Entry #5


Time of year's end celebrations has arrived !
And at the internship too !
Decorations in the office are not religious. They are made with recycled objects (bottles, cork stoppers, buttons, milk cartons...).
Éco-quartier is against the overconsumption of celebrations. It is true that lot of things purchased are discarded few days later.... A mess !
Nothing was bought, everything was made by hand with reused materials !

Sometimes I heard music from radio but I don't know which one. They were French and English popular songs. About newspapers, the only ones I have seen at the office, were in chinese and were used for the composting !


Rewards and challenges

The most difficult aspect is the comprehension of the speech when it is two english speakers that are speaking ! As often as possible I try to follow the conversation but I have lot of difficulties to understand because of new words, colloquial language or expressions and speed of the speech !
Through my internship and my languages courses that happen in English, I get used to this language ! I have noticed that my brain is more fast to switch between French-mode to English-mode. People around me are just francophones and I do not have any contact with english. Before my internship my brain started to function in English around 20 minutes an now, it starts to function around 5-10 minutes. It is a big difference for me !

Vocabulary

Flakes
I have never noticed that it is the same word for " corn flakes" so "flocons d'avoine". Maybe it is because in France we use directly "corn flakes" or "céréales" to talk about "flocons d'avoine".

Tale
Like in "Fairy Tale" it is "un conte". This is not a kind of word that I am used to hear without "fairy" so I did not make connection !

Entry #4

Interactions :

This week, during a conversation about colors of eyes, I learned that there is not translation for "yeux pers" in English !!!

When you talk about "yeux pers" in English, you should say "blue-green eyes" even if this is not the only tone (blue-violet, blue-grey...).

Bill taught me the difference between "I don't care" and "i don't mind" !

I don't care is more like " je m'en fous" in French, it is colloquial langage !

I don't mind is more like "Ça m'est égal".

I noticed a difference between American English and British English. When I learned English at school in France, we learned British English so I can do this comparison.

With the verb "to have" in present simple, negative form, British people say "I haven't" and American people say "I don't have".

My sister told me that at University, her English teacher said " What is this ? It is not correct ! I've never hear "haven't".... 

Internship vs Classroom

The real difference is the vocabulary I think !

In classroom, the vocabulary used is about the course and the subject of the day ! I do not know if I can called this vocabulary "specific" but I don't remember the half because I don't need it to communicate. 

When I speak directly with people, not like in class, I am much attentive. I retain better and more. I pay close attention at structures and words. Generally, people to whom I speak, know my English level so they are carefull with their pronunciation and the speed of their speech !

Learning strategies : It is really natural so everybody use it without knowing !
I am really attentive, listening and more talkative. When I do not understand I ask and sometimes I use my knowledge (cognitives).

Difficulties.... When people forget that I am not bilingual and they begin to speak quickly... STOP !
Sometimes I am really lost but I learned to ask because a conversation is not a monologue, especially when you should answer a question !
The intelligibility of pronunciation and the lack of articulation. My knowledge in English is from British English. And pronunciation between American and British English is very different !
Tiredness ! My internship is on friday and it is the last day of week.... Seriously, when I am tired I have lot of difficulties to communicate and to focus !


Vocabulary :

Winterise

There is no translation for this word. It means "préparer pour l'hiver" and that can be used with everything.

Binder
It is interesting because the translation for "binder" in Quebec is "cartable" and in France is "classeur". For French people, "cartable" is a schoolbag or a satchel !

Hoodie
Interesting too because in Quebec the translation is "chandail à capuche" and in France is "Sweatshirt à capuche" ! Yes this is one of our anglicism.

To opt out/To opt in 
The translation of "to opt in" is "choisir de participer" ou "s'engager" and of "to opt out" is "choisir de ne pas participer".

Beaver
Yes, I know it is a shame... but I am not Canadian so I did not know the translation of "castor"!

Entry #3

Interactions

We spend lot of time outside! With Bill and Jézabel, we verify recycling bins from the area to find plastic bottles and cans. This task became a nice linguistic stroll !!!

Bill is like a teacher. He is always asking our opinion and our ways of thinking with a aim of doing us to speak. We talk about everything that we have in our heads at these moments. These are normal conversations, so we learn daily vocabulary and not only specific vocabulary. I tkink it is really important !

When Bill explain to us a new word, expression or relate a story, he uses gestures. It is not natural to him, he does not speak like that usually but it is to be sure that we understand what he says. 

Regarding gestures, I noticed one difference between Canadian (Francophones and Anglophones) and Europeans. 

In the South Europe, when we speaking we are moving our hands (and bodies). It is called "Parler avec ses mains". I think it is like that too in South America because the predominantly culture is spanish. In Europe we say that is our "côté latin" !

In Canada, people do not move our hands or bodies when they are speaking ! Sometimes I feel like the speaker is paralysed...

So I did not notice different gestures between Anglophones and Francophones but between two really different cultures !

Observations :

Usage of first names and of you (tu) in French quebecer, is a kind of anglicism. In France, usage of you is just for close people, children and when you are young and when you speak with same age people. It is a mark of impoliteness and a lack of manners to use "tu" with everybody. By the way, I use of "tu" with no-one even my teachers ! 

For the clothing, humour and breaks it is the same.

Vocabulary :

 

Check-out line / Waiting line

I learned that the check-out line and the waiting line are not the same ! 

- Waiting line : a line of people or vehicles waiting for something,

- Check-out line is of people waiting to pay for purchases.

In French, there is only "file d'attente" for both of ideas!

Dove

Dove is "colombe" ! I never realized that the brand of soap was a true word.... 

Schooner

This word have both meanings :

First, it is a kind of boat called "voilier' in French

Second, it is a specific glass for beer called "chope" in French !

Pot luck

It is called "fortune du pot" but ussualy it is not named, it is only described in French as a "tirage au sort" of gifts. I do not know if Quebecers have a word to translate Pot luck !

 

Racoon

"Raton-laveur" in French, I think I will use this word so many times in the future !