Interested in what e-learning en français is like? Take a look in one of our upcoming free online demos on Thursday, April 2 or a look at the quick video summaries below!



 


What You're Saying About Our Online Classes




D.B.

I’ve been so impressed with our teachers at the end of this past semester. Learning a language calls for lots of talking with native speakers who are gifted at the craft of teaching. The teachers I’ve had at the Center are so good at what they do, and they’ve taken the classroom experience right into Zoom. The Center’s “small class” approach has worked really well for me online.

It’s scary to sign up for a first time with something like a language, but I can’t image kinder teachers.

Especially during a time when everyone’s so isolated, it’s a gift to be able to meet, talk and learn. I’m particularly missing classes during the two weeks in between terms, and can’t wait to get started up again in April!

Hilary G

Twice a week for the past five years I have taken a core language course at the French Cultural Center with a recurring group of students. We all come from different backgrounds and different experiences, but we share the same goal: to be fluent in French, and immerse ourselves in French culture. When the Center had to close in the middle of March, two weeks before my winter session was to end, I was worried I would not be able to keep up with my French. But more than anything, I realized I would miss connecting with my fellow classmates every Tuesday and Thursday. Without missing a beat, the Center supported my teacher to resume our class online. During this time of uncertainty in the world, I still had a place to go Tuesdays and Thursdays to learn, explore and share all things French. We continued at the same pace of learning, using the same textbooks, while leaving plenty of time to share stories and recommend French books, television programs and movies. There is no replacement for being able to meet in person, and I look forward to when the Center can reopen, but in the meantime I count down the days until our Spring session begins, online.

M.C.

My class adopted very well to the remote instruction via Zoom. Our instructor, Delphine, made a seamless transition to this method of teaching and made it enjoyable for all of us. There are some challenges (besides learning French), specifically the audio, and I do really miss my nighttime walks to the French Culture Center where I "m'exerce mon francais" in person with my peers. However, it is nice to have this service available in the interim, to see and to speak to familiar faces, and continue to learn this beautiful language!

B.M.

J’ai été très impressionné par les derniers cours de la classe Advanced Conversation qui ont été suivis à l’aide de ZOOM. Il était facile de se connecter et l’enseignant et tous les autres étaient également clairement compris en tout temps.En outre, l’enseignant a été en mesure de se regrouper en petits groupes pour les conversations, puis nous rejoindre dans l’ensemble du groupe pour une revue de l’exercice. Je vais poursuivre mes études au Centre Culturel Français en utilisant le programme ZOOM pour profiter de voir les autres et parler ensemble!



Student Guide to Zoom

With our move to online classes, we thought that an introduction to Zoom was in order! Thank you for taking your class with us via Zoom. Zoom is a web-based video conferencing tool with a local, desktop client and a mobile app that allows users to meet online, with or without video. Users can choose to record sessions, collaborate on projects, and share or annotate on one another’s screens, all with one easy-to-use platform.  Your teacher will use Zoom with you and your classmates for the remainder of this session. One of the advantages of Zoom is that it is compatible with Canvas: your teacher will continue to use this platform to communicate with you and post assignments. They will also be able to “invite” you to participate in Zoom meetings during your normal class time through your Canvas account.  Please note that even though we are moving to online instruction for the remainder of the session, that French Cultural Center classroom policies still apply. Please make sure to dress appropriately for your class, and to limit external noises or distractions.  If you have any questions at any point, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this time. 

   

How to Use Zoom

How do I download Zoom?

You can download the latest version of Zoom from Zoom’s Download Center. Zoom is a free application that is compatible with PC, Mac, Linux, Android and iOS. Click on the link to Learn more about downloading Zoom.  

How do I sign-in to Zoom and join my class?

