Are you looking for authentic French resources that will help you or your students stay connected with what is happening in the francophone world? Le portail des Outre-Mer is a portal that connects you to the French regions outside of France proper. The regions covered by this resource include : Guadaloupe, Guyane, Martinique, Mayotte, Nouvelle-Calédonie, Polynésie, Réunion, Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, et Wallace et Futuna.
The site offers many articles to read, videos to watch, and radio to listen to. There are also links to podcast episodes. Here, you and your students can hear different accents, see the topics that matter to the people of these regions and see how they are connected to France proper.
Starting points:
I have used articles, videos, and podcasts from this site as starting points for class discussions. Students practice their listening skills and partner them with their speaking skills as they share what they understood, what stood out to them, and what their thoughts on the topic are. Students can point out similarities and differences between where they live, and the places seen or heard on the website all the while becoming aware of more regions where French is spoken in the world. My students have also used this as a research point to add to their ongoing research projects.
As with so many resources, this is also a great way to learn more vocabulary as new to you or new to your students words are found. Phrases that do not translate literally into English are also found and add depth to language learning.
The website includes information from a variety of topics including culture which highlights cultural traditions, the arts, and heritage information. This allows students to see the rich culture of these regions as well as the history of the people from these regions. Also on the site, are spotlights on people who have made a significant impact on these French regions. Various initiatives from these regions are also given a space to be heard. Here students can see how other places in the world are working for the betterment of communities and the globe.
En profitez de ce site web ! Enjoy the website! Le portail des Outre-Mer