Transcript Armadillos, the Internet and French: Conceptualization and

Armadillos, the Internet and
French: Conceptualization and
Implementation of an Online
Pedagogical Grammar
Lindsy L. Myers
University of Kentucky
KFLC 2006
Tex’s French Grammar
Grammaire de l’absurde
www.laits.utexas.edu/tex
Background & History
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University of Texas at Austin
1997-2000
Department of French and Italian
Carl Blyth et al.
Liberal Arts ITS
Traditional Aspects
• Parts of speech used to categorize
specific grammar items
• Individual grammar items explained in
English
• Grammar items exemplified in dialogue
• Paradigms
Index
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Nouns
Determiners
Adverbs
Adjectives
Verbs
Negation
Prepositions
Conjunctions
• Tense/Aspect/Mood
Voice
• Interrogative
Constructions
Web Aspects
• Self-check, validating, fill-in-the-blank
exercises for every page
• Cross-linking of grammar items and
related topics
• Sound files for pronunciation
• Verb tutor
• Humor: cast of characters, nontraditional “edgy” story-line
This website is about much more than just French
Grammar. It is also about the epic love story of
Tex and Tammy, two star-struck armadillos, and
Bette, the sex kitten bent on destroying their love.
In addition to this ménage à trois, the cast of
characters include Edouard, a pretentious French
snail, Joe-Bob, a dim-witted squirrel from College
Station, and Corey, a cockroach who prefers
getting high and watching the X-Files on TV to
doing his French homework. (TFG-Overview)
quitter, partir, sortir, laisser
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tex/gr/
vl1.html
Other Features
• pdf downloads
• mp3 downloads
Applications-UT
• Embedded as grammar component of
Français Interactif
• www.laits.utexas.edu/fi
Applications-UK
• Grammar Supplement
• Personalized grammar for drafts of
compositions
What do you think of Tex’s
French Grammar?
• “I find it elementary enough to
understand hard concepts yet funny and
useful…”
• “It helps me remember things and
remember grammar rules I learned a
long time ago”
• “Like most things French, it is difficult”
How and when do you use
Tex’s French Grammar?
• “I use it as a reference when writing
compositions for tenses etc.”
• “When I’m doing a composition on my
computer, I keep Tex’s up in a separate
tab because it’s quicker than getting out
a book and looking up a question”
• “I use it whenever I have doubts or I
think I need to practice weak points”
Is it helpful? Is it clear?
• “Yes…it gives you an English equivalent next
to the French way to say it.”
• “I like the sound clips to hear how I should
use the grammar”
• “Yes…I pair it with my textbook to clarify
grammar”
• “Through explanation and example, it’s
difficult to get confused”
Would you rather use a book?
• “The internet is far more likely to be
used as a reference than a book purely
because it’s so much more accessible”
• “Tex’s isn’t amazingly better, it’s just
different. But I do prefer it to a book, it’s
more concise”
• “I like having a book because I do not
always have internet access”
Suggestions for Improvement:
• More exercises
• Less sensitive to accents/facilitate
accent input
• Clearer index
• Pages are too long
• Vocabulary can be difficult
• “Where are the exercises?”
Usage Worldwide
• 671,557 hits/day (Tex + FI)
• 38,548 page views/day (Tex + FI)
• 60-87% of webserver traffic for the UT
LAITS URL
• Saturated bandwidth
• High schools, middle schools,
governmental agencies, community
colleges and universities
[email protected]