You can join a meeting by clicking the meeting link that your teacher will post on Canvas. You can also go to join.zoom.us and enter in the meeting ID. The meeting ID is the meeting number associated with an instant or scheduled meeting. Your teacher will share this number with you prior to your class. Please make sure your time zone is set to Eastern Standard Time (EST).  Once you have the meeting ID, you can go to join.zoom.us and do the following:

Windows | Mac

  1. Open the Zoom desktop client.
  2. Join a meeting using one of these methods:
    • Click Join a Meeting if you want to join without signing in.
    • Sign in to Zoom then click Join.
  3. Enter the meeting ID number and your display name.
    • If you're signed in, change your name if you don't want your default name to appear.
    • If you're not signed in, enter a display name.
  4. Select if you would like to connect audio and/or video and click Join.
 

How do I turn on my video and adjust the sound?

On most devices, you can join computer/device audio by clicking Join Audio, Join with Computer Audio, or Audio to access the audio settings. Learn more about connecting your audio.

How do I use the chat bar?

The in-meeting chat allows you to send chat messages to other participants within a meeting. You can send a private message to the teacher or you can send a message to an entire group. To use the “chat” function, click on the chat button at the bottom of your Zoom screen:
  1. While in a meeting, click Chat in the meeting controls.
  2. This will open the chat on the right. You can type a message into the chat box or click on the drop down next to To: if you want to send a message to a specific person.
  3. When new chat messages are sent to you or everyone, a preview of the message will appear and Chat will flash orange in your host controls.
   

While Screen Sharing

  1. While screen sharing, click More in the meeting controls. Choose Chat.
  2. A floating chat window will appear.
  3. If you receive new chat messages while screen share, the more button will flash orange to indicate the incoming message. You can click on More, then Chat to open the window.
   

How do I share my screen and use the whiteboard option?

One of Zoom’s features is the ability for participants to share their computer screens during a meeting. This might be useful if your teacher wants to check your written responses to a question, for example. In order to share your screen, you can click the share button at the bottom of your Zoom screen and choose the screen that you would like to share. Learn more about sharing your screen. 
  1. Click the Share Screen button located in your meeting controls.
  2. Select the screen you want to share. You can also choose an individual application that is already open on your computer, the desktop, a whiteboard, or an iPhone/iPad.
  3. (Optional) Enable these features:
    • Check Share Computer Sound: If you check this option, any sound played by your computer will be shared in the meeting.
    • Check Optimize for full screen video clip: Check this if you will be sharing a video clip in full screen mode. Do not check this otherwise, as it may cause the shared screen to be blurry.
  4. Click Share.
    • Zoom will automatically switch to full screen to optimize the shared screen view. To exit full-screen, click Exit Full Screen in the top-right corner or press the Esc key. 
    • To disable automatic full screen when viewing a shared screen, disable this option in your desktop client settings: Enter full screen automatically when a participant shares screen
   

Share screen menu

When you start sharing your screen, the meeting controls will move into a menu that you can drag around your screen.
  • Mute/Unmute: Mute or unmute your microphone.
  • Start/Stop Video: Start or stop your in-meeting video.
  • Participants/Manage Participants: View or manage the participants (if the host).
  • New Share: Start a new screen share. You will be prompted to select which screen you want to share again.
  • Pause Share: Pause your current shared screen.
  • Annotate / Whiteboard: Display annotation tools for drawing, adding text, etc.
  • More: Hover over more for additional options.
    • Chat: Open the chat window.
    • Invite: Invite others to join the meeting.
    • Record: Start recording locally or to the cloud.
    • Allow/Disable participants annotation: Allow or prevent the participants from annotating on your shared screen.
    • Show/Hide Names of Annotators: Show or hide the participants' name when they are annotating on a screen share. If set to show, the participant's name will briefly display beside their annotation.
    • Live on Workplace by Facebook: Share your meeting or webinar on Workplace by Facebook. Learn more about live-streaming a webinar. Learn more about live-streaming a meeting.
    • Optimize Share for Full-screen Video Clip: Start optimizing for a video clip in full screen mode. Note: Do not enable this setting if you are not sharing a full screen video clip, as it will blur your screen share.
    • End Meeting:  Leave the meeting or end the meeting for all participants.
   

