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

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eido
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Re: PM’s French Adventures in the Matrix

Postby eido » Sat Aug 01, 2020 5:07 pm

Well, I know I'm real... So you can at least count on me.
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Re: PM’s French Adventures in the Matrix

Postby iguanamon » Sat Aug 01, 2020 6:51 pm

PeterMollenburg wrote:...Very important message to convey.... Do you think all the personalities on this language forum are fake and I'm potentially the only real one? That this is like the Truman Show and I'm the Truman type dude of LLorg? Could I be saying this because I'm part of the fake cast and YOU are Truman and everyone else on here is fake? Clearly this is a very serious predicament. I think only the moderators can answer this. So... who is Truman and is Truman real.... also was the Truman Show a testing ground made as a precursor to LLorg, the real Truman Show? Who are you people!!!!!!

There is a clue... most of the people on here, me included are not using their REAL names!!

Lennon and McCartney (with apologies for the alterations) wrote:I am he as you are he as you are me
And we are all together
See how they run like pigs from a gun see how they fly
I'm crying
Sitting on a cornflake waiting for the van to come
Corporation tee-shirt, stupid bloody Tuesday
Man you've been a naughty boy. You let your post go long
I am the eggman, they are the eggmen
I am the iguana, goo goo goo joob

You should have taken the blue pill, PM!
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Re: PM’s French Adventures in the Matrix

Postby PeterMollenburg » Sun Aug 02, 2020 3:20 am

eido wrote:Well, I know I'm real... So you can at least count on me.


Hmmmm.... nice in theory, but in reality I'm not sure I trust you, eido... I have an idea. Send me all your details. Name, address, phone number, credit card details (multiple please), access to bank accounts. That'll ensure I know who you are, I think. Don't be surprised if I then ask you in the name of retaining your freedom to give up most of your freedoms. If anyone can be trusted here, it's me. :lol:

iguanamon wrote:
PeterMollenburg wrote:...Very important message to convey.... Do you think all the personalities on this language forum are fake and I'm potentially the only real one? That this is like the Truman Show and I'm the Truman type dude of LLorg? Could I be saying this because I'm part of the fake cast and YOU are Truman and everyone else on here is fake? Clearly this is a very serious predicament. I think only the moderators can answer this. So... who is Truman and is Truman real.... also was the Truman Show a testing ground made as a precursor to LLorg, the real Truman Show? Who are you people!!!!!!

There is a clue... most of the people on here, me included are not using their REAL names!!

Lennon and McCartney (with apologies for the alterations) wrote:I am he as you are he as you are me
And we are all together
See how they run like pigs from a gun see how they fly
I'm crying
Sitting on a cornflake waiting for the van to come
Corporation tee-shirt, stupid bloody Tuesday
Man you've been a naughty boy. You let your post go long
I am the eggman, they are the eggmen
I am the iguana, goo goo goo joob

You should have taken the blue pill, PM!


Oh... ummm, also 'they' told me to choose between the red or blue pill. Well, while they weren't looking I took more red pills... about five to 25 more. Do you think that could've been dangerous? I didn't have a prescription so I'm worried I could render my health insurance void... Maybe when I get eido's bank details I might be able to reinsure myself somehow and remove the '25 red pill clause'... ? :?


Today started better with my French. Not 2 hours but 40 min at the desk... it's a start, i'll build on that. I blame Lance Armstrong as I had to stay up late to see what he had to say about the red pills. He didn't mention them, so I'll keep digging. The truth is out there!
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Re: PM’s French Adventures in the Matrix

Postby rdearman » Sun Aug 02, 2020 8:51 am

Serious question for you.

I am curious if you have tried to create an immersive environment for yourself in French? I know it is difficult in an English speaking country, but since your children understand French and presumably your wife, why not make your home language complete French? Only read French news, only watch French films, only read French books, study Norwegian only with French materials, etc., etc..

Sort of like if you were in France and had to use English at work, but the rest of your day is French. In other words stop studying French and start living it.
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Re: PM’s French Adventures in the Matrix

Postby PeterMollenburg » Sun Aug 02, 2020 11:46 am

rdearman wrote:Serious question for you.

I am curious if you have tried to create an immersive environment for yourself in French? I know it is difficult in an English speaking country, but since your children understand French and presumably your wife, why not make your home language complete French? Only read French news, only watch French films, only read French books, study Norwegian only with French materials, etc., etc..

Sort of like if you were in France and had to use English at work, but the rest of your day is French. In other words stop studying French and start living it.


Yes I have, and for the most part I have been successful.
I have spoken only in French with my children up until 6 months ago when I introduced Dutch every other day. Never English.
If I watch news, it is never in English unless I'm visiting someone or someone shows me something in English.
If I listen to podcasts.... French
If I read a book.... French
If I read the news.... French
If I read about current affairs, politics, how to resolve a computer problem, gardening, a wikipedia article... French
If I watch a movie.... French
If I watch a series... French
My Netflix is set to French
I have a VPN and watch French TV from Belgium, France, Switzerland and Canada.
I own French based courses for Dutch and Norwegian. I was recently using a French based course for Dutch, but because the French based Norwegian course is arguably not the best method to begin with (Assimil) as the accents and dialects vary (as I'm told) across the lessons considerably, I opted not to do the same for NO. Mind you I did attempt to procure a FR-NO dictionary, but in the end have not got around to buying one due to other priorities. I did attempt to find a decent-ish FR-NO dictionary online but wasn't overly impressed with what I could find, but was using google translate at times.

