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Greetings from a masochistic frenchy

Marc___

New Member
I was hopping for a generic application form - it would have made the process simpler :p Anyways :

My name's Marc-André Pelletier, I'm a 20 years old philosophy student from Quebec, a fictional nation subordinated to another fictional nation - Canada, which is more like a semblance (un simulacre) of the United states :lol:. Some of you might have heard that us folks speak french here ; this particularity explains that my english may seem clumsy at times. Nevertheless, I am somewhat skilful in french, which I believe is a great asset when it comes to manipulate a foreign language. (You still wouldn't believe at what rate I had to refer to a French-english dictionnary, only to align these few sentences)

Now, about my reading tastes : Balzac and Jean-Jacques Rousseau pretty much sums it up. I have explored many other french writers, but I just feel that I could be satisfied for the rest of my life only with these two - Balzac because of his unceasing litterary genius, and Rousseau for his exceptionnal sensibility. You might have guessed that I'm close-minded litterary wise - it is principally why I intend to get active on these forums, as I am convinced that there must surely be more to english litterature then Frankenstein and The catcher in the rye, the only two books that I have explored so far.

As for my temper, I am rather pessimistic. I do not have any consistant goals to aim at ; the sole idea of having to work mortifies me, althought i will probably end up being a teacher by default :lol: However, I yearn a better condition - that's where litterature comes in useful.

Here's a picture to conclude with : Imageshack - xzvxcv.png

Oh, yeah, and I intend to make an attempt at writing, someday, eventually, in a far far future, when I will have overcame the consciousness of my current mediocrity!
 
Greetings from a masochistic......

Bon jour Marc-Andre, comment ca va? That's about it for my French unless I sit down and think about it. I come from that other 'fictional' nation. I hope you enjoy the forum and I'm sure it will be helpful with your English as many young people these days need to be completely bilingual in order to earn a living, although if you became a professor and stayed in Quebec you probably wouldn't encounter that problem. Anyway, welcome from me to you. Haven't read any Balzac but my guess is that I would find it pretty heavy going. I tend to read for entertainment these days. Happy foruming. momac:D
 
Welcome Marc,
I'm sorry for you...being french... speaking french... that must be tough:lol:
I'm italian and stubbornly refused to learn french, but I must admit there are some excellent writers. I think Hugo is my favourite one (among the french writers I mean) but - jumping some centuries - also vargas is good.
anyway, welcome, I'm new too and already found many interesting hints for new reads:D
 
Pessimism is a good trait to have if you are going to hang around here, you will have lots of friends that way.:flowers: Welcome aboard and post away friend.
 
Welcome Marc,
I'm sorry for you...being french... speaking french... that must be toughI'm italian and stubbornly refused to learn french, but I must admit there are some excellent writers. I think Hugo is my favourite one (among the french writers I mean) but - jumping some centuries - also vargas is good.
anyway, welcome, I'm new too and already found many interesting hints for new reads

French is a nice language. I am not credulous nor chauvinistic enough to believe that it is greatest among every language - as some people often say about their own - but I am still deeply attached to it, and wouldn't want to change for any other :p


Bon jour Marc-Andre, comment ca va? That's about it for my French unless I sit down and think about it. I come from that other 'fictional' nation. I hope you enjoy the forum and I'm sure it will be helpful with your English as many young people these days need to be completely bilingual in order to earn a living, although if you became a professor and stayed in Quebec you probably wouldn't encounter that problem. Anyway, welcome from me to you. Haven't read any Balzac but my guess is that I would find it pretty heavy going. I tend to read for entertainment these days. Happy foruming. momac:D

As curious as it may seem, I am looking forward to improve my written english mostly to gain a renewed interest in french literature. I feel that french as a literary language has been soiled by it's common usage : the context of triviliaty in which we manipulate it on a daily basis has greatly diminished the impact of words, eroding it's power of evocation.

Beside, I was born in Newfoundland and have lived there for about 5 years ; I do have a pertinent knowledge of English, but it believe that it is latent, and that it will slowly flow back as I strive to make a correct use out of it :p


:flowers: to the neglected ones

*My interventions may not be frequent, but every single one of them is a personal exploit :lol:
 
Greetings from a masochistic

Hi Marc: Why do you think that French has been soiled by common useage? Not sure I understand what you mean. Perhaps a couple of examples? momac:confused:
 
Bonjour Marc-Andrée, Je suis ta voisine au Nouveau-Brunswick; une petite Acadienne.

Glad to see I am not the only French person here. I live in the only province in Canada that is officially bilingual and it is so very important for us to be fluently bilingual in my area and I think it's great that I have received that gift simply by living here and growing up in a French household. I love French and all it's many forms. I love accents, and think it is wonderful be able to speak with friends and family with our accent from south-eastern New Brunswick, while also being able to speak a very proper/universal French when needed.
 
Hi Marc: Why do you think that French has been soiled by common useage? Not sure I understand what you mean. Perhaps a couple of examples? momac:confused:

I have lost the capability to be "filled with wonder" when reading french poetry because the words that it relies on to create poignant images are the same one that are used in newspapers, in textbooks, in governmental papers, in research articles, in daily life. Being used to see the words in a flat non-literary context, I find it hard to be moved when they are re-used in poetry or any other emotionnally charged text ; this is how they have been "soiled by their common usage".

Was it clear :S? God, this is definately challenging...



Il m'est difficile de conserver un intérêt pour la poésie française : les mots de cette langue ont perdu leur puissance d'évocation par le fait que je les retrouve dans textes objectifs sans valeur poétique et que je les utilise à tort et à travers dans la langue de tous les jours, entre autres. En lisant en anglais, je me vois forcer de faire appel à "l'histoire" derrière chaque mot, à me référer à leur sonorité, à l'impression qu'ils me laissent pour en faire du sens. Ces deux derniers procédés sont abondamment repris par la poésie pour susciter une émotion, pour imprégner un texte d'images vives, marquantes, furtives..

En fait, même en français je ne suis pas sûr que ce soit clair; pour les autres, du moins... lol
 
Pessimism is a good trait to have if you are going to hang around here, you will have lots of friends that way.:flowers: Welcome aboard and post away friend.

I yearn a better condition then pessimism ; meanwhile, I can always wallow myself in this state of being :p

Bonjour Marc-Andrée, Je suis ta voisine au Nouveau-Brunswick; une petite Acadienne.

Glad to see I am not the only French person here. I live in the only province in Canada that is officially bilingual and it is so very important for us to be fluently bilingual in my area and I think it's great that I have received that gift simply by living here and growing up in a French household. I love French and all it's many forms. I love accents, and think it is wonderful be able to speak with friends and family with our accent from south-eastern New Brunswick, while also being able to speak a very proper/universal French when needed.

You must have red Pélagie-la-Charette then :p?
 
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