ALEX Classroom Resource

  

Les Conversations: Describing

  Classroom Resource Information  

Title:

 Les Conversations: Describing

URL:

 https://cmaj.coerll.utexas.edu/cmaj2/function/describing/

Content Source:

 Other
Coerll University of Texas at Austin
Type: Audio/Video

Overview:

This resource provides 21 separate video clips of French speakers, each of which illustrates how to use descriptions in conversation. Students use interpretive listening skills to identify main ideas and examine how descriptions enhance conversation through these authentic resources. The videos were prepared for intermediate and advanced level learners but could be used with novice learners as a way to introduce them to authentic language. Each video clip provides a French-language transcript and links to grammar reviews and activities for the concepts that are heard in the clip. The concepts covered include an introduction to adjectives; introduction to negations, gender, introduction to nouns, irregular adjectives, number - singular and plural, participles as adjectives, present tense, and relative pronouns.

Content Standard(s):
World Languages
WLAN (2017)
Grade: 7-12
Level II
2) Interpret what is heard, read, or viewed on familiar topics using the past tense.

a. Restate information from audio and visual documents in the target language.

b. Locate key information from announcements and messages connected to daily activities in the target culture.

c. Relate the main themes and significant details on topics from other subjects and products of the cultures.

Unpacked Content
Goals:
Communication
Modes Of Communication:
Interpretive Mode
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Novice High Level
Students:
  • sometimes understand written and oral simple questions or statements on familiar topics.
  • understand simple written and oral information when presented with pictures and graphs.
  • sometimes understand the main topic of conversations that they overhear.
  • sometimes understand the main idea of published materials.
  • understand simple everyday notices in public places on topics that are familiar to them.

Intermediate Low Level
Students:
    • understand the basic purpose of an oral or written message.
    • understand messages related to his/her basic needs.
    • understand questions and simple statements on everyday topics when he/she is a part of the conversation.
    • identify some information from news media.
Performance Descriptors:
Knowledge:
Students know: how to:
  • interpret audio and visual documents in the target language
  • identify key information and details from the target language materials
  • explain how the target language is connected to other content areas through geography, history, etc.
  • recognize basic products of the target language culture.
Skills:
Novice High Level
Students are able to:
  • identify the key idea presented by a speaker or published work on a familiar topic.
  • differentiate between questions and statements.
  • gather basic information from graphs, charts and pictures.
  • rely on background knowledge to aid in comprehension of difficult or new words.
  • recognize characters and punctuation marks that are unique to the target language.
Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • identify patterns in the contruction of past tense verbs and how this impacts meaning of texts.
  • how to recognize and use descriptors in basic conversations
  • restate key information.
  • use cognates to assist in comprehension of target language materials.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
Novice High Level
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
Students understand that:
Intermediate Low Level
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
World Languages
WLAN (2017)
Grade: 7-12
Level II
4) Identify perspectives through practices of the target cultures.

a. Use appropriate gestures in common interactions.

b. Describe behaviors in a variety of environments.

c. Describe perspectives related to celebration of traditional religious and national holidays.

Unpacked Content
Goals:
Culture
Modes Of Communication:
Presentational Mode
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • recognize how perspectives are influenced by formal and informal.
  • identify actions unique to the target language culture, especially in typical events, and celebrations.
  • describe how a celebration is viewed by the target language culture.
Performance Descriptors:
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • how to appropriately greet and address a variety of people within the target culture.
  • how to explain why specific holidays, celebrations and events are important to the target language culture.
Skills:
Novice High Level
Students are able to:
  • address others in a culturally appropriate manner.
  • identify practices associated with specific target language culture events such as celebrations and holidays.
  • identify practices associated with the student's own events, celebrations, and holidays.
  • investigate the relationship between cultural practices and perspectives.
Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • address others in a culturally appropriate manner.
  • dentify and explain practices associated with specific target language culture events, celebrations, and holidays.
  • identify and explain practices associated with the student's own events, celebrations, and holidays.
  • investigate the relationship between cultural practices and perspectives.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
    an ability to communicate in another language fosters a better.
  • understanding of my own language and culture.
  • custom and tradition vary within a culture, as well as between cultures.
  • similarities and differences in the practices of another culture often stem from the perspective of that culture.
  • other understandings will vary according to theme taught.
World Languages
WLAN (2017)
Grade: 7-12
Level II
8) Compare characteristics of the target language and the native language.

a. Use formal and informal forms of language.

b. Compare word order for dates and placement of descriptors.

c. Use high-frequency idiomatic expressions.

d. Use cognates.

