I thought that I would start a log if for no other reason than to document, for myself, my progress, or lack thereof, in learning French.
I learned French in school up to GCSE level in the late 80's, but hadn't done anything else with it since. on a whim late last year I picked up my French & English copies of Camus's 'L'étranger' & started some very slow reading.
I just took the Dialang (https://dialangweb.lancaster.ac.uk/) level tests to provide a baseline. I'm not sure how accurate they are in CEFR level terms, but hopefully it will provide a datum of sorts to measure my progress:
Listening: B1
Writing: A2
Reading: B2
Vocab: B2
Structures: B1
I don't have any strictly defined goals other than wanting to improve. I'd like to be able to read a French newspaper, watch French TV shows & hold a conversation in French. and perhaps to prove that not all Brits are monolingual.
el mono está en el árbol.
- badger
- Green Belt
- Posts: 411
- Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2019 6:33 pm
- Location: UK
- Languages: native: English
intermediate: French
dabbling: Spanish - Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... p?p=135580
- x 1160
el mono está en el árbol.
Last edited by badger on Wed Jan 31, 2024 2:26 am, edited 2 times in total.
10 x
Super Challenge 2024-2025
ES (half): reading: watcching:
FR (full): reading: watcching:
ES (half): reading: watcching:
FR (full): reading: watcching:
- badger
- Green Belt
- Posts: 411
- Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2019 6:33 pm
- Location: UK
- Languages: native: English
intermediate: French
dabbling: Spanish - Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... p?p=135580
- x 1160
Re: Le singe est dans l'arbre [EN->FR]
Resources:
FRENCH:
* Anki:
- 5,000 Most Common French Words:
https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/893324022/
: all
: mature
* FSI:
https://fsi-languages.yojik.eu/languages/FSI/fsi-french.html
: Volume 1
: Volume 2
* Reading:
: L'Élégance du Hérisson - Muriel Barbery - 410p
: Winnie L'Ourson - AA Milne - 170p
: La Maison de Winnie L'Ourson - AA Milne - 194p
: Traité de Zen et de l'Entretien des Motorcyclettes - Robert M. Pirsig - 447p
: Les Royaumes du Nord - Philip Pullman - 533p
: La Tour des Anges - Philip Pullman - 446p
: Le Miroir d'Ambre - Philip Pullman - 792p
: Harry Potter à l'Ecole des Sorciers - JK Rowling - 510p
: Harry Potter et la Chambre des Secrets - JK Rowling - 616p
: Harry Potter et le Prisonnier d'Azkaban - JK Rowling - 725p
: Harry Potter et La Coupe de Feu - JK Rowling - 1431p
: Harry Potter et l'Ordre du Phénix - JK Rowling - 1343p
: Harry Potter et le Prince de Sang Mêlé - JK Rowling - 944p
: Harry Potter et les Reliques de la Mort - JK Rowling - 1122p
: Chocolat - Joanne Harris - 382p
: Courrier Sud - Antoine de Saint-Exupery - 186p
: 10,000 pages target
* Watching:
: Le Nom de la Rose - The Name of the Rose - TV series
: Engrenages - Spiral - TV series - 76ep
: Buffy S1 - TV series - 12ep
: Harry Potter films - 8 films
* JeFF - Journal en Français Facile:
https://savoirs.rfi.fr/ru/apprendre-enseigner/langue-francaise/journal-en-francais-facile
* Texbooks:
- Le nouvel Edito Niveau B1:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/nouvel-Edito-Livre-leleve-DVD/dp/2278072692
- Le nouvel Edito Niveau B2:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/nouvel-Edito-Livre-leleve-DVD/dp/2278066579
- Grammaire progressive du francais - intermediaire:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grammaire-progressive-francais-Nouvelle-intermediaire/dp/2090381035
- Grammaire progressive du francais - avancé:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grammaire-progressive-fran%C3%A7ais-niveau-1C%C3%A9d%C3%A9rom/dp/2090381973
* DuoLingo:
: EN->FR (tree12)
: FR->EN
SPANISH:
* DuoLingo:
: EN->ES
* Watching:
Narcos Mexico
* Anki:
Spanish Top 5000 Vocabulary
https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/241428882
:
ARABIC:
* DuoLingo:
: EN->AR
* Learn Arabic - Arabic Alphabet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTuNe-VJYE8c3tVkQSVfxqC_2njpkTMZo
FRENCH:
* Anki:
- 5,000 Most Common French Words:
https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/893324022/
: all
: mature
* FSI:
https://fsi-languages.yojik.eu/languages/FSI/fsi-french.html
: Volume 1
: Volume 2
* Reading:
: L'Élégance du Hérisson - Muriel Barbery - 410p
: Winnie L'Ourson - AA Milne - 170p
: La Maison de Winnie L'Ourson - AA Milne - 194p
: Traité de Zen et de l'Entretien des Motorcyclettes - Robert M. Pirsig - 447p
: Les Royaumes du Nord - Philip Pullman - 533p