Troubleshooting

Zoom is an intuitive and user-friendly application, and students have no problem once they get the hang of it! However, Zoom can occasionally have issues with its audio and video functionalities. If this happens to you, here are some of the most common problems and how to fix them:

My video / camera isn’t working.

You can test your video in advance of your class to make sure everything is working correctly. The following are instructions for how to test your video: 
  1. Log in to the Zoom client.
  2. Click your profile picture then click Settings.
  3. Click the Video tab.
  4. You will see a preview of your camera and can choose a different camera if needed.

If you are still having a problem, please Read tips on troubleshooting a camera that won't start or show video. Zoom has several different solutions depending on whether your device is a PC, Mac, Android, etc. 

There is echo in my meeting.

If you hear audio echo or audio feedback during your meeting, there are 3 possible causes:
  1. A participant has both the computer and telephone audio active
  2. Participants with computer or telephones speakers that are too close to each other
  3. Multiple computer with active audio in the same conference room
Case 1:  A participant has both the computer and telephone audio active If you join from a computer and call in from the telephone, please make sure you either: 
  • Enter your participant ID when calling in, or enter your #participant ID# when already in the call
  • Or, manually leave computer audio on your computer

Case 2: Participants with computer or telephones speakers that are too close to each other If another participant is too close to you, and both of you have speakers on, please leave audio conference on one of the computers or hang up the telephone connections.

Case 3: Multiple computer with active audio in the same conference room If you are in a conference room with multiple devices, please disconnect computer audio from the other devices. 
  • Select Audio Options > Leave Computer Audio (PC/Mac) or Disconnect (Android/iPhone).


Other Tips:  Generally, if you are hearing echo, it means that there is a device out there that is channeling your audio back. To isolate the attendee:
  • Host can mute the attendee one at a time
  • Host can mute all, and unmute one at a time
  • Attendee can mute him/herself
The source of echo can also be from: 
  • Speakers (such as TV or soundbar) that are too loud
  • Echo cancellation has failed (device or performance issue)
  • A bad microphone
 

Audio isn’t working on my device. 

If you cannot hear other participants in a Zoom meeting, follow these steps to troubleshoot the issue:
  • Ensure your speaker is turned on. If you see the speaker icon in the top-left corner is turned off, tap it to turn on your speaker:
  • Increase the volume on your mobile device using the volume buttons or notification panel. Even if the speaker is turned on in Zoom, your device's volume might be set to mute or vibrate only.
  • Try using earphones.
  • Restart your mobile device.
  • Reinstall Zoom from the Apple App Store or Google Play
 

Troubleshooting Microphone Issues

If you are experiencing issues using your microphone with the Zoom mobile app, follow these steps to troubleshoot the issue:
  • Ensure the microphone is not on mute. If you see the muted Audio icon in the meeting controls, tap it to unmute yourself:
  • If you are still muted, the host may have muted you upon entering the meeting. Ask to be unmuted by sending a chat message to the host.
  • Ensure you have connected your mobile device's audio. If you see the following Audio icon in the meeting controls, tap it and select Call via Device Audio. If prompted, allow Zoom to access your microphone.
  • Try using earphones with a microphone.
  • Ensure Zoom has access to your device's microphone.
    • iOS: Go to Settings > Privacy > Microphone and switch on the toggle for Zoom.
    • Android: Go to Settings > Apps & notifications > App permissions > Microphone and switch on the toggle for Zoom.
  • Ensure that no other applications are using the microphone at the same time.
    • iOS: Double-tap the "Home" button to view apps currently running. Swipe up to close an app.
    • Android: Tap the multi-task button (the square icon usually in the bottom-right corner) to view apps currently running. Swipe left of right to close an app.
  • Restart your iOS device.
  • Reinstall Zoom from the Apple App Store or Google Play


If you have a technical issue that cannot be resolved through these troubleshooting strategies, please contact us at education@frenchculturalcenter.org