Monsieur Venkat

English to French translation - Common Mistakes

2017-12-29T18:04:00.001-08:00

1. Je suis plein(e) ≠ I’m full

After a good meal, we say: j’ai bien mangé and not je suis plein(e)

2. Je manque toi ≠ I miss you

There is a lesson with a video to explain this very special verb in French: To Miss

3. Préservatifs ≠ Preservatives

Un préservatif is a condom in English, and Preservatives are conservateurs

4. I am from Spain

It is not really French to say: je suis d’Espagne but just je suis Espagnol(e)

5. He broke his leg: Il a cassé sa jambe

Il a cassé sa jambe is a translation word for word but does not sound French, we prefer to use a reflexive verb with things related to the body: il s’est cassé la jambe

6. Well done: bien fait

Again, bien fait is a translation word for word but the meaning of this French expression is different, when you say Bien fait to someone you want to say serve you right! It may also well made, un meuble bien fait. Don’t mix this expression with bienfait (in one word) which means a blessing or a benefit.

7. Actually: Actuellement

Actually means En fait in French and for this reason, many French people say in fact instead of actually!
Actuellement is currently

8. Eventually: éventuellement

Eventually means finalement in French
Éventuellement means possibly

9. To drive: conduire

Speaking about distance we use the expression “aller en voiture” and not “conduire”:
I drive to Paris: je vais à Paris en voiture and not je conduis à Paris.

10. To fly: voler

The same thing for To fly, we use “aller en avion”: Je vais à Londres en avion dimanche prochain

Flipped Learning . . .

2016-02-16T00:47:00.001-08:00

Flipped Learning is moving from “sage on the stage” to “guide on the side”. For students, the obvious benefit lies in the ability to pause and rewind the teacher at will. For teachers, it means less time creating lectures, and more engaged students as the boring introductions are pushed out, and the fun practical work is pulled in.

Flipped Learning’s 21st Century Skills:

1. Independent Learning

By moving direct instruction outside of the classroom, students are encouraged to engage in metacognitive learning. Here, the students can learn in a setting, and at a pace, that suits their needs, facilitating a personalized experience and promoting independent learning.

2. Critical Thinking

As 21st century learners, critical thinking has never been more of a focal point. Through independent learning, students are encouraged to think critically, thus promoting their curiosity and broadening their knowledge. Critical thinking teaches the obstacles of dependence and the benefits of self-confidence - invaluable lessons that prepare students for an increasingly unpredictable future.

3. Collaboration

We are all aware of the benefits of effective collaboration, and luckily it has never been so easy to facilitate. Through the flipped classroom model, students are urged to collaborate effectively using social media outside school walls, while the classroom itself becomes a proactive hub for positive and productive peer-to-peer instruction.

4. Digital Literacy

Digital literacy is one skill that no 21st century learner can do without. By using technology to view lessons, interact and collaborate on a daily basis, students open themselves up to a world of possibilities through technology. Digital literacy and digital citizenship are embedded in their use of technology as they are encouraged to use their devices as platforms for learning and development, as opposed to social accessories.

5. Digital Citizenship

Facilitating the evolution from ‘digital native’ to ‘digital citizen’ is another focal point for education of the 21st century. Encouraging students to work side by side in a digital environment teaches the basics of respect and cooperation in an online world. Flipped learning brings digital collaboration to the fore, building that mutual understanding that’s rooted in the digital citizen.

6. Creativity

In order for students to become independent learners and thinkers, fostering their curiosity and feeding their creativity is key. Learning outside the classroom, equipped with the tools to unleash their imagination, students are urged to be innovative and inquisitive thought leaders. With innovation and creativity proving to be key drivers of 21st century success, it’s the age of the innovator.

7. Social Skills

Growing up in a culture of social media is not an easy feat, and one that can further hinder a person’s social growth. By converting the classroom into a more active, collaborative workspace you can place the emphasis on forming healthy relationships and building productive teams.

8. Problem-solving

Another essential skill for the 21st century learner, problem-solving is a complex ability too often overlooked as inherent. With a steady routine of collaborative communication and a constant flow of independent learning, a student’s problem-solving skills can evolve hugely and adequately prepare them for the challenges ahead.

While only a brief outline of the many skills embedded within flipped learning, there are several more. The flipped classroom is the ideal model to invest in 21st century skills, and provide students with a one-to-one learning experience, that works around them.

