French Time!

INA

nobody@vox.com(SarahWG) — Sat, 26 May 2007 21:34:02 +0200

Tonight while searching around for different clips on YouTube and Daily Motion, we found ourselves on the homepage of INA. INA is the Institute National de l'Audiovisuel. INA claims to be "the first audiovisual archive center in the world and the first digital image databank in Europe." Through their site you can access 100,000 different broadcasts from radio and television.

You can begin exploring INA buy looking into one of many categories such as themes, personnalites, epoques, or programmes. We searched through the personnalities categories and found ourselves checking out clips about Renaud, Colette, Brel, and many others. You could also enter something into their search engine and see what comes up.

While you can watch or listen to most things for free, I believe you have to pay a fee if you want to download anything. For some longer clips you are only given a 10 minute extract.

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Level Exams

nobody@vox.com(SarahWG) — Fri, 18 May 2007 10:43:37 +0200

Exams? Oh no!

A while ago, I had the goal of attending a French university. This goal is still very much alive in my mind but it has been put on the back burner for just a bit. However, one of the entrance requirements for foreign students is a certain level in French. Most universities, schools, and textbooks are moving towards categorizing levels based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). I am not 100% sure but I believe to enter into French university you should have at least a B2 level. This may depend on the university and what program you are entering into. My intention is to enroll into a program as a regular student not as a student of French as a foreign language.

Currently, you can take two routes. First, there is the TCF-DAP (and/or TCF). The TCF is the Test de Connaissance de Français. The TCF is open to anyone who would like to determine their level in French. The TCF-DAP is intended for those who wish to enter into the first cycle of French university. It seems that this test covers all of the CEFR levels in one exam, you progress through each level and in the end you have an idea of where you stand.

The other option is take a DELF/DALF exam. The DELF (Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française) covers levels A1 through B2 of the CEFR and the DALF (Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française) covers levels C1 and C2 with each level having its own individual exam. This is an official diploma from the French Ministry of National Education and is only for foreign students. This exam can be taken all over the world. Here are some subject examples.

Realizing that I was having trouble structuring my language learning, I thought it might be a good idea to revisit the CEFR levels in order to give myself a short-term goal. (The long-term is goal is to become fluent.) Also, if I have a diploma under my belt, I am all set to enter into French university when the time comes.

But I have no idea what my level is.

I picked up a book called Le Nouvel Entrainez-vous: DELF B1 to see how I did with the exercises. So far the oral comprehension exercises have been easy but I think that the written and oral production sections are not going to go so smoothly. I'll keep you posted.

Lastly, I am considering taking a correspondance/online class through CNED (Centre national d'enseignement à distance). Anyone can take classes through CNED and they offer courses to prepare for each level of the DELF/DALF as well as the TCF. The prices are reasonable and you have a tutor who works with you. For an extra fee, you can participate in forums and discussion boards with other students doing the same course.

Anyone have experience with this?

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BBC Ma France

nobody@vox.com(SarahWG) — Sat, 05 May 2007 17:43:39 +0200

Another great resource

The BBC's French Language Learning website is full of great resources. It has fun games (which I love), videos, and other interesting tidbits. Their interactive course, Ma France, is quite impressive.

There are 24 interactive videos with authentic French and somewhat authentic situations. You follow the video route through one of my favorite parts of France, Lyons and the Alps. While you watch each video you have the option to have subtitles in both French or English and each video segment is followed by games and activities. There is also a vocabulary list and grammar explanations. I suggest creating an account so that you can keep track of your progress as you go along. (For some reason, I couldn't access all the activities without signing up.)

In addition to the video course, Ma France also has a podcast series that covers a variety of subjects from "how not to get lost" to "house-hunting."

They suggest that you have some experience with French in order to use the course but with the English subtitles I think even beginners could get something out of this. Also, be sure to check out the other resources in the French section. They have a level test which is followed up with suggestions that are appropriate.

Have fun and tell me what you think!

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Music: Bénabar

nobody@vox.com(SarahWG) — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 22:12:59 +0200

Even if you feel silly, singing in French is really helpful. I am a fan of the French artist Bénabar and I found a few videos on YouTube that are fairly easy to understand. Elles sont tellement drôle.

Bénabar - Dis Lui Oui

The lyrics to Dis Lui Oui can be found here.

le diner

The lyrics to Le Dîner can be found here.

It was jr_fiction that inspired me to look around YouTube for french material. After searching for Bénabar, there were some links to some videos of Petit Ours Brun, a cartoon for children. This is great for learning French with its simple dialogues and subjecs. And from there I found tons of links to other videos in French. Amusez-vous bien!

