Sag Mal! From Voilà! To That's It! Some Ideas on How to Make a Method Even More Communicative

Subject Area

Foreign Language Pedagogy

Abstract

As a lecturer of French and German, I get to compare two foreign language textbooks and their usage on a daily basis. My aim is to promote both languages in an unbiased manner, as foreign languages are important. As a Swiss native, having lived in various countries, I know first hand the importance of this statement. German and French are both equally important to me.

The book that we currently use at Berry College for French 101 and 102 is Voilà!, Heinle eds. After starting on my third semester with this method, I find it to be teacher-centered with an emphasis on writing. This contrasts with the German method that we use, Sag Mal!, which is student-centered and offers a myriad of writing and engaging oral activities. Working with and between two so different methodologies brings out stark contrasts between the French and German students’ behaviours as learners in the classroom. The purpose is to have all students become active participants in a series of meaningful and meaning-searching activities (ACTFL 2012 language is “what individuals can do”, p. 3).

The aim of this presentation is to look closely at the method Voilà!, to compare it to Sag Mal!, to check how my observations above fit in with further analysis of both methods and finally to show how I complement Voilà! by sharing strategies and (re-)sources.

Brief Bio Note

Annette Hanle Daniels is Lecturer of French and German at Berry College. Before that she has taught at KSU, Ga. and previously in the Netherlands and in Switzerland. She received her M.A. in foreign languages from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. Her research interests are pedagogy and more specifically the targeted use of games, songs and activities that trigger students’ interest and promote the overall well-being of learners in the foreign language classroom.

Keywords

German pedagogy, French pedagogy

Location

Room 217

Presentation Year

2015

Start Date

3-26-2015 3:00 PM

End Date

3-26-2015 4:15 PM

Embargo

5-23-2017

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Mar 26th, 3:00 PM Mar 26th, 4:15 PM

Sag Mal! From Voilà! To That's It! Some Ideas on How to Make a Method Even More Communicative

Room 217

As a lecturer of French and German, I get to compare two foreign language textbooks and their usage on a daily basis. My aim is to promote both languages in an unbiased manner, as foreign languages are important. As a Swiss native, having lived in various countries, I know first hand the importance of this statement. German and French are both equally important to me.

The book that we currently use at Berry College for French 101 and 102 is Voilà!, Heinle eds. After starting on my third semester with this method, I find it to be teacher-centered with an emphasis on writing. This contrasts with the German method that we use, Sag Mal!, which is student-centered and offers a myriad of writing and engaging oral activities. Working with and between two so different methodologies brings out stark contrasts between the French and German students’ behaviours as learners in the classroom. The purpose is to have all students become active participants in a series of meaningful and meaning-searching activities (ACTFL 2012 language is “what individuals can do”, p. 3).

The aim of this presentation is to look closely at the method Voilà!, to compare it to Sag Mal!, to check how my observations above fit in with further analysis of both methods and finally to show how I complement Voilà! by sharing strategies and (re-)sources.