Information on Software and Websites – June 2004 (links checked and
updated November 2006)
1) Taskmagic:
This is an authoring package which allows you to type in your own texts tailored
to what you happen to be teaching at the moment and it converts it into all
sorts of games and puzzles which seem very appealing for the students. Files
can also be downloaded from the Web:
For example, from the mdlsoft website, all of the files on the mdlsoft website
are free to download.
2) Subscription websites:
- www.linguascope.co.uk used to be
known as ‘bonjour.org. Has many exercises in French, German, Spanish
and Italian; also works on the electronic whiteboard. Cost: £40 per
year for organisations, £25 per year for individuals; there are some
sample files for evaluation.
- www.zut.org.uk subscription service
for French only, but up to yr 13; recently, a section of reading for pleasure
has been included as well as quite a few power-point presentations; the site
is free to use after 4pm, so you could evaluate it then. Cost: £40 per
year for organisations, £25 for individuals;
- www.modlangs.co.uk for KS5 resources
– weekly graded newsheets in 3 languages, a resource bank of topical
articles for interactive use on the computer, a bank of topic-based texts
for printed off; £30 + VAT per year;
- www.elpais.es subscription service to the
Daily Spanish newspaper. Cost: 80€ per annum;
3) Best lists of MFL websites:
- atschool.eduweb.co.uk/stpmlang
website from St.Peter’s School, York, with an excellent list of links
to other MFL websites
- www.ashcombe.surrey.sch.uk
website from the Ashcombe School in Dorking with excellent links to other
websites and superb evaluations of MFL software
- www.languagesonline.org.uk List of
websites and activities from High Wycombe School
- www.camsoftpartners.co.uk an entirely
comprehensive website of links for MFL, also lists of software, their catalogue,
their contact details (it is always worth asking them for a discount!)
4) Other sites to explore
- www.hueber.de (go into ‘tangram’
and ‘lehren’ and you will find a wealth of materials that you
could print out or let the students explore)
- www.francealacarte.org.uk
a wealth of materials for teaching French, especially at KS5
- www.languageadvantage.com/courses
links to numerous language courses including links to revision sites
- www.byteachers.org.uk extra
materials to use with various course books
- www.oup.co.uk/equipe lots of
worksheets taylored to users of equipe, but also useful for others (no longer
maintained)
- education.brighton-hove.gov.uk
for a booklet of ideas and suggestions on plenaries in MFL and other resources
and links
- www.redoute.fr La Redoute - An on-line
mail order catalogue in French. Excellent for search skills
- www.momes.net L'internet pour les
enfants - A fun site in French, packed with games and other ideas
- Newspaper sites, such as AFP (multi-lingual),
El Pais, Die
Welt and numerous others can provide a wealth of topical, up-to-date
resources which can be used, with care, at any level.
All sites live November 2006
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