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Team E - TAC 2010 - French Fluency | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log |  | |
| Liamohalloran Diglot Newbie Australia Joined 5451 days ago 12 posts - 13 votes Speaks: English*, French | Message 1 of 9 28 December 2009 at 1:24pm | IP Logged |
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Hello language learners.
Some history on my French learning. I started a long four years ago with absolutely no knowledge of French as it wasn't a subject I studied during school. I came across Michel Thomas who's methods proved the most effective for me. This year I spent eight months in France with a one month intensive course when I first arrived. My level really improved but not the fluency level I would have liked. This was due to working in a workplace where English was predominately spoken and my hesistency to speak with French people whenever I could. I have never really had a set plan for my studies, in the past I have switched between methods without ever having real structure. This year I hope to use my learning time more effectively and develop a sound structure. It would be nice to say at the end of 2010 'I speak French'. Learning tools I will use in 10' -I am going to take a formal class, probably at the alliance Francaise to find out what grading I am at. -Anki -Loads of French film and television (news,gameshows) -Read articles and interviews in magazines such as Paris Match. -Converse in French with a native speaker whom I have easy access to. -Michel Thomas -Pimsleur or assimil -L-R 4 or 5 novels -Learn French by Podcast Looking forward to the challenge (and rhe rewards) in 2010. Good luck to everybody but especially to my boys Adrean and Nichtgut in team E! 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Adrean TAC 2010 Winner Senior Member France adrean83.wordpress.c Joined 6172 days ago 348 posts - 411 votes  Speaks: FrenchC1 | Message 2 of 9 28 December 2009 at 10:21pm | IP Logged |
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Let the games begin. I haven't seen much from our team mate Nichgut, hopefully he is still around.
I think Pimsleur may be a little easy for you. Especially if you start from the beginning. Perhaps start from the 3rd level. Also it's very very formal language they teach. Mostly with 'vous' and questions with 'est-ce que', instead of inverted questions that you are more likely to hear. I think Learn in Your Car French is a very good resource for you to track down. The language is more life-like. No interest to learn a second language this year?? 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Liamohalloran Diglot Newbie Australia Joined 5451 days ago 12 posts - 13 votes Speaks: English*, French | Message 3 of 9 10 January 2010 at 10:05am | IP Logged |
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Adrean
I have an interest to learn more languages but I'm still getting my head around French, I'm scared if I picked up another language I'd forget everything I learnt in French. Silly and true. If I was to commence a second language it could be Spanish. I have done some study in Spanish (prepping for a visit to Sth America) and it was really easy to pick up the basics (French helped). I may add another to my studies column but not in the forsesable future. Well it's a few days into 2009 and here is where I'm at - I have started working on Adrean's Anki deck. It's a really great deck with most flashcard being sentenced based and relevent. I have been getting a few correct but more wrong so it's been challenging for me. - Started using the site LINQG Excellent tool which I've only just found out about. There is enough short lessons on the website to find something of interest. It's so easy to use the flashcards and It keeps a log for you! - Watched three episodes of Tout Le Monde Veut Prendre Sa Place Nagui is a very funny host. - Disgressed a couple of articles in Paris Match. - Some lessons of Learn in your car French. The amount of time I've put in is hardly total annihalation (its really hard to study in searing heat) but I'm happy about the resources I'm using so study time could be easily bolstered. Happy studies! 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Liamohalloran Diglot Newbie Australia Joined 5451 days ago 12 posts - 13 votes Speaks: English*, French | Message 4 of 9 23 January 2010 at 11:39am | IP Logged |
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For the last week my internet connection has been downgraded to dial up speed due to downloads so I haven't been able to watch Tout le Monde Veut Prendre Sa Place. Hence, I have been making a greater effort to watch the French News which screens daily on public television. Apart from learning the language Its fun to make out certain areas of Paris that I frequented wihtin the news and films I watch.
I've watchted a couple of French Films recently. Alain Resnais' Mon Oncle d'amerique and Henri-Georges Clouzot's "Le salaire de la peur" (Wages of fear). Having seen L'année dernière à Marienbad (Last Year in Marienbad) and Hiroshima mon amour I have been keen to get my hands on anything Resnais has made. A truley excellent film that examins the human character, how we relate to those close to us and when outside influences force a shake up on our already developed ideals. Clouzot's "Le salaire de la peur" is in a different vein. It has sublime cinemotography which draws you into the hot, end of the world Venuzalean village in which it is set (really filmed in southern france). The film has a likable cast with the four main men following an oil line with extremely dangerous goods aboard trucks. A tense, adventure with great humour. Two of the characters are called Mario and Luigi and have a striking resemblance to the console hero's, this film must have been their original inspiration. Learn in your car French has been sending me off to sleep every night. I started from the 50th lesson and am now up to the 80th. I should have it complete within a couple of weeks. My near goals are to work more on Anki, continue to digress Paris Match stories (read them aloud, find the meanings for words I don't know) start using learn french by podcast and take a peep at a the two websites Adrean has suggested to improve his writing Paris Match: 4 Hours French News/TV: 6.5 Hours French Movies: 4 Hours Anki: 2 Hours Lingq: 3 Hours Learn in Your Car French: 2.5 Hours 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Liamohalloran Diglot Newbie Australia Joined 5451 days ago 12 posts - 13 votes Speaks: English*, French | Message 5 of 9 03 February 2010 at 7:41am | IP Logged |
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Ok so the figures for January are in and they're not great. Never one to do overdo my studies or beat myself up by not reaching set goals means I am not disheartened but still a bit dissapointed.
