A jolly good idea...the english topic is back! Yay!

It reminds me of a time when I used to give English lessons to a high school student, who was desperately bad at memorizing practically anything and was VERY slow when achieving a task (plus she was a dyslexic - her grandma even called her "retard" ). Needless to say her marks were not very good...but she was a metalhead. And guess what? it helped a LOT. When we reviewed irregular verbs, I helped her set up a list of songs she knew and which titles included one of these verbs. And when she recited her verbs but had a doubt, I was like "come on, remember the SOAD song that goes like that?" "oh OK, it is so [enter verb]" "there you go, girl ^^!"


Well, I enjoyed a lot this video, it sure reminds lots of things to all of us!

Shangora a écrit:

It reminds me of a time when I used to give English lessons to a high school student, who was desperately bad at memorizing practically anything and was VERY slow when achieving a task (plus she was a dyslexic - her grandma even called her "retard" ).

Hum hum hum... what a surprise , the student I had in mind IS also dyslexic. But he's not particularly fan of music... Well, I know he listens to metal because we talked about it but he also listens to emo, to dubstep and basically anything that his friends listen to. But we DID already work on the song "Help" by... You know who.

I though this topic needed a little animation

The thing is, I really don't have anything special to say right now...

I've just skimmed the last pages of this topic, and I noticed how bad I am sometimes at English. It may sound a bit strange especially when you think of how much effort I've given during the last few years in order to be the most fluent possible. But I can't help but think that some sentences and words were poorly built/chosen and overall awkward.

I'm trying my best, though. Especially now, in my life. Little did you know that I take many English calls on a daily basis, especially in the afternoon shifts (guys from Edmonton/Winnipeg/Saskatoon, etc...). And I'm struggling like HELL. Most of the time it's OK, but every now and then I feel so insecure (hihihi couldn't help XD) because I have a hard time figure out what they want, they just speak to fast/with an unrecognizable accent. Some are not even English-speaking persons, and it just makes things worse. Sometimes, I even have to ask again because I'm not even sure I understood their request. And a few of them just don't have patience. Lucky that others are sympathetic. But in the end, I always end up feeling so nervous that I'm reluctant to talk back, making me sound like a retard who never had English lessons in her life.

Now don't get me wrong, I improved a lot since I'm at my new job, and when I have a casual chat, out of professional context, I'm totally comfortable. But I envy the Quebecers sooo much, they're all perfectly bilingual, and it just reminds me of how much my inexperience shows.

OK, this was a pointless rant, related to my "English-speaking" life...life sooo hard sometimes XD

I thought of putting this in the "La vidéo que vous regardez en ce moment" topic but then realised that you need a bit of training and a good knowledge of english to get the fun out of this video...
It's mostly a computer geek kind of thing (which I'm not) but it made me laugh a lot. Although it starts getting really boring after the first 8 minutes...

Worth watching though (as a curiosity).

Shangora a écrit:

I've just skimmed the last pages of this topic, and I noticed how bad I am sometimes at English. It may sound a bit strange especially when you think of how much effort I've given during the last few years in order to be the most fluent possible. But I can't help but think that some sentences and words were poorly built/chosen and overall awkward.

I'm trying my best, though. Especially now, in my life. Little did you know that I take many English calls on a daily basis, especially in the afternoon shifts (guys from Edmonton/Winnipeg/Saskatoon, etc...). And I'm struggling like HELL. Most of the time it's OK, but every now and then I feel so insecure (hihihi couldn't help XD) because I have a hard time figure out what they want, they just speak to fast/with an unrecognizable accent. Some are not even English-speaking persons, and it just makes things worse. Sometimes, I even have to ask again because I'm not even sure I understood their request. And a few of them just don't have patience. Lucky that others are sympathetic. But in the end, I always end up feeling so nervous that I'm reluctant to talk back, making me sound like a retard who never had English lessons in her life.

Now don't get me wrong, I improved a lot since I'm at my new job, and when I have a casual chat, out of professional context, I'm totally comfortable. But I envy the Quebecers sooo much, they're all perfectly bilingual, and it just reminds me of how much my inexperience shows.

OK, this was a pointless rant, related to my "English-speaking" life...life sooo hard sometimes XD

How much time had you already spent there when you wrote this message ? Seems to me you were doing pretty well. I do see some mistakes here that only have to do with the lack of knowledge of the "coloquial speech", like the french idea of "on ne le formule pas comme ça...". But that's completely normal.
It seems to me your problem here had more to do with the fact of being at work and stressed by the situation than your actual knowledge of english. I also make a lot of mistakes when I'm surrounded by native english speakers. Although I'm sure that If I was in a relaxed state of mind, I wouldn't have made 80% percent of the mistakes I made. There are many things I understand only one or two sentences later ... But that's normal. It's just part of the whole process of getting accustomed to the variety of speeches in a new environment.

Sorry Bitteulze, unauthorized access to Youtube at work, I'll have to wait until I'm back home!

Bitteulze a écrit:

How much time had you already spent there when you wrote this message ? Seems to me you were doing pretty well. I do see some mistakes here that only have to do with the lack of knowledge of the "coloquial speech", like the french idea of "on ne le formule pas comme ça...". But that's completely normal.

