Students in Laura Franklin's French classes at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria, Virginia have an assignment to engage in a language exchange with French and Francophone members of the Mixxer who woud like to improve their English. Topics for discussion in French/English include:

Beginners: Greetings, School Life,  Popular Culture and Traditions, Music, Food, Cinema, Fashion,  Art and Popular Media

Intermediate: All the above and Literature, Poetry, Science and Technology, Politics and Global Affairs

The purpose of this assignment is to increase both the speech fluency and the cultural awareness of all the participants. Everyone should learn about the real world existence in each country, going beyond the textbook to pratice speaking. An attitude of respect between participants is essential as each learner helps the other to speak their target language. To do this, it is recommended that learners speak on skype, exchange information in the blog and share culture with. each other.

Skype conversations should revolve around a pre-arranged theme,  with fifteen minutes in French and fifteen minutes in English each session. Students can also post text, images and links in our Mixxer blog for the benefit of all to share.

Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) is a two-year institution that  offers college diplomas and certificates in Liberal Arts, Sciences, Health, Engineering, Information Technology and Workforce Development. Its students include young people from 18-22 years old, but also include students of a variety of ages who study languages for  their jobs and for their own enrichment. NOVA is also a very multicultural institution whose students include many New Americans and international students.

For more information abut participatiion, contact Professor Laura Franklin through the Mixxer.