From: FLTEACH automatic digest system <LISTSERV@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU>
Subject: FLTEACH Digest - 11 Mar 2007 to 12 Mar 2007 (#2007-72)
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University at Buffalo / The State University of New York
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FLTEACH Digest - 11 Mar 2007 to 12 Mar 2007 (#2007-72)

Table of contents:

  1. DUH!
    • Re: DUH! (03/11)
      From: Feliz Cordova <cordovafb@GMAIL.COM>
    • Re: DUH! (03/11)
      From: Pat Barrett <pbarrett@COX.NET>
    • Re: DUH! (03/11)
      From: Pat Barrett <pbarrett@COX.NET>
    • Re: DUH! (03/11)
      From: Pat Barrett <pbarrett@COX.NET>
    • Re: DUH! (03/12)
      From: Carolyn Rubenstein <crubenstein@CBHS.ORG>
    • Re: DUH! (03/12)
      From: Carolyn Rubenstein <crubenstein@CBHS.ORG>
    • Re: DUH! (03/12)
      From: "Paul R. Widergren" <pwgren@YOURNET.COM>
    • Re: DUH! (03/12)
      From: Bob Ponterio <PonterioR@CORTLAND.EDU>
  2. Dream classroom
  3. Les Deschiens type skits .....
  4. Dream Classroom
  5. possessive adjectives
  6. request for help
  7. Carnet de correspondance
  8. SNL sketch
  9. Eddie Izzard's French sketch
  10. Choosing a TeXt Book
  11. FLTEACH biography database formatting
  12. Gerundio/Gerund -was DUH!
  13. Different Strategies for Practicing Writing
  14. ACTFL Survey
  15. Monty Python French skit
  16. Québécois (French) music on You Tube
  17. Conjugation foldable or study tool
  18. College level French I textbook
  19. And here's a quiz: French in movies
  20. ACTFL/NRCCUA Survey
  21. Gerundio/Gerund Ooops!
  22. FLTEACH Digest - 10 Mar 2007 to 11 Mar 2007 (#2007-71)
  23. Department Budget Spent?
  24. BBC Blog Competition chooses Spanish teacher
  25. FULLTIME SPANISH TEACHING POSITION
  26. Obesity in France
  27. Feeling Disheartened
  28. FW: Rejected posting to FLTEACH@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU
  29. Dream Classroom (long)
  30. Poetry Project
  31. M.S. Spanish Textbook Recommendation
  32. Infinitive

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Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 20:29:51 -0500
From: Feliz Cordova <cordovafb@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: DUH!
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Yeah, that's what i get for writing in a hurry...sorry i was not more clear.

Yes, I do know the verbs in the infinitive form have endings -ar, -er, -ir.
I take a great deal of time to explain verbs and the -ar, -er, -ir
infinitive forms, their endings, and how they change when conjugated.

When I explain the infinitive form of verbs to my students I refer to them
as the verbs in their  Infinitive form , and use the infinity sign (sideways
figure 8) as a reminder that it means "to...", for example Bailar = to
dance. For some, it helps remind them of the term "infinitive."

We do lots of drills and exercises where we go from the infinitive form to
the conjugated forms.  When I begin teaching the AR verb conjugations, I
show the verb endings in their conjugated form, and explain how the -AR
ending is dropped, the conjugated ending is tacked on.  I explain that the
verb, when conjugated for "yo" (yo bailo) no longer means "to dance" but
rather, I dance.  When I refer back to the "infinitive" form, I explain that
it does not have a CONJUGATED ending, but rather, goes back to its
infinitive "to..." form.

The hard thing for some kids is that in English the verb "to dance" does not
change in form except for the 3rd person singular, so kids don't notice that
in English there is conjugation.  Later, when we get to putting two verbs
together, I stress that we cannot have two conjugated verbs together, and to
say "I am going to dance" is voy a bailar, with bailar still meaning "to
dance."  It makes sense to them.

I am probably still not explaining this as clearly as I could, but I hope
this makes more sense to you.

What threw me was Bunny's use of "who is the baby's daddy" when referring
back to the infinitive...that part confused me, till my teenager explained
it to me...

hope this helps.

