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| Q: When do I use Ça commence! |
| A: Ça commence! is designed to be flexible! You may use it as an introductory unit at the beginning of a term or you may use any of the fifteen self-contained lessons as a thematic point de départ before beginning a new unit of your core resource. In addition, Ça commence! can be used for whole class activities as well as with small groups of students. Accommodation and Enrichment suggestions allow you to adapt Ça commence! for students of varying levels of ability and learning styles. |
| Q: Can students use the Tableau visuel? |
| A: Another exciting feature of Ça commence! is how student-friendly it is. Since the guiding questions and possible answers for each Affiche in the Tableau visuel are on the reverse side, students can facilitate small group activities. By writing on the laminated affiches with a dry-erase marker, all students can actively participate in question/answer activities, games, etc. |
| Q: Do I have to teach all of the lessons? |
| A: Each of the five themes of Ça commence! is comprised of three lessons for a total of fifteen lessons. Each lesson is independent and self-contained. This allows you the flexibility to choose a lesson geared to specific vocabulary and grammar that would best build on the prior knowledge of your students or that which would springboard them into a new unit. The related Je parle français! activities can be introduced at the end of any of the lessons. |
| Q: What are the Je parle français! activities? |
| A: At the end of each theme, students are invited to further consolidate the vocabulary and language in either of two short conversations with a partner. In addition to the two available oral interaction options presented on the fiches reproductibles in the TG, they are modeled on the audio CD. Click here for an example. After listening to the modeled conversations as well as practicing with a partner, students may present one of the conversation options with a randomly selected partner. Assessment guidelines in the TG on pages 211 and 212 include teacher assessment and self-assessment of the Je parle français! activities. |
| Q: What kinds of assessment are available? |
| A: Ça commence! is designed to provide you with diagnostic and formative assessment. As a diagnostic tool, it allows you to determine the prior knowledge and skill level of your students. Diagnostic assessment opportunities are clearly indicated in the margins of the teaching notes. Formative assessment is used during the unit to stimulate and guide student learning as well as inform teacher instruction. Formative assessment activities that lead to Je parle français! are indicated throughout the guide and are supported by the Grille d’appréciation on page 211 of the TG or on the TG CD-ROM. Student self-assessment is also a feature of Ça commence! They are encouraged to reflect on their acquisition of knowledge and skills in order to take responsibility for their own learning. Self-assessment is comprised of reflections, Grille d’auto-évaluation (TG, p. 212) and maintenance of a portfolio. Like teacher assessment opportunities, all self-assessment opportunities are clearly indicated in the teaching notes. To download a sample of an assessment fiche click here to read more about the Teacher’s Guide. |
| Q: Tell me about the CD-ROMs. |
| A: The two CD-ROMs available with Ça commence! allow you to customize student support material to meet the individual needs of your students. By using the CD-ROMs, you can accommodate or enrich presentations, change instruction lines, create quizzes, alter assessment, create new material based on a given template, change the grouping and/or strategy focus of an activity, etc. The possibilities are endless! Every Teacher’s Guide comes with a CD-ROM that contains electronic versions (in Microsoft Word®) of not only the fiches found at the back of the TG but also includes Guide de la communication, Stratégies pour m’aider, Langue express, tapescripts, games and much, much more! If you are using Package B, you have opted for the BLM version of the student workbook, Mon carnet. This means that every activity is contained on a CD-ROM and can be customized for your students’ needs. For more on purchasing options, click here. |