Carmody's Log for French

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Robierre
Green Belt
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Languages: Speaking: Croatian (N)
Learning: French (C2), Polish (B1)
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Language Log: viewtopic.php?t=941
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Re: Carmody's Log for French

Postby Robierre » Sun May 27, 2018 8:45 am

I never read Nothomb but she's on my list. Keep up the good work!
1 x
Si ce n'est toi, qui le fera? Si pas maintenant, quand sera-ce?

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Carmody
Black Belt - 1st Dan
Posts: 1747
Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2016 4:00 am
Location: NYC, NY
Languages: English (N)
French (B1)
Language Log: http://tinyurl.com/zot7wrs
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Re: Carmody's Log for French

Postby Carmody » Mon May 28, 2018 1:01 am

If you wish to try her you may give Stupeur Et Tremblements A. Nothomb a try.

I do not believe there is anyone out there similar to her in any way. Also, I believe she is totally like ice cream flavors or chocolate; if she is your flavor you will know it and if not; don't waste your time.
1 x

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Carmody
Black Belt - 1st Dan
Posts: 1747
Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2016 4:00 am
Location: NYC, NY
Languages: English (N)
French (B1)
Language Log: http://tinyurl.com/zot7wrs
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Re: Carmody's Log for French

Postby Carmody » Tue Jun 26, 2018 6:24 pm

I am half way through 2018, so herewith an update for my study log for the months of Jan-June.

Area of focus…………………………………............................Time Spent
1.Viewing of YouTube courses
(Francais Avec Pierre, Home Language, etc.)……………..........51 Hrs.

2. Language Learning
(Polyglot Confer., etc……………………………………………………........18 Hrs
.
3.YouTube Documentaries Plus unedicteeparjour.fr ...........71 Hrs.

4. French literature…………………………………………………….........178 Hrs.
(includes intensive rereading of previous bks.
for vocab, idioms, etc.

5.PenPals: Writing to friends plus Skype sessions…………………..24 Hrs.

6. French Grammar
Ultimate French, by Stillman and Gordon
French Grammar: A Complete Ref. Guide by Calvez.............48 Hrs.
………………………………………………………………….............…… Total 390 Hrs.

Notes:
#2 - I continue to believe that I need to be aware of how best to learn what I need to learn.

#4 French literature is my joy and prime motivation for studying this language. If anyone knows of good contemporary French literature that they could recommend I am eager to hear of new titles.

Observations:
*For the past 3 mos. I have cut back drastically on the reading of French literature and am instead focusing on absorbing Native Oral Input. If I at some point can learn to listen without translating before I die, well, that would be an added plus to my life’s accomplishments.

*My weekly Skype meeting with my Language Exchange partner who happens to be a French teacher in a high school in Strasbourg is truly a gift from the gods on so many different levels.

*The amount of time I have put into grammar has greatly increased and I hope to see positive results from this in my upcoming Dialang test in another 1-2 months.

*I monitor this Forum every day, find it a wonderful resource and am grateful to everyone.
8 x

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Mohave
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Language Log: http://how-to-learn-any-language.org/vi ... f=15&t=766
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Re: Carmody's Log for French

Postby Mohave » Tue Jun 26, 2018 8:13 pm

Carmody wrote:#4 French literature is my joy and prime motivation for studying this language. If anyone knows of good contemporary French literature that they could recommend I am eager to hear of new titles.
.


Wow Carmody! What a great job you are doing on your French journey! Congratulations and you are giving me such motivation to do more! French literature was also my main motivation for re-learning French as an older adult. I took two French literature courses in college - and have wanted to be able ever since to be able to read it again!

Also, I recommend, if you haven't already, start a GoodReads account. I created two shelves just for my French literature, and based on my ratings, GoodReads recommends other books that i might like. I forget who, but someone here in our forum recommended this approach, and it was a life saver during the last SC that I did. Also, several others in this forum have GoodReads accounts (my link is in my signature) and you can "friend" them on GoodReads to see what they are reading and the ratings.

