Oral Proficiency [grading]-- for 29 September, 1999
Shopping in La Redoute Catalogue
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[The following exercise is the work of Kathy
Barton, of California. It is reproduced here because we wanted to modify it a
bit, but the original
exercise can be found on the Web.
This is only one of many Web activities
created in Technology Workshops run by the California
Foreign Language Project and the California Language Teachers' Association. A site explaining the
workshops and presenting their results is available, if you are interested.]
In this activity, you will visit the web site for the popular
mail order catalogue company that millions of French people use to buy clothes, items for
the home and other products. You get to shop through the on-line catalogue for a complete
outfit for a particular occasion. Bons Achats!
Before you go shopping...
What information do you expect a catalogue to include for
articles of clothing? What did we do in our textbook, on pp. 93-94, that might help you
anticipate what will be there?
Once you get to the catalogue...
Before you go to the catalogue site, check the  Instructions for
"navigating" through the site.
Your task....
When you click on this link to go to La Redoute's catalogue, here is
what you should do:
Choose a complete outfit for one of the following occasions:
a) going to a wedding or
b) going on a picnic with friends.
Follow these steps to make your selection:
1. Search for appropriate clothing (see the navigating
instructions for help).
2. Browse through what's available and choose your outfit.
Imagine you are buying at least three items (e.g., pants, shirt,
shoes, or dress, shoes, hat, or whatever items will make a complete outfit).
3. For each item, write down, using the FORM provided, if you wish:
a) color
b) any other descriptive information you want to remember [Don't try to look up
terms you don't understand. You can understand others. Note what seems
comprehensible -- if it says "lavable en machine," for instance, you
can figure that out and write it down.]
c) material
d) price
4. Total the amount for your three items in
francs and then write down the equivalent amount in dollars. If you'd like to convert
francs into dollars, use the following site: http://www.myna.com/~cfeltham/money.htm
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After you have completed the activities above, be
prepared to tell a partner or partners about the outfit you chose.
Include the following information in your oral
description:
a) where you will wear your
outfit (à un pique-nique, à un mariage) and why it is an appropriate outfit for
this occasion, using elements from Chapter 2 (i.e. Ces vêtements sont chic,
élégants, à la mode, confortables, pratiques, etc. J'aime..., je préfère...,
j'adore..., je ne porte jamais, etc.).
b) a description of the three articles of clothing (what they are, color and material, for
instance), as well as any other elements that may explain your choice.
c) the price in francs. |
To prepare for discussing and comparing purchases with
your partner(s)...
a) Think of grammar from Chapter
2 which would be natural to use (comparisons, préférer, suggérer, être, the
demonstrative adjective, for instance).
b) Anticipate vocabulary from Chapter 2 which could come into play when discussing what
your partners are wearing (and your choices, as well). How about adjectives (color, style,
etc.)? Could you give your partner a compliment, for instance? |
Your instructor will visit your group,
and you will receive a
speaking proficiency grade for this. Your
grade will be based on:
Your preparation, and enough familiarity with your
"research" to make it relatively easy to speak simply about it.
Your use of appropriate, simple descriptions,
comprehensible to your partners.
Your efforts to respond to other students'
clothing choices (making a true dialogue).
Your accuracy in grammar and vocabulary.
You may use brief notes (a chart, for
instance, with essential terms to describe each article of clothing), but you may not read
from a prepared text or from a printout of the Web page (although showing your partners a
picture you printed out is fine). This is a conversation about your selections. |
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