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 !