The AgreGang Charter
Contents
| Introduction | The Group | Languages | Objectives | Website Help |Introduction
This Charter, which has been drawn up by the group Founder and Moderator Darren Rigby, is to state the objectives and rules of common courtesy governing membership of the AgreGang discussion group. Membership of AgreGang implies full acceptance of the Charter's terms.
The Charter is sent to all new members and is automatically posted to all members once a month. It may be periodically revised in order to reflect the needs and wishes of members.
AgreGang is hosted by "Yahoo! Groupes" in France and members are also bound by the Yahoo! "Charte de bonne conduite" which you are invited to read if you like that sort of thing.
The Group and its Members
AgreGang is a private discussion group for teachers and students preparing the French competitive English teaching exams- Agrégation and CAPES ("interne" and "externe"). Other interested parties are welcome to join and participate in discussions.
It is an independent group and has no connection whatsoever with the French "Éducation Nationale" or any other organisation, apart from the obvious fact that many members are teachers within the French education system.
Languages
Members may write in either English or French as the "concours" require a very high level of proficiency in both languages. Furthermore, and unlike most online communities, it is accepted practice to point out or correct any errors of usage where they may arise. The native English speakers (ELA on the group are usually happy to give advice on authenticity and register. You can ask for their help by writing "(ELA help)" after a word or phrase that you are unsure of or haven't encountered before.
Objectives
The group was set up to enable members to discuss the different "concours" and their syllabi, to exchange ideas and resources and to give mutual support when needed. Members may also wish to organize or take part in specific activities such as translation from and into English, the writing of essay plans, concours-related quizzes and so on.
Discussions are friendly and informal and aim to nurture a harmonious ambience geared towards mutual aid and support rather than competition.
It should however be noted that AgreGang is not an Agrégation or CAPES preparation course. It is intended to be a useful source of information and an informal complement to officially recognized forms of preparation such as the Universities, the CNED, DAFP and IUFM.
Members should be aware that messages posted to the group may not be accurate, nor do they necessarily reflect the expectations of the "Jurys" (Boards of Examiners). The group gives no guarantees and is not responsible for the content of messages. Members are expected to exercise their own critical judgment in this respect.
The "Rapports de Jury" and the BO give official sources of information.
A useful starting point where you can find links to the relevant official
texts is SIAC.
The Web Interface and Online Help
The AgreGang group has a web interface where you can search the message archive and set your preferences.
You need to create a "Yahoo! Account" to access the site. It is free but you may need instructions on how to do this (in French).
Members requiring assistance with the different web functions (messages, settings, option) are invited to consult the help page (in French).