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Repeat, repeat, repeat

nobody@vox.com(SarahWG) — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 19:55:57 +0200

But where do I begin?

Everyone does it. Musicians, athletes, yogis. It is the subject of latest podcast that my husband is working on. Camille, from Easy French Poetry, says just one line in English during her podcast: "Remember, repetition is key."

So, here I am listening to my podcasts, reading my books, and really enjoying myself. But I keep asking myself, what am I supposed to repeat? Where do I begin?

I think this is the hardest part of independent study. The role of the teacher is to structure the learning process and help guide you through the important points in a somewhat logical sense. Without a framework, I feel a little lost.

Today, while listening to the book, I realized that I could write down words that I don't know or I am not sure about. This would give me a list to repeat but is simply repeating words enough. And which words do I choose? Nouns? Verbs? Wouldn't phrases be better and if so, which phrases?

I suppose I am a bit intimidated by the work. Listening has been so enjoyable and so easy but I definitely need to take it further.

Any ideas?

In the meantime, I suggest checking out Le journal en français facile which was recommended to me by Lucy. I really like that it is easy but not too easy. And you get the transcript. I love that.

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Podcast: Easy French Poetry

nobody@vox.com(SarahWG) — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 21:08:39 +0200

Another great resource

I found the podcast, Easy French Poetry in Itunes. I loaded up the two most recent episodes and have since gone back for more. I really like Camille's podcast. First, she is French so you are getting an authentic experience. Second, she speaks almost entirely in French. I have expressed before that I have a hard time when language learning podcasts include too much English - it distracts me. Third, her content is interesting and intellectual. Her method of discussing and analyzing poems is similar to the style that my professor used during my Sorbonne classes. In fact, some of the poems she has featured on her podcast are the same that we studied in my class, like Demain dès l’aube de Victor Hugo.

In addition to her Easy French Poetry podcast, Camille has free lessons, a free online book, and travel tips on her website. If you live in the Boston area you can go have a lesson with her and if you live a bit further away, you could try lessons by telephone. Either way, go check out her work. It is quite impressive and very well done - she does it all herself so if you enjoy her material consider giving her a donation or purchasing one of her books.

Thanks Camille for a great French learning tool!

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Avant de me coucher...

nobody@vox.com(SarahWG) — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 22:30:20 +0200

A few minutes of French everyday

Life has been a bit hectic chez nous so I haven't been able to plunge into some of the bigger projects I have in mind for my french development. Keeping my iPod filled with lots of French podcasts has been a great way to fit a little bit of practice into my life. Basically, I spend all of my metro and train riding time listening to French.

I picked up a few books on tape (along with the books themselves) at our local library so right now I am working my way through La jeune fille à la perle. I thought choosing a book that I had already read in English would give me a little advantage since I already know the basic plotline. At times I think it may be a disadvantage because I don't have to concentrate quite as hard since I can already imagine in my mind what is happening. Also, I have listened to the first CD about three times now and I am ready to do something more with the text but I am not sure where to begin.

Should I first start identifying words that I am not sure about? Should I work on writing down phrases that I want to learn? Should I work on a specific grammar point?

The only two annoying points are: 1) The text is abridged on the CD so suddenly the dialogue jobs ahead 3 or 4 paragraphs and I have to pause the audio in order to find out

La Jeune Fille à la perle

where I should be and 2) it is written in passé simple. I can't complain too much about this because passé simple is a literary tense but it doesn't help me in finding ways to incorporate what I am reading into my everyday speech.

Other than that, the reader speaks French very well and clearly although quite fast. The story is interesting and after reading it one time through with the book and then listening without the book, I found that I understood quite a bit.

Make sure you check out the great links that Lucy left in the comments of the previous post! Thanks Lucy!

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LibriVox

nobody@vox.com(SarahWG) — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 11:35:04 +0200

World of books

If you don't know about LibriVox yet, you've got to check it out.

Et en plus, they have recordings in French. So essentially, you are able to access texts in the public domain and their recordings. C'est genial comme idée!

Charles Perrault: Le petit Chaperon rouge (Little Red Riding Hood), Cendrillon (Cinderella), le Chat botté (Puss in Boots) to simply name a few.

Fables de La Fontaine

Le Tour de Monde en quatre-vingts jours de Jules Verne (Around the World in 80 Days)

J’accuse par Émile Zola

List of French recordings here.