I'm sure other will give you some ideas, but here are some of the (more) current authors I have read or are on my "to-read" list.

Michel Houellenbecq (Very controversial author) - I read "Extension du domaine de la lutte"
Patrick Modiano (Nobel Prize in Literature) - On my to-read list :" Rues des Boutiques Observe"
Jean Paul Sartre - "Les Jeux Sont Fait" (I'm about 1/2 done)
Marcel Pagnol - I think I saw you read "La Gloire de Mon Père". Two of my favorite reads were "Jean de Florette" et "Manon des Sources"
Vercours - "Le Silence de la Mer" a short story written in the 1940s during the Nazi occupation of French. Another favorite from my last Super Challenge!

If you want authors that are current, but more everyday language, consider the following authors . You will learn lots of colloquialisms and idioms. I classify these authors as "beach reads".
Marc Levy - I read "Le Premier Jour" and "La Première Nuit". I am currently reading "Et si c'était vrai"
Guillaume Musso - I read "L''appel de l'ange"

Others: Annie Ernaux I read "Journal du Dehors" and "La Première Gorgée de la Bière" by Phillips Delerme. I enjoyed these both, but I didn't necessarily learn "current language" like Musso and Levy.

I think I recall that you don't care for policiers - I happen to love them. If you want some recommendations there, please let me know. Others I'm sure will give you recommendations, and I look forward to them. These are what I can recommend of what I've read that have been written in the fairly recent pass.
4 x
Spanish Motivation: Dec 2018 - Costa Rica
Spanish Pimsleur 3: 6 / 30 Assimil: 56 / 100
Spanish Super Challenge Books: 2 / 50 Movies: 0 / 100
French Super Challenge Books: 24 / 100 Movies: 22 / 100

My Goodreads

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Carmody
Black Belt - 1st Dan
Posts: 1747
Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2016 4:00 am
Location: NYC, NY
Languages: English (N)
French (B1)
Language Log: http://tinyurl.com/zot7wrs
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Re: Carmody's Log for French

Postby Carmody » Tue Jun 26, 2018 11:00 pm

Mohave
Many thanks for the support; greatly appreciated.
Will definitely review your suggestions carefully for my next read.
1 x

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Carmody
Black Belt - 1st Dan
Posts: 1747
Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2016 4:00 am
Location: NYC, NY
Languages: English (N)
French (B1)
Language Log: http://tinyurl.com/zot7wrs
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Re: Carmody's Log for French

Postby Carmody » Tue Jul 03, 2018 12:52 am

Just a note here to mention that I found a very useful tool to help me to begin to listen without translating. …….

The tool was/is by listening/watching

Remi sans famille by Hector Malot, 1878

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJP4Nx6vzVM&list=PLaMzSHCVzZaKILRk0PCO7ZErCr-XZ6E1N

It is a fun depiction of a very old story.

Because the visuals and the music were so relaxing, I could genuinely start to listen without translating.

Possibly the story is too simple for everyone else but at my elementary level, it helped me to relax and to take my first steps at not translating.

It lasted 16 hours and was a real joy.
3 x

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Carmody
Black Belt - 1st Dan
Posts: 1747
Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2016 4:00 am
Location: NYC, NY
Languages: English (N)
French (B1)
Language Log: http://tinyurl.com/zot7wrs
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Re: Carmody's Log for French

Postby Carmody » Tue Aug 07, 2018 5:31 pm

Major Announcement, sort of....about 3 months ago when I posted my Dialang test results smallwhite very correctly pointed out that I had not posted the results for the structure or grammar part of it. Since then i have been studying quite hard to take that test and today I took it and got a B1, which is what I was shooting for.

