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VivianJ5’s Language Log

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18 messages over 3 pages: 1 2
VivianJ5
Diglot
Senior Member
United States
Joined 4022 days ago

81 posts - 133 votes 
Speaks: English*, French

 
 Message 17 of 18
14 May 2014 at 11:16am | IP Logged 
Okay, I'm back and and feeling newly motivated by the Super Challenge 2014! Since my last post, I've decided to
definitely drop the Dutch, since we are leaving the Netherlands (sometime soon), and am recommitting to getting
my French back up to speed.

I would have said, a year or two ago, that my French level was probably a C1; now, feeling a bit more humble, after
having difficulty "finding my words" in that language in conversations with my husband. Have realized I need to
spend more quality time with French, both reading, listening and speaking, to get back to my former level, and
possibly beyond.

I wasn't sure if a challenge was the right goal, since I'm not usually into competition, but I already love reading, just
needed a push to read more in French. The film/TV watching is a bit more challenging: not that it's hard for me in
French (it's not: I usually understand 85 - 95% of pretty much anything, except maybe comedy), but to take the time
to focus on a screen, and not be doing 5 other things at the same time. Usually when I watch TV with my husband, I
lose track of the program, since I'm web surfing, or reading, or getting other things done. But if I'm going to be
serious about getting my French level back up, I need to focus...and it's harder than I thought it would be.

Most of us in the Super Challenge seem to find it easier to do the "watching" part - 100 films or TV programs of 90
minutes. I find it much, much easier to do the reading part: when I'm reading, I can get involved in the story like I
rarely do when I'm watching. Interesting difference. Getting through 100 "books" of 50 pages will be the easy part,
but I guess each of us has different experiences with the Super Challenge, depending on our interests, levels and
time available.

So far, so good. I'm finding it easier to speak French lately, and don't have to struggle as much to find the
vocabulary I need. It's working...
1 person has voted this message useful



VivianJ5
Diglot
Senior Member
United States
Joined 4022 days ago

81 posts - 133 votes 
Speaks: English*, French

 
 Message 18 of 18
18 May 2014 at 11:23am | IP Logged 
Watched "Asterix et Obelix: Mission Cleopatre" last night, a very funny 2002 live action version of the extremely
popular "Asterix" graphic novels. This is supposed to be the best of the "Asterix" live action films, directed by Alain
Chabat (who plays Caesar), and is full of cultural references and sight gags which only get better with each viewing.

I tend to use this movie as a test of my French level: every single time I watch - and I have to be completely focused
to understand not only the rapidity of the spoken language, but also the wordplay - I "get" more of the comedy. As
advanced level language learners know, understanding comedy, especially spoken comedy, is one of the more
difficult tasks for a learner. And even after seeing this film more than 10 times over the years, there are still lines I
just don't manage to understand...which is frustrating, but pushes me to widen my listening and reading sources to
include more popular culture topics. I'm not a teenager, so I'll probably never "get" it all (as my kids don't hesitate to
tell me!), but I can make a good effort.
1 person has voted this message useful



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