The English Chat Club (ECC)


un lieu d'échanges, de partages en anglais

a place for talking, exchanging, sharing in English

basé sur / based on
EOC : Expression Orale en Continu / Continuous Speaking
EOI : Expression Orale en Interaction / Interaction Speaking

Please, scroll
                        

Français- Anglais / English- French
@ isa M-T



Comment progresser à l'oral en Anglais ?

How can we improve our English speaking practice ?

EN-

1)  Practise the one-minute speaking T challenge !

              Choose a Topic + Talk non-stop in English for 1 or 2 minutes.

             Option :  Record (= enregistrer) your voice, fix (= repair) your errors, start again..
  
If you get stuck (= bloqué), say the word in your mother-tongue  (= langue maternelle), keep going (continuer), check in the  dictionary in the end, start again...


FR-  S'entraîner à parler EN CONTINU pendant 1 minute, se corriger, recommencer, chercher le vocabulaire inconnu dans un dictionnaire ou sur son smartphone, refaire en se corrigeant...
Tous les jours, même heure, "simuler" qu'on parle à une autre personne à propos d'une activité, de sa journée ex petit-déjeûner, sortie, activités de la journée etc

Une option : s'enregistrer, s'écouter, corriger, reprendre...dire le mot inconnu dans sa langue maternelle, continuer puis vérifier ce mot à la fin, et recommencer tout en anglais...



2) English and hobbies

     For videos, combine your pastime + English language.


cf Voir plus page MyTips, MyTools


xxx

A diversity of topics and language elements covered...

Diversité des thèmes et éléments de langue abordés... 

Topics
Job harassment 
Spring arrival
Asian hornets
Chambord castle
Tea tradition
Yuzu
A time-consuming activity (chronophage)

Countries and nationalities
The Netherlands : Dutch
The USA : American
Germany : German
Ireland : Irish
Scotland : Scottish
Brittany : Breton
Germany : German
Asia : Asian
Corea : Corean
Portugal : Portuguese
Spain : Spanish
Italy : Italian


Language
The less nests there are, the less Asian hornets we'll have
The more traps we install, the more hornet queen there will be in front of hives.

Past : before i retired, one of my jobs consisted in .../ it was.../ i had to .../ i made an investigation.../ i had to chock...

Obligation : must (by me, my decision)
                   have to (external, by an institution)

"Me too" :
A. I enjoyed our exchange
B. so did I.

A. I have enjoyed exchanging with you
B. So have I.

A. I 'm glad
B. So am i
    So are we.


xxx

Samples from the past years...

Exemples des années passées...


Today's news
War in Ukraine
At the restaurant
At the police station
At the doctor's
Cooking, recipes
Songs
Travelling by ferry, plane, train, car...
Making a booking
Education in China
Biodiversity
Gardening
Eating organic
Hiking
Hobbies
Travelling
National anthems
Photo commenting
Games
Science

---
Pistes / Tips 

VOCA / WORDS.
Every other Tuesday = once in a fortnight : un mardi tous les 15 jours.

Besoin d'une AIDE pour s'exprimer ?
-> demander du vocabulaire :
                - what's the English word for "journal" ?
                - how do you say "journal" in English ?
                - I've forgotten / i don't remember the English word for "journal". Can you help me please ?
                - I didn't quite get it, could you say it again ?

A la recherche d'IDEES de débat, de réflexion à partager ?
-> voir page CHAT CORNER  -> chatterbox corner

De VIDEOS pour progresser à l'oral en anglais ?
-> voir page MyTIPS

De TUTOS pour progresser, oui mais lesquels ?
-> voir page MyTIPS.

De LECTURE ?
-> voir page CULTURE CORNER -> Books selection.

De DEFINITIONS DE MOTS EN ANGLAIS ?
-> le site ou l'application WORD REFERENCE est complet ;  vous avez accès à la traduction mot par mot (pas des phrases), aux synonymes ...conseillée en milieu scolaire.
-> ou le choix d'un dictionnaire monolingue, chez Oxford par exemple.
.
De trouver des SYNONYMES ?
-> le dictionnaire Thesaurus est excellent ; vous le trouvez sur l'application de traduction "WORD REFERENCE".

xxx

 
GRAMMAIRE, quelques rappels

Voir aussi la page MyTOOLS  avec d'autres explications grammaticales.