Feliz


On 3/11/07, Elvira Rebate <mslsts@hotmail.com> wrote:

Feliz,

I am confused by that. In Spanish infinitives do have an ending,
<-ar/-er/-ir>, which is added as a suffix to the root; I also think of
them
as <indefinite> rather than as <infinite>.  I am probably missing the
whole
point of what you mean... (!)

How about telling them that an infinitive is an invariable non-personal
form. It doesn't change and it has no person.  We don't say <I to dance,
you
to dance, s/he to dance...>

(With well, a few exceptions in English, such as: <can>. Easier to think
of
it as <to be able to>)

Elvira Rebate


>From: Feliz Cordova <cordovafb@GMAIL.COM>
>Subject: Re: [FLTEACH] DUH!
>Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2007 22:20:40 -0500
>
>OKAY, SO COLOR ME S-T-U-P-I-D because I totally did not even come close
to
>understanding this reference at all.
>
>I had to ask my 15 year old daughter to have her explain it to me.  She
had
>to think about it for a minute, but she finally explained it to me...
>
>wow.
>
>But, I do spend a lot of time explaining to my students that infinitive
has
>no ending...i even put the infinity sign on the board, and show how the
>infinitive has no ending.  I also take great pains that bailar means "to
>dance" and not just "dance."  It requires a change in thinking because in
>English, they never realize that there is an infinitive form of the
verbs.
>
>But, this goes back to the reason students have a hard time remembering
>that
>they can put the infinitive after a conjugated verb, if they don't
>understand that it means "to..." they won't know how to add the
infinitive.
>
>Another reason I am happy to be teaching 6th and 7th grade English
grammar
>and Spanish -- I can be sure they understand the concepts in English
before
>we get to them in Spanish.
>
>Feliz

_________________________________________________________________
Mortgage rates as low as 4.625% - Refinance $150,000 loan for $579 a
month.
Intro*Terms


For all FLTEACH information see: http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/




--
Feliz Cordova

"Ancora imparo."  (I am still learning)  --Michelangelo Buonarroti

For all FLTEACH information see: http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/


Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 23:03:43 -0700
From: Madeline Bishop <madeline@EASYSTREET.COM>
Subject: Dream classroom
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Just to add my ideas.... (which cost more than two cents)

1) a moveable partition so that if you have a split class, like a 4/5 
split, you can give one group some quieter privacy... or, if you are 
really lucky, have a portion of a large classroom sectioned off into 
a separate room, with a window, of course.  That way, students could 
even listen to tapes or do listening tests.  I made my own "little 
room" with a big stand-alone, wide and stable bookcase that went 
almost to the ceiling, and a smaller, three foot high book case. That 
way the French 5's could have some work privacy.

2) a really wide and deep counter with drawers so you can store 
posters and flat poster paper and larger visuals.

3) A closet with some room for costumes.  (I am a dreamer, I know, 
but she said "dream classroom."

-Madeline Bishop
Who used to teach high school

For all FLTEACH information see: http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/


Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 19:50:00 -0700
From: Pat Barrett <pbarrett@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: DUH!
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But again, Kathryn, the kids learning dinosaur terminology, as my grandson has, has been 'brought along' by his mom & dad and grandparents watching dinosaur videos with him and so on. That's what's usually missing in teaching grammar terminology.
PBarrett@cox.net  Pat Barrett
----- Original Message ----- From: "Bartholomew, Kathryn" <kbarthol@SPU.EDU>
To: <FLTEACH@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2007 6:07 PM
Subject: Re: DUH!


How will people get the background in the grammatical terms that
fascinate us so, or find out whether or not they may be interested in
such things, if teachers who do know how to use such terms don't ever
mention them?

I have known any number of preschoolers who could explain proudly and at
great length (!) the differences between the triceratops, the
stegosaurus, the apatosaurus and the pterodactyl, pronouncing the names
and attributes of each and all correctly.  People are able to handle
jargon about things not in their immediate experience and love it,
starting at an early age.

How about introducing the intriguing and strangely juicy word LEXEME
(aka 'dictionary form') as a cover term for the basic form of words that
change according to tense, gender, whatnot, and then going on from
there?

Kathryn

Kathryn Bartholomew
Seattle Pacific University
kbarthol@spu.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: Foreign Language Teaching Forum
[mailto:FLTEACH@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU] On Behalf Of Pat Barrett
Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2007 11:33 AM
To: FLTEACH@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU
Subject: Re: DUH!

