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

• 1997-2000

• Department of French and Italian

• Carl Blyth et al.

• Liberal Arts ITS

Traditional Aspects

• Parts of speech used to categorize specific grammar items

• Individual grammar items explained in English

• Grammar items exemplified in dialogue

• Paradigms

Index

• Nouns• Determiners• Adverbs• Adjectives• Verbs• Negation• Prepositions• Conjunctions

• Tense/Aspect/Mood Voice

• Interrogative Constructions

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

This website is about much more than just FrenchGrammar. It is also about the epic love story ofTex 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 ofcharacters include Edouard, a pretentious Frenchsnail, Joe-Bob, a dim-witted squirrel from CollegeStation, and Corey, a cockroach who prefers getting high and watching the X-Files on TV todoing his French homework. (TFG-Overview)

quitter, partir, sortir, laisser

http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tex/gr/vl1.html

Other Features

• pdf downloads

• mp3 downloads

Applications-UT

• Embedded as grammar component of Français Interactif

• www.laits.utexas.edu/fi

Applications-UK

• Grammar Supplement

• Personalized grammar for drafts of compositions

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”

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”

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”

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”

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?”

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

lindsy.myers@uky.edu