Le groupe français 2016 - 2019 Les Voyageurs

[Klara]

Sorry for not introducing myself before sending my first post in this study group. My name is Klara, I am from Germany and a false beginner in French. Years ago, I learned some French but forgot most of it, which doesn't matter at all. And now, a fresh start! Last month I began with a French/German textbook Couleurs de France A1 and today I finished it. It covered all the topics of the A1 level.

Motivated by the incredible good feeling of accomplishment, I enrolled for the DELF A1 at the Institut Français in Berlin. The exam will take place on the 17. November and I am really looking forward to it!

Before diving into the exam preparation, I will revise the grammar, work on my pronunciation (especially the nasals ...) and read/listen to this French œuvre

Peur sur l'Île de Beauté

And to consolidate my A1 knowledge, I'm going to work next through the free online course of the France Université Numérique

Vivre en France A1

So, that was my introduction. Thanks to tomgosse and all the others for the vast information you provide here! And because I am not a good logger, I would like to post my learning activities/results within the study group ...

[Klara]

The last two weeks I focused on French phonetics. By working through Anne Le Grand's course "Sound like a Native" I finally learned how to really pronounce and distinguish between the nasal vowels. But it is still a long way to go until the nasals will become naturally. All the other French sounds were no problem.

To remind the nasals, I use for daily speaking practice the sentence Constantin prend un bon vin blanc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_Qs75dfpko&t=224s

Taking the free online course Vivre en France A1 as a supplement was quite a good choice. It is completely in French (this way I got comprehensible A1 input) and I especially liked the phonetics videos with the exercises.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EvftGle7wM

And I indulged in a spending spree, French learning material.
It is one thing to read previews of books online but it is completely different seeing all those books together on a shelf ready for you to grab. So when I was at Berlin's biggest bookshop "Kulturkaufhaus Dussmann" I could not resist. However, I did follow one restriction: only A1 books. But you would not imagine, how many A1 French books there are!

Now that I have covered the A1 basics of French phonetics and Vivre en France A1, I continue with French grammar by using this book (which is in French language only):
https://www.decitre.fr/livres/la-grammaire-des-tout-premiers-temps-9782706116322.html
.

[DaveAgain]

And I indulged in a spending spree, French learning material.
It is one thing to read previews of books online but it is completely different seeing all those books together on a shelf ready for you to grab. So when I was at Berlin's biggest bookshop "Kulturkaufhaus Dussmann" I could not resist. However, I did follow one restriction: only A1 books. But you would not imagine, how many A1 French books there are!
.

Always a temptation!

Culturetheque.com, the eLibrary associated with the Instituit Français, has some graded readers. I think from Germany you would be able to sign up for free with an email + password (I can with a UK IP address, but I think in some countries it is tied to paid membership of the IF itself.)

[Klara]

Culturetheque.com, the eLibrary associated with the Instituit Français, has some graded readers. I think from Germany you would be able to sign up for free with an email + password (I can with a UK IP address, but I think in some countries it is tied to paid membership of the IF itself.)

Thank you so much for this suggestion, you made my day. I could indeed sign up, but only the next three weeks will be free, then there is an annual fee in combination with the IF itself. Nevertheless, lots of time to explore the site

[Arnaud]

If you want to spend a week-end in Paris in September next year, choose the "day without cars" (that was today), you'll have a great day if the sun is with you.

[Carmody]

People interested in learning about what the different tests for French are about may wish to check this out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i189dGIbjjQ

[zjones]

If you want to spend a week-end in Paris in September next year, choose the "day without cars" (that was today), you'll have a great day if the sun is with you.

Ooh, that's in September? We want to go to France within in the next 1-2 years, and I'd prefer to go in September for my birthday and to skip the summer crowd. Now I'm even more set on an autumnal Paris trip!

[Arnaud]

Ooh, that's in September? We want to go to France within in the next 1-2 years, and I'd prefer to go in September for my birthday and to skip the summer crowd. Now I'm even more set on an autumnal Paris trip!

There are as many tourists in September as in summer, plus the parisians and people working in Paris. In summer, Paris is "empty": only the tourists. Bad calculation if you want to avoid the crowd
But currently the weather is super fine, we had two or three days of rain since the beginning of September, and I'm still in T-shirt all days long.

[DaveAgain]

Just cleared up a little mystery

Soit avec les catastrophiques inondations de la Seine en 1910, lorsque son niveau parvint jusqu'au nez du zouave du pont de l'Alma

quote from 'André Citroën', by Jaques Wolgensinger (ISBN: 9782080664846)

Is this 'nez du zouave' an expression I asked myself? No! Said the internet. It's a statue on a bridge! (that parisiens use as a common reference point for the level of the river)

[mastrinka]

Ok, I am one of the very few people that is not attracted to mysteries, detective stories or sci-fi. Instead I do a lot of listening to a lot of different sources and one of them is documentaries on gardening that I love but that bore most everyone else.

The following is an excellent documentary on gardening that I found well worth the time:

La passion des jardins - Documentaire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcY5EpPSPdE

In that case you may like this one too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yzuu6m_LRkI&t=1428s


P.S. I also love things (like gardening) that successfully put most of the people to sleep