Le verbe au PRESENT SIMPLE (= habitude, généralité) :

Verbe + S : 3è personne du singulier du présent simple.
he doesn't answer the phone, she comes and visits me at home

---
PRETERIT ou SIMPLE PAST : obligatoire pour parler d'un événement passé, révolu, daté.
cf -verbes irréguliers : 2è colonne des listes, ex sing- sang/ speak- spoke/ become- became/ wake- woke...
    - verbes réguliers : verbe + ED, ex played, walked, danced...
---
i'm used to + verb-ing = habitude dans le présent -> j'ai l'habitude de (faire ...)
i used to + infinitif = habitude dans le passé -> traduit par l'imparfait "avant je faisais du sport..."
ex "a grandfather says : when I was in my twenties, I used to run and cycle a lot" (quand j'avais la vingtaine, je courais et nageais beaucoup).
---

Prononciation
-IC, -ION words -> accent sur l'avant-dernière syllabeex terrific, academic, specific,
revolution, temptation, action,

a forensic doctor, (légiste), stretchers (brancards),
my workplace, to breastfeed your baby,
junk food, a diet
junk food  is food with low nutritional value.
a lifeboat, lifeboat rescuer.

a diet :  2 significations
1) your usual food -> sens : alimentation
2) a restricted selection of food -> sens : régime
ex is her diet healthy ? the family has a rather unhealthy diet.

---
"L'obligation"

HAVE TO + VERBE : l'obligation vient de l'extérieur, est imposée par une institution, un organisme etc....
         ex every day, I have to be at school at 7:55.
MUST + VERBE SANS TO : obligation imposée par moi, j'estime que je dois...
         ex every day, my sister must get up at 6:30 am as she takes the bus for school at 7:00

---
L'EXPRESSION "It's the first (second/ third time time (year (etc)
        + HAVE +PART. PASSE DU VERBE   (present perfect)
           ex it's the first time (that) I have travelled to Austria.

---
"THE + adjectif " : désigne une catégorie entière de personnes :

The + l'adjectif
the dead, the handicapped, the deaf, the blind
= les morts, tous les morts, les handicapés (tous)...
ex the city hospital overflows with the dead and the living.
ou = 
l'adjectif + nom
dead people, handicapped people, deaf people,
blind people


L'article "THE" est obligatoire :
-  les inventions : the Internet, the telephone, the cinema, the radio mais : television
- les instruments de musique : Gareth plays the flute
- les choses uniques / les éléments, phénomènes atmosphériques, les planètes : the earth, the sea, the rain, the snow, the sun, the moon, the weather, the wind, the sky, the snow
- les institutions : the Army, the Press, the Police
- les titres (quand le nom est sous-entendu) : the King, the Queen, the President, the King of England, mais King Charles

L'article "THE" est supprimé :
-devant des noms qui représentent des choses en général, après les verbes qui expriment des opinions ou préférences :
Sugar can be bad for your health.
I like dogs, but I hate cats. He loves nature.he doens't like towns. Indian tea is the best in the world.
Life is hard. meat is expensive. Society is changing. The conquest of space.
I don't like cakes.
- I don't like x olives but i like the olives that are in your pizza !
- x blobs are in x nature; x scientists don't understand the phenomenon...

ATTENTION ! article "THE" employé quand il ne s'agit pas d'une généralisation :
I don't like the music of the film.
The people that he knows are strange.
The children were tiring today.
(I don't like cakes) but I love the chocolate cake (that) my grandmother makes,it's awesome !

- devant les  jours de semaine, les dates :

On Tuesdays, I exchange in English with my chat group.
She was born on January 22nd, 2000

- devant les noms de pays, villes, régions :
Sydney is situated in Australia.
London is larger than Bath.

SAUF : the United States of America, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, the Netherlands.

- devant des titres ou des noms indiquant une profession :
President Lincoln, Queen Elisabeth
I met Doctor Anna S.

- devant les repas:
dinner is ready !
what time will you have breakfast ?

