Welcome to Mr. Paul's Site
for French Students!
Thank you for visiting! I am happy you're here! 😃
This site is meant to be a resource for you to use throughout your study of French.
It contains links to course documents, information, and other resources as well as external sites to help you learn and practice French.
Please use this site as a jumping off point for your study of French.
Find links that interest you, and use them to help you learn more and practice!
French I - Novice
We are working toward reaching the Novice High proficiency level by the end of the year.
Check out this slide show about proficiency levels if you would like to learn more about them.
French III - Intermediate
We are working toward reaching the Intermediate proficiency level by the end of the year.
Check out this slide show about proficiency levels if you would like to learn more about them.
Google Classroom
Attention! In order to access your class page using the link below, you must be logged into your Malden Public Schools Gmail Account.
Helpful Links and Resources
All links below lead to external sites to help you learn French and discover the art, culture, current events, geography, and history of the French-speaking world.
Art, culture, et géographie
Africultures - African art, culture, dance, literature, & music.
Afrikadaa - Modern African art.
Afromix - African and Caribbean arts, culture, and music.
Afropop Worldwide - African diaspora music & commentary.
Allociné - French and Francophone cinema.
L'aménagement linguistique dans le monde - Language and geography site from the Université de Laval in Québec.
La Bretagne - Culture & tourism in the Bretagne region of France.
Buda Musique - French language world music site.
Le centre belge de la bande dessinée - Belgian comics & cartoons.
Les châteaux de la Loire - The castles of the Loire Valley.
Femmes écrivains et littératures africaines - African women writers and their work.
Festival international de jazz - Montréal - Montréal International Jazz Festival site.
FESPACO - Ouagadougou - Pan-African Film & Television Festival.
Île en île - Littérature et culture - Literature representing French-speaking islands across the globe.
Le Louvre - Paris - World's largest art museum & a former palace.
Le Musée d'Orsay - Paris - Art museum inside an old train station.
Le Musée Picasso - Paris - Paris art gallery dedicated to Picasso.
Parc historique de la canne à sucre - Haitian museum and park dedicated to the history of sugar cane in Haiti and Afro-Haitian cultural connections.
La Sainte Chapelle - Paris - A royal chapel with amazing windows.
Vues d'Afrique - Montréal-based international film festival.
Bescherelle - Grammar, especially helpful for advanced students.
BBC French - French language learning site with useful links and applications. Includes a free online video course.
Comme une Française - Youtube channel with helpful videos.
Digital Dialects - Very basic site with links and vocabulary games.
EasyFrench - Site with links to a Youtube channel with many videos to help you learn French.
Francolab - Canadian site offering many opportunities to learn and practice French.
French in Action - Classic series from the 1980s with 52 free half-hour videos to help you learn about different topics.
French Resources - Many grammar and vocabulary resources.
Larousse - Dictionary, encyclopedia, recipe database.
News in Slow French - Like the name suggests, awesome place to practice listening while you read along with news stories.
Parlons français - General language learning with many activities, games, and links.
Quizlet - Site provides access to vocabulary lists, including the ones used in class, so you can practice with activities and games.
Tex's French Grammar - Lots of clear grammar explanations for all levels, includes exercises.
TV5Monde - Apprendre le français - Learn French with TV5 Monde.
Word Reference - Go-to site for looking up words. Definitions include sentences to show words used in context.
Média
The country or region of emphasis is indicated beside each link.
Africa Vivre - Afrique
Agence Gabonaise de Presse - Gabon
AlterPresse - Haïti
BBC Afrique - Afrique
Le Calame - Mauritanie
CRTV - Cameroun
La Dépêche - France (Sud-Ouest)
Deutsche Welle (VF) - Afrique
Les Echos du Congo Brazzaville - République du Congo
El Watan - Algérie
L'Essor - Mali
L'Express - Maurice
FIP - French radio station with music and cultural shows.
France Inter - French public radio with news, culture, and music.
Fraternité Matin - Côte d'Ivoire
Guinée Live - Guinée
L'Humanité - France
Iwacu - Burundi
Jeune Afrique - Afrique
Libération - France
Le Matinal - Bénin
Le Monde - France
La Nation - Djibouti
Niger Diaspora - Niger
Le Nouvel Afrik - Afrique
Le Nouvelliste - Haïti
L'Obs - France
L'Observateur Paalga - Burkina Faso
Ouest-France - France (Nord-Ouest)
La Prospérité - République Démocratique du Congo
Le Quotidien - Sénégal
Le Soir - Belgique
Radio Canada - Canada
Radio France Internationale (RFI) - International branch of French public radio and a great place to practice your listening.
RFI Afrique - Afrique
Radio Ndeke Luka - Centrafrique
Radio Rwanda - Rwanda
Réalités Online - Tunisie
Tchad Infos - Tchad
Télévision Togolaise - Togo
TV5Monde - International. Extensive site, many articles, video clips, and language learning features. Lots to explore here from all over the French-speaking world!
Le 360 - Maroc
1 Jour 1 Actu - International. Simplified news articles as well as videos and links to podcasts to help you learn French.
French Program Overview
Students at Malden High School can take up to four years of French. Our students practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills, and we also emphasize studying the cultures of French-speaking societies around the globe.
Our teachers share a passion for teaching the French language and for exploring the rich diversity of French-speaking societies around the world, especially those in Africa, the Caribbean, and North America. In addition to language, we study art, culture, history, literature, and music and explore ideas and identities of French speakers from across the globe.
As members of the Malden High School World Languages Department, we adhere to the proficiency guidelines set out by the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).
About Me
Background Information
My name is Paul Degenkolb, and I teach four sections of French I as well as a combined Special Topics Course focused on Identities in the Francophone World and Afro-Caribbean History with Advanced Placement French Language and Culture. This is my seventeenth year teaching at Malden High School.
I grew up here in the Boston area, and I attended public school from kindergarten through high school. In college, I majored in French with a focus on African and Caribbean Literature. After college and a few years working for non-profit organizations, I decided to go back to school to pursue graduate study in education. I knew that what I wanted most was to share my love for my subject and help to make school a healthy and positive experience where every student feels safe, respected, and valued.
In addition to teaching, I enjoy spending
time with my family and friends, reading, cooking, walking, traveling, and gardening. As you might expect, I love learning languages too. I speak English, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, and Spanish. I want to learn more languages. Maybe you can help me do that! 😃
Educational Philosophy
I believe that students learn best in an environment where accountability, clear communication, and high expectations are consistently modeled with honesty, love, and mutual respect. Together, my students and I work to create and maintain an environment in which students feel safe being themselves. When we feel safe and secure, it is much easier to take the risks necessary to be a successful language learner.