Examples of Collaborative Learning or Group Work Activities

2016-02-03T05:28:00.004-08:00

Problem-Based Learning is a collaborative, student-centered approach to learning in which students learn about a subject by working in groups to solve an open-ended problem.

Stump your partner

Students take a minute to create a challenging question based on the lecture content up to that point.

Students pose the question to the person sitting next to them.

To take this activity a step further, ask students to write down their questions and hand them in. These questions can be used to create tests or exams. They can also be reviewed to gauge student understanding.

Think-pair-share/ Write-pair-share

The instructor poses a question that demands analysis, evaluation, or synthesis.

Students take a few minutes to think through an appropriate response.

Students turn to a partner (or small groups) and share their responses. Take this a step further by asking students to find someone who arrived at an answer different from their own and convince their partner to change their mind.

Student responses are shared within larger teams or with the entire class during a follow-up discussion.

Catch-up

Stop at a transition point in your lecture.

Have students turn to a partner or work in small groups to compare notes and ask clarifying questions.

After a few minutes, open the floor to a few questions.

Fishbowl debate

Ask students to sit in groups of three.

Assign roles. For example, the person on left takes one position on a topic for debate, the person on right takes the opposite position, and the person in the middle takes notes and decides which side is the most convincing and provides an argument for his or her choice.

Debrief by calling on a few groups to summarize their discussions.

Case study

Create four to five case studies of similar difficulty.

Have students work in groups of four or five to work through and analyze their case study.

Provide 10-15 minutes (or adequate time to work through the cases).

Walk around and address any questions.

Call on groups randomly and ask that students share their analysis. Continue until each case study has been addressed.

Team-based learning

Start a course unit by giving students some tasks to complete, such as reading or lab assignments. Consider assigning these to be completed before class.

Check students' comprehension of the material with a quick multiple-choice quiz. Have students submit their answers.

Assign students to groups and have them review their answers with group members to reach consensus. Have each group submit one answered quiz.

Record both the individual student assessment scores and the final group assessment score (both of which are used toward each student's course grade).

Deliver a lecture that specially targets any misconceptions or gaps in knowledge the assessments reveal.

Give groups a challenging assignment, such as solving a problem or applying a theory to a real world situation.

Group problem solving

There are many instructional strategies that involve students working together to solve a problem, including inquiry based learning, authentic learning, and discovery learning. While they each have their own unique characteristics, they all fundamentally involve:

Presenting students with a problem.

Providing some structure or guidance toward solving the problem. Note, however, that they are all student-centered activities in which the instructor may have a very minimal role.

Reaching a final outcome or solution.

Collaborative Learning: What is it ?

2016-02-03T05:25:00.002-08:00

Collaborative learning is based on the view that knowledge is a social construct.

Collaborative activities are most often based on four principles:

The learner or student is the primary focus of instruction.

Interaction and "doing" are of primary importance

Working in groups is an important mode of learning.

Structured approaches to developing solutions to real-world problems should be incorporated into learning.

Collaborative learning can occur peer-to-peer or in larger groups. Peer learning, or peer instruction, is a type of collaborative learning that involves students working in pairs or small groups to discuss concepts, or find solutions to problems. This often occurs in a class session after students are introduced to course material through readings or videos before class, and/or through instructor lectures. Similar to the idea that two or three heads are better than one, many instructors have found that through peer instruction, students teach each other by addressing misunderstandings and clarifying misconceptions.

Critical thinking habits and critical thinking skills

2016-02-03T05:17:00.001-08:00

1. Analyzing	Separating or breaking a whole into parts to discover their nature, functional and relationships. "I studied it piece by piece" "I sorted things out"
2. Applying Standards	Judging according to established personal, professional, or social rules or criteria. "I judged it according to..."
3. Discriminating	Recognizing differences and similarities among things or situations and distinguishing carefully as to category or rank. "I rank ordered the various..." "I grouped things together"
4. Information Seeking	Searching for evidence, facts, or knowledge by identifying relevant sources and gathering objective, subjective, historical, and current data from those sources "I knew I needed to lookup/study..." "I kept searching for data."
5. Logical Reasoning	Drawing inferences or conclusions that are supported in or justified by evidence "I deduced from the information that..." "My rationale for the conclusion was..."
6. Predicting	Envisioning a plan and its consequences "I envisioned the outcome would be..." "I was prepared for..."
7. Transforming Knowledge	Changing or converting the condition, nature, form, or function of concepts among contexts "I improved on the basics by..." "I wondered if that would fit the situation of ..."

