s_allard Triglot Senior Member Canada Joined 5436 days ago 2704 posts - 5425 votes Speaks: French*, English, Spanish Studies: Polish
| Message 169 of 243 06 February 2013 at 9:09pm | IP Logged |
If actually speaking French is your goal, then the FluentFrenchNow website is an absolute must. I also highly recommend their language calendar product. Other people here at HTLAL are familiar with this site that is Canadian to boot.
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songlines Pro Member Canada flickr.com/photos/cp Joined 5215 days ago 729 posts - 1056 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French Personal Language Map
| Message 170 of 243 10 February 2013 at 4:10am | IP Logged |
s_allard wrote:
If actually speaking French is your goal, then the
FluentFrenchNow website is an absolute must. I also highly
recommend their language calendar product. Other people here at HTLAL are familiar with this site that is Canadian
to boot. |
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Thanks, s_allard. There's a bookstore in town which seems to be one of the sales outlets for copies of the
calendar, so I may check it out next week.
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songlines Pro Member Canada flickr.com/photos/cp Joined 5215 days ago 729 posts - 1056 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French Personal Language Map
| Message 171 of 243 11 February 2013 at 10:31pm | IP Logged |
For anyone who hasn't already seen it on the Team Pax thread:
I've posted a list of
Food-themed films, most of which have French audio versions,
either original or dubbed.
(A word of advice: You should have something to eat before sitting down to watch them.)
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songlines Pro Member Canada flickr.com/photos/cp Joined 5215 days ago 729 posts - 1056 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French Personal Language Map
| Message 172 of 243 17 February 2013 at 6:12pm | IP Logged |
In keeping with this month's "food" theme for Team Pax, I've posted a recipe for breakfast Japanese style, on the
team thread:
Team Pax 2013.
Also in my Flickr account, in bilingual versions:
Flickr
and non-Flickr-hosted photo:
Edited by songlines on 18 February 2013 at 3:15am
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songlines Pro Member Canada flickr.com/photos/cp Joined 5215 days ago 729 posts - 1056 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French Personal Language Map
| Message 173 of 243 18 February 2013 at 9:06pm | IP Logged |
Another breakfast recipe on the Pax Team thread, for
Grain and Greek Yoghurt Parfait.
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songlines Pro Member Canada flickr.com/photos/cp Joined 5215 days ago 729 posts - 1056 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French Personal Language Map
| Message 174 of 243 19 February 2013 at 8:06am | IP Logged |
Summary of language-learning since the beginning of February:
Assimil: 263 minutes (4 hours, 23 minutes)
Flashcards: 20 minutes
TV/podcasts: 42 minutes
Reading: 32 pages
Reading, bandes-dessinées: 90 pages.
B-Ds finished: 1. Volume 4 of Blake and Mortimer.
Yet another Couchsurfer visited from Quebec, giving a chance for conversation over brunch.
And good news on the library/work front:
I've also been having more French language conversations at work; last weekend, there were two 15/20-minute
conversations with patrons; and there have been numerous shorter ones too. Part of this is due to my working
(extra part-time shifts) in a different department where we have a lot of language learners who have French as
their L1s (Francophones trying to study for TOEFL and IELTS tests) or L2s. There's also great access to French
language-learning material, but unfortunately no time during the shifts to browse through them. (People who
say, "How wonderful; you work in a library! - You must have lots of time to read," just have no idea.)
Two L2 French-speaker colleagues in another department at my "home" branch have been very accommodating
in my attempts at conducting some of our interactions in French; and one of the pages* - who had overheard me
talking to patrons en français - asked if she could practice her French with me. Yet another two pages came
to know of it, and expressed similar interest, so now I have five co-workers in my building for have occasional
practice!
*["Pages", in our library system, are the staff members who sort and shelve the books and other material.]
For the next fortnight, I'll be based mostly at another branch where - I recently discovered - they have quite a
few French bandes-dessinées. - And, even better, they look in pretty good shape. I picked up the first volume
of the following series/titles:
-Le Combat ordinaire.
on Izneo
-Largo Winch, by Philippe Francq & Jean van Hamme.
On Izneo.
-Max Fridman, by Vittoria Giardino. Avail on Amazon.ca, but
not on Izneo.
-Riyad-sur-Seine, by Pierre Dragon & Frederik Peeters. Avail on
Amazon.ca
-Sursis. Sursis on Izneo
I also have quite a few titles (predominantly from the "historical" genre) previewed and kept in mind for future
Izneo rentals or (if available) for borrowing from the library.
Currently very happily working my way through the Blake and Mortimer series. Had a few initial reservations
about them - they are very much a product of their time (echoes of the Cold War, stereotypical images of some
Asian villains, etc), but they are also crammed full of text and dialogue, and definitely put the emphasis on
adventure. The Mystery of the Great Pyramid has Indiana Jones-style cliffhangers, one after the other.
So. Am thrilled with my BDs, with Izneo (thanks again, GeoffW!), and - that happiest of combinations -
Izneo plus my new iPad Mini...
Edited by songlines on 19 February 2013 at 8:10am
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songlines Pro Member Canada flickr.com/photos/cp Joined 5215 days ago 729 posts - 1056 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French Personal Language Map
| Message 175 of 243 19 February 2013 at 8:36pm | IP Logged |
A breakfast (or other time of day) beverage on the
Pax Team thread
Pumpkin Spice Latté:
Café au lait citrouille.
À l'automne, le prix aux cafés Starbucks: $4 pour une tasse "grande". Le coût à la maison? Quelques centimes...
During autumn, these cost $4 at Starbucks (grandé size). The price at home? -Mere cents.
Edited by songlines on 23 February 2013 at 4:56am
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songlines Pro Member Canada flickr.com/photos/cp Joined 5215 days ago 729 posts - 1056 votes Speaks: English* Studies: French Personal Language Map
| Message 176 of 243 02 March 2013 at 5:28am | IP Logged |
Blacksad: Arctic-Nation.
Story by Juan Díaz Canales; Illus. and colour by Juanjo Guarnido.
I love this. Set in a '50s world, populated by anthromorphized animals, Arctic-Nation has a 1950s noir (as
in film noir) vibe. In this volume (the second in the series), the detective Blacksad is hired to find and rescue a
kidnapped girl. His search has echoes of Polanski's Chinatown, but also pits him against white-supremacist
KKK or Aryan-Nation style groups.
Guarnido's illustrations are magnificent in bringing the story to life. The lines of his drawings vividly capture the
essence of whatever emotion or action his characters are engaged in, and the framing is also powerfully
cinematic. Superb work.
"One day not far from now, the world will again be dominated by the white race, which god has put on Earth to
rule the others":
Contrast the porcine self-importance of the speaker's aide (centre left), with the pot-bellied slouches of the
listening donkey and koala bear (right frame).
"...Wherever you go, you make trouble" (lit. "you sow disorder'). Karup, Chief of Police, a polar bear. A bigoted
sheriff, right out of central casting:
After a tense confronation, black vigilantes stride out of the diner. I love the movement in this frame, the clouds
scudding across the sky and the Arctic Nation posters scattered to the winds; the swagger in their walk, the low
angle of the "shot":
Edited by songlines on 02 March 2013 at 5:59am
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