Unpacked Content
Goals:
Comparisons
Evidence Of Student Attainment:

Students:
  • use formal and informal forms of language appropriately in everyday situations.
  • use correct word order when describing things and dates in writing and speaking.
  • use high-frequency idomatic expessions in everyday conversation.
  • use cognates to assist in comprension of the target language.
Performance Descriptors:
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • how to recognize similarities among root words in order to aid comprehension in the target language.
  • which pronouns and verb forms to use in formal and informal situations.
  • how to politely ask for assistance or information.
  • how to greet and thank someone formally and informally.
  • that word order varies across langauges and may differ from their native language.
  • that some expressions (ex.
    • idomatic expressions) may not translate literally from language to language.
Skills:
Novice High Level
Students are able to:
  • use the alphabet or writing system to express ideas.
  • use diacritical markings to clarify meaning when writing.
  • identify appropriate situations in which to use formal and informal structures.
  • memorize common idomatic expressions.
  • match words from the target language to similarly structured words in the native language.
Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • identify which situations would require formal or informal forms of language.
  • use correct word order when writing and speaking about dates and descriptions.
  • recognize and use very common idomatic expressions.
  • match words from the target language to similarly structured words in the native language.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • languages can show formality and informality in ways different from their native language.
  • cognates and false cognates exist between languages.
  • not every word or phrase has an equivalent translation in another language.
  • word order often differs between languages.
  • by learning another language one can better understand how the native language works.
  • other understandings will depend on theme taught.
World Languages
WLAN (2017)
Grade: 7-12
Level III
2) Interpret what is heard, read, or viewed on familiar topics in a variety of time frames.

a. Describe main ideas, identify characters, and state details found in a variety of informational and literary texts.

b. Use background knowledge to understand spoken and written information in the target language.

Unpacked Content
Goals:
Communication
Modes Of Communication:
Interpretive Mode
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Intermediate Low Level
Students:
  • understand the basic purpose of a message.
  • understand messages related to basic needs.
  • understand questions and simple statements on everyday needs related to self.
  • understands messages that tell or ask about topics of personal interests.
  • identify simple information needed on forms.
  • identify some information from news media.

    • Intermediate Mid Level,
    Students:
    • understand basic information in ads, announcements and other recorded information.
    • understand the main idea of what is listened to for personal enjoyment.
    • understand messages related to everyday life.
    • understand simple personal questions.
    • understand basic information in ads, announcements, and other simple texts.
    • understand the main idea of what is read for personal enjoyment.
    • read simple written exchanges between other people.
Performance Descriptors:
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • the target language vocabulary for specific purposes including:
    • question words.
    • dates, times.
    • schedules.
    • travel (airport).
    • accepting/rejecting an invitaiton.
    • likes & dislikes.
    • compliments.
    • descriptive words.
    • messages for greeting cards.
    • services being offered on a variety of sitionations.
    • interests and daily routines.
    • sports.
    • jobs.
    • weather.
  • vocabulary related to travel, (customs forms, hotel registrations, information on ID.
  • and can use verbs in a variety of time frames.
Skills:
Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • understand and determine types of listening sources
  • understand location and time of an event.
  • understand announcements (arrival/departure info, due dates, time and date of messages).
  • understand questions and statements about daily routines, interests, scheudles)
  • understand what is asked for on a form or application.
  • understand basic information in a variety of contexts (weather forcasts, job postings, biographical data).
Intermediate Mid Level
Students are able to:
  • understand the main idea and details of advertisements and announcements and messages.
  • understand the main idea and details of literary and non-literary texts.
  • understand questions asked for surveys questionaires and forms across a variety of contexts.
  • understand basic information given in ads, labels, brochures, erc across a variety of contexts
  • understand the who, what, where, when, why & how of literary & non-literary texts.
Understanding:
Intermediate-Low Level Students understand that:
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
World Languages
WLAN (2017)
Grade: 7-12
Level III
4) Investigate perspectives through practices of the target cultures.

a. Examine how behaviors in the target culture relate to and reflect different types of relationships.

b. Interact through role-play in a variety of familiar environments.

c. Participate in hands-on activities related to cultural practices.

