Entry #8

 

 

Goals and language

There is no doubt I improved my oral communication in English !

In the same time that I did my internship I had courses in English. The combination of both made me progress a lot. My comprehension is better even if it is hard to understand someone that speaks too fast.

I learned lot of new words, expressions and about sentences structure (syntax). Of course I can not say everything what I want when I do not know a word but the syntax of my sentences is better now than it was at the beginning !

For example, to write my first posts on this blog, I needed to take three hours or more for every post and I needed to check all sentences on a dictionary.

Now I write my posts easier and I just check unknown words. At the beginning it was an ordeal to write them!

I do not switch so much. When I do not know a word I have to tell the word in French to ask translation but I pay attention to not switch from one language to another too often.

Strategies

I am always looking for patterns in a language. I know that many words are the same or pretty much the same, in French and in English. Sometimes I think it is the case so I attempt to pronounce the word with an English accent. And it is work ! Not all the time of course but often it is work.

I am a guesser ! When people are speaking too fast and I am not able to understand the conversation, I retain some words and I guess the meaning of the conversation. Generally this strategy works because if you have keywords, you should be logic and you will be able to understand the subject and the signification of the speech.

In comparison with the beginning of the internship I have low inhibition now. But I think it is normal to be shy at the beginning of something with strangers.

I repeat all the time a new word that I just learned. This strategy allows me to remember the pronounciation and its writing.

I accept ambiguity in English language but I think it is rote learning because when it does not make sense for me I have difficulties to make the connection between French and English.

I will continue to use all of these strategies in the future for sure.

Growth and internship

We tend to believe that the learning process of a language is often insurmountable because of differences of vocabulary, syntax, culture... I was a bit like that. Especially for English! Basis are very important. If you have the basis you can communicate and improve your level of language. But I thought that I did not have any basis in English. Now, I know that I had the basis somewhere in my brain and it is only with the communication and work that these basis come back !

The internship was a nice experience. It allows me to take confidence in my abilities and my skills and to be not defeatist.

 

Gratitude

Jézabel and me are going to write a handmade card to thank our host and it will something like that :

«We thank you for everything with your help and your warm welcome we were able to improved our skills in English and to have a great experience !
We wish the best for each of you and keep it up!»

 I will recommend this internship placement to another student because it is a welcoming place with nice people! And obviously it is very important to make you want communicate so to work on your skills! People on Éco-quartier make an effort to speak only in English even if they speak French and it is like they said «Hey I want you to succeed !»

 

Entry #7

Lack of confidence and mistakes (begining of the internship).

Bill - Hi Wallis !
Me - Hi Bill !
Bill - How are you doing ?
Me - Euh... I am fine.
Bill - What did you do this weekend?
Me - I am... I was... I do... I did my homeworks and I sleeped but I am tired.
Bill - «I slept» not «I sleeped».
Me - Slept. Thank you Bill.
Bill - How long do you stay today ?
Me - Three hours.
Bill - Cool ! I drink a coffee and we will do the door to door. Ok ?!
Me - Yes.

More confident and much less mistakes (end of the internship).

Me - Hi Bill !
Bill - Hi Wallis ! What is up ?
Me - I am fine and you? I am going to stay three hours today.
Bill - I am doing fine thanks ! What have you done this weekend ?
Me - I slept, I did my homeworks and I went out with friends. Lots of things actually!
Bill - Have you been in the old port ? There is a big ice rink. It is cool !
Me - Really ? I did not know but now that I know I will go.
Bill - And do you know «Igloofest»?
Me - No what is it ?
Bill - It is a big event in Montréal, there is electronic music and lot of people.
Me - Nice ! When is it ?
Bill - I do not remember exactly...I think it is on january and february. We will check later. Today we are going to the door to door and talk about expressions ! But I will finish my coffee before.
Me - Ok. Wednesday it is my last day so I will make crêpes for everybody so...
Bill - Sew buttons !
Me - So buttons ?!
Bill - S.E.W. It means «coudre». When someone says «so...» you say «sew buttons» !!
Me - S.E.W ?! I would not pronounce «O»!
Bill - Yes I know that many people does not pronounce it correctly. All set ?
Me - Yes !
Bill - Let is go !



Ah-ha moment.

Bill - We need to find arabica coffee for Julie. Let's see...
Me - Here it is !
Bill - Yes ! We have what we were looking for so go to the check-out line!
Me - Check-out line ? Is it not waiting line?
Bill - Oh you can say both.
Me - What is the difference ?
Bill - Check-out line is to pay for purchases. Waiting line is a line when you are waiting for something not only to pay for purchases like if you are waiting to enter somewhere or if you are waiting in your car at the border of the United States...
Me - Oooh I understand ! But it is weird...
Bill - Why ?
Me - Because there is just one word in French for both ! Whether you are waiting to pay for purchases or because there are too many people in front of you, it is «une file d'attente»!
Bill - It is interesting ! But what is «queue» ?
Me - Oh it is the same thing. «Queue» is just colloquial language !
Bill - Oooh cool !!!

 

 



  

Entry #6


Happy New Year !!!!


For sure it is very easier to understand people than it was at the beginning ! I improved my conphrehension and I got used to the speed of speaking and it was a big deal for me ! Even if I do not understand some words, I am able to follow conversation and to understand the meaning. Before the internship I think that I was more close-minded to English. When I heard English a voice in my head said to me «Wallis, it is English... You know that you do not understand English... I will close your mind it is a dangerous ground.». Now I hear «You can do it do not worry!».

My accent is not very good. Sometimes I try to pronounce a word that I had never said or heard and it is funny because often I make a mistake and I say a word that does not exist. But I pay attention to not pronounce letters like in French.I have some difficulties with «e» and «i» but I work on this. It is not true that English teachers in France tell us to pronounce «th» as a «z». But I think that maybe it is easier and because we do not have any interraction with English, French people do not make any effort.
I try to look at the form taken by the lips of my interlocutor and I try to retain the sound of letters. For example I noticed that the tone of «a» is higher in French than in English.

I am very more fluent now than I was at the beginning. My lack of vocabulary is my weak point and it concerns all subjects. It will be better with time.

I have a little story to tell.The other day I was in the car with Bill and it was a very cold day. We were speaking about the next task when he said me :«Are you women off?». I thought that it was a new expression that I do not understand so I said «Sorry ? If am I women off ? What does it means Bill ?» and he bursted out laughing! Actually he told me «Are you warm enough?» and I did not understood. With tiredness the communication is hard!


Vocabulary

Ache
We were speaking about my new vaccines and the pain caused by them in my arm. I told that I felt as if I had aches after doing sport.
All set
I had never heard «all set» but when Bill asked me if I was all set after I got the pizza that I had bought, I understood «all set» on my own. Not the words but with the tone and according to the situation I was able to understand what he said so «prête ?».
Tough luck
I did not know this expression I just did know «bad luck». «Tough luck» is more like «la poisse» in French.
Liberty/Freedom
Liberty is more formal, comes from French and refers more specifically to political/human rights. Freedom is far more common and extends to freedom of everything/anything. I will remember this difference for the future.