: La Tour des Anges - Philip Pullman - 446p
: Le Miroir d'Ambre - Philip Pullman - 792p
: Harry Potter à l'Ecole des Sorciers - JK Rowling - 510p
: Harry Potter et la Chambre des Secrets - JK Rowling - 616p
: Harry Potter et le Prisonnier d'Azkaban - JK Rowling - 725p
: Harry Potter et La Coupe de Feu - JK Rowling - 1431p
: Harry Potter et l'Ordre du Phénix - JK Rowling - 1343p
: Harry Potter et le Prince de Sang Mêlé - JK Rowling - 944p
: Harry Potter et les Reliques de la Mort - JK Rowling - 1122p
: Chocolat - Joanne Harris - 382p
: Courrier Sud - Antoine de Saint-Exupery - 186p
: 10,000 pages target
* Watching:
: Le Nom de la Rose - The Name of the Rose - TV series
: Engrenages - Spiral - TV series - 76ep
: Buffy S1 - TV series - 12ep
: Harry Potter films - 8 films
* JeFF - Journal en Français Facile:
https://savoirs.rfi.fr/ru/apprendre-enseigner/langue-francaise/journal-en-francais-facile
* Texbooks:
- Le nouvel Edito Niveau B1:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/nouvel-Edito-Livre-leleve-DVD/dp/2278072692
- Le nouvel Edito Niveau B2:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/nouvel-Edito-Livre-leleve-DVD/dp/2278066579
- Grammaire progressive du francais - intermediaire:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grammaire-progressive-francais-Nouvelle-intermediaire/dp/2090381035
- Grammaire progressive du francais - avancé:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Grammaire-progressive-fran%C3%A7ais-niveau-1C%C3%A9d%C3%A9rom/dp/2090381973
* DuoLingo:
: EN->FR (tree12)
: FR->EN
SPANISH:
* DuoLingo:
: EN->ES
* Watching:
Narcos Mexico
* Anki:
Spanish Top 5000 Vocabulary
https://ankiweb.net/shared/info/241428882
:
ARABIC:
* DuoLingo:
: EN->AR
* Learn Arabic - Arabic Alphabet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTuNe-VJYE8c3tVkQSVfxqC_2njpkTMZo
Last edited by badger on Thu Sep 03, 2020 8:51 pm, edited 52 times in total.
1 x
- badger
- Green Belt
- Posts: 411
- Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2019 6:33 pm
- Location: UK
- Languages: native: English
intermediate: French
dabbling: Spanish - Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... p?p=135580
- x 1160
Re: Le singe est dans l'arbre [EN->FR]
alors, stuff I have been doing for the last 3-4 months:
* Duolingo:
the ubiquitous petite chouette verte. FR->EN 'reverse' tree completed to "gold" throughout. EN->FR tree about 70% done. I seem to be doing the new, much longer tree (tree12) which is very pedantic & probably needs some time to have alternative translations added, so I've got a bit bored of that lately & am just doing enough each day to keep my streak intact.
* Memrise:
working my way through "5000 Most Common French Words" & I've just started "Conjugaison française, complete" that I saw on someone else's log.
* Films/TV:
I've been watching a lot of French films/TV with English subs to tune my ear back into hearing French. although the subs is obviously cheating, I'm able to increasingly pick out more French words from the dialogue.
I recently watched "Un Village Français" & am now re-watching it with French subs. I'm having to pause it quite a lot & flick back & forth to the English subs, usually for idiomatic stuff, but I'm definitely understanding more.
as a side note, I find it almost impossible to get decent FR subs for French-language films/programs & I can't figure out why.
& "Peppa Pig" in French, in small doses.
* Reading:
Camus's "L'étranger" & "Exil et le Royaume" (I subsequently watched the film "Loins des Hommes" & really liked it, which is based on the latter).
"Winnie L'Ourson" & "La Maison de Winnie L'Ourson". the humour of the originals comes through really nicely in the translations & the language is rather more complex than you might expect from a kids' book.
"Le Monde" - I try to read a few articles each day. it's interesting to get a European view of the state of British politics at the moment, as well as for the language.
I'm sure there's lots of other stuff that I can't think of at the moment, but that'll do for now. I think the lack of writing & speaking French is something that I'll need to think about, as I'm not doing any kind of interaction with another human in the language at the moment.
* Duolingo:
the ubiquitous petite chouette verte. FR->EN 'reverse' tree completed to "gold" throughout. EN->FR tree about 70% done. I seem to be doing the new, much longer tree (tree12) which is very pedantic & probably needs some time to have alternative translations added, so I've got a bit bored of that lately & am just doing enough each day to keep my streak intact.
