Speaking

SOuth Dakota Executionsmedia type="file" key="south dakota executions.mp3" width="240" height="20" (what a lovely topic for an exam! When I took classes in evaluation, we always started from the notion that taking an exam is bad enough, let's not have any rape or murder or death)

General You take too much time identifying people and preparing the ground. Use some of your prep time to mark names and roles clearly - le détenu, sa petite amie, le sénateur.

Your hesitations seem due to problems finding good French expressions, rather than understanding the original. Read and listen to the news in French. Imagine you are talking to a French person when you talk - someone who hasn't heard the original (and who doesn't have a checklist to see if you say everything)

Transitions: usually 'ensuite' is not the best - there is a link, try to identify it - in addition, moreover AND - however, nevertheless BUT - as a consequence, thus, for this reason SO

Details: pris part à la mort d'une certaine personne - responsable d'un meutre Rapid City dans le. . South Dakota deterrent

ensuite ils parlent. . . le sénateur de l'état est du même avis que Karen Foz, la petite amie du prisonnier

Veterans and parrots 2nd try media type="file" key="veterans and parrots2.mp3" width="240" height="20"

This one is very good - I see it's a second try.

General Much more assurance, less fumbling. It was probably an easier text. (But weird - are they all smoking crack out there?)

Details

un condamné - il était prisonnier, je crois, désormais vétéran

blessé assez fortement > grièvement blessé

pour les drogués > toxicomanes

macaws > des aras

ring-necked parrots not en forme de bagues - there'll be some proper translation which they can't expect you to know, just say autre espèce de perroquet

not condamnés at the end, vétérans toxicomanes et alcooliques sans domicile fixe (ou dans la rue)

navajo county media type="file" key="navajo country.mp3" width="240" height="20"

Good job here too - you sound much more assured and fluent

Details

Chi - le 's' correspond au possessif les couettes > la tresse ? nominal > au moins pour la forme deliberate > n'est pas un hasard l'agriculture est partie > les navajos délaissent l'agriculture messing with > manipulent ? fact of life > il y a toujours eu un travail régulier > un travail 'normal'

mental healthmedia type="file" key="mental health.mp3" width="240" height="20" dairy pricesmedia type="file" key="dairy prices.mp3" width="240" height="20"
 * carbon capturemedia type="file" key="Carbon capture.mp3" width="240" height="20"

Here is my speaking test from audacity ! media type="file" key="Dos and donts.mp3" width="240" height="20" Pronunciation** what we SHOULDN'T do (stress) o know ɔ all : sometimes these don't come out quite right This is the British English [|distinction] http://www.shiporsheep.com/page13.html Here's a [|US version] http://www.manythings.org/mp/m16.html Both exercises are very simple, but they should just raise your awareness and help you think about which sounds are similar, and which you should use when. (Does that sentence make sense?)

the current affairs > _current affairs that we have no idea what it is about > that we know very little about, that we have no idea about what is very important (this structure is OK, but probably more common in French ce qui est important, so don't overuse it) > an important element, we shouldn't forget this include_ to work constantly > to work steadily it's not when we're done with x that we have time for y > we can't wait until x is done before concentrating on y the people in front of us, the jury, knows > know_ we have to put things not at the last minute > we can't leave things to the last minute this is something very important > this is a very important point put our lives a little bit behind > we should put our lives on hold to a certain extent, we should let our social life take a back seat
 * Grammar**

in a first part > first of all also, another thing (in the middle the structure seemed to be just a chain of ideas, linked by also and another so, that was my conclusion (better to say and so I'll conclude by saying that we should. . .)
 * Communication**

media type="file" key="Dos and donts.mp3" width="240" height="20" Do's and don'ts exercise

oral presentation

media type="file" key="child obesity rest.mp3" width="240" height="20" Comp-rest about CHILD OBESITY

I thought you did a pretty good job on this. You sound quite at ease, and got all the main points, with only a few details distorted. You still seem to take a long time (30 sec) to get started - just give the topic and go'


 * sturdy is not //obèse//
 * problème identique à tout le monde (clumsy)
 * la graisse > poids supplémentaire
 * étiquette obèse - she said they called it puppy fat > grassouillette ?

media type="file" key="Welsh Mine restit.mp3" width="240" height="20" WELSH MINE

I thought you did this one very well. Was it your first attempt? 4 minutes exactly! (and what a strange text).


 * Walker > don't pronounce the l
 * yards > metres
 * smell - you missed this word
 * les gens de la mine > les mineurs se sont vu accorder un jour de congé
 * jamais > depuis un an
 * 25 miles > km

media type="file" key="youngstown restit.mp3" width="240" height="20" YOUNGTOWN

This is the hardest of the three so far: you made a number of mistakes and confused some parts, but you also got a lot of details, so it's not so bad.

chief planner > architecte-urbaniste

il explique qu'il était prévu de développer la ville, des rues ont été créées, et doivent désormais être entretenues (maintained)

la troisème plus large productrice > la troisième ville pour la production de l'acier ? (in French, you can just say third and it means third largest)

poster child of the decline > la ville est le symbole même du déclin industriel aux Etats-Unis

security? 400 structures > you had a problem with your notes from 'a lot of eyes are going to be on Y. . .' You said the same things a couple of times

appelé City Garden - dans une salle de réunion d'un parc de la ville

s'occuper du voisinage - no, take neighborhoods off the power grid > arrêter de fournir l'éléctricité et fermer des rues. Be careful at the end, it's easy to lose concentration and it's a pity to end on a contre-sens.

media type="file" key="first time buyers rest.mp3" width="240" height="20" FIRST TIME BUYERS

This text was also difficult - it's easier when the topic is a bit softer, like fat kids and pit ponies, huh? I would like to advise you to take a step back - you get a lot of details, but some major points get lost - but it's hard to take time to reflect in this type of exercise. Can you perhaps write less, relying on memory to fill in the gaps later, but make sure you note the main points of each statements. In this text, you missed the fact that the first order of business was NOT the 10 point plan but the rise in interest rates, that the GOVERNMENT was a main player, and towards the end that the main problem is that enough houses are just not being built.

diplome professionnel - il a été décoré !

plan, but first **rise in interest rates**

__vous__ décrivez les primo-acheteurs comme les nouveaux pauvres

implication is a faux ami here > des conséquences sociales

ENG commitment FR implication ENG implication FR conséquences

affordable housing is not logements sociaux; des logements à prix abordable (c'est plus large)

travailler dur - il y a eu un grand effort/investissement de la part du gouvernement

les 600 000 qu'il y aurait besoin > dont il y a besoin, nécessaires

Do you listen to French news? Perhaps a little time spent on France Info or France Inter, maybe taking notes on typical expressions, would be worthwhile.

media type="file" key="floods restit.mp3" width="240" height="20" FLOODS Big comprehension problem with this one - translation of **floods**. Il y a des inondations qui ont eu des conséquences désastreuses sur les réseaux d'eau potable dans les villes du secteur - l'eau potable n'est pas contaminée, ce sont les pompes qui sont hors service en raison de la montée des eaux.

Cheltenham - you missed this one

flood water - la crue, inondation

the last thing we want is for people to think it's not safe - you missed this part

douser - container OK

media type="file" key="Gasoline prices.mp3" width="240" height="20" GASOLINE PRICES

Not bad - this one was quite short and simple, but tricky to get all the details right.

Specific remarks:

//first sentence : si vous pensez que vous ne payeriez plus jamais votre essence 3 dollars le gallon, vous aviez tort// //prix à la pompe à essence à la station d'essence// //You stumbled here: choose one and go on//

//Geoff Sundstrom/James Armstrong qui travaille pour ceci. You didn't get his name, it doesn't matter, better to get that he is Triple A spokesman - porte-parole pour la plus grande association d'automobilistes aux US//

//l'augmentation est due à une flambée des prix dans le Mid Ouest// //détenteur de la raffinerie - elle appartient à BP// //la compagnie de pétrole > la compagnie Standard Oil (on ne traduit pas les noms propres)// //ice cream parlour - glacier (not a camion, a café)// //elle est chanceuse - elle a de la chance// //gas guzzlers > qui consomment beaucoup d'essence// //augmentation de la demande de 1,5 pour cent// //International Energy Agency - not a company, une agence//

I think the main worry is proper names - people and companies. It's not so important to get the actual name, but the type of person/institution etc. Work on noting the job/company, and on deciding how to translate that. Another issue is the overall structure of the text - you say 'ensuite' a lot. But this text didn't have much structure, so perhaps my criticism is not particularly valid.

media type="file" key="ROBERT FROST 1.mp3" width="240" height="20" Intro

You sound quite strained in the opening - your usual delivery is more relaxed and smoother. (Put the mic further away from your mouth also, under your chin if necessary)

Structure: you go through the documents twice - identifying and then summarising. I would go over them only once before announcing your plan, with an intermediate amount of information - not just identification, but not a full description either.

So the question that arises from the documents is the following > poor introduction to your themes - here you have to say it's your opinion, what YOU see as linking themes in the documents. In my view, the themes that link these documents are. ..

Details:

don't say there are three documents, there are always three documents

pronunciation an oil ON canvas (sounded like IN), 'oil on 'can vas poet 'un 'likely in EV it ab le trodden - the o vowel is like call, not coal nonetheless - first vowel is like one, fun, love

media type="file" key="ROBERT FROST 2.mp3.mp3" width="240" height="20"

2. Second part: nature is art

You worry about saying things that are too obvious; you could give your ideas more gravitas by expressing them in more general terms first. Say, "the reader is given a sense of X" we see this theme in line 1, xxxx, line 5 xxxx, and line 24 xxxxx. If you go from the abstract to the specific rather than the other way round, your presentation sounds more abstract and 'intellectual.'

You could also build more structure into your arguments by linking with other conjunctions than 'next' 'then,' and 'also.' You plan should include hierarchy - 2a, b and c, and even 2ai, 2Aii etc. You verbalise this hierarchy by announcing your structure: "there are three important aspects to this question, a, b and c, and I will deal with each in turn." You go on "The first aspect is A, synonym, paraphrase, blabla. We see this in two notions which run through all three documents. Example of notion 1, doc A, B, C, examples of notion 2, docs A, B, C. Now we turn to the second instantiation of aspect A, which is also apparent in our set of documents, particularly in Doc B, blabla." In this way, you make quite straightforward points fit into a more elaborate structure and thus give them more combined weight.

Details take a look (not a lick)

his art is walking - this sounds strange > he art is based on the action of walking and the traces it leaves behind

nature is an art > nature itself is an art form

and then we have Document C > we see the same theme in Document C (make it more coherent, not a list of items or a tour of the three documents)

ca'NAL

media type="file" key="ROBERT FROST 3.mp3" width="240" height="20" Part 3

a path that comes up to you > a path that you may approach, arrive at

where there is a path there is a choice > where there is a crossroads, there is a choice

what is put into brackets > what appears in parenthesis

go back from where we came > go back the way we have come

As I listener I feel a bit lost in this part - I don't know where I am in your structure. It's good to remind the audience from time to time - helps keep us motivated and on track, and thus more likely to think you're doing a good job. media type="file" key="ROBERT FROST 4.mp3" width="240" height="20"

Part 4 Conclusion

You also sound somewhat lost at this point. A conclusion should include a firm reiteration of your main points, easy to do because you have a clear plan and these are your main headings. Then you can finish with The Big Question if you so desire, but you need a more rapid and convincing delivery.

Look back at your notes for this presentation: did you have a standard plan with A1a, A1b etc? If not, you should try to put your ideas into this format. If you already did, then you need to announce this plan clearly at the start, and remind us as you go through your presentation where we are in the plan.

You have the language and the ideas, you just need the form and the confidence in delivery (which I know are in you!)

(How am I doing? Good coaching?) SYNTHESE du dernier cours!

media type="file" key="mental health.mp3" width="240" height="20" MENTAL HEALTH

media type="file" key="harry potter.mp3" width="240" height="20" HARRY POTTER

media type="file" key="tomb raiders.mp3" width="240" height="20" Tomb Raiders (pour celui ci.. j'ai encore dépassé les 4 min..mais comment je vais faire le jour j ???

OK, I think the obvious solution is to stop saying 'ensuite, le journaliste nous dit que' because this takes too much time compared to the original, where we just hear it said. How about, "nous entrons, dit le journaliste, au pays . . ." Then use d'après ou selon pour les autres, and call them le chercheur, l'historien, give their names only once if you get them, then forget about it.

You also need to get a quicker start each time: practice some intro sentence that will do for anything: **il s'agit de** voleurs de trésors historiques en Amérique central. Au musée de xx, **par exemple, .**. .

qui travaille pour Oxford > qui a été formé à Oxford on lui demande si les peuples > des personnes ont fouillé le site la pièce centrale > la place centrale ensuite le journaliste nous dit que nous sommes entrés, dit le journaliste, au pays des rois Centipede tigre pour signifier jaguar depuis cinq ans il visite les lieux

Bobby Kennedy's daughter on being Catholic ( From SAES, Annales, Concours 2009 AGREG..comp rest) media type="file" key="bobby kennedy's daughter on being catholic.mp3" width="240" height="20" celui là était plus long ( 3min) et ma comp/rest fait 5:25 .. Elle parle bien vite.

Here there seemed to be a lot of words and not so much meaning, which means you should be able to cut out some details. Is there time to take a highlighter and mark perhaps 5 to 8 main ideas which you want to be sure to include?
 * Bobby Kennedy's daughter**

You could save time on structuring words: for the synthesis, you need to introduce more signposts, and be redundant, to make sure we all know which part you have got to. In this exercise, if the only link is going to be ensuite, you might as well leave it ou. elle-même est une personne tout à fait typique des personnes catholiques > elle-même est une catholique typique ces questions prennent une importance particulière au moment des élections, étant donné que les deux candidats aux présidentielles sont catholiques elle a parlé de choses différentes avec eux > à supprimer, faute de temps on lui demande XXX (NOT ensuite un journaliste probablement demande) elle identifie Susan Saradon comme étant. . . très orthodoxe mais qui est aussi un homme gai > qui est très orthodoxe tout en étant homosexuel

media type="file" key="tough times for scotland.mp3" width="240" height="20" OK, you seem to take a long time to say not very much. Instead of saying, le journaliste demande. . . try: combien coûte-il de jouer ici, demande le journaliste environ 100 livres, répond-on, ce qui nous place dans la fourchette internationale normale de 80 à 100 livres Also don't paraphrase three time in the hope of finding the perfect translation - once is fine, then you can change if the expression comes up again.
 * Tough times for Scotland**

le business > le commerce risque d'avoir bcp de mal > risque de recontrer des problèmes

les produits de base, les produits necessaires, qui sont essentiels > so many synonyms take up time!

les tirs à la carabine ? shooting? > la chasse

le responsable du golf à Aberdeen > directeur, propriétaire, qui gère un golf

le caddy pour transporter les affaires > caddy in English is often a person whom you hire to carry your clubs  media type="file" key="was your lecture late.mp3" width="240" height="20" was your lecturer late?

4:30. I tried to start faster.. You still went to 4:40 - they won't let you do that. Why don't you set a timer and just stop when you hit 4:00? That way you can see how much you're leaving out. They won't let you go on.

Tried to avoid: ensuite..le journaliste and so on.. ( it did come out once..) Yes, but it's also sometimes just a filler - you say it to give yourself time to think, which you need anyway, so you wouldn't be any quicker if you didn't say it - donc en Angleterre..is it really useful for me to say that? it didn't sound off to me - professeurs de conférence? maître de conférence - Student Union: syndicat des étudiants? -texto ou sms? -'snitch on you' ? critique?

maître de conférences ou professeurs (NOT profs de conférences) You could just say professeurs

les frais s'élèvent à

Student Union - could be le syndicat (probably); also refers to a building/room which the university gives to students for social activities (le foyer)

SMS or text (texto is French) to text is also a verb

les enseignants doivent se déplacer - moments de battement inévitables

snitch = cafter

Children pain music media type="file" key="children pain music.mp3" width="240" height="20" 4.15 caffouillage a un moment donné.

Hugh Jackman in Australia media type="file" key="Hugh Jackman in Australia.mp3" width="240" height="20" 4.16 only one 'ensuite' cattle wrestler: faits des combats de troupeaux? extrait du film.. comment le traduire? sweeping epic: ? Still too long..I do hope that - since the document will be shorter I'll fit in those 4 min !

Language sometimes too familiar - are you listening to the news in French? //Not since the soccer tournament has taken up the whole news.. I'm so fed up with it, It drives me mad and so I skip the news in French. I do read the papers though.. but it is not oral that's for sure.. france inter is a good idea you think? I've been reading a lot of NY Times ' article lately, the ones that come everyday plus the ones I stored up on wikispaces.. what words were too familiar?//

un cowboy qui participe à des rodéos

extrait de film - an excerpt, a film clip

epic : épopée qui offre un panorama de. . . ?

le nouveau premier ministre (chef d'Etat, though there is actually a representative of the Queen), chef du gouvernement

présentement > en ce moment, actuellement

ce qu'il tire de ça > sa conclusion, ce qu'il en conclut

I thinka) you paraphrase too much - pick one translation and go onb) you waste time starting: just say 'il s'agit de X, il nous est présenté l'exemple du'(since most journalistic passages start with an example) c) you waste time on transitions and introductions: yes, we have to know who is speaking, but you could do it more succinctly WORKING MEMORY media type="file" key="Working memory.mp3" width="240" height="20" LESS THAN 4 min YES :)

Well, I guess any subject about children, pregnancy will be easier for me or at least I'll be more familiar with it ;) Something I should know here?

This one sounds OK - a slightly more formal French would go down better - here are a few suggestions:

on entend une personne qui dit > nous écoutons/entendons une voix réciter les chiffres. ..

redire des poèmes > réciter

working memory > mémoire de travail (technical term)

au niveau du terme clinique > en termes techniques nous dirions. . . il s'agit d'un néologisme inventé par la chercheuse

à peu près > environ

un psychologue qui travaille à l'université en faisant de la recherche > un chercheur universitaire

//France Inter is the perfect source, or even France Info, France Culture. At the World Cup is over for France, so the airwaves are a little clearer again. And now that England is out, I'm safe over here too ;-)//

Reading the OED: media type="file" key="Reading the OED.mp3" width="240" height="20" 3 min et quelques ! for the sake of it: par quoi peut on traduire ici? histoire de dire c'est familier non?

Here you started so quickly I didn't get the topic (this won't happen in the exam, since they all know the topics, but still, make sure we have time to judge that you have understood the broad topic as well as all the details).

dans une large échelle - à grande échelle ? largement utilisé, généralisé

une conversation commune > une conversation de tous les jours, normale

cette lumière a un mot spécifique > il existe un mot particulier pour décrire. ..

qui ramène les mots à la vie > refait vivre les mots ? redonne la vie aux mots ?

for the sake of it = for its own sake > sans motif ultérieur, pour l'amour de l'art (hard to know without the wider context - what's the whole sentence?)

In these examples I feel I can really hear the English - bring the words (back) to life - so it's a question of thinking yourself into your French self to re-encode these ideas as a French person would.

NHS media type="file" key="NHS.mp3" width="240" height="20" I listened to it until 4... I don't miss much on this one.. but still would be better to say everything I have.. I have the impression that at some point I'm confused..

billions > milliards de livres dépensés

une personne > un patient ? This seems to be a recurrent problem - une personne sounds weak, try to give them a role (un journaliste, un patient, un interlocuteur, un assureur)

celui qui s'occupe de son assurance > son assureur

mettre la ligne à un certain point > trancher, mettre des limites

sa vision > sa vue

rationaliser > partager les ressources

sont très liés > il y a un lien très net entre, une corrélation claire

Pricing practicing in the Record industry media type="file" key="pricing practicing in the record industry.mp3" width="240" height="20" less than 4 min.. Did it twice because Audacity crashed... shoot. I don't think I changed much things. marchand de disques?

Guinness World Record media type="file" key="guiness world record.mp3" width="240" height="20" 2sec after 4.. Huncher? at the very begining? forgot the story about the building even though it was on my paper..

Vertical farming media type="file" key="vertical farming.mp3" width="240" height="20" cut at 4.. (needed 5 seconds more) Vertical farming: how to translate that?

US election Victory media type="file" key="US election victory.mp3" width="240" height="20" 4min I had a lot to say but cut up some info I found not as important as others.. what do you think?

I have three other ones at the top of the page. ( almost...in between documents... I put them up a long time ago)

Uncertaintity in politics media type="file" key="uncertaintity in politics.mp3" width="240" height="20" 4 min ok. Many hesitations, words that do not match with English words.. I understood what they were talking about but they were many people talking and I'm afraid I have mixed them up..
 * __ WORST COMP REST I'VE PRODUCED SO FAR!! __**

Top Country Schools media type="file" key="top country schools.mp3" width="240" height="20" I stopped it at 4 min.. lot of it has been left unsaid... ugh

Thoreau media type="file" key="Thoreau.mp3" width="240" height="20" 3.50

State Children's health insurance programme media type="file" key="State Children's health insurance.mp3" width="240" height="20" stopped at 4... miss a lot

Theorizing jokes media type="file" key="theorizing jokes.mp3" width="240" height="20" 4 min I think I did pretty well on this one, only HUGE mistake I made.. at the beginning I said it was the journalist speaking whereas it was the author of the book.. don't know why I said this since I knew who was talking ;)

Japanese spending habits media type="file" key="japanese spending habits.mp3" width="240" height="20" trained with a timer.. stopped at 4.. a couple of things left unsaid.. so frustrating !  The Perry Mason effect media type="file" key="The Perry Mason effect.mp3" width="240" height="20"

BYD electric car media type="file" key="BYD electric car.mp3" width="240" height="20" I think I did pretty well on this one.. I wasn't too frustated with the timing like I usually do ;) I skipped a few things just before the numbers because I thought numbers were more important.

genteel households media type="file" key="genteel households.mp3" width="240" height="20" 3.40. How to translate genteel? How to translate middling classes?

genteel > bourgeois ? We often say foyer for household, maybe famille is better here - la maison bourgeoise devait. . . . middle class > bougeoisie, classes moyennes la société de façon miniature > un microcosme de société le journaliste lui dit que > le journaliste prétend que. . . et s'interroge sur les raisons de cette situation à la charge de la maison > gérer la maison quand les hommes n'étaient pas là > en l'absence des hommes

campaigning for the Braille Press media type="file" key="campaigning for the Braille Press.mp3" width="240" height="20" lots of information in this one. Don't feel I got everything !

Picture postcards media type="file" key="picture postcards.mp3" width="240" height="20" not too hard I thought.. I guess this one was a little shorter than the other ones.  club de lecture? ou cercle de lecture?
 * Fay Weldon**
 * media type="file" key="Fay Weldon.mp3" width="240" height="20"

The Net Generation media type="file" key="the net generation.mp3" width="240" height="20"

boosting astro media type="file" key="boosting astro.mp3" width="240" height="20"** une fois les astronautes arrivés à la station, ils peuvent y rester jusqu'à 6 mois la façon dont ça affecte les gens > les effets sur les individus de cette expérience the way it affects > the effect on people (French prefers nouns, English verbs, so change English verbal structures into French nouns) qui est un psychiatre > qui est psychiatre pour avoir une vidéoconférence > pour participer à une visioconférence 

class and realities media type="file" key="class and realities.mp3" not satisfied with my rest here.. I almost stopped listening to it the firs time I could not understand the point of the recording !