Re: PM’s French Re-entry into the Matrix - Phase 1: 500 Hours Extensive Reading

[PeterMollenburg]

Actually now i'm contemplating another post-exam idea. I posted it here:

http://forum.language-learners.org/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=5828&p=73398#p73398

Basically i'm considering dropping French after the exam for a period of time (perhaps between 1 and 3 months), and not wasting that time, thus picking up Dutch again (or another language - not likely tho) as I think i'm a little bored/stale.

The thread above with the link contains discussion on taking breaks to advance more efficiently. I must say I believe it one took 6 months off out of 12 overall towards one particular language it does not necessarily mean one would therefore cover and learn 12 months worth of material in only 6 months.... but doint 12 months straight compared to say 3 blocks of 2 months one year and 3 blocks of 2 months the following year therefore reaching the same total of 12 months, one might theoretically advance more in those intermittent months totaling 12 months than a straight 12 months as efficiency improves from a decrease in boredom, and renewed enthusiasm and other such factors.

I have been piss-farting around in the lead up to my exam this coming week and stress is a factor in that, but someone in my thread a little while back stated they felt I was likely bored. I think they were right to a degree, but i was just too afraid to hinder my progress with French by changing up the routine or adding languages. That's a fair point, but now post B2 exam, I doubt i'm at much risk of losing everything I've learned up to now, and the break ought to do me good. Post break, not sure whether i'll study one language one month, the other language the next, or introduce them simultaneously and simply work out when might be a good time to take another break from one or both.

Edit: I will continue to speak French to my daughter if I do indeed take a break from learning French.

[PeterMollenburg]

And if anyone reading this knows of a good French only dictionary.... a nice big one for the desky desk, I'd like to hear about it (especially if it has IPA, is clear to read, and the paper feels nice ) I want to legitimately take some steps back from my mobile/internet/computer/technology approach and go a little old school where I can.

Le Petit Robert works well for me: 2837 pages, roughly 6.75 x 2.75 x 10 inches, cover claims 60 000 mots et 300 000 sens.

Thanks MorkTheFiddle. It's s monolingual dictionary, right? Does it contain IPA for each entry btw?

[smallwhite]

Go PM go PM go
You can do it we all know!

Bums we wriggle and pom-poms we throw
We've come a-cheering for our hero

To your grit we say Chapeau!
For this feat we say Bravo!

Ace the Dalf and steal the show
'Cos that's the PM we all know!

[PeterMollenburg]

Go PM go PM go
You can do it we all know!

Bums we wriggle and pom-poms we throw
We've come a-cheering for our hero

To your grit we say Chapeau!
For this feat we say Bravo!

Ace the Dalf and steal the show
'Cos that's the PM we all know!

[smallwhite]

That was hard. That was C2 Writing. I've counted it towards my 6WC

[reineke]

Le Petit Robert uses IPA for pronunciation. Based on the descriptions pronunciation is given for every word. I don't have it here with me or I would check it for you. If you want to purchase the best single volume French dictionary that would be Le Petit Robert. Larousse was enjoyable to flip through when I was a kid but mom would always reach for Le Robert. I would purchase several reference books if I were heavily invested in learning French.

140523_d247c_aetd-robert-dictionnaire_sn635.jpg

Les trois meilleurs dictionnaires de langue française
https://www.qualitexte.fr/meilleur-dictionnaire/

[MorkTheFiddle]

[quote="PeterMollenburg"]
There is a demo version of the on-line dictionary, including pronunciation guide, here: http://pr.bvdep.com/demo/robert.asp.
The demo is limited to words beginning with n, but I checked out the word navigation, and the on-line demo gives the same information as my hard copy.

Edited: Reineke's answer beat mine, and gives a good view of the entries.

[PeterMollenburg]

There is a demo version of the on-line dictionary, including pronunciation guide, here: http://pr.bvdep.com/demo/robert.asp.
The demo is limited to words beginning with n, but I checked out the word navigation, and the on-line demo gives the same information as my hard copy.

Edited: Reineke's answer beat mine, and gives a good view of the entries.