* Memrise:
working my way through "5000 Most Common French Words" & I've just started "Conjugaison française, complete" that I saw on someone else's log.
* Films/TV:
I've been watching a lot of French films/TV with English subs to tune my ear back into hearing French. although the subs is obviously cheating, I'm able to increasingly pick out more French words from the dialogue.
I recently watched "Un Village Français" & am now re-watching it with French subs. I'm having to pause it quite a lot & flick back & forth to the English subs, usually for idiomatic stuff, but I'm definitely understanding more.
as a side note, I find it almost impossible to get decent FR subs for French-language films/programs & I can't figure out why.
& "Peppa Pig" in French, in small doses.
* Reading:
Camus's "L'étranger" & "Exil et le Royaume" (I subsequently watched the film "Loins des Hommes" & really liked it, which is based on the latter).
"Winnie L'Ourson" & "La Maison de Winnie L'Ourson". the humour of the originals comes through really nicely in the translations & the language is rather more complex than you might expect from a kids' book.
"Le Monde" - I try to read a few articles each day. it's interesting to get a European view of the state of British politics at the moment, as well as for the language.
I'm sure there's lots of other stuff that I can't think of at the moment, but that'll do for now. I think the lack of writing & speaking French is something that I'll need to think about, as I'm not doing any kind of interaction with another human in the language at the moment.
1 x
Super Challenge 2024-2025
ES (half): reading: watcching:
FR (full): reading: watcching:
ES (half): reading: watcching:
FR (full): reading: watcching:
-
- Black Belt - 1st Dan
- Posts: 1998
- Joined: Mon Aug 27, 2018 11:26 am
- Languages: English (native), French & German (learning).
- Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... &start=200
- x 4121
Re: Le singe est dans l'arbre [EN->FR]
Welome to the forum!
While arte.tv has french audio & french subtitles as an option for some programmes. They also have an app for Samsung's smart TVs if you've got one of those.
If you watch the live-stream of TV5Monde you have the option of french/english subtitles.badger wrote:as a side note, I find it almost impossible to get decent FR subs for French-language films/programs & I can't figure out why.
While arte.tv has french audio & french subtitles as an option for some programmes. They also have an app for Samsung's smart TVs if you've got one of those.
1 x
- Lianne
- Green Belt
- Posts: 457
- Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2015 3:29 pm
- Location: Canada
- Languages: Speaks: English (N)
Actively studying: French (low int)
Dabbling in: Italian (beginner), ASL (beginner), Ojibwe (beginner), Swahili (beginner)
Wish list: Swedish, Esperanto, Klingon, Brazilian Portuguese
Has also dabbled in: German, Spanish, toki pona - Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... hp?t=12275
- x 1298
- Contact:
Re: Le singe est dans l'arbre [EN->FR]
Bienvenue !
I'm also learning French, at a similar level to you, so I will follow your log with interest.
I'm also learning French, at a similar level to you, so I will follow your log with interest.
1 x
: French SC (Books)
: French SC (Films)
: Italian Half SC (Books)
: Italian Half SC (Films)
Pronouns: they/them
: French SC (Films)
: Italian Half SC (Books)
: Italian Half SC (Films)
Pronouns: they/them
- badger
- Green Belt
- Posts: 411
- Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2019 6:33 pm
- Location: UK
- Languages: native: English
intermediate: French
dabbling: Spanish - Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... p?p=135580
- x 1160
Re: Le singe est dans l'arbre [EN->FR]
DaveAgain wrote:Welome to the forum!
If you watch the live-stream of TV5Monde you have the option of french/english subtitles.badger wrote:as a side note, I find it almost impossible to get decent FR subs for French-language films/programs & I can't figure out why.
While arte.tv has french audio & french subtitles as an option for some programmes. They also have an app for Samsung's smart TVs if you've got one of those.
thanks Dave. I have TV5Monde bookmarked, but I haven't really delved into what it offers. I'll add that to my list.
I was more meaning subs for films, like on OpenSubitiles (https://www.opensubtitles.org) & similar.
1 x
Super Challenge 2024-2025
ES (half): reading: watcching:
FR (full): reading: watcching:
ES (half): reading: watcching:
FR (full): reading: watcching:
- badger
- Green Belt
- Posts: 411
- Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2019 6:33 pm
- Location: UK
- Languages: native: English
intermediate: French
dabbling: Spanish - Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... p?p=135580
- x 1160
Re: Le singe est dans l'arbre [EN->FR]
Lianne wrote:Bienvenue !
I'm also learning French, at a similar level to you, so I will follow your log with interest.
Merci Lianne.