January Paris Match: 6.5 Hours French News/TV: 9 Hours French Movies: 6 Hours Anki: 3 Hours Lingq: 3 Hours Learn in Your Car French: 3 Hours Total: 30.5 Movies for the month Le salaire de la peur Mon Oncle d'amerique La femme d'à côté I feel I have made improvements since returning from France. I am understanding 'en' and 'y' concepts alot better sometimes using them in my spoken sentences, Vocab is improving especially due to Paris Match articles I have been going though. Three blogs I've been keeping a running interest in have been my E teammate Adrean Teango's and Lorsques' blog. All these bloggers being at a different level of their 'french' Adrean because he has great resources and insight (good luck with the exam). Lorsque because of his goal of reaching C2 in one year and the incredible amount of hours he has put in the achieve this so far. Teango's because he has an entertaining blog and seem's to be going in the right direction with his studies. Happy studies! 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Liamohalloran Diglot Newbie Australia Joined 5451 days ago 12 posts - 13 votes Speaks: English*, French | Message 6 of 9 23 February 2010 at 7:35am | IP Logged |
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Haven't posted in while, no major undertakings.
There is a new service provider called LBF that shows French television channels. I'm weighing up whether to get it or not as it quite pricey, many films they show are simply Hollywood films dubbed and there is abundance of french programs already accessible on the net. There is a channel with the service I have now called 'World Movies'. They show alot of French cinema, many of the films are recent e.g 35 rhums, 36 Quai des Orfèvres which I haven't taken a big liking too. However one of my fav films Hiroshima Mon Amour was on last night so good viewing! I have watched five films in total since I last posted; Hiroshima Mon Amour, two Truffaut films 'Le dernier métro' & 'Les deux Anglaises et le continent' and the well known two part series 'Jean de Florette' & 'Manon des Sources'. I enjoyed the last two more then expected largely due to the scenary and music. I'm going to commence my first L-R book for the year 'Le Pere Goriot' by Balzac. Its only ten hours in length so I should it finished early March. I plan on listening to the french radio program more often. It is diffused 5 out 7 days lasting about an hour with a large chunk of that time being taken up with an interviewee. Paris Match: 11.5 Hours French News/TV: 17.5 Hours French Movies: 16 Hours Anki: 5.5 Hours Lingq: 3 Hours Learn in Your Car French: 3.5 Hours Passive Listening: 1 Hour Total: 58 Hours Happy Studies! 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Adrean TAC 2010 Winner Senior Member France adrean83.wordpress.c Joined 6172 days ago 348 posts - 411 votes Speaks: FrenchC1 | Message 7 of 9 23 February 2010 at 10:03pm | IP Logged |
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Hey Liam,
Tell me what you think of Pere Goirot when you read it. I haven't read anything of Balzacs but he wrote many many books and is one of the most well known French authors. Also it seems that you are watching a lot of films. Perhaps you should keep a list of the films you watch in your first post. It will be good to look back on it at the end of the year. Hiroshima Mon Amour is one of my favourites too! I've also had the pleasure of visiting the city and not much has changed since the film was made (not since the bomb) especially around the peace park and the museum. I've seen those two films you've mentioned by Truffaut, Le dernier metro and les deuxs anglaises. I must say there are very few films I feel a little dissapointed by by Truffaut but Le dernier metro perhaps belongs to this category, although Gerard depardieu is fantastic as he usually is. What did you think? And wasn't it slightly odd to see Daniel Auteuil play the character he did in Jean de FLorette and Manon Des Sources. I couldn't believe it was him. And if you are going to continue to watch lots of French films I can recommend Claude Chabarol as a director. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Liamohalloran Diglot Newbie Australia Joined 5451 days ago 12 posts - 13 votes Speaks: English*, French | Message 8 of 9 24 February 2010 at 1:01pm | IP Logged |
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Hi Adrean,
Yeah Balzac is well known for being a fanatical writer. I've actually read Pere Goriot already but haven't L-R'ed it in French. It was a easy, enjoyable read with some Oscar Wilde style observations. I'm going to seek out a few more novels by Balzac. Yeah Daniel Auteil was really good as the decrepit farmer. I'm so use to him playing upper class, clever cop that to see him in this role was suprising. Your right, you might not figure it was him until the credits rolled. I'll seek some Chabarol out. Anything you would recommend? I had a look on IMDB and noticed a film called La cérémonie with Isabelle Huppert is that a flim you have seen of his? You saw a couple of Rohmer films last year. Have you seen anything of late by him? 1 person has voted this message useful |
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