First, wow, thank you for replying, even if it is more than one year later! thanks for your kind words, too!

I don't remember exactly how much time I spent when I wrote this. I'm pretty sure I typed it in one go, though. I usually spend time re-reading and correct any mistake I see, although I leave a few of them uncorrected. Anyways, I'll always make these mistakes you're referring to, except if I were 100% bilingual (which is never the case unless you get to grow up in a bilingual place OR if you spend many, many years abroad OR if you're super-naturally talented at learning languages). But as you said, I think it's natural, no matter how good you are at it.

Bitteulze a écrit:

It seems to me your problem here had more to do with the fact of being at work and stressed by the situation than your actual knowledge of english. I also make a lot of mistakes when I'm surrounded by native english speakers. Although I'm sure that If I was in a relaxed state of mind, I wouldn't have made 80% percent of the mistakes I made. There are many things I understand only one or two sentences later Laughing ... But that's normal. It's just part of the whole process of getting accustomed to the variety of speeches in a new environment.

So very true.

Now that everything is over and I can think back about all this, this job was a very stressful one, to begin with. I've never really suffered from stress at work, and this one made me. It was all about making money, meeting and exceeding objectives and taking as much incoming calls as possible, 8 hours per day, 6 days per week. I eventually quitted after a few months, I was very obviously NOT cut out for that job (I never regretted it).

Background being set, now you can understand how uncomfortable it was to take english calls, at the beginning. And the callers (mostly travel agents, AND especially bastards  agents from Toronto) were not helping at all. Granted, some were OK with the fact I was a new hire, plus a non english speaking one. But the others were impatient, impolite, when they weren't just plain rude (on some occasions, I got laughed at, other times people wouldn't even bother to greet me, just asked "Am I in Toronto or Montreal?" "Montreal" "OK, bye", a few times I even got hung up at my face just after my welcoming message assholes, all of them). It annoyed me to the point i feared to take english calls. And the days I wasn't in high spirits, well...it would all end up in a very confusing nonsense!


I think that if I had been in a more relaxing environment, I would have made myself clearer, I'm sure about it. I had a few week summer job earlier this year, which implied to answer some english incoming calls and greeting foreigners visitors at the front desk. Guess what? I had ZERO problem with it! Just like my internship in Corte, two years ago.

And back in May, when I was in NYC, I had a few spontaneous conversations with people (in shops, at Starbucks, etc...sorry for being a bit off-topic here, but I was very surprised at how much comfortable New-Yorkers were with casual talk with total strangers...in a pleasant way!), and then again, no stress, flowing speech, understandable sentences...

Well, from a more general point of view, I'm rather in accordance with your point, it is all a matter of time, of getting accostumated to a new place, new people, and it greatly depends on how cool or nervous you feel about it.

( Yet I have a hard time imagining you having problems speaking to native english speakers first time you meet, at least as much as other people would then again, one of my sister's friend has an English dad, and she doesn't consider herself bilingual. Well, this girl doesn't really put any effort into speaking a perfect English, that is. I may just be a bit prejudiced here.)

Shangora a écrit:

And back in May, when I was in NYC, I had a few spontaneous conversations with people (in shops, at Starbucks, etc...sorry for being a bit off-topic here, but I was very surprised at how much comfortable New-Yorkers were with casual talk with total strangers...in a pleasant way!), and then again, no stress, flowing speech, understandable sentences...

Glad to know that.

Shangora a écrit:

( Yet I have a hard time imagining you having problems speaking to native english speakers first time you meet, at least as much as other people would then again, one of my sister's friend has an English dad, and she doesn't consider herself bilingual. Well, this girl doesn't really put any effort into speaking a perfect English, that is. I may just be a bit prejudiced here.)

I don't know about your friend but believe me, even with my degree in English (Licence de Langues Littératures et Civilisations Etrangères) and my family ties with american culture, I'm still struggling to have casual conversations with distant relatives from the US... But I believe it has mostly to do with subject matters and the "thought process". By that, I mean the fact of "not thinking and expressing my thoughts like an american would do"... That's when you truly measure the cultural gap and see that language is not just about words, grammar and pronounciation but an essential reflection of a country's culture... It takes time to go from one culture to another.
But I guess it also has a lot to do with affinity and subject matter... Sometimes, when you're really passionate about something and share this passion with someone who does not speak the same language as you, the language barriers seems to instantly vanish...

Bitteulze a écrit:

That's when you truly measure the cultural gap and see that language is not just about words, grammar and pronounciation but an essential reflection of a country's culture... It takes time to go from one culture to another.

Very interesting.

No matter what some people think, the whole process of though is not the same, from one countty to another, it is nothing new to you, as you pointed it, it is called culture.
And we're back to what the essence of the "problem" is: it is just a matter of adaptation. But I'm adamant that not everyone is equally gifted in front of the adaptation to another culture.

Bitteulze a écrit:

Sometimes, when you're really passionate about something and share this passion with someone who does not speak the same language as you, the language barriers seems to instantly vanish...

I agree, again. I'm pretty sure you don't have so much trouble when you talk about music

Shangora a écrit:

I'm pretty sure you don't have so much trouble when you talk about music

Indeed !