Au courant: Teaching French Vocabulary and Culture Using the Mass Media

Abstract

This volume outlines potential uses of many of the topics associated with daily newspapers, music, film, theater, and sports for vocabulary development and grammar review in French language instruction. The emphasis is on the advantage of using authentic, current materials prepared for the general public but somewhat familiar to students. The charters focus on: reviewing grammar with headlines and comic strips, film reviews and scenarios, teaching about music through reviews, advertisements and product copy, housing and real estate, the financial pages, the Thomas Cook International Timetable, the Syndicat d'Initiative (Chamber of Commerce), the telephone directory, mail order catalogs, crime stories, commercial television, the Tour de F-ance bicycle race, and North American football. Most chapters introduce basic vocabulary for understanding current articles and provide a series of general questions applicable to articles on the topic and designed for student response using appropriate vocabulary. A final chapter gives instructions for students on preparing an article summary and medium-specific exercises, as well as activities intended for further vocabulary development. A lint of references and suggested additional 1)adings is appended. (MSE) AU COURANT: TEACHING FRENCH VOCABULARY and CULTURE USING the MASS MEDIA a I a de se de U.& DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION EOUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) iii.. This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization onginating It Ii Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of vow or opinions stated in this docu mint do not necessarily represent official NIE position or policy PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEN GRANTED BY ,,i_641,,_,,,k,,, TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) AU COURANT: TEACHING FRENCH VOCABULAR i and CULTURE USING the MASS MEDIA by Jean-Pierre Berwald 41611 A publication of Center for Applied Linguistics e Prepared by ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics