My Videos

Discussion in 'Language Learning Logs & Super Challenges' started by Big_Dog, Mar 29, 2014.

  1. Big_Dog

    Big_Dog Administrator Staff Member

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    Here is my first Spanish video, finally :) Wow, I've forgotten lots of easy words. My listening is still really good though, C1 I think.
    Last edited: May 5, 2014
  2. Big_Dog

    Big_Dog Administrator Staff Member

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    Yeah, I agree with you completely, and that's the reason I didn't want to share the video. It probably sounds like a lame excuse, but it affected my speech negatively too. I worked with some guys from Montreal, and they talked super fast; much harder to understand than mainland French for me.

    In this conversation, A2? I'm normally B1, maybe even B2 on a good day. I'll try to get another video up soon.
  3. tastyonions

    tastyonions Member VIP member

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    Yes, she was speaking quite slow, but the accent is 100% Québécois. In general I would say people from Quebec speak pretty fast and tend to contract words a bit more than in European French (e.g. "je suis content" would be "chui content" in casual France French but "chu content" in Québécois) -- but obviously she wasn't speaking like that for this video. Some of the differences in Quebec French pronunciation include:

    1. Shifted nasal vowels ("on" moves toward "an", "an" moves toward "in", "in" becomes something like the initial sound in southern American English "ain't").
    2. More frequent and pronounced "back-a" sound (for example in "là" or "bas").
    3. "Eu" sounds a bit different, maybe less rounded?
    4. "ê" becomes a diphthonged "a-è" in some cases, as in "fête" or "chaîne."
    5. "d" and "t" become affricated before "i" and "u": "j'ai dit -> j'ai dzit", "tu sais -> tsu sais."

    One other difference is that many Quebec speakers (even among those who are born francophones) will pronounce English borrowings with an anglophone accent rather than saying them "à la française." But I am not sure if that is universal.
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2014
  4. tastyonions

    tastyonions Member VIP member

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    Great videos, Big_Dog. I can't understand any of the languages except French and Spanish, but you seem to be getting along well in all of them. I would like to upload some videos of myself speaking French (maybe Spanish, if I'm feeling daring) with people but I feel a bit awkward asking people to let themselves be recorded. Maybe I will do it one of these days.
  5. Big_Dog

    Big_Dog Administrator Staff Member

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    Thank you kindly, and I encourage you to give it a go. Although I have some camera-shy issues, it's still a good indication of what I need to work on. And it's nice to have proof that I can speak too, even if it's just to prove it to myself.
  6. Big_Dog

    Big_Dog Administrator Staff Member

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    Another short Spanish video. I thought the kinks would work themselves out quickly, but I'm still having memory problems. I think I'll start talking once or twice a month just to stabilize things.
  7. Big_Dog

    Big_Dog Administrator Staff Member

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  8. Big_Dog

    Big_Dog Administrator Staff Member

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    More Russian. This time a cat is involved!
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  9. tastyonions

    tastyonions Member VIP member

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    Haha, neat. Now I know the Russian word for "purr", sort of. Man, what a lovely-sounding language.

    Maybe a month ago while practicing French I learned that Moroccans also call their cats with the "psst psst" sound.
  10. Big_Dog

    Big_Dog Administrator Staff Member

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    Isn't it strange that the language we use to talk to animals is fairly consistent?
  11. Big_Dog

    Big_Dog Administrator Staff Member

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    Another Spanish video. This young lady is really fun to talk to.
  12. Big_Dog

    Big_Dog Administrator Staff Member

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  13. tastyonions

    tastyonions Member VIP member

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    Haha, "es un poco difícil pour moi." :)

    I had some lessons with Fulvia before, though it was in a class with several people on Verbling. She's nice.
  14. Big_Dog

    Big_Dog Administrator Staff Member

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    lol - I'm full of interference when I speak French.
  15. Solfrid Cristina

    Solfrid Cristina Member VIP member

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    Been there, and repeatedly done that :)
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  16. Wise owl chick

    Wise owl chick Active Member

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    hahaha when you've asked her her age. She has 3 native languages? Wow, so fortunate. The video was great :)
  17. Big_Dog

    Big_Dog Administrator Staff Member

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    Thanks Caniche! Yes, she is very fortunate. She also lives in a very nice part of Italy, it seems.
  18. Big_Dog

    Big_Dog Administrator Staff Member

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    Another Chinese conversation, this time with a Taiwanese person.
  19. newyorkeric

    newyorkeric New Member

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    Very cool and inspirational.
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  20. Big_Dog

    Big_Dog Administrator Staff Member

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    Thanks very much!

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