Unpacked Content
Goals:
Culture
Modes Of Communication:
Interpersonal, Interpretive and Presentational Modes of communication
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • explore the perspectives of the people based on variou practices of a the target language culture.
  • interact, by using the target language in culturally appropriate ways across a variety of familiar situations.
  • create or participate in activities related to cultural practices.
Performance Descriptors:
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • a variety of the target language specific vocabulary.
  • verb conjugations in a variety of time frames.
  • to incorporate background knowledge of cultural events studied in earlier levels.
Skills:
Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • address others in a culturally appropriate manner.
  • identify and explain practices associated with specific target language culture events, celebrations, and holidays.
  • identify and explain practices associated with the student's own events, celebrations, and holidays.
  • investigate the relationship between cultural practices and perspectives.
Intermediate Mid Level
Students are able to:
  • identify how a culture's beliefs and ideas are demonstrated by how they interact with one another.
  • communicate with one another in culturally appropriate ways in a variety of familiar contexts.
  • investigate, analyze and reflect on the relationship of cultural products to perspectives.
  • investigate, analyze and reflect on the relationship of cultural practices to perspectives.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • language and culture are inextricably linked together.
  • a culture's perspectives will be reflected in their practices and products.
  • an ability to communicate in another language fosters a better.
  • understanding of my own language and culture.
  • custom and tradition vary within a culture, as well as between cultures.
  • other understandings will vary according to theme being taught.
World Languages
WLAN (2017)
Grade: 7-12
Level III
8) Compare characteristics of the target language and the native language in a variety of time frames.

a. Compare idiomatic expressions of the target language and the native language.

b. Compare formal and informal registers of language.

c. Compare the use of different time frames in the target and native cultures.

d. Make connections between target language and native language based on knowledge of cognates.

Unpacked Content
Goals:
Comparisons
Modes Of Communication:
Interpersonal, Interpretive and Presentational Modes of communication
Evidence Of Student Attainment:

Students:
  • use the target language to make comparisons of the similarities and differences of idiomatic expressions in the target language and native langauge.
  • use the target language to make comparisons of the formal and informal registers of the target language.
  • use the target language to make comparisons of the use of different time
  • frames in the target language and native language.
  • use the target language to make connections from the target language to native langauge based on the knowledge of cognates.
Performance Descriptors:
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • a variety of the target language specific vocabulary.
  • verb conjugations in a variety of time frames.
  • both high frequency and other common idiomatic expressions from earlier levels.
  • cognates and false cognates.
  • when to use formal and informal langauge in the target culture.
  • uses of various time frames.
Skills:
Intermediate Low Level
Students are able to:
  • identify which situations would require formal or informal forms of language.
  • use correct word order when writing and speaking about dates and descriptions.
  • recognize and use very common idomatic expressions.
  • match words from the target language to similarly structured words in the native language.
Intermediate Mid Level
Students are able to:
  • identify and use a variety of target language vocabulary.
  • use correct word order when writing and speaking about dates and descriptions.
  • communicate in present, past, future, etc..
  • use idiomatic expressions to convey thoughts in culturally appropriate ways.
  • compare and connect language similarities and differences using cognates and false cognates.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • culture and language are inextricably linked together.
  • structures and writing systems of the target language and English have similarities and differences.
  • different linguistic structures communicate different meanings.
  • by learning another language one can better understand how the native language works.
  • other understandings will depend on theme taught.
World Languages
WLAN (2017)
Grade: 7-12
Level IV
2) Interpret, restate, and react to what is heard, read, or viewed on familiar and new topics.

a. Give main ideas, supporting details, and justify inferences in selected texts.

b. Identify themes, settings, characters, and plot lines found in literary texts.

c. Use background knowledge from other disciplines to understand spoken and written information in the target language.

Unpacked Content
Goals:
Communication
Modes Of Communication:
Interpretive Mode
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Intermediate Mid Level
Students:
  • understand basic information in ads, announcements and other simple recordings.
  • understand the main idea of what they listen to for personal enjoyment.
  • understand messages related to everyday life.
  • understand simple personal questions.
  • understand basic information in ads, announcements, and other simple texts.
  • understand the main idea of what they read for personal enjoyment.
  • read simple exchanges between other people.

