KitQC2 version 2.6 has 4,500 small mp3 sound files with the accent of Quebec. It was developed in 2004 to help French speaking adults in French language literacy centres in Quebec learn French. Immigrants to Quebec have found it helpful. Home-schoolers have also found it helpful.
We’ll start by saying : Read the one page Mini-tutorial in the User Guide before you use KitQC2. The mini-tutorial is vital because it shows you how to start the program and also how to exit the program. Sounds obvious? Read the Mini-tutorial, please.
KitQC2 was the first free software for learning French with the accent of Quebec.
We removed KitQC2 from the web in December 2009 because we thought that every literacy center and French language student already had a copy. Since then, we have received requests for copies. So, we have decided to put KitQC2 back on the web.
KitQC2 works with Windows 95, Windows XP and Windows Vista. We do not know if it works with Windows 7 (the newest version of windows).
The 4,500 sound files are all in mp3 format (with no DRM). You can use the sound files on your music player, on other mp3 devices and in other software programs. A school or literacy centre can also easily re-record the files if they wish to improve the quality of the sound files and use their regional accent with their students.
You can do all of the exercises with pencil and paper (and the mouse to click the Next button).
If you prefer to type, there is an easy way to type French on an English language keyboard. You do not have to learn the French keyboard to use KitQC2. You can also use the French keyboard if you prefer to do that.
KitQC2 is completely free under the GNU GPL. The source code (VC++) is included with the download. The source code is terrible but it has been very well tested on many different computers for years - all over the world! We have not received a single technical bug complaint about the software in 5 years. At this point, we offer no further support for KitQC2.
KitQC2 is easy to install and remove. After you download KitQC2 then you just unzip the file, read the mini-tutorial (important!) and then try out the software. To remove KitQC2 you just delete it from your computer like any other files.
(Tech note: KitQC2 does not touch the Windows registry or need any special dll files. When you delete the KitQC2 folder then it is completely removed from your system and there is no need to reboot the computer to finish removing KitQC2. Technically speaking, KitQC2 is a very well-behaved program).
There is one thing to watch out for. When some people get the software they go straight to the folders with the mp3 sound files and listen to them in their music player (Quicktime or Windows Media Player). KitQC2 will not play the sound files if other programs are also being used. To be on the safe side, close all other programs before trying out KitQC2.
The download is 136 Mb. and it is in compressed format (zip). The download includes :
- User Guide (in English and French)
- Vocabulary Word Lists (in txt and rtf format)
- The software
- The sound files
- Learning files for vocabulary, grammar, verbs, etc.
Do not get too excited. KitQC2 is a very simple flashcard program.
KitQC2 offers the accent of Quebec but there are is no Quebecois slang and there are no Quebecois expressions in KitQC2. It is regular French vocabulary, grammar and verbs pronounced with several different accents that you can hear in Quebec.
The quality of the 4,500 mp3 sound files is not great. There are many new multimedia resources on the Internet that did not exist in 2004 (see the links on the right for many examples) that can help you hear a really clear Quebec accent.
Most people find KitQC2 helpful (at best).
There are many innovations in KitQC2. Language teachers may find some good ideas.
KitQC2 is completely free. There is no advertising in the software. No registration is required. It has been downloaded thousands of times over the last few years.
And we’ll finish by saying : Read the one page Mini-tutorial in the User Guide before you use KitQC2. The mini-tutorial is vital because it shows you how to start the program and also how to exit the program. Sounds obvious? Read the Mini-tutorial, please.
If you have a slow connection then you can borrow a copy from Le Centre de documentation sur l’éducation des adultes et la condition féminine (CDÉACF) French language literacy resource centre in Quebec, Canada at :
KitQC2 description at CDEACF web site
KitQC2 is 136 Mb. (quite large) and zipped.
Click here if you would like to download KitQC2 version 2.6 right now:
http://emsjuwel.com/downloads/kitqc2.zip

