Any teacher happens to hear:
“Sure, I did the exercises, but my dog ate them”.
Statistically, any dog is fed by paper and ink every other day. Dogs do not eat French exercises and essays only. They also like Maths. They devour English. They nibble at Geography. They chew History. They savour Physics. They bite hundreds of chemical formulas. Take into account that not only one child lives with each dog. The devilish beast wolfs down the whole family’s exercise books. I wonder if some dogs have got several stomachs, like the cows. Are there vets who specialize in curing these dogs? I bet they are rich.

Whatever the excuse, even true, I had decided that to be accepted, it had to be funny, sensible and new. Pupils could try their luck and explained why they were not able to give me their exercises in time. The speech had to be longer than 2 minutes and shorter than 5.

If the excuse was not convincing enough, the speaker got nothing. But if it was well championed, I extended the time limit.

Even shy pupils tried to avoid to get nothing (parents tend to be very inquisitive when their kid comes back with the worst possible mark on their report card!) and the self-confident often worked on their excuses more than on their “official” presentations.

From the first try: “Sure, Madame, I did my exercises, but my hen ate them” to real novels about essays forgotten in space ships, I have heard dozens of stories.

After the speech, the audience were allowed to ask questions. They became good at detecting incoherences and at recognizing quotations. Quicker than I had thought, they were able to pull apart a false argument and to propose theirs to prove it was false.

I obtained greater work and think-tank than if I had entitled the same exercise: “Let’s study argumentation.”

Gabrielle Guichard
is a French teacher who helps you to learn French online.

A busy life makes it hard to squeeze in everything you would like to read. Frequently we don’t realize that extended journeys to work and many different chores take up sizable chunks of our time. Working, dealing with kids or housework can all reduce the free time you have to persue your interests. If you really enjoy reading and find it problematic to fit it in, journeys to work may be a chance for catching up. Using user-friendly technology, you can enjoy Hour Game by David Baldacci by Download Audio Book Online, or audio-books recounted by John Stewart without flipping a single page.

Click here and check out our truly record setting resource for Pimsleur Englisch – English for German Speakers I Part 1 by Dr. Paul Pimsleur tips!

In today’s fast paced world multitasking is an essential strategy. Audiobooks like Zahir by Paulo Coelho for sale from Download Audio Book Online occupy the dead moments in our lives, it may be hours passed waiting in a dentist’s surgery or maybe grocery shopping. Many audible books are immediately available for download in mp3 format including Dance Of Death by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, so if you have an iPod or other mp3 player and headphones and get ready to listen to a best seller or a wonderful novel, for instance audible books by Janette Oke without dragging cumbersome books around. The advantages of audio books include the opportunity to rent or purchase many titles and peruse them at your own pace. Want to study another language? Why not check out audiobooks? You can catch up on progressive business practises, you may even discover religious or spiritual trends.

Audio-books exist in a huge diversity of titles and literary genres. Whether you love history, or if you are mad over horror or even interested in self help, it’s simple to download most audiobooks now. Numerous plans are open; you can simply subscribe to a rental service or else make a purchase.

Reading devotees can always find a time to enjoy books, but a more convenient way might be the thousands of audio titles available today. A narrator can enhance the experience of many books. Just reading a book is not quite the same experience as savoring audio books told by Betty Webb, with the additional subtleties established during a performance. Your reading experience can be increased when you listen to an audiobook like Lifeguard by James Patterson and Andrew Cross and convey more than written words.

Don’t forget about audio-books next time you want to purchase books, audiobooks can give you tremendous means of squeezing all the titles you desire into a hectic life.