At the intermediate high level,
Students:
  • easily understand straightforward information or interactions.
  • understand a few details in ads, announcements and other simple recordings.
  • sometimes understand situations with complicating factors.
  • understand accounts of personal events or experiences.
  • sometimes follow short, written instructions when supported by visuals.
  • understand the main idea and a few supporting facts about famous people and historic events.
Performance Descriptors:
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • the target language vocabulary for specific topics.
  • how to communicate in a variety of tenses and moods.
Skills:
Intermediate Mid Level
Students are able to:
  • understand basic information from advertisments and announcements, audio or print.
  • understand the main idea(s) of voice messages and videos
  • understand basic statements and questions in an interview.
  • understand questions in a survey or questionnaire.
  • understand information in a variety of print formats (ex: brochures, magazines, labels, etc.).
  • understand information in interpersonal communication.
  • understand main ideas, supporting details, themes, settings, characters and plot lines in literary texts.
Intermediate High Level
Students are able to:
  • understand basic information from advertisments and announcements, audio or print.
  • understand interpersonal exchanges, spoken or in print.
  • understand information in a variety of print formats (ex: brochures, magazines, labels, etc.).
  • understand main ideas, supporting details, themes, settings, characters and plot lines in literary texts.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
Intermediate Mid Level
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
Intermediate High:
  • effective communication requires knowing how when and why to say what to whom.
  • the purpose of language study is to communicate so one can understand others and be understood.
  • other understandings will depend on the theme being taught.
World Languages
WLAN (2017)
Grade: 7-12
Level IV
4) Investigate perspectives through practices of the target cultures.

a. Explain how behaviors in the target culture relate to and reflect different types of relationships.

b. Interact through role-play in a variety of familiar and unfamiliar environments.

c. Plan hands-on activities related to cultural practices.

Unpacked Content
Goals:
Culture
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • explore perspectives related to cultural practices.
  • model realistic situations that would occur in the target culture based on prior knowledge of the cultural perspectives and inferences for unknown situations.
  • recreate cultural practices based on what they have learned.
Performance Descriptors:
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • how to communicate in a variety of tenses and moods.
  • the target language vocabulary for specific purposes.
  • background knowledge of the target culture.
Skills:
Intermediate Mid Level
Students are able to:
  • identify how a culture's beliefs and ideas are demonstrated by how they interact with one another.
  • communicate with one another in culturally appropriate ways in a variety of familiar contexts.
  • investigate, analyze and reflect on the relationship of cultural products to perspectives.
  • investigate, analyze and reflect on the relationship of cultural practices to perspectives.
Intermediate High Level
Students are able to:
  • interact appropriately in various contexts with members of the target culture.
  • investigate, analyze and reflect on the relationship of cultural products to perspectives.
  • investigate, analyze and reflect on the relationship of cultural practices to perspectives.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • language and culture are extricalble linked.
  • an ability to communicate in another language fosters a better.
  • understanding of my own language and culture.
  • custom and tradition vary within a culture, as well as between cultures.
  • other understandings will vary according to theme being taught.
World Languages
WLAN (2017)
Grade: 7-12
Level IV
8) Compare characteristics of the target language and the native language in a variety of time frames and moods.

a. Explain idiomatic expressions appropriately.

b. Compare and contrast formal and informal registers of language.

Unpacked Content
Goals:
Comparisons
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • make comparisons of idiomatic expressions commonly used by native speakers of the target language with idioms common in their own language.
  • compare and contrast the formal and informal registers of language.
Performance Descriptors:
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • common idiomatic expressions in the target language.
  • formal and informal forms of address and language.
  • the target language vocabulary for specific purposes.
  • how to communicate in a variety of tenses and moods.
Skills:
Intermediate Mid Level
Students are able to:
  • identify and use a variety of target language vocabulary.
  • use correct word order when writing and speaking about dates and descriptions.
  • communicate in present, past, future, etc..
  • use idiomatic expressions to convey thoughts in culturally appropriate ways.
  • compare and connect language similarities and differences using cognates and false cognates.
    • Intermediate High Level
    Students are able to:
    • differentiate between when to use formal and informal register.
    • recognize and understand idiomatic expressions in listening and reading.
    • use idiomatic expressions appropriately in speaking and writing.
    • communicate in the target language in a variety of time frames and moods.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • formal and informal registers of language are indicative of the practices and perspectives of the target culture.
  • by learning another language one can better understand how the native language works.
    • other understandings will depend on theme taught.
Tags: Adjectives, Audio, Authentic Resource, Communication, Comparisons, Contemporary Life, Culture, Families Communities, French, Grammar, Interpretive Listening, Nouns, Personal and Public Identities, Perspectives, Pronouns, Video
License Type: Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike
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AccessibilityAudio resources: includes a transcript or subtitles
Text Resources: Content is organized under headings and subheadings
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Author: Chrissy Roe
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