I used to believe French based resources were the only way to go when learning another language. Unfortunately this limits me. The best way to go is to find the resources that you're most likely to use, most motivated to use, most interesting etc but definitely attempt to use French as a base language by default if possible, but not limit yourself to those only, particularly in NO as there simply aren't enough good language courses from a French base (or at least good ones that I would use). I often use an online dictionary to find Dutch words when speaking to my kids. I first use the French-Dutch dictionary, only if I don't know a French term do I go to the English-French dictionary first (to learn the French word) then translate to Dutch.

My wife speaks little French but understands a fair amount of everyday French from the conversations I have with my children. We have often suggested going French all the way with her like I have with our kids... but that is tricky and means changing the dynamics of our relationship in a major way.

Any computer programs, google, OS of my phone, computer etc.. ANYTHING I can switch to French I have done and will do so in future.

I had been in contact with a French recruiting agency in Belgium on and off over recent years. All communication was in French (emails) and a few months back we skyped... I used French only.

Perhaps the only things I could do is get my wife speaking French and start translating ALL of my English to French in my head while working, while speaking with others etc. Mind you I often search medical issues in French too, only referring to English if absolutely necessary (if I get lost, or need clarification).

I think I'm doing pretty well. I have done all this for several years.

Only lately have I let my hair down a little more and given myself permission to back off a little and occasionally watch something in English, but that's not going to last... I have a mission at hand and even if English entered the picture a little more it would never occupy even 50% of the space that French currently occupies, I feel.

Btw, I'm open to any further suggestions, absolutely ;)
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Re: PM’s French Adventures in the Matrix

Postby DaveAgain » Mon Aug 03, 2020 4:42 am

PeterMollenburg wrote:If I read a book.... French
I've just finished a book I think you might like, essais politiques by Václav Havel (ISBN: 2702118275).

The essay titles are:
    Lettre ouverte à Gustav Husak
    Le sens de la Charte 77
    Le pouvoir des sans-pouvoir
    Histoires et totalitarisme
    Anatomie d'une réticence
    La politique et la conscience
    Face aux juges
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Re: PM’s French Adventures in the Matrix

Postby Gustav Aschenbach » Mon Aug 03, 2020 4:52 am

Hello Peter,

wow, your immersion environment is impressive! I'm way too undisciplined for that and I read and watch too much stuff in German (newspaper etc.). How about writing your log in French as well?
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Re: PM’s French Adventures in the Matrix

Postby Xenops » Mon Aug 03, 2020 5:55 am

PeterMollenburg wrote:
I used to believe French based resources were the only way to go when learning another language. Unfortunately this limits me. The best way to go is to find the resources that you're most likely to use, most motivated to use, most interesting etc but definitely attempt to use French as a base language by default if possible, but not limit yourself to those only, particularly in NO as there simply aren't enough good language courses from a French base (or at least good ones that I would use). I often use an online dictionary to find Dutch words when speaking to my kids. I first use the French-Dutch dictionary, only if I don't know a French term do I go to the English-French dictionary first (to learn the French word) then translate to Dutch.



Honestly, there's not many good resources for NO in English, either. I'm up to chapter 11 in Mystery of Nils, and it's meh (the audio is pretty bad), I have one grammar book, and I have to rely on Duolingo for sentence practice. :?
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Re: PM’s French Adventures in the Matrix

Postby PeterMollenburg » Mon Aug 03, 2020 6:17 am

DaveAgain wrote:
PeterMollenburg wrote:If I read a book.... French
I've just finished a book I think you might like, essais politiques by Václav Havel (ISBN: 2702118275).

The essay titles are:
    Lettre ouverte à Gustav Husak
    Le sens de la Charte 77
    Le pouvoir des sans-pouvoir
    Histoires et totalitarisme
    Anatomie d'une réticence
    La politique et la conscience
    Face aux juges


Looks interesting... thank you DaveAgain :) Would you care to provide more of a review, albeit brief if you prefer?
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Re: PM’s French Adventures in the Matrix

Postby PeterMollenburg » Mon Aug 03, 2020 6:21 am

Gustav Aschenbach wrote:Hello Peter,

wow, your immersion environment is impressive! I'm way too undisciplined for that and I read and watch too much stuff in German (newspaper etc.). How about writing your log in French as well?


And I forgot to mention other activities with the kds (1 hr 15 min of reading kids stories today for example - that's a good day but practically every 2nd day i'm reading French stories with them, and even some on 'Dutch days'). They also listen to French music with me at times and audio books here and there.

Structured essay writing for exams is my main weak point (based on my DALF C2 score), and it makes sense for me to build on it, but not yet, although I'm ready, I just want to focus on my current routine for a bit then introduce more writing a little down the track. I won't write my log in French. It's not the right audience to rely on corrections, imo. It wouldn't be the best use of my time.
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