I read your log & it was nice to see that not everyone on the forum is studying eight languages at once, so it will be interesting to see how we progress.
1 x
Super Challenge 2024-2025
ES (half): reading: watcching:
FR (full): reading: watcching:
ES (half): reading: watcching:
FR (full): reading: watcching:
-
- Black Belt - 1st Dan
- Posts: 1998
- Joined: Mon Aug 27, 2018 11:26 am
- Languages: English (native), French & German (learning).
- Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... &start=200
- x 4121
Re: Le singe est dans l'arbre [EN->FR]
I never had much luck with that. I recall being able to find subtitles there for the 1995 BBC Pride and Prejudice adaption, but the faffing around trying to find them for a particular film became too much of a timewaster for me.badger wrote:DaveAgain wrote:Welome to the forum!
If you watch the live-stream of TV5Monde you have the option of french/english subtitles.badger wrote:as a side note, I find it almost impossible to get decent FR subs for French-language films/programs & I can't figure out why.
While arte.tv has french audio & french subtitles as an option for some programmes. They also have an app for Samsung's smart TVs if you've got one of those.
thanks Dave. I have TV5Monde bookmarked, but I haven't really delved into what it offers. I'll add that to my list.
I was more meaning subs for films, like on OpenSubitiles (https://www.opensubtitles.org) & similar.
I think Hypnoweb.net have some transcipts.
There are also some published screenplays.
NB
Today TV5Monde are showing an episode of season 2 of Les Petits Meurtres d'Agatha Christie, which is a contender for being my fav french TV show. (there are some episodes on their official YouTube channel too)
1 x
- badger
- Green Belt
- Posts: 411
- Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2019 6:33 pm
- Location: UK
- Languages: native: English
intermediate: French
dabbling: Spanish - Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... p?p=135580
- x 1160
Re: Le singe est dans l'arbre [EN->FR]
J'ai pensé que je devrais essayer d'écrire un peu en français. Alors, cette semaine j'ai lu "La Femme Adultère" de "Exil et le Royaume" de Camus en Français. Je l'avait déjà lu en Anglais, mais c'était bien à le lire en Français aussi.
J'ai aussi lu "Dans lequel Tigre arrive dans la Forêt et prend son petit déjeuner", de "La Maison de Winnie L'Ourson".
J'ai regardé des émissions sur TV5Monde, qui ont été assez utiles. C'était un peu trop vite pour moi de temps en temps, mais j'en ai compris pas mal.
I think I could really do with some structure to my learning - my reading level isn't bad, but my speaking/writing is weak by comparison. I've been looking at B1 textbooks - "Reussir le DELF 2010 edition: Livre B1 & CD" by Thomas B Reverdy in particular (https://tinyurl.com/y6z4bxy9) - so if anyone has any recommendations, they would be most welcome. I'm not sure whether I'd actually do the test, but a bit more balance to my abilities wouldn't be a bad idea.
I did email my local Further Education college to see what French courses they do, but their "Advanced" course seems to be about B1 level, so I think I might be better off spending the money on some one-on-one Skype lessons instead.
J'ai aussi lu "Dans lequel Tigre arrive dans la Forêt et prend son petit déjeuner", de "La Maison de Winnie L'Ourson".
J'ai regardé des émissions sur TV5Monde, qui ont été assez utiles. C'était un peu trop vite pour moi de temps en temps, mais j'en ai compris pas mal.
I think I could really do with some structure to my learning - my reading level isn't bad, but my speaking/writing is weak by comparison. I've been looking at B1 textbooks - "Reussir le DELF 2010 edition: Livre B1 & CD" by Thomas B Reverdy in particular (https://tinyurl.com/y6z4bxy9) - so if anyone has any recommendations, they would be most welcome. I'm not sure whether I'd actually do the test, but a bit more balance to my abilities wouldn't be a bad idea.
I did email my local Further Education college to see what French courses they do, but their "Advanced" course seems to be about B1 level, so I think I might be better off spending the money on some one-on-one Skype lessons instead.
1 x
Super Challenge 2024-2025
ES (half): reading: watcching:
FR (full): reading: watcching:
ES (half): reading: watcching:
FR (full): reading: watcching:
-
- Black Belt - 1st Dan
- Posts: 1998
- Joined: Mon Aug 27, 2018 11:26 am
- Languages: English (native), French & German (learning).
- Language Log: https://forum.language-learners.org/vie ... &start=200
- x 4121
Re: Le singe est dans l'arbre [EN->FR]
It might be worth looking to see if you have a local french club too. They're sometimes called 'french circles'.badger wrote:I did email my local Further Education college to see what French courses they do, but their "Advanced" course seems to be about B1 level, so I think I might be better off spending the money on some one-on-one Skype lessons instead.
1 x
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