Notez que l'on dit : listen to the radio, on the radio, et watch television, on television (et non...the television/TV).
---
- Les questions en anglais  : A + S + V  ->  Auxiliaire + Sujet + Verbe sans to
. when do you have some free time ?
. where did you have lunch yesterday ?
. when will they meet again ?
. where can we eat out ?

- Faire une suggestion, une invitation à quelqu'un
- what about having a drink this evening ?
- how about having a drink tonight ?
- let's go to the pub tonight.

- Les synonymes : Thesaurus est un excellent dictionnaire.

- Vocabulaire- synonymes de "amazing" :   https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/amazing Synonyme de "incredible" : https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/incredible
-> o nature, o society, o sciences, o scientists etc.... :
       aucun article devant un nom quand il s'agit d'une généralité

- I like nature (j'aime la nature).. scientists (les scientifiques) say that ...
​- I don't like drawing but I like the drawing you're making
    = je n'aime pas le dessin mais j'aime le dessin que tu fais.
​- generally, I don't eat spinach, but I enjoy the spinach dish you have prepared !

- she generally goes swimming in the sea in the morning
     les adjectifs de fréquence : always- often- sometimes- rarely- never-
     ils se placent devant le verbe / la base verbale 

- they usually take a nap after lunch
- they never have the time to play video-games
- they usually have to get up early and always come back home late !
- they rarely watch tv but decide to read instead

- obligation : have to = dois
     have to : obligation imposée par l'extérieur, les institutions
​they have to practice martial arts every morning and they have to do their homework in the study hall between 6:30 and 9:30.
​
- obligation : must = dois
she must get up at 5:40 if she wants to be on time in the school bus :
       obligation imposée par soi pour pouvoir prendre son bus à l'heure.

-----

Autres thèmes possibles / Other topics for chatting :

- New Year 's time
Christmas with our relatives, our wishes for the new year, new year's resolutions...

- Christmas time
our plans on how to spend Christmas' Eve and the New Year.

- Open topics
daily activities in this pandemic time, the news, recipes-

- Song "Imagine" by John Lennon

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The secrets of learning a new language

Lýdia Machová

Les secrets pour apprendre une langue étrangère

 From TEDx Talks.   Visit http://TED.com

     
2020- 2021


2021 June- What's in the news today ?
June 16th : end of masks outdoors, but indoors maintained.
June 20th : end of curfew in France.
The beginning of the ending of the lockdown starts on Wednesday 20th, May.  (20.05.21)
"Brexzic after Brexit ?" the end of free circulation between the continent and the UK since January 1st, 2021, visas needed.

.Talk 18-  "debriefing session"  June, 2021

LAST EXCHANGE.
face-to-face discussion, debriefing-
storm (tempête), thunder (tonnerre), thunderclap (coup de tonnerre), rightening (effrayant),
bacteria, worms (vers de terre), hay (foin), mould (moisissure),
lazy gardener,

.here the climate isn't as hot as over there.
.there, it isn't as wet as here.
.more violent than..
stronger than..

a choir, a choir /kwaier/ (chorale), score (partition), onomatopieia,
butler (majordome), is fond of dogs and horses,

June 20th and 27th : departmental and regional elections,
poll (vote, scrutin),  polling station (bureau de vote), an assessor
assessors are stll missing...

.i will be responsible for two polling stations
.i will be in charge of...
.i'll have to ... (devrais).


.Talk 17-  "free topics"  June, 2021

face-to-face exchange, beginning of ending of lockdown
TEDs Talks recommends- how to become a polyglot?
a polyglot is a person who...

.the more I talk and the more pages i read, the more i understand the language.
.the longer i speak, the more i improve.

.if i could, i would work more...
.since we started, i have taken confidence in me and improved too.

.before, we didn't use to speak English during the classes.
.we weren't used to talking a foreign language .


.Talk 16-  "childhood memories"  May, 2021

is keen on
is fond of
high school
a secondary school
lower school
what's the English for "collège"?
i have forgotten
how do you say "collège" in English?
wh- ..... ? = down intonation
is it high school ? = up intonation
collège = secondary school OR lower school
lycée = high school or higher school
lower + higher school = secondary school
a national exam
college (GB/ UK) = studies after your "bac", at the university
college = university
college = