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Our Activity of the Week is Rémi A. van Compernolle's Lesson 1 from his Concept-based French pragmatics series. This lesson exemplifies concept-based instruction, as described in today's Topic of the Week article.

Learning Objectives: This lesson aims to introduce students to the ways in which the second-person pronouns tu and vous (and related forms) point to three conceptual meanings: 1) self-presentation, 2) social distance, and 3) power.

Materials Needed: Internet connection to view video, possibly handouts or projections of the warm-up and follow-up questions.

Procedure: The full lesson is available here.

Notes: The distinction between formal and informal direct address is common in many languages, the most well-known being many European languages. This approach can be used to help students navigate the distinction in any language, although the specific pragmatic considerations will vary from language to language.

Find more more resources for advanced language learners from the Center for Advanced Language Proficiency Education and Research here.