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Lindsy L. Myers University of Kentucky KFLC 2006

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. University of Texas at Austin

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Lindsy L. Myers University of Kentucky KFLC 2006

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  1. Armadillos, the Internet and French: Conceptualization and Implementation of an Online Pedagogical Grammar Lindsy L. Myers University of Kentucky KFLC 2006

  2. Tex’s French Grammar Grammaire de l’absurde www.laits.utexas.edu/tex

  3. Background & History • University of Texas at Austin • 1997-2000 • Department of French and Italian • Carl Blyth et al. • Liberal Arts ITS

  4. Traditional Aspects • Parts of speech used to categorize specific grammar items • Individual grammar items explained in English • Grammar items exemplified in dialogue • Paradigms

  5. Nouns Determiners Adverbs Adjectives Verbs Negation Prepositions Conjunctions Tense/Aspect/Mood Voice Interrogative Constructions Index

  6. 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, non-traditional “edgy” story-line

  7. 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)

  8. quitter, partir, sortir, laisser http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tex/gr/vl1.html

  9. Other Features • pdf downloads • mp3 downloads

  10. Applications-UT • Embedded as grammar component of Français Interactif • www.laits.utexas.edu/fi

  11. Applications-UK • Grammar Supplement • Personalized grammar for drafts of compositions

  12. 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”

  13. 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”

  14. 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”

  15. 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”

  16. 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?”

  17. 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

  18. lindsy.myers@uky.edu

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