Hi all, thanks for coming back to my blog! This week I learned and practiced some old-new themes and tried to create more flow, some more ways to learn and teach in mind, and am getting excited for the upcoming final project!

This week I first focused on taking “people theme” lessons in Doulingo, determined to make it to level 2. I went to level 2 in “travel” and other themes, but this one has been hard so it was time to tackle it. I am struggling with conjugation and this one has lots of it! I had my class prep focusing on sounds and spelling (can never practice this enough!)

• 

• 

• 

It then continued to a few easy practices, until I reached this harder following one. It took a while to get the details right, and especially to learn that “etudiant” means students, and “etidients” means study. Back to the confusing “a” and “e”! This one tested my patience. It took a while but I finally got it. Here is a few screen shots from a failed attempt and the tips that helped me with it. I usually post the “success” ones but decided to also share some of the “fail” ones. It’s all a part of the process!

• 

• 

• 

Two new things happened this time. All my additional attempts cost me the hearts at the corner, and I needed to refill them. I went so overboard and ended with an infinite sign instead! It’s like a computer game! Here are two harder exercises (the sentences are getting longer) and a tip. I do appreciate Doulingo gives me tips when I fail, before letting me trying again and again with the same mistake. I think this is something to remember in the classroom: when a student is struggling let’s remind them a “tip” and not just go again and again without what they need, even if it’s revising the basics.

• 

• 

• 

Eventually- mission accomplished! I jumped to level 2 in “people theme”! wehooo!!! Honestly, this week’s focus went to the details in conjugation and understanding the similar meaning in sound-alike words. This felt like a LOT! But I did get this:

• 

• 

This is all my brain can take this week… learning many articles in my first or second language is ok, but reading even just a little in my French third growing langauge is a new level of brain tired. I’m learning this week, as the levels get more difficult and learning methods expand, different ways to learn new things. Taking this into the classroom- I’ll try and learn from the app how a variety of ways to learn works well. It’s not just that every student learns differently, but even the same students may need different ways from week to week. Like I did this week.

This week, I’m going to focus on these elements, as I am getting ready to make my final project in French. I am nervous about conjugations and small mix-ups, so will keep focusing on these as well as creating flow. In this Fun TED article, we can see a discussion about how to be funny in different languages. Creating a flow, staying funny, making sense- these are all things that come with practice. I’ll get my verbal practice in flow, the one element I can’t get from videos and Doulingo, in my final project podcast!

Be brave enough to suck at something new

Until then, I’ll get going on some more ideas and flow!

How do you create a flow when learning something new? How are you preparing for the final learning project? Would love to hear from you!

Cheers,

Maya