After students on each side of the Atlantic have analyzed the materials contained in the different modules first on their own and then as a class, they systematically enter the forums where they exchange their observations with their counterparts. The forums are attached to every single module, and within each module, to specific areas of investigation, whether it is a word, a sentence or a situation (as in the Questionnaires Module), whether it is a specific scene from the films (as in the Film Module), whether it is a topic addressed by the news media (as in the Newsstand/Kiosque Module), etc...

Basic and Essential Principles

For the forums to work well, the following principles need to be followed:

Principle 1: all students must write in their native language (or more specifically in the language of the country where they are studying). This is the only way the forums can function, since only one's native or near native language can fully and expertly express the necessary nuances. The forums are not a place where students exercise their linguistic skills but a place where they express their views within their own linguistic frame of reference. Some of you may feel that your students should write in the target language, that they should be able to practice their linguistic skills. But think about it: what your students might be "losing" by not practicing the language, they are in fact gaining tenfold through the reading of a totally authentic language. By reading this authentic, rich language, students will:

• learn an extraordinary amount of useful vocabulary (current slang and common SIGLES included ) within a real communicative context.
• be exposed to a lot of common culturally-imbedded references
• become sensitized to the discourse used by their counterparts.

Principle 2: students on both sides of the Atlantic need to work on the same materials at the same time. You therefore need to decide upon a precise calendar and specific time frame with your partner-teacher.

It does not matter which students start the dialogues first (the Americans or the French). This will be dictated, in great measure, by the days and times your respective courses take place. However, it is important that, if at all possible, it not always be the same students starting the dialogue (the French or the Americans). So, try to arrange for some reciprocity.

Principle 3: it is important not to let too much time elapses between the commentaries and questions posted by one side and the commentaries/ questions and answers to the questions posted by the other.

Principle 4: forums should not be limited to one single string of exchanges. It is important that there be a real dialogue and for that to happen, students need to go several times on one same forum, so that not too many questions are left unanswered. Of course, the dialogue has to stop at some point (=when one moves to another module or another part of the module), but it should not stop too quickly. Often remind your students to go on the forums. This will help greatly.

Principle 5: teachers must never intervene on the forums, no matter what the students write. If you do intervene, students will feel censored and will start censoring themselves. This would be counter-productive.

As you can tell from all of the above, a great deal of close contact and cooperation is required on the part of the transatlantic instructors: in terms of scheduling, timing, etc..

What Do Students do in the Forums?

In these forums, students constantly need to do three things simultaneously:

• write their own observations and formulate hypotheses (= what did they observe, discover?)
• ollow-up their observations with one or two questions (to check on their assumptions; to try and go deeper in their understanding, etc..)
• respond to their transatlantic partners' questions.