Students
You know you love French, you know you want to improve, maybe you even want THE top mark: we can give you the tools. We have tens of exercises complete with scripts, answers and cultural information. Not only that but techniques for you to understand what your brain is doing.
Try to listen to a language you don’t know: you’ll understand nothing because you don’t know any words in this language. It’s the same with topics: if you don’t know any words about the environment (global warming, the earth, the planet the ozone layer, pollution…) a presentation might sound like this: “Today, on our …., we have discovered that the hole in …. has lead to a disaster: …. This is due to …. and to our lifestyle”. So step one is learning vocabulary.
Step two is recognising these new words in their context (easier said than done).
Step three is learning to recognise what your brain is doing while you listen and practise various listening techniques.
It’s a bit like learning a new sport. You wouldn’t expect to be able to be good and efficient at, say, badminton if you had never held a racket before! You need to drill some of the moves before putting them all together and playing a match.
By memorising vocabulary and by practising regularly on these types of exercises, you increase your chances. We also offer you something that no on else does: an insight into your brain! When you listen you use a lot of strategies and techniques to block background noise, to read a person’s body language, to predict what they will say, to use your previous knowledge of the topic, and many more.
Practising these individually on our website will help you combine them and become a better listener.
It is impossible to guarantee anything in terms of learning as the brain is too complex a “machinery” for that. However, we know that the brain likes repetition: it helps neurons build connection and “fire” or pass on the information faster. This is why your teachers encourage you to revise and repeat your lessons regularly. Teachers' experience tells them that if students practise regularly, their language skills improve.
We also know that when doing listening/ aural exercises you use your pre-existing knowledge of the language and of the culture. This is why you should always read the cultural notes after doing an exercise.
Désolé!! In VCE units, exercises become more and more difficult within each unit. This website is designed to help you improve and there would be no point in you doing only easy exercises except for making you feel better. It would not prepare you for an examination or for real life situations.
Some words of advice for VCE units: We advise all students to complete exercises 1 to 6 only at first. Once you have done all exercises 1-6 in all the units you will have revised a large amount of vocabulary and gained more confidence. You will then be ready to undertake exercises 7 and 8. And finally, before your final examination, complete exercises 9 and 10.
First-of-all you should test the website by getting a Free Trial. If you’d like to purchase a full account, you have two options: purchase as an individual, purchase as a member of a class via your teacher (school subscription).
Both subscriptions cost the same but you will get access to all the units if you get a school subscription (as opposed to the 10 standard units). Your teacher will also have access to the site and will be able to guide you through the units as well as monitor your progress. It is a lot more motivating this way.