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Solfrid Cristin’s way TAC 2011 Team Ohana | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| Solfrid Cristin Heptaglot Winner TAC 2011 & 2012 Senior Member Norway Joined 5336 days ago 4143 posts - 8864 votes  Speaks: Norwegian*, Spanish, Swedish, French, English, German, Italian Studies: Russian | Message 169 of 221 21 September 2011 at 11:40pm | IP Logged |
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As I thought, I got to speak some French and lots of English in Brussels - which was good, and I bought a course in Slovak - which was even better. I have not added it to my profile of languages I am studying, as I really need to focus on Turkish in order to reach even the very modest objectives I have set for myself in that language before November. I seem to be unable to learn more than 10 words in Turkish, but I am hoping that that will get easier once my life stops spinning at 100 miles an hour.
I will get lots of possibilities to speak French over the next two weks though, as my sister and I are going to Mauritius, close to Madagascar!!! I have for years put aside a little money each month "for a rainy day", and after having had the rainiest year in recorded history(111 years) in my part of the country, plus the death of both our parents, we decided that it didn't get much rainier than this, emptied our savings accounts, and bought a trip to Mauritius. It is a long trip, as we leave Oslo on Friday at 19.00 h, and arrive at Mauritius the next day around 13.00h, after changing plane in Paris. We have hardly seen the sun since July, as we have had rain practically every day, and it is already getting chilly, so the thought of sun, waves, good food, and no children, no husband and no obligations whatsoever, sounds like absolute heaven. Being able to get all the sleep I need, get up when I want to and go to bed when I want to - I can't wait. The local language seems to be Creole - not Swahili, so I am leaving my Swahili course at home and looking forward to just practise French without having to do do any serious studying. I am of course bringing some Russian books, my Turkish book and a few crime novels in English, plus some films in various languages - so I'll see how far I get. If there is an internet connection there, I'll let you know how I am doing there, if not, I'll tell you all about it when I get home! 4 persons have voted this message useful | |
| ellasevia Super Polyglot Winner TAC 2011 Senior Member Germany Joined 6144 days ago 2150 posts - 3229 votes Speaks: English*, German, Croatian, Greek, French, Spanish, Russian, Swedish, Portuguese, Turkish, Italian Studies: Catalan, Persian, Mandarin, Japanese, Romanian, Ukrainian | Message 170 of 221 22 September 2011 at 12:01am | IP Logged |
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Have a wonderful vacation in Mauritius! I can't think of anyone more deserving of it than you.
Bon voyage! 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Solfrid Cristin Heptaglot Winner TAC 2011 & 2012 Senior Member Norway Joined 5336 days ago 4143 posts - 8864 votes Speaks: Norwegian*, Spanish, Swedish, French, English, German, Italian Studies: Russian | Message 171 of 221 22 September 2011 at 7:40am | IP Logged |
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Thank you! I certainly plan to make the most of it!!!
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| joanthemaid Triglot Senior Member France Joined 5472 days ago 483 posts - 559 votes Speaks: French*, English, Spanish Studies: Russian, German | Message 172 of 221 22 September 2011 at 9:51am | IP Logged |
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Bonnes vacances à l'île Maurice. Ne bosse pas trop et bronze un peu.
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| Teango Triglot Winner TAC 2010 & 2012 Senior Member United States teango.wordpress.comRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 5558 days ago 2210 posts - 3734 votes Speaks: English*, German, Russian Studies: Hawaiian, French, Toki Pona | Message 173 of 221 22 September 2011 at 2:11pm | IP Logged |
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Счастливого пути! :)
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| Solfrid Cristin Heptaglot Winner TAC 2011 & 2012 Senior Member Norway Joined 5336 days ago 4143 posts - 8864 votes Speaks: Norwegian*, Spanish, Swedish, French, English, German, Italian Studies: Russian | Message 174 of 221 24 September 2011 at 7:24pm | IP Logged |
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I have arrived at Mauritius, and have been able to speak quite a lot of French. They generally seem to speak both English and French just as well, and if I talk to them in French they will answer me in French. Sometimes the accent can be quite heavy though. I am told that the home language is Creole, which is a sort of simplified French/Pidgin French. I do not know which language met French and created Creole, whether it was Zwahili, Arabic or both and a dash of Hindi, but the Creole accent sometimes makes it difficult to understand. They sometimes speak very fast though, because French must probably be counted as one of their native languages, and the combination of speed and accent is tricky.
What else can I say? The weather is beautiful, the food is great, the people are super nice and the hotel is gorgeous. The only painful part was the length of the journey. I left home at 3 in the afternoon yesterday, and got here at 2 in the afternoon today. Admittedly, there is a two hour time difference, but even without that it is a really long journey. In addition to speaking French, I have been reading some English, but I was too tired to do any serious studying today, of either Russian or Turkish, after very little sleep on the plane tonight. New bright day tomorrow though :-) 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| joanthemaid Triglot Senior Member France Joined 5472 days ago 483 posts - 559 votes Speaks: French*, English, Spanish Studies: Russian, German | Message 175 of 221 25 September 2011 at 9:23am | IP Logged |
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I don't knw what accent they have in Mauritius, but sometimes I n toeed a few days to get used to African and other French accents (Caribean, quebequian, even some old people in the mainland), so don't feel bad about it, it's pretty impressive that you understand it already, and if they speak fast to you, it must mean your accent is near-perfect
1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Solfrid Cristin Heptaglot Winner TAC 2011 & 2012 Senior Member Norway Joined 5336 days ago 4143 posts - 8864 votes Speaks: Norwegian*, Spanish, Swedish, French, English, German, Italian Studies: Russian | Message 176 of 221 25 September 2011 at 10:07am | IP Logged |
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My accent isn't too bad, but that doesn't mean that my understanding is so good. I rarely have problems
understanding French people, though,unless they speak a non- standard dialect, but I guess that understanding a foreign accent in what is already a foreign language takes some getting used to. Foreigners who have learned Swedish will usually understand a lot of Norwegian, but will typically need a bit longer to get used to the accent. My sister and I booked a whole day trip of the island for Tuesday, and we chose to take it in French. A whole day listening to a French speaking guide and surrounded by native Frenchmen should be even better than just hanging around the hotel. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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