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Tuesday, March 03, 2009

"Television has proved that people will look at anything rather than each other." - Ann Landers

***

Quotes:

[Disclaimer: French transcriptions are less accurate than English ones]

Elle a quel âge? [Student: Dix-huit] Dix-huit potatoes?

[On French] You don't pronounce what you see. It's one of the rare language. Even in Asia... you pronounce all the letters (languages)

Sports are always masculine. [Me: What about netball?] [Student: That's a sport?] You always try to be.

[Student: How do we know which is masculine and which is feminine?] There's two answer I'm gonna tell you, ***. The first: 50/50. You try your luck (there're, answers, give)

Tu prefere la danse classique? La danse hip hop - yo?

[On speaking sensually] That's why you should continue. You can speak like a French poet, and charm all the ladies with your accent.

You can travel around the world without speaking a foreign language... You can become arrogant... Some French people wonder why you need to speak English... Travel to Asia, to Cambodia - though it is disappearing... I shouldn't say this, but it it a reality... I should praise France and [the] French Language all the time. I have to be objective (true)

The person who reintroduced the Olympic Games was French. He was a cheater, but he was French... He had a chauffeur for the marathon.

If you go to New England - Maine, Vermont... You can speak French. It is a recognised... a lot of people speak French. It is more difficult, or they think it is more difficult, than English. If you speak good French, 'You are an intellectual!'

[On a metric of development] The number of leave [days] you give to the people... The number of leave [days] you give to the people is 25, minimum. In my old company - 40. Only the rich country can afford this... In France, people just quarrel, argue over hairstyle. 'You take my gel this morning. I told you not to take my gel'... 'I didn't manage to buy my car. I'm so angry.'... This is a sign of [a] developed country (rich countries, hairstyles, took)

Even in Africa they can build a skyscraper of 80 floor... In France, people get angry if you call them during the mealtime at their company (storeys, their)

Moi aussi. What's moi aussi? [Student: Me too] Me too. Not me Australia. I've heard that before.

All the names finishing by I in Italy come from the North of Italy. Originally. (those with, ending with)

If you pass the test, you will get a certificate. And the certificate is not in chocolate. You can't eat it.

[On ACJC} Ton école mixed? Mixed ton prefer? 'Non.'

Tu jaime le photo? Le photo nature? Le photo Singapour? Le photo Monsieur [his name]?

Je père! I father. The French English.

[On why repeating lines doesn't work] RGS girl. Raffles Girls School girl. They have a little test. They introduce themselves very well. 'Son frère, sympa?' 'Huh?'

[On 'austriche'] There is no Ostrich Country.

Don't tell me 'okay okay'. Later, some student: 'You understand what he say?' (said)

Honestly, c'est difficile. If I have to speak Chinese I'll be dead already... I can't do the Chinese thing. All the 4 sounds [sound] the same.

In each country the cat doesn't meow the same way... It's strange... In French the cat speak[s] like this: 'Miaou!' In Singapore - 'Meow'... [You] can go further, it's very interesting actually. How does a dog bark in Singapore? [Student: 'Woof!']... If you go to Czechy... The dog[s] bark differently. [They] say 'Bawah'. C'est bizarre. In France - 'Ouaf' [Ed: Pronounced as Wah'f]... It sound according to the language we speak. The perception is different according to the language we speak naturally... Depends on where I am in the world. (How it sounds depends on)

How do you speak when someone hit or pinch you? [Student: Ouch!]... If you go to Orchard and hear 'Aïe!' [Ed: Pronounced 'Aye!'], French lah... If you hear 'Aouah!' [Ed: Pronounced 'Ow'wah] [Student: German] (shout, hits, pinches)

[On 'qu'est-ce que c'est'] Kids speak like this: 'C'est quoi?'... Kids internationally... In China, some Chinese, they speak to their children: 'Ba pao?'... It's definitely easier to say... If you want to speak like the kids, say 'c'est quoi?'

Watching cartoons when you learn a foreign language - not English cartoons of course... It is nothing shame (shameful)

[To a girl] Les fleurs de le fiancé? C'est bizarre. En France C'est possible... En Malaisie, c'est possible? [Student: *nods*]

You're too normal now, Gabriel. I don't want to talk to you and associate myself with you.

Qui est à ta droite? [Student: Nobody] La chaise. Bonjour!

[On il parle vs ils parlent] French or not French, it's impossible to tell the difference. If you tell me 'ill parlent' [Ed: Ils parlent], I'll know it's plural. And I'll also know you're not French.

[On linking the pronunciation of words] The link in the French language has not been made to make life difficult for the French learner

[On the feedback form] Those who stay with me in the class for the test, you know what to write.

[Teacher: Tu portes des lentilles?] I thought lentils.

[On what someone said about feeling blue] 'Le film de bleue'

[Teacher to someone wearing a white blouse: Tu aimes le blanc?] No

Tu aimes ma chemise? You can say no, I won't be offended... Just for her to be polite. 'Un peu'.

Je porte Jean au Orhn'dees *Writes 'Hang 10'* [Everyone: ORH!]

[On 'les baskets'] Sometimes the vocabulary is linked to social air'vent... In France, in the 70s... There weren't many choice of trainers. In the past, there were tennis shoes. In the past tennis was still super snob. You don't buy tennis shoes just like that... Most people bought basketball shoes (events, wasn't much choice in, snobbish)

For those I won't see again... A pleasure having you in my class. For the rest, you do Exercise Six. I [will] see you next week.
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