To get serious for a moment, I think special ad hoc terminology may help

some people understand, but if they have not been brough along to the
point
where it connects with what they already know, that won't do much good.

There are colleagues that I cannot throw a grammar concept at b/c they
do
not have the background. Just yesterday, I was talking with a student
who
gets just about any grammar I mention and she said it had to do with her

grandfather and writing that he did; she would try to correct his
malapropisms and he would object.

Some such experience with grammar and its use is necessary before such a

metalanguage concept connects with most people. John DeMado has said
that
grammar ensures communication but most of the time it is not essential.
Most
people, incl. many teachers, have not had to struggle with grammatical
issues. Neither have most of our students, so if you want them to be
able to
discuss infinitives and modal verbs and the middle voice as expressed by
the
reflexive in Spanish, you need to bring them along, get them thinking
about
grammar and how they use it. That usually has to be done at first in L1;
it
is very confusing for people.
Eventually you can move over into L2. But that takes time and I doubt if

anyone would care to take several months out of a 2 semester L2 course
to do
all this. That's why I like the tprs 'pop-ups'; as many teachers on this

List have said, they keep it short and simple, just enough to give the
questioner the feeling that his question has been answered, even though
we
know there's a lot more to it.

And let me add something else in case this post is too short: it is my
feeling that a lot of fl teachers have a minimal grasp of grammar - it
often
boils down to some 300 level course in college and that's about it. So
the
best thing is to work on using L2 in class as much as possible; that's
hard
enough, at least for me. Don't sweat the grammar. For every explanation
of
the infinitive, you could be giving the students comprehensible input
about
something they are interested in.
PBarrett@cox.net  Pat Barrett

----- Original Message ----- From: "Henri de Vastey" <hdevastey@GMAIL.COM>
To: <FLTEACH@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU>
Sent: Saturday, March 10, 2007 9:59 AM
Subject: Re: DUH!


 
Bunny,

You are too funny....  On Monday "Who's the baby's daddy is going my
new *
 
infinitive*"! That makes so much sense to me!!

Following the same line...What term do use for "tenses", "past
participles",
"helping verbs"?

In the meantime, to the question "who is the baby's daddy?" The answer
is
 
"
Why? Howard K. Stern, of course!"

Take care,

De Vastey

For all FLTEACH information see: http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/

For all FLTEACH information see: http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/


Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 20:22:44 -0700
From: Pat Barrett <pbarrett@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: DUH!
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Just to illustrate how complex grammar is, Elvira, your examples of 'non-English' could actually qualify as straight forward English, if we pause between the pronoun and the 'to', as in:

"What best serves us? I to go and you to stay."
That is, admittedly, rather formal but quite grammatical and even idiomatic (any demurals?).

Your point is, of course, well taken. I am only using it to make a point myself: that the grammar of any language is far too complex to be reduced to a set of rules people can learn.
PBarrett@cox.net  Pat Barrett
----- Original Message ----- From: "Elvira Rebate" <mslsts@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: <FLTEACH@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU>
Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2007 6:48 AM
Subject: Re: DUH!


 
Feliz,

I am confused by that. In Spanish infinitives do have an ending, <-ar/-er/-ir>, which is added as a suffix to the root; I also think of them as <indefinite> rather than as <infinite>.  I am probably missing the whole point of what you mean... (!)

How about telling them that an infinitive is an invariable non-personal form. It doesn't change and it has no person.  We don't say <I to dance, you to dance, s/he to dance...>

(With well, a few exceptions in English, such as: <can>. Easier to think of it as <to be able to>)

Elvira Rebate


 
From: Feliz Cordova <cordovafb@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: [FLTEACH] DUH!
Date: Sat, 10 Mar 2007 22:20:40 -0500

OKAY, SO COLOR ME S-T-U-P-I-D because I totally did not even come close to
understanding this reference at all.

I had to ask my 15 year old daughter to have her explain it to me.  She had
to think about it for a minute, but she finally explained it to me...

wow.

But, I do spend a lot of time explaining to my students that infinitive has
no ending...i even put the infinity sign on the board, and show how the
infinitive has no ending.  I also take great pains that bailar means "to
dance" and not just "dance."  It requires a change in thinking because in
English, they never realize that there is an infinitive form of the verbs.

But, this goes back to the reason students have a hard time remembering that
they can put the infinitive after a conjugated verb, if they don't
understand that it means "to..." they won't know how to add the infinitive.

Another reason I am happy to be teaching 6th and 7th grade English grammar
and Spanish -- I can be sure they understand the concepts in English before
we get to them in Spanish.

Feliz

_________________________________________________________________

For all FLTEACH information see: http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/


For all FLTEACH information see: http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/


Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 19:30:19 -0400
From: "Paul R. Widergren" <pwgren@YOURNET.COM>
Subject: Les Deschiens type skits .....
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On Sun, 11 Mar 2007 13:11:18 -0400, Bob Ponterio <PonterioR@CORTLAND.EDU>
wrote:

>French teachers might remember the Les Deschiens language skits for
>teaching British English, American English, and Spanish. They always
>leave me rolling on the floor.
>
>

I looked at several of these on YouTube but with the exception of the
Spanish lesson one (which I found very funny, but left me thankful they
were not trying to teach Dutch), I did not understand the French very well
and so most of the humor was lost on me.  However, it did occur to me that
it would be relatively easy to create short movies like this.  Static
camera.  Two talking heads sitting directly next to each other.  No fancy
background.  Something to talk about. 

A:  ¿Por qué usas gafas de sol?
B:  ¿Por qué no?
A:  Porque estamos dentro de la casa.
B:  Es que ...  soy una persona muy famosa y necesito proteger mi
identidad.
A:  ¿Qué? ¿De quién? Tampoco yo te conozco.
B:  ¿De verdad?
A:  No. No te conozco.
B:  Entonces, tal vez necesitas mis gafas de sol más que yo.
   
Tomalas.
A:  Gracias. ¿Cómo me quedan?

A:  Warum trägst du jetzt eine Sonnenbrille?
B:  Warum denn nicht?
A:  Wir sind doch nicht draußen und es ist ziemlich dunkel hier im Haus.
B:  Na ja ... Ich bin also eine berühmte Person und muß meine Identität
schutzen.
A:  Wieso denn?  Von wem?  Nicht einmal ich kenne sie.
B:  Wirklich?
A:  Nein.  Ich kenne dich überhaupt nicht.
B:  Dann brauchst du die Sonnenbrille also mehr als ich.  Nimm sie!
A:  Danke.  Wie steht sie mir denn?

A:  Why are you wearing sunglasses?
B:  Why not?
A:  We are inside a house and it's pretty dark.
B:  Well, you see, I am a very famous person and I have to protect my
identity.
A:  What?  From whom?  I do not even know you.
B:  Really.
A:  No, I do not know you at all.
B:  Well, then maybe you need my sunglasses more than I do.
   
Take them.
A:  Thank you.  How do I look?

Paul Widergren
pwgren@ritternet.com

For all FLTEACH information see: http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/

Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 17:01:50 -0700
From: Amy Pento <amypento@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Dream Classroom
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I'd ask for lights that can either be dimmed or multiple switches so some lights can be on while others are off.

I don't want to rain on your parade but if I had a nickel for every time I was asked for my wish list and didn't get anything, I'd have a nice amount of change in my pocket.

Here's hoping your district is more realistic than mine was! :-)

Amy Pento
Liverpool, NY

Hollie Linville <hollie7@VERIZON.NET> wrote: I agree about the LCD projector.  But something that is usually overlooked -- having enough electric outlets.  Put the outlets in groups of 4 instead of 2, every 8 feet.  Makes life easier.


>On Mar 10, 2007, at 10:24 PM, Marcia Peterson wrote:
>
>> Our school is adding classrooms for next fall. I will receive one 
>> of those new classrooms!! I have been invited, along with the other 
>> affected teachers, to meet with the contractors to talk about our 
>> desires/wishes for the interior of each of our respective 
>> classrooms. Can you believe this? So I would appreciate hearing 
>> ideas from any of you about what I should ask for.
>>
>>   Any ideas?
>>   Marcia
>
>For all FLTEACH information see: http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/

For all FLTEACH information see: http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/


 
---------------------------------
Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate
in the Yahoo! Answers Food & Drink Q&A.

For all FLTEACH information see: http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/

Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 22:48:41 -0700
From: Madeline Bishop <madeline@EASYSTREET.COM>
Subject: possessive adjectives
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I agree with Mary Ann...This creates motivation to start using these 
adjectives.  I, perhaps, am a little more brutal.  I will walk around 
the room, pick up an object off a desk, give it to another student 
and say,  "C'est ton cahier?  And the real owner has to say "Non, 
c'est mon cahier!"  then I ask the new owner, "C'est son cahier?, 
pointing to the real owner, and the new owner says, "D'accord, c'est 
son cahier."

On Mar 11, 2007, at 8:00 PM, FLTEACH automatic digest system wrote:

 
Date:    Sun, 11 Mar 2007 02:46:03 +0000
From:    Mary Ann Freeman <madfree@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: possessive adjectives

I am currently student teaching French I, both middle school and high
school,
and I am in need of some good activities to teach possessive 
adjectives
(mon, ma, mes, ton, ta, tes, etc).  Does anyone have any ideas they 
use that
you are willing to share?

Alicia Holtzman


My favorite way to introduce these is to get a pencil from each 
student in
the class and put all the pencils into a basket.  Once I have 
everyone's
pencil, I show the basket to the class and announce:   'Ce sont _mes_
crayons."  Then I take one out, admire it and announce:  C'est mon 
crayon."
holding it close to my chest and looking very pleased with myself.  
Then I
drop it back in the basket and take out another one and repeat 
"C'est mon
crayon".  The student who wants his/her pencil back has to 
contradict me
with "Non!, c'est mon crayon!" in order to get the pencil 
returned.  I also
ask "C'est _ton_ crayon?"  My kids love this "game".

Peace,

Mary Ann Freeman
madfree@hotmail.com
near Quincy, Illinois

Taxes are the dues you pay to be an American, to live in a 
civilized society
that is democratic and offers opportunity. . . George Lakoff


Madeline Bishop
madeline@easystreet.com




For all FLTEACH information see: http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/


Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 19:46:48 -0400
From: D & M Blaz <blazm@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: request for help
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Do any of your schools use differentiation school wide??

 

I'm looking for names/contacts with people in grades 6 - 12

in other areas (math, English, science, etc.)

who might differentiate their methods of assessing students,

 
and I'm having a heck of a time finding any!!

 

I know a lot of us differentiate, but I need to "pick the brains"

 
of some people in other subject areas,

and I can't find any wonderful groups like FLTEACH for other subject areas.

 

Thanks for your help,

 

Deb Blaz


For all FLTEACH information see: http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/

Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 20:25:38 -0700
From: Pat Barrett <pbarrett@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: DUH!
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Latin has infinitives for various tenses (so does English, too, but they are periphrastic and some people think that doesn't count).
PBarrett@cox.net  Pat Barrett
----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul R. Widergren" <pwgren@YOURNET.COM>
To: <FLTEACH@LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU>
Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2007 8:28 AM
Subject: Re: DUH!


On Sun, 11 Mar 2007 07:59:47 -0400, Bob Ponterio <PonterioR@CORTLAND.EDU>
wrote:

 
On the other hand, the fact that a form is the one selected as the
dictionary entry doesn't really make it the basic or raw or pure form
in any way. The infinitive does have an ending. It's the infinitive
ending. The dictionary form is arbitrary. There's nothing more basic
about the masculine form of the adj. over the feminine form (in
French, the fem. form contains more pronunciation information and
would be a better place to start). The argument may be a harder sell
for singular and plural. The present infinitive form of a verb is
probably selected as the dictionary representation because is doesn't
vary by person. We only think about it as more basic because that is
the way it was presented to us. It's just convention.

Bob


A German etymological dictionary (Kluge Etymologisches Wörterbuch) that I
have indicates this as well.  The term infinitive comes from modus
infinitivus which comes from in (not) and finitere (limited).  The
infinitive is not limited to certain persons or numbers as other forms
are.  Off hand, I do not see that the infinitive is ever limited to
certain tenses either.

On a side note, what makes grammar difficult at times is that convention
sometimes assigns completely different categories in two different
languages... ie. English gerund vs. Spanish gerundio.

Paul Widergren
pwgren@ritternet.com

For all FLTEACH information see: http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/

For all FLTEACH information see: http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/


Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 02:25:17 -0400
From: Mme RIVARD <MmeRIVARD@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Carnet de correspondance
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Is there anyone who has found a way to copy and use the idea of the French
"carnet de correspondance" ?  

For the longest time, I've admired the idea and thought it could be useful
with my high school level classes. I'm thinking of creating a new section
for the students to keep in their "classeurs". They would have to record
their absences, their quiz grades, their "I didn't do my homework excuses",
their tardies, any extraordinary incidents. 

Parents could be informed that the students have that section in their
notebooks & they should be able to ask to see it. When a special situation
merits it, a parent could be requested to sign & date it.

Does anyone have any other ideas for it ? I'm especially interested in
knowing if someone out there is already implementing this idea ?

Merci d'avance

Jeanne

MmeRIVARD@comcast.net
Flint Northern Academy

For all FLTEACH information see: http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/

Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 19:43:32 -0400
From: D & M Blaz <blazm@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: SNL sketch
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I have the Alec Baldwin one, but would give my eye teeth for the
"French Camp" on Devil's Island one, complete with attack poodles.....also
SNL, from long, long ago!

I also have a really funny old episode of Café Americain (short-lived
series) where Valerie Bertinelli is trying to learn French with disastrous
effect ("Le fromage dans mon pantalon me rend heureuse") and finally catches
on....

Deb Blaz

For all FLTEACH information see: http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/

Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 11:29:51 +0100
From: Eric Dawson <eidolon503@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Eddie Izzard's French sketch
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If you buy the DVD for "Dressed to Kill" it also has the show he did
in Paris, entirely in French.


On 3/11/07, Hollie Linville <hollie7@verizon.net> wrote:
 
There are a bunch of Eddie Izzard's sketches on Youtube.  Here's the link
for the "Learning French" sketch.  If that doesn't work, just go to youtube
and put in your search Eddie Izzard french and you should get the video.


>Eddie Izzard does an entire sketch as a set up for these kinds of phrases
>which are hilarious!  Many useless phrases tied together.  Anyone else
catch
>that performance?  I can't recall the name of the show.  Tammy
>
>
>I _LOVE_ that sketch!  I wish I had a copy. I'd love to show it to my
>students, although I think there may have been some "bad words" in it.  The
>name of the show is "Dressed to Kill".  I recall it had my husband and I
>practically rolling on the floor laughing.   We're not alone in thinking it
>is one of the funniest sketches _ever_.  I googled the phrase and found it
>mentioned in many sites.
>
>
>I remember the line:  "Le chat est sur la table, le souris est sous la
table
>et le singe est sur la branche."  And his gestures!
>
>BTW he is going to be in a new series called "The Riches" on FX.
>
>Looking forward to that one!
>
>Ever see the Pythons doing French sketches?  They're very good as well.
But
>the Izzard piece is superb comedy.
>
>Peace,
>
>Mary Ann Freeman
>madfree@hotmail.com
>near Quincy, Illinois
>
>Taxes are the dues you pay to be an American, to live in a civilized
society
>that is democratic and offers opportunity. . . George Lakoff
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>Find what you need at prices you'll love. Compare products and save at MSN(r)
>Shopping.
>
>For all FLTEACH information see: http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/

For all FLTEACH information see: http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/



--
Eric Dawson

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Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 19:45:57 -0400
From: Karen Sanchez <salachic@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: SNL sketch
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That's the same one.  John Candy is in that sketch, along with Adam Sandler....!  I bought it not too long ago, it 's on a CD of the Best of Alec Baldwin SNL.

Karen

----- Original Message ----- From: "Gary Schubert" <schubertg_99@YAHOO.COM>
Newsgroups: flteach.list
Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2007 7:10 PM
Subject: Re: SNL sketch


 
I don't remember the John Candy one, but did get a kick out of the Alec Baldwin one where he's the French teacher and a stickler for pronunciation. He's always having the kids repeat or improve how they pronounce.  Then they go on a trip to Paris I guess and he even corrects some French guys on their French.  It's not long before they start beating him up in retaliation!
 
gary

Mary Ann Freeman <madfree@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:
 
What about the hilarious Saturday Night Live sketch where everyone is in
French class just butchering the language? I htink John Candy was in it.
Another really funny one.

-Madeline Bishop

Yes, and I still have it, amazingly. My kids get a big kick out of it.

Peace,

Mary Ann Freeman
madfree@hotmail.com
near Quincy, Illinois

Taxes are the dues you pay to be an American, to live in a civilized society
that is democratic and offers opportunity. . . George Lakoff

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Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 16:46:26 -0700
From: Amy Pento <amypento@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Choosing a TeXt Book
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I concur; it's my major complaint.  But, it is easier for me to create the additional practice than either a bell or a whistle.

Amy Pento
Liverpool, NY

Susan Jones <jones746@HUGHES.NET> wrote: Someone recently asked about choosing a text.  I will sound off like I
always do about today's textbooks.
I just checked over my file for Spanish II Chapter 2 of Expresate.  I have
created (last year was my first year with this book)
1) a worksheet for ser/estar
2) a worksheet for I-DOPs
3) a worksheet for saber and conocer
4) a worksheet for nationalities and agreement
5) a worksheet for Usted/Usteded commands

I find that any of today's textbooks come with lots of bells and whistles:
workbooks/activity books/CDs/DVDs/Communication whatevers, etc.
But when the "rubber meets the road" so to speak there is NEVER (shouting)
enough practice of grammar.  At the end of five years (the amount of time we
have a text), I have created hundreds of practices/games/conversations in
the round, etc.  to fill a small storage  cabinet.  Susan J.

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---------------------------------
Don't pick lemons.
See all the new 2007 cars at Yahoo! Autos.

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Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 22:21:48 -0500
From: "Miss Pamela J. Nielson" <nielsonp@MAC.COM>
Subject: Re: Dream Classroom
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Marcia Peterson said:

"Our school is adding classrooms for next fall. I will receive one of 
those new classrooms!! I have been invited, along with the other 
affected teachers, to meet with the contractors to talk about our 
desires/wishes for the interior of each of our respective classrooms. 
Can you believe this? So I would appreciate hearing ideas from any of 
you about what I should ask for. Any ideas?"

Marcia,

Everyone's responses have been quite thorough, but I would add/ clarify one thing. Be sure to have electrical outlets and internet 
ports in the center of your room in the floor. Having these in my 
room has allowed me to put my computer, LCD, and overhead projector 
in the center of the room and not have any wires laying around that 
students could trip over. Good luck on securing the room of your 
dreams! What an awesome opportunity!

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Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 11:13:16 -0400
From: Bob Ponterio <PonterioR@CORTLAND.EDU>
Subject: FLTEACH biography database formatting
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I thought I would give a sample of the sorts of things that can be done with text and a few simple HTML codes in the FLTEACH biography database.

http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/bios/bios.asp?id=1429

Jean and I do not begin to have the time to do any of these tricks for people or help set them up, but IF YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING, you are free to use such formatting tricks ON YOUR OWN. Please also remember that misused formatting codes will most definitely interfere with searching or display.  IOW  If you have questions, you don't know enough to do this.  Caveat emptor.... or caveat Flteachor ;-)

Bob

_____
 
Robert Ponterio : PonterioR@cortland.edu
 
Co-Owner & Moderator FLTEACH : FLTEACH@cortland.edu
 
Foreign Language Teaching Forum  http://www.cortland.edu/flteach/
 
State Univ. of New York Cortland 

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Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 10:17:13 -0600
From: Erin Gibbons <egibbons@RBCHS.COM>
Subject: Re: Eddie Izzard's French sketch
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Ever see the Pythons doing French sketches?  They're very good as well. But
the Izzard piece is superb comedy.


I also love the grammar/graffiti scene in "Life of Brian"! I feel like that Roman sometimes...

Erin Gibbons

French Teacher
Richmond-Burton Community High School District #157
Richmond, IL
Email: egibbons@rbchs.com
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Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 09:35:30 -0500
From: Elvira Rebate <mslsts@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Gerundio/Gerund -was DUH!
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Thanks Paul,

This is an interesting (and fun to think about) subject and now I know what you mean.  Something tricky happened in the way from Latin to Spanish: the <present participle (as a verb)> was lost.  I know that American books about Spanish use the term <gerundio> and <participio de presente/participio activo> as synonyms.  But this is quite inaccurate (in my view.)  The Spanish <gerundio> is not a participle, it has no gender and/or number mark; and as you noticed, it doesn't function as a noun nor as an adjective. 
[This lack of gender/number marks would be normal in English, but not in Spanish.]

I am still not sure I would say that <gerundio> and <gerund> are two completely different categories: they are both invariable non-personal forms of the verb and both, the simple and compound <gerund/ios>, are formed in very similar ways; <eating>/<comiendo>, <having eaten>/<habiendo comido>. 
Some of their uses coincide (progressive tenses), but they don't function exactly the same all the time.  That is because unlike the Spanish <gerundio>, the English <gerund> can also act as a <present participle>. 
And so it unfolds into another category, but the <gerund/gerundio> part coincide pretty neatly.

The Spanish <participios de presente/participios activos> are derived from the latin ones, but are not verbs any more, they are adjectives, nouns, (ayudante, espeluznante, calmante, amante, principiante, absorbente...) and even prepositions and adverbs.

To clarify, I am quoting from the <Diccionario Panhispánico de Dudas>:

["participio. 1. Forma no personal del verbo, susceptible de recibir marcas de género y número, que se asimila en su funcionamiento gramatical al adjetivo. En español termina en -do (fem. -da) en los verbos regulares, y con él se forman los tiempos compuestos de la conjugación (he llegado, has comido, había dicho) y las formas de la pasiva perifrástica (soy amada, eran temidos, fueron arrestadas). También se denomina participio pasivo, de pasado o de pretérito, en oposición al participio activo o de presente (&#8594; 3 y 4).

2. participio absoluto. El que aparece en una cláusula absoluta (&#8594; absoluto, 1 y 2).

3. participio activo. Derivado verbal que en español acaba en -nte y denota capacidad de realizar la acción que expresa el verbo del que deriva. Muchos proceden de participios de presente latinos (&#8594; 4) y hoy se integran, en su mayor parte, en la clase de los adjetivos (alarmante, permanente, balbuciente) o de los sustantivos (cantante, estudiante, presidente); algunos se han convertido en preposiciones (durante, mediante) o en adverbios (bastante, no obstante).

4. participio de presente. Equivale a participio activo (&#8594; 3). Se llama así porque en latín se forma sobre el tema de presente de los verbos, al que se añaden las desinencias correspondientes a los distintos casos. Los participios de presente latinos se enuncian con las terminaciones -ns, -ntis: amans, amantis."]

In Spanish the <infinitivo> accomplishes that verbal noun function.
<Reading is fun.>    <Leer es divertido>
<Swimming is good for you.>  <Nadar es bueno (para la salud).>

Now, while <To read is fun.> doesn't sound completely odd to me, <To swim is good for you.> does.  Wouldn't the <gerund> be preferred here?

[Spanish does have some sentences that use the <gerundio> "alone," not acting as an auxiliary to other verb: <Cerrando la puerta, se fue./Habiendo cerrado la puerta, se fue.>.  This, acting as a <complemento directo> is called <gerundio absoluto>]

Elvira Rebate


 
From: "Paul R. Widergren" <pwgren@YOURNET.COM>
Subject: Re: [FLTEACH] Gerundio/Gerund -was DUH!
Date: Sun, 11 Mar 2007 15:31:55 -0400

On Sun, 11 Mar 2007 13:05:07 -0500, Elvira Rebate <mslsts@HOTMAIL.COM>
wrote:

>Paul,
>
>How is it that <gerundio> and <gerund> are completely different
categories?
>Could you elaborate on that?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Elvira Rebate
>
>
OK, but this is just off the top of my head.

An English gerund is a verbal noun:

Reading is fun.
Swimming is good for you.

Spanish uses the infinitive for of verbs to signify gerunds.

A Spanish gerundio is the "participle" of present progressive forms.

Estoy leyendo.
Estamos nadando.

In American textbooks of Spanish , the gerundio is often called a present
participle.  Regardless, it is not a verbal noun like the English gerund,
is it?

Paul Widergren
pwgren@ritternet.com

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Date: Mon, 12 Mar 2007 08:24:56 -0500
From: Carolyn Rubenstein <crubenstein@CBHS.ORG>