So, now I have B1 in all my Dialang tests and will switch my profile to reflect that.
B1 Grammar
B1 Reading
B1 Spoken
B1 Vocab
B1 Writing

My thanks to everyone on the Forum.
:D
Last edited by Carmody on Tue Aug 07, 2018 11:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Mohave
Orange Belt
Posts: 198
Joined: Sat Jul 18, 2015 1:38 pm
Location: Florida, USA
Languages: English (Native),
French (enjoying and still learning the language)
Spanish (Beginner)
Language Log: http://how-to-learn-any-language.org/vi ... f=15&t=766
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Re: Carmody's Log for French

Postby Mohave » Tue Aug 07, 2018 5:34 pm

Carmody wrote:Major Announcement, sort of....about 3 months ago when I posted my Dialang test results smallwhite very correctly pointed out that I had not posted the results for the structure or grammar part of it. Since then i have been studying quite hard to take that test and today I took it and got a B1, which is what I was shooting for.

So, now I have B1 in all my Dialang tests and will switch my profile to reflect that.

My thanks to everyone on the Forum.
:D


Congratulations - what wonderful news! Your hard work has paid off!
3 x
Spanish Motivation: Dec 2018 - Costa Rica
Spanish Pimsleur 3: 6 / 30 Assimil: 56 / 100
Spanish Super Challenge Books: 2 / 50 Movies: 0 / 100
French Super Challenge Books: 24 / 100 Movies: 22 / 100

My Goodreads

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Carmody
Black Belt - 1st Dan
Posts: 1747
Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2016 4:00 am
Location: NYC, NY
Languages: English (N)
French (B1)
Language Log: http://tinyurl.com/zot7wrs
x 3395

Re: Carmody's Log for French

Postby Carmody » Wed Aug 08, 2018 7:23 pm

A big thank you to everyone for visiting my blog. Since it is so far off the beaten path of being a polyglot, I am surprised anyone would notice. Maybe now is a good time to look back and see if I have learned anything that might be of use to someone, so herewith is my offering.

• Since we each learn language for a different reason, our paths to doing so are going to be different. What is right for Benny Lewis in Fluent in 3 Months is not necessarily that useful to me. In many ways, my language learning journey has been a long road of discovery for what actually really works for me.

• My purpose in learning French was / is to be able to read French literature and learn more about the French way of seeing things. That means that I want to be able to understand more than just the general gist of what I read.

• My language learning is very similar to a pilgrimage in that the journey requires: a lot of faith, solitary work, and repetition.

• Peter Mollenberg has said many very useful things for me. One is his insistence in how long it takes and also that if what I am working on bores me, then to move on to something else. By which I mean to understand that if grammar, reading, writing,
oral content, or vocabulary work becomes tedious, then by all means switch to another area of learning for the time being.

• I can’t emphasize enough that the journey requires patience and being relaxed. Patient perseverance is a very rare quality in this day and age.

• I am a slow learner and realize that everyone else is fast. Having understood that, I move on at my own pace in my own way. I am a tortoise and would drive most everyone else crazy, however, I do get results in the end.

• And now for something that you never hear anyone else mention. It is that you need real cunning, of the subterfuge type. Seriously. No journey of this type can be taken totally in isolation. You can’t shut the entire world out or ask it to come to a stop for your language learning time schedule. If you are to succeed, you will require the flexibility of others to allow you your study time, so, plot and scheme how to structure your days so as to least impose on others. It is a long haul and requires the flexibility of others to make this possible.

• I could never, ever have done this B1 without learning from the collective wisdom of this group. The language learning techniques I have learned here have been invaluable in my journey. So, a heartfelt thank you to everyone for their contributions.
9 x

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Carmody
Black Belt - 1st Dan
Posts: 1747
Joined: Fri Jan 01, 2016 4:00 am
Location: NYC, NY
Languages: English (N)
French (B1)
Language Log: http://tinyurl.com/zot7wrs
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Re: Carmody's Log for French

Postby Carmody » Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:55 pm

Vocalism
By Walt Whitman
1819-1892

O what is it in me that makes me tremble so at voices?
Surely whoever speaks to me in the right voice, him or her I shall follow,
As the water follows the moon, silently, with fluid steps, anywhere
around the globe.
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