’? Thanks so much for everything
Maria
Yes, this is the blog post I get the most replies to! Sorry, I just realized I have scanned Téléfrançais but not Parlez-Moi. I’ll check and get back to you at the email address you are using here….
Bonjour! I see it’s been a while since you’ve added posts to your site. I am wondering if I may have copies of your Parlez-Moi sheets? I have been teaching Core French in Ontario for 15 years now and have yet to come across worksheets for Parlez-Moi. They would only be for classroom use of course. Let me know if you’d be willing to share. Thanks so much.
I can send you what I have. It is just for you to use. While I’m at it, can I add you to my Loon Lake Reading Club? I’m publishing my first novel in the fall and I’d love to send you a free story…
Absolutely! I’d love to be a part of your Reading club. And yes, I will be the only one to use them. Thanks so much!
Just use the email attached to this reply. That’s my school board email address.
Thanks so much!
Hello, our French Instructor found your site. He used Téléfrançais last year with our intro kids and tried to make a transcript of all the dialogue that we will be more than willing to share with you (once we double check it for all the typos!). We found Parlez-moi to use this year.
Would you be willing to share your worksheets/materials for both? Our non-profit school accepts no more than 16 students per year, and most years has many fewer than that. This year we have six students. Our budget is extremely limited so shared resources are the way we try to go most often.
Best,
Amanda
Sure, no problem. Just keep in mind these are my imperfect, teacher-made materials. They aren’t supposed to be for commercial use (or for a school’s use) so you can give them to your French teacher for his personal use with his class. I don’t think it’s fair for you to keep a copy for the school, no matter the size. I’ll send the email for you to forward on to that teacher from work.
I would love to see what you created for both telefrancais and Sol.
Sure. Are you a teacher? Where do you work?
Bonjour, Maaja.
I just came across your website and me to, I would be very grateful if I could get a copy of worksheets for Parlez-Moi. I am teaching Core French in BC and I would use the handouts only in my French 8 and 9 classes.
Thank you so much,
Jelica
Hi Jelica. So sorry I took so long to get back to you. I will email the files from work. Happy teaching!
Hi Maaja, I would love to receive copies of the materials you have created that support both Téléfrançais and Parlez moi. Thanks so much for sharing them. 🙂
I emailed you copies of my Parlez-Moi sheets. I hope they are useful to you. Also, you will find a link in my email to get a couple of free short stories. These days my focus is more on writing fiction than writing about teaching.
I love the videos with SOL and was thinking about making worksheets for my class, but if you’re still sharing yours….would love!
Merci!
Dear Margaret,
Anything to make another French teacher’s life less hectic. I will sent the files to you via email. These days I’m more into writing fiction than creating French materials but SOL is too good not to use, non?
Maaja
Hello Maaja,
I’m a middle school core French teacher and I just came across your site. I would be incredibly grateful if you would still consider sharing the materials you made for SOL and Telefrancais. Thank-you so,so much for helping all of us out.
Maria
Sure thing, Maria. I’ll send you materials for your own personal use via email. Happy teaching!
Salut! I just came across your website and would also love a copy of the Parlez-Moi worksheets for my grade 7 and 8 classes. You are a gem for sharing so freely.
Merci 🙂
Hi Mary,
Thanks for taking an interest. I will email you the files but ask that you don’t share them with anyone. These are my own, working teacher’s files they are “as is.” I will send them along and hope you find them useful. Happy teaching and bonne journee!
Good morning! Do you have worksheets for Parlez moi? If so, would you share, I would really appreciate it!
Hi Tina,
I will send you the worksheets on the condition that you don’t share them in any way. These are my own, working teacher’s files they are “as is.” I will send them along and hope you find them useful. Happy teaching and bonne journee!
Hi Maaja ,
I ‘d like to know if you could send the woksheets of Parlez-moi and
Telefrancais ? I would really appreciate it .
Sure, I’ll send you an email with them. BTW, if you know any reader friends, please send them a link to my website so they can get free ebooks. I’m publishing my first novel (a supernatural thriller) in the New Year. The more readers I can interest, the better. — Thanks!
thanks , for the files .
i would like to know if you have any other file about Parlez-Moi that you did’n sent to me in your email yesterday. it’s a really good content (the files ).
Glad you liked them. Nope, that’s all I have.
Another great resource I’ve been using lately is duolingo.com. It’s computer-led skills improvement. Students enjoy earning jewels and working their way up to more advanced levels. Ideal for enrichment at home, or if you have access to a computer lab for French.
https://www.duolingo.com/
Take care,
Maaja
Maaja,
I was looking at using Parlez-Moi and Telefrancais in my classroom and I was wondering if you could send me the worksheets? I would greatly appreciate it!
I promise not to share 🙂
Sure, no problem.
I’ve received so many requests for this resource, I’ve decided to make things easier. Click on the link and follow the instructions. You should get your Parlez-Moi sheets almost instantly instead of waiting for me to go home and send a personal email. Let me know what you think.
Click here to get your worksheets.
Tried signing up and have not received any confirmation emails, are you able to email me directly?
Did you check in your spam folder?
I was a core French teacher at the wrdsb in Ontario. My new principal would not “allow” me to show Telefrancais, even though my kids loved it. What a horror of a principal. I agree totally with your logic about showing videos in French class. As long as they’re carefully chosen, it is not the easy way out.
If your principal is tech savvy, I have to recommend Duolingo.com. My students have really benefited from working at their own pace, not every day, but as a treat. We have also enjoyed learning French songs at Gregg LeRock’s website. It doesn’t have to be video and I will say that despite their brilliance, the Parlez-Moi series does look and feel dated. Courage mon ami! There’s more than one way to skin a chat! LOL
She would not let me use Duolingo. And I had 30 minute periods, so getting out the Chromebooks and logging in was a logistical nightmare.
She was a horror, plain and simple.
Hello! I signed up to get the Parlez-moi worksheets, but I have not received them. They are not in my spam folder either. Could you possibly email them to me directly? Thank you so much for posting and sharing. It is a great programme. As is Telefrancais. It is a shame they do not make programming like this for kids anymore.
Katie
Hello!
I have not received the worksheets after signing up. They are not in my spam folder either. Can you please email them to me directly? Looking forward to it! I just discovered the Sol programme and it looks great.
Thank you!
Sorry I didn’t see your comment sooner. Try going directly here and ticking the check box. So far I haven’t sent a single email to people on the list so you don’t need to worry about spam.