Users' Guide

How to make a personal copy of each chapter

1. On the #OnYGo website, click on the chapter you like to work with to open it. In the upper lefthand corner, click File > Download > Desired File Type. We recommend using Microsoft Word (.docx) or OpenDocument (.odt) so you will be able to make changes directly in the chapter.

Refreshing your chapter

1. You will need to refresh the Table of Contents (Table des matières) each time you make changes to preserve them structurally in the document. To do this, click within the box underneath the heading “Table des matières.” You will see a small rectangle with a circular arrow and three dots on the left hand side of your screen: click on the circular arrow.

Moving through the document

1. The landmarks in the text, i.e., gray answer boxes, blank spaces, etc., will move as you make edits to the document. This means that the exercises won’t always be perfectly formatted to fit the page. If it appears that an activity has been truncated, scroll down and look for the rest of it on the following page.
2. We expressly didn’t number the main headings in the text (=in light blue) so that when you make changes, you won’t also have to change the numbers.
3. Gray boxes after a question indicate that the learner should provide a written answer, while white space or the absence of a gray box indicates that the answers should be shared orally in a group.
4. Certain sections, e.g., On se familiarise avec le vocabulaire, will automatically prompt you to make a copy when opening the document for the first time. This is so that everyone (teachers and learners alike) makes their own personalized vocabulary list.

A note on our target forms

Our goal is to focus learners’ attention on high-impact grammar, which means pointing out places in the language where certain grammatical forms have fallen into disuse in favor of others. In these cases, we teach learners to recognize the grammatical forms but don’t prompt them to create such forms on their own. In #OnYGo, these forms include:

1. imperative, which has fallen out of use in favor of the 2nd person indicative and/or the infinitive, e.g., ‘viens’ replaced by ‘tu viens’ or ‘venir’
2. subjunctive, replaced by indicative, e.g., ‘avant qu’iel vienne’ replaced by ‘avant qu’iel vient’
3. inversion in questions, e.g. ‘viens-tu’ replaced by ‘est-ce que tu viens?’ ou ‘tu viens?’

Developing intellectual curiosity

We want teachers and students to want to personalize their experience with #OnYGo, so we’ve left many breadcrumbs and Easter eggs throughout the activities that invite both sides to explore topics further, as a means to develop intellectual curiosity on both sides.

Exposing learners to authentic language

We also seek to expose learners to authentic language as it appears in a variety of modalities–everything from news articles to song lyrics to social media posts–and for that reason, we introduce learners to a variety of digital tools (like online translators and voice typing plug-ins) and support them in their informed use of them for accessing higher-level language culture.

Focusing on usage over form

Our grammar activities make use of both inductive and deductive approaches. Our goal in adopting this integrative approach is to focus on authentic usage more than straight form.

Bringing visibility to nonbinary identities

A growing visibility of the trans community in francophone spaces has brought to light the existence of several nonbinary pronouns for individuals who do not identify along the masculine/feminine binary of traditional French grammar. These pronouns have been innovated organically, by trans people in trans spaces, and legitimized by their authentic and continued use.

The most commonly used nonbinary pronoun in the French-speaking world at the time of this writing is iel (also sometimes written yel: both pronounced [jɛl]), however, it isn’t the chosen form of all nonbinary people (other less frequent forms include ul, ol, ael, im, em, ille and el). The exercises and activities in this text will introduce and model nonbinarity in French using iel, but we encourage instructors and learners to explore the forms in more detail to select the ones that resonate most with each individual in their learning group. Consult the following resources:

1. Le langage neutre en français : pronoms et accords à l'écrit et à l'oral – Genre !
2. Resources for Educators — Kris Aric Knisely, Ph.D.
3. Banque de dépannage linguistique - Désigner les personnes non binaires

We encourage learners to understand the delicate complications of working within a language with grammatical binary gender but needing to bring visibility to nonbinary people. To that end, we encourage learners to think about strategies for prioritizing invariable nouns and adjectives (i.e., those that do not change form or pronunciation across masculine and feminine forms) and using gender-neutral terms of reference like person / une personne or individual / un individu whenever possible.

Supporting linguistic development in a variety of registers

There are three levels of language in French (also known as ‘registres’) which are signaled through the use of words and constructions marked with more or less formality. The three levels in French are le familier (=familiar), le courant / standard (=standard) and le soutenu (=formal).

The targeted level of language and structures in this textbook is by default courant / standard. Vocabulary lists and exercises will frequently incorporate expressions that are familier, with the goal of exposing learners to turns of phrase as they are used in colloquial interactions. When such a word/expression is presented in the text, it will be overtly marked with a * to signal a departure from the courant / standard. The textbook will not address the level of soutenu beyond the use of inversion, e.g. Quel âge avez-vous?, and the formal pronoun, vous.

Raising metalinguistic and critical language awareness through dynamic translanguaging

This text makes use of a gradual immersion method, in which supporting text (directions, explanations, activities, etc.) appear in English to facilitate learners’ focus on manipulating target structures in French. As the chapters progress, directions and explanations incorporate more frequent and longer stretches in French, alongside text in English.

This text also makes use of a dynamic translanguaging framework, which seeks to support the use of multiple languages/varieties in the French-language classroom through transparent stancetaking vis-à-vis multilingualism, creative activity designs that allow for situations of translanguaging to emerge organically, and built-in shifts into other languages that signal to learners the reality of language diglossia. Instructors will find themselves supported helping learners explore their knowledge of language more generally through the languages they already know.

Offering additional learning materials to facilitate #OnYGO’s adoption

For access to additional resources, you will need to request to join our #OnYGo instructors’s community by sending us an email : onygo.contact@gmail.com.

Ancillary materials are organized in a Google Drive folder and available to instructors (upon request). The folder includes a rich collection of engaging and diverse resources to enhance students' understanding and mastery of course material.

Our Homework and Exams folder houses a series of Google Forms-based activities, each thoughtfully designed to complement your group’s learning journey throughout each chapter. These activities feature a mix of question formats, ranging from self-corrected to open-ended, multiple-choice, true/false, matching, and interactive elements, offering a dynamic and immersive learning experience.

The activities were developed using an array of multimedia content, including written texts, videos, and listening exercises. These resources are strategically integrated to cater to various learning styles, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.

For easy navigation and accessibility, the folder is organized, with materials arranged by chapters or topics. Clear instructions and guidance accompany each resource, ensuring a seamless and intuitive user experience.

To create the activities within this folder, we've utilized a collection of supplementary materials that was developed by Lisa Connell and Claire Ezekiel (University of West Georgia) to accompany the open textbook Français Interactif. These resources have been thoughtfully repurposed, combining elements through reuse, remixing, and revision to tailor the content specifically for #OnYGo.