6 Categories of Deeper Learning Skills

2016-02-03T05:06:00.003-08:00

Educators across the country are using the deeper learning framework, developed by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, in their classrooms. Through design thinking challenges, project-based learning activities, Genius Hours, and more, teachers can ensure that students are engaged, motivated to persist, and developing key skills.

For example, students in a sixth grade robotics classroom might build controllers for swimming robots. One group experiments with settings to sink the robots by filling a bladder with water. Another works to perfect the speed controls on the motor. Yet another tests the robot design to ensure that it can easily move through the water. Students are engaged and focused as they apply math, engineering, and science knowledge to their work.

These students are engaged in the six categories of Deeper Learning skills described below.

1. Master Academic Content

In addition to building foundation academic skills in reading, math, science, and social studies, teachers use many approaches to support students taking their learning and exploration to the next level. These approaches -- such as rooting projects in real-world problems or mapping facts and concepts to help build on prior knowledge -- enable students to connect ideas and apply knowledge across content areas.

In the aforementioned robotics classroom, students engage deeply with math and physics as they measure and assess the impact of the changes they are making to control their robots' speed, agility, and water displacement.

2. Think Critically and Solve Complex Problems

As students seek to tackle problems, they must be able to analyze those problems, develop solutions, and carry out plans to address them. Teachers integrate these skills into instruction through engaging activities that rely on competencies such as researching, brainstorming, and design thinking.

The robotics students are testing their hypotheses and designing solutions to the unexpected challenges they confront in their robot design.

3. Work Collaboratively

Working collaboratively in school helps students become better team members in the future as they learn to identify strengths, assign responsibilities, and reflect on successes. By planning thoughtful group activities, creating expectations around group work, and encouraging conversations about open-mindedness, teachers support these skills.

In each robotics group, students have created team agreements, identified group leaders, and divided responsibilities equally.

4. Communicate Effectively

Students develop their communication skills throughout their academic careers as writers, presenters, artists, and team members. Teachers strengthen those skills by providing students tools to communicate clearly, effectively, and persuasively across all grades and subjects.

After the students have perfected their robots, they will present them to their classmates to explain the adjustments they made to the controllers.

5. Learn How to Learn

In addition to guiding students through instruction, teachers help them become self-directed learners who drive their own exploration. With support from their teachers, students set goals, track their progress, reflect on their strengths and areas for improvement, and can turn setbacks into opportunities for growth.

In robotics class, students identify daily goals for their robot design in their groups, create challenges for their teams, and push their own learning to meet these goals.

6. Develop Academic Mindsets

Beyond learning academic skills, students need to become life-long learners who take initiative, are persistent, and build relationships to access resources. Teachers support these mindsets through activities and discussions that focus on ethical behavior, resilience, and mindfulness.

While not every experiment that the students try with their robots will be successful, they will not rest until they have found the best approach. Once the robots are complete, students will enter them in the Robot Olympics to determine the fastest, most agile, and most creative robots!

Plastic Pollution

2014-03-25T03:40:00.004-07:00

Next time you do the shopping and carry home the things in a plastic carry bag, think and realise that you are contributing your share to a deadly plastic pollution whose ill effects are irreversible and capable of reaching out to many generations to come. Plastic is one of the major toxic pollutants of our time. Being composed of toxic chemicals and most importantly a non biodegradable substance, plastic pollutes earth and leads to air pollution and water pollution. There is no safe way to dispose plastic waste.

Plastic causes serious damage to environment during its production process and during its disposal process. So the only way to reduce the hazards of plastic pollution is to reduce the use of plastic and thereby force a reduction in its production. The major chemicals that go into the making of plastic are highly toxic and pose serious threat to living beings of all species on earth. Some of the constituents of plastic such as benzene and vinyl chloride are proved to cause cancer, and other gases and liquid hydrocarbons spoil earth and air. The noxious substances emitted during the production of plastic are synthetic chemicals like ethylene oxide, benzene and xylenes.

Besides hitting hard the ecosystem which is already fragile, these chemicals can cause an array of maladies ranging from birth defects to cancer, damage the nervous system and the immune system and also adversely affect the blood and the kidneys. And, many of these toxic substance are emitted during recycling of plastic too.

Like in the case of all other chemical substances, ‘disposal’ of plastic is a myth. Once plastic is produced, the harm introduced is almost permanent. Plastic defies any kind of attempt at disposal, be it through recycling, burning or land filling. When you recycle a hazard, you pave way for another hazard. Recycling of a plastic merely puts it back into the market place and eventually into the environment, thereby making no reduction in its use. The recycled plastic degrades in quality and necessitates the production of more new plastic to make the original product.