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se ressourcer

nobody@vox.com(SarahWG) — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 23:01:37 +0200

book

Like the verb oser, se ressourcer has popped up in 3 different locations this week. It is time to figure out what it means! First, it is a reflexive verb so I know that it must have to do with the self. Une ressource is similar to a resource so I can begin by interpreting this as one's resources. Here are the contexts in which I have seen it in:

Energy Cocoon: Ressourcez-vous!
Ressourcez-vous en Aveyron
Comment se ressourcer?
Club Med: se ressourcer

Any ideas yet?

Just by doing a simple search in Google, I found loads of different versions of the verb in authentic contexts. My guess is that this verb means to rebuild your energies or recharge your battery. All of the different websites above involve activities or actions that help you feel better.

According to Robert & Collins Super Senior:

se ressourcer: (retrouver ses racines) to go back to one's roots; (recouvrer ses forces) to get one's strength back

se ressourcer conjugates like the verb placer (verbes en -cer).

But so far I have only seen this verb used in the imperative or question form. A quick google search with the phrase "je me ressource" comes up with:

Je me ressource seule pour te donner le meilleur de ce que je suis à toi, à mes amis.

Là je me ressource...

J'aurai pu vous dire comme je me ressource à passer des moments en famille, même si la famille en question n'est pas la mienne.

Hmm...still kind of confusing. Perhaps it isn't used in this way very often?

A suggestion from the native French speaker in the house is to search for "j'ai besoin de me ressourcer"

Et Voilà! You can read it here or here or here.

Which completely makes sense. In English, we are more likely to say 'I need to rebuild my strength" rather than "I am rebuilding my strength." Right?

Donc, j'ai besoin de me ressourcer. C'est l'heure de dormir. Bonne nuit!

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Une idée #1

nobody@vox.com(SarahWG) — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 11:47:10 +0200

Taking Notes

While it may seem that all I talk about is listening, I see it as only one piece of any language learning program. Reading, writing, and speaking all carry their own equal weight in importance. It is just that I think those who are trying to learn a language on their own tend to forget about just simply listening.

But this post isn't about listening. Last night, while rocking my son to sleep I realized that the best way for me to improve my speaking and writing is to continue to compile and learn packages of words. Learning grammar is important but when the moment comes and I actually need to use French in a real situation, everything I know about grammar gets tossed away. What I do remember are packages or phrases that I have memorized.

One situation that I keep coming across is my desire to leave comments on blogs but not being completely sure what to write. Sometimes a post catches my eye and I would simply like to let the writer know that I enjoyed it. Often I want to leave a well thought out comment but I don't want to take the time to figure out how to write it correctly in French. In the end, I don't end up saying anything. So, I think I need to begin with something more simple. Just a few phrases to use in blog commenting.

Here is an idea for an exercise:

1. Take a look at some blogs written in French. Blogsearch on Google France would be a good place to start. I entered tricot (knitting) as the subject that interested me. Other ideas could be cuisiner, photographie, voyages, or any other subject that interests you.

2. Choose a blog from the list. I chose the first one on the list and then noticed that the top post on the page had 15 comments. I read the post and then clicked on the comments.

3. I then went through and started a list of the different (and common) phrases that people used in comments. I just wanted those phrases and expressions that were used to express something general and positive. I tried to look for phrases that I could easily alter, for example: la moufle est de toute beauté could be changed to le bonnet est toute beauté.

la moufle est très chouette!
superbe!
c'est bien jolie tout ca...bravo!
La couleur est superbe !!!
Superbes ta moufles et ton châle...
c'est genial comme idée!
genial!
bon courage !
bravo!

4. Then I chose another blog (either from blogsearch again or from the links on the previous blog) and repeated the process.

il est très beau ton nouveau modèle :)
il est très joli
Ce modèle Bonita me plaît beaucoup
ouaaaaaah impressionnant
Super joli Bonita
J'adore ton nouveau tricot !!

5. Along the way, I started to find some blogs that I wanted to continue to read. Reading blogs in French with a subject that interests you is a great way to learn all the appropriate vocabulary. (This could be another exercise in the future.) Also, now that you have made a list of expressions, you need to use them so keeping tabs on different blogs will help you!

6. Leave a comment on a blog. (Mine is at the bottom of this page.) Choose 3 or 4 expressions that you like and don't cut & paste them! Rewriting in an important part of the process for your brain, the more you write them the more they will become part of your natural language. Most of these expressions are not limited to just blogs and commenting. You can use them in your everyday language as well! (Also, be careful with the masculinity and femininity of the words. You can usually figure out the gender by looking for clues in the blog post or other comments.)

Word of warning: Comments aren't always written with correct grammar and spelling. Text-speak is very common on blogs which means that words aren't always written correctly and phrases aren't formed in the right way,

Any other ideas?

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