Feedback on how to go from a B1 to C1

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Sarafina
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Feedback on how to go from a B1 to C1

Postby Sarafina » Tue Feb 13, 2018 3:46 pm

I previously asked for advice on how to improve my listening and pronunciation. The feedback and responses were invaluable. I've noticed an increase in my listening comprehension as I can now watch a random French YouTuber and follow it with ease. Although for TV series that contain specific legal or medical terminology, I still get lost.
I am currently at B1 in my speaking, listening and writing but a confident B2 in my reading.

I hope to take an official C1 exam ideally on the 26-27th March 2019.

What I currently do:
Read three articles from either Le Monde, Le Monde Diplomatique, Vice.fr and occasionally Le Firago. (Although I've recently discovered Larevuedesressources) using Readlang when I encounter words I don't know and add some of more interesting words to Anki. On Readlang, I am slowly making my way through Vingt mille lieues sous les mers, par Jules Verne, Candide ou l'Optimisme, Le Monde de Charlie and some Camus' works.

Listen to audiobooks in the morning of French classics.
I am reading as well 'Celle qui fuit, celle qui reste' which is a long read and I have a physical copy of it.

I try to watch at least one episode of a TV series like Daredevil, Altered Carbon, Juliette je t'aime, HTGAWM. I put on a random FranceCulture on background but I try to follow along. I try to watch French podcasts like Nofun or La Baladeur. For intensive listening, I try to dissect a video from 7jours. But I struggle with intensive listening as it can become tedious really quickly. The amount of time I spend listening to French varies from as many as 3 hours to as little as 15 minutes a day.

I have this massive French All in One Grammar book that I go through which I plan on finishing by March

I will admit that I rarely practice writing, beyond what my teacher in class assigns me and texting my language exchange partners. I don't know how to even start to prepare for the writing section without having to buy expensive DALF preparation books.

I had two tutors before one who was /or maybe still is an examiner for DALF and another who was focused purely on just chatting about random topics but due to exams and lack of money I've stopped having a tutor for now. From now to 18th May I can probably only commit to one hour exchange per week.
But in the summer holidays (from June upwards), I plan on getting a job and will be able to continue with at least two lessons a week. From June to the end of September which is my summer holidays, I hope to have 5 hours of speaking per week although realistically I can probably only arrange 2-3 hours per week.

Does anyone know a site beyond Italki where one can find language exchange to practice speaking with. Like type of a instant live-call/video service? Like HelloTalk but with stronger emphasis on actual speaking to each other. I am tired of having flaky language exchanges who are too nervous to practice speaking on Skype and seem to want to be penpals or having to arrange times in advance only for them to cancel. Although it would be wonderful to from June.

My Plan
1. To consistently spend at least one hour on extensive listening on weekdays excluding Friday to a mixture of French podcasts, TV series and YouTubers. Then to 3 hours of extensive listening on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. And a consistent 15 minutes of intensive listening everyday.
For podcasts, I am listening to FranceCulture, Nofun and La Baladeur.
For YouTubers/YouTube channels, I listen mainly to Le Monde, 7jours, Le Firago, Cyprus North, Révisions Bac, Pour La Petite Histoire, Ginger Force, Natascha Bird etc.
For TV series, I am still using dubbed TV series and cartoons however by around the end of May, I am going to switch to actual French TV such as Les Revenants, Engrenages, Le Bureau des Légendes. For the whole of June and July I plan undertaking a César Award challenge in which I try to watch all of the movies that have won a César Award for Best Picture which is around 43-44 movies.

2. a)To write 250-500 words a day on random writing tasks from IB HL French past papers tasks and submit to either Lang-8 or Italki or maybe give it to my French teacher at school but he's unreliable. I know that format of HL French is completely different to the format of DALF exam but this is to get some writing practice going in the meantime and I have to get good grades in my writing section so why not kill two birds with one stone.
2. b) However after the 18th May which is my last exam, I can switch to mock C1 writing tasks and working through it with my tutor.

3) To do 3-5 hours of speaking (although this can't be put to action right now at this moment) with both tutors. From now to the 18th May I can only realistically commit to 1 hour a week. [/i]
3b)To record 10 minutes worth of monologues, reviews, vlogs, rants about who knows what a day

4) To read 30-50 pages worth of French native materials e.g. novels and news articles (which I already do consistently for most part)

5) Spend 30 minutes a day on grammar work on weekdays. And 50 minutes on the weekends.


1. How would you grade my current plan in terms of effectiveness in getting me from B1 to C1 by March 2019 for each activites I've listed?
2. Do you have advice of how to improve my current timetable/plan i.e. any suggestions on resources that would be useful, any activities that you feel like I am neglecting?
3. Any advice on how to specifically tackle the C1 exam?
Last edited by Sarafina on Wed Feb 14, 2018 3:47 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Feedback on how to go from a B1 to C1

Postby Brun Ugle » Wed Feb 14, 2018 2:03 pm

Sarafina wrote:-Consistent one hour of extensive listening on weekends to a mixture of French podcasts, TV series and YouTubers. Then to 3 hours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. And 15 minutes of intensive listening per day.
-To have 3-5 hours of speaking (although this can't be put to action right now at this moment) with both tutors
-To read 30-50 pages worth of French native materials e.g. novels and news articles (which I already do consistently for most part)

Is the highlighted part supposed to be weekdays? And the 3 hours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, is that total or per day? And how about the other two points? I assume the speaking is per week, but how about the reading?