When plastic is burned, it has its own disadvantages. When burned, plastic releases a host of poisonous chemicals including dioxin into the air. Apart from these dangers, recycling of plastic is very uneconomical, dirty and labour intensive as has been revealed by studies conducted by many 'Public Interest Research Groups'. Recycling of plastic is associated with skin and respiratory problems resulting from exposure to and inhalation of toxic fumes, especially hydrocarbons and residues released during the process.

Plastic wastes clog the drains and thus hit especially urban sewage systems. The plastic wastes being dumped into rivers, streams and sea contaminate the water, soil, marine life and also the air we breathe. Choked drains provide excellent breeding grounds for mosquitoes besides causing flooding during the monsoon. Since plastic does not undergo bacterial decomposition, landfilling using plastic would mean preserving the poison forever. Any attempt to get rid of plastic through landfills is also dangerous. Apart form toxic seepage from the landfill resulting in the contamination of precious water sources, the waste mass impedes the flow of ground water. Landfills are also prone to leaks. The wastes, especially cadmium and lead in the wastes, invariably mix with rain water, then seep through the ground and drain into nearby streams and lakes and other water bodies. Thus the water we use gets poisoned.

The only way to overcome the deadly and lasting danger of plastic pollution is to cut down the use of plastic, if possible avoid it altogether. Say NO to plastic whenever and wherever you can. Prefer to carry your own bags for grocery shopping, a jute or cloth bag. All attempts made to put an end to plastic pollution will be a REAL BENEFIT for your grand children. Let us contribute our part, save our environment from plastic pollution and make it a better environment for future.

Say NO to PLASTIC. Save the FUTURE for your Grandchildren.

Why Learn FRENCH ?

2011-02-15T02:53:00.000-08:00

If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head.
If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart. (Nelson Mandela)

French is a melodious and romantic language with a relatively quick learning curve.
It is not limited to one or two continents.
French is spoken in TWO of the G8 countries.
French is one of the official languages of the United Nations.
Be understood in 55 countries across five continents and by over 200 million people.
French is the third most common language on the Internet. Connect with pen pals, visit foreign websites and find student exchange opportunities.
Paris hosts over 1,000 congresses annually - and a world record of international congresses
France has the world’s greatest number of of Nobel Prize winners in literature. (12)
France is the world’s major tourist destination.(60 millions visit France annually)
Paris is considered the capital of the world in terms of quality of life (Healey and Baker)
France is with Germany the main pillar in the EMU (European Monetary Union).
France is Europe’s foremost investor abroad.
France ranks 4^th in terms of world power and it does not have the debt problems facing many other major industrialized nations. (A positive sign for joint projects, business and scientific co-operation).
France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany have the lowest rates of inflation in the European Union. This is an indicator of the health of these countries.
France is renowned for the quality of its high-tech.
French is a major language of high-tech and business in the world. (Second language on the internet.)
Over 50,000 English words have their origin in French.
In terms of number of words, French is the largest language after English.
France offers a range of generous scholarships to our graduate students.
French is the most widely taught second language after English.
French is the official language of the International Red Cross.
French is the official language of post offices across the world.
French is one of the two official languages at the Olympic Games.
French-speaking Africa represents an area larger than the U.S.A.
Montréal is the second largest French-Speaking city in the world.

, founded in 1892, is the oldest ethnic newspaper in Australia.
Le Courrier Australien
Trade with Australia in 1995 totaled the following (figures obtained from the French-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry):

Imports 6,3666, 000,000francs (the highest level recorded)
Exports 4,393,000,000francs (1 Australian dollar= 3.5 francs)

Megabucks for trade: In 1995 the United States did business/trade with the following countries in order of importance: 1. French-speaking countries; 2. Japan; 3. Spanish speaking countries.

Learning French can help you improve the interpersonal skills you bring to your international career.
A good knowledge of French enables you to fully enjoy at the movie theaters or on TV, the best films from the French-speaking world.
You can do so many more interesting things on the internet if you speak French. There are many high quality internet sites available in French ranging from Society to Science, Fashion to Finance, Music to Medicine …just to mention a few.
For those with the appropriate skills there are also possibilities for employment (building a career rather than keeping a job) in the following fields:

International business( what other kind of business is there in a global economy?)
International agencies.
The tourism and hospitality industries.
The diplomatic service.
French and /or French-speaking research institutes.
Teaching
Translating or interpreting.