Le Petit Robert uses IPA for pronunciation. Based on the descriptions pronunciation is given for every word. I don't have it here with me or I would check it for you. If you want to purchase the best single volume French dictionary that would be Le Petit Robert. Larousse was enjoyable to flip through when I was a kid but mom would always reach for Le Robert. I would purchase several reference books if I were heavily invested in learning French.

140523_d247c_aetd-robert-dictionnaire_sn635.jpg

Les trois meilleurs dictionnaires de langue française
https://www.qualitexte.fr/meilleur-dictionnaire/

That's what I needed! Thank you Mork and reineke, I've just purchased it (and I bilingual dictionary as well - as much as I'm trying to get away from English during my French studies, there are times I cannot avoid it).

[jeffers]

I've had thoughts of my own about two of your issues for after your exam:

1. Taking a break from French. Taking a break isn't a bad idea at all. The only case where it would be an issue would be the student who takes a break and never comes back. However, taking a break from studying French doesn't mean you have to take a break from using French. For example, there is no way you could stop French phrases, words and responses coming to you unbidden at times. French is in you, and you're not going to get away from it. So go with it, and when you take a break from studying French, just enjoy the language: You might still watch TV in French, read in French, or listen to music because you like to do it.

Another good way to take a break from studying French but still using it would be to get the Assimil textbook in French for whatever other language you pick up. I know you probably have 10 textbooks in the language already. But if you work on your 3rd language through the medium of French alone you will find several benefits (which are best discussed elsewhere).

2. Listening while you kayak. I like listening while exercising, but it doesn't work well with all types of exercise. I think you need to be listening to something that doesn't really require your full attention because you want to concentrate on what you're doing and enjoy the outdoors. I'd suggest listening to music; it's surprising how after you get to know a song or an album the words begin to make sense without you really trying or concentrating. If you can pay a bit more attention, podcasts or audiobooks might be good.


Those are my two bits. Meanwhile, best of luck with your exam and give us all the gory details!

[PeterMollenburg]

Jusqu'à hier, j'avais trois idées en tête en ce qui concerne ce que je vais faire après l'examen du DELF B2.

1. Continuer seulement avec le français pour atteindre le niveau C1 ou C2 ou les deux. Ça prendra une année d'apprentissage au moins, mais étant plus réaliste, deux années, je crois - pas à cause d'un manque de niveau, ni à cause d'insuffisance d'assiduité et même ni manque de courage. Il reste toujours beaucoup de cours, beaucoup de télé et beaucoup de livres et j'ai hâte de maîtriser cette langue avec tous ces outils diverses !

2. Commencer à étudier le hollandais aussi. En faisant cette option, je ferais une langue un mois, l'autre, l'autre mois, cela veut dire, 'en roulement'. Et comme Jeffers m'a remarqué au-dessus, et pour ma part, je suis d'accord, oh, et n'oubliant pas de bonnes réflexions que smallwhite m'a données également sur ce sujet, ça serait une très bonne option.

3. Avec la prolongation de français, commencer à étudier le hollandais ET l'allemand. Pourquoi ? Parce que, avec ces deux langues j'aurais, en théorie, plus d'opportunités de trouver un emploi soit en Belgique, soit en Suisse, ou même au Luxembourg. Le problème ici, c'est qu'en étudiant deux langues proches, il arrivera peut-être des difficultés de confusion et un manque de temps avec trois langues.
-----------------------------------
Qu'est-ce que j'ai décidé alors?

De continuer seulement avec le français !

Il y avait toujours un seul but ici, c'est d'atteindre C1/C2 en français AVANT d'ajouter d'autres langues. Je sais, ce ne pas exactement fantistique si je ne parle qu'une des trois langues officielles de la Belgique ou de la Suisse.... mais, avec l'anglais ça m'aidera, et je préfère de risquer de ne pas trouver un emploi là-bas que d'en trouver un, SANS avoir maîtriser cette belle langue, parce que en fin de compte il y aura d'autres occasions, d'autres options en fait.

Bonne chance à moi, l'examen commence demain !