I can't really say much about your plan since I don't know French or the DALF, but from what I've heard, the writing part is rather tricky. You might be able to find an Italki teacher to correct your writing though.

For random speaking practice, you might trying the Tandem app. It allows you to have video calls instantly within the app.
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Re: Feedback on how to go from a B1 to C1

Postby reineke » Wed Feb 14, 2018 2:13 pm

I didn't want to leave you hanging, and I didn't want to just post that your plan is a little confusing to read for someone who is not privy to your schedule. You're apparently planning to practice all the four skills and that's good. You might want to try to sit for the B2 exam this year.
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Sarafina
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Re: Feedback on how to go from a B1 to C1

Postby Sarafina » Wed Feb 14, 2018 3:17 pm

Brun Ugle wrote:
Sarafina wrote:-Consistent one hour of extensive listening on weekends to a mixture of French podcasts, TV series and YouTubers. Then to 3 hours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. And 15 minutes of intensive listening per day.
-To have 3-5 hours of speaking (although this can't be put to action right now at this moment) with both tutors
-To read 30-50 pages worth of French native materials e.g. novels and news articles (which I already do consistently for most part)

Is the highlighted part supposed to be weekdays? And the 3 hours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, is that total or per day? And how about the other two points? I assume the speaking is per week, but how about the reading?

I can't really say much about your plan since I don't know French or the DALF, but from what I've heard, the writing part is rather tricky. You might be able to find an Italki teacher to correct your writing though.

For random speaking practice, you might trying the Tandem app. It allows you to have video calls instantly within the app.


Yeah. I've changed it now.
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Sarafina
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Re: Feedback on how to go from a B1 to C1

Postby Sarafina » Wed Feb 14, 2018 3:18 pm

reineke wrote:I didn't want to leave you hanging, and I didn't want to just post that your plan is a little confusing to read for someone who is not privy to your schedule. You're apparently planning to practice all the four skills and that's good. You might want to try to sit for the B2 exam this year.


What part of my plan is confusing? Sometimes I write these things in a rush and forget to organise it a way that is clear for other people to read.
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Re: Feedback on how to go from a B1 to C1

Postby tarvos » Wed Feb 14, 2018 3:22 pm

If you want to sit exams, hire a tutor to help you. The writing and speaking exercises will be invaluable.
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Sarafina
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Re: Feedback on how to go from a B1 to C1

Postby Sarafina » Wed Feb 14, 2018 3:48 pm

reineke wrote:I didn't want to leave you hanging, and I didn't want to just post that your plan is a little confusing to read for someone who is not privy to your schedule. You're apparently planning to practice all the four skills and that's good. You might want to try to sit for the B2 exam this year.


I've elaborated a bit more on my plan now. Hopefully it makes it more clear what my schedule is or at least trying to be. :lol:
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Re: Feedback on how to go from a B1 to C1

Postby Cavesa » Wed Feb 14, 2018 3:59 pm

My two cents:

I think you've got the comprehension skills covered quite well, but I think you should add some contemporary reading to your list. Don't get me wrong, I loved Verne as a child and the classics are great. But taking some 21st or late 20th century authors might be beneficial to you.

For grammar, I recommend the Progressive series (the last book is awesome) but there are various options, you seem to have it covered.

Writing is tricky. As I have already written so many times it feels like annoying everyone by repeating myself over and over, writing is tricky due to the form of the exam. In the French education system in general, writing is much less about creativity than about sticking to the rules. So, random 200-500 word long bits won't do. Even without the teacher, you can prepare for this, even though an experienced tutor might be helpful, really check how many people they have prepared for the exam before you. Don't take tutors without this experience. And really ask about their previous students (how many, what levels, what results), don't take evasive answers. I found the tutor much more useful for writing than for speaking.

I think you should definitely get some preparatory books. I know they are not cheap, but either there are pirate copies on the internet, or there are libraries, or second hand bookstores. But nothing prepares you better, even though it is possible to pass without them of course. What you could profit from the most is the CD (for listening practice of the exam stuff) and the written assignments. It is necessary to stick to the genre. You cannot copy the exact sentences but you must not stir away too far, or you'll fail. It is tricky.

There are a few resources focusing solely on expression écrite, I recommend consulting them.

When practicing writing, I recommend two phases. At first, write texts as well as you can, take as much time as you can, review them various times before considering them complete. But later, use a stopwatch. It is extremely important to learn how to plan your work and not have last 10 minutes for one quarter of the assignment :-)

I'll look up some details a bit later, if you are interested. :-)

P.S. a quik google inspired by you showed me for example this: https://www.pug.fr/produit/1364/9782706 ... C1%20%20C2
I wish it was available a few years ago, I think it would have been very helpful.
Or something like this https://www.amazon.fr/Pr%C3%A9paration- ... 1519025300
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Re: Feedback on how to go from a B1 to C1

Postby tarvos » Wed Feb 14, 2018 5:22 pm

I found the tutor much more useful for writing than for speaking.


The most important thing is that they have experience tutoring for DALF/DELF. Even better if they have been examiners before. Or they're going in that direction, at least.

And I like it for speaking too, just because these exams have such strict rules.
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