By Michel Boiron
Michel Boiron is a renowned expert in teaching French as a foreign language (FLE). His career spans several decades, culminating in his role as Executive Director of CAVILAM – Alliance française de Vichy between 1997 and 2022. He is known for his expertise in designing innovative training programs and creating pedagogical materials. Since 2023, he has continued his work as an independent educational consultant.
Ideas to Share
Since the beginning of my teaching career, I’ve been convinced that sharing ideas makes them richer. In general, we learn a trade, we become a professional, perhaps even an expert. We might think that we should keep our good ideas to ourselves so that we can compete better with other teachers; we say to ourselves, “I must be the best, these are my ideas!” But we can also think differently: teaching is, by definition, sharing our knowledge and expertise. It’s a profession devoted to sharing.
And so, when we’ve found a good idea that helps learners learn more effectively and more pleasurably, it would be a pity not to share it with colleagues.
Pedagogical Videos for Teaching French
During my professional journey, I’ve participated in creating many pedagogical tools and projects, in particular with TV5MONDE and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie. Aside from my cooperation with these official institutions, I recently decided to produce and distribute a series of short videos to present practical ideas for motivating learners, to provide tips for using videos in the classroom, and to reflect on the teaching profession by offering concrete strategies for avoiding professional burn-out and developing self-esteem.
Specifically, these videos are addressed to teachers of French as a foreign language and French as a second language (FLE/FSL) working with teens or adults. They are available free of charge; there’s nothing to purchase. The goal is to offer concrete classroom approaches to encourage personal and professional reflection on our teaching. There’s no such thing as a universal pedagogy, only pedagogies adapted to an environment and a specific context.
Below are links to seven pedagogical videos that I recently published on YouTube. They are free to access and free of charge.
So, dear colleagues, enjoy the discoveries!
Motiver à apprendre, apprendre à motiver (Motivating to Learn, Learning to Motivate)
Here are a few simple ideas for motivating students to learn French as a foreign language and French as a second language in the classroom, but also more generally.
Stratégies anti-stress et anti-burn-out pour professeur(e)s (Anti-Stress and Anti-Burnout Strategies for Teachers)
This short video offers advice for avoiding stress and burnout, as well as some ideas for creating a good atmosphere in French class at the A1 and A2 levels.
Utiliser des documents vidéo en classe (Using Video Documents in the Classroom)
Here is a four-minute summary of basic advice on successfully using video documents in the French as a foreign language classroom.
Vidéos en classe de français pour adolescents (Videos in French Class for Teenagers)
Take a few minutes to learn how to use video documents effectively in French as a foreign language classrooms through the example of Adomania, a series aimed specifically at teenagers and available on TV5MONDE.
Faire entrer la francophonie dans vos classes (Bringing the French-Speaking World into Your Classroom)
Bring the French-speaking world into your classroom with the TV5MONDE program Destination Francophonie, hosted by Ivan Kabacoff. This video offers some simple ideas.
Une vidéo comme outil d’expression orale (Video as a Tool for Oral Expression)
Find out how to use a video document as a tool for oral expression starting in levels A1 and A2. The example chosen here is a short video created by Les Haut-Parleurs in cooperation with TV5MONDE, called “Les colocataires de ma grand-mère.” It presents an interesting initiative: an elderly person sharing a rented apartment with a mother and her daughter.
Oser la littérature contemporaine en classe de français (Daring to Use Contemporary Literature in French Class)
This video provides some advice on introducing contemporary literature into French class. It’s the second edition of a video produced in early 2024 with access to a new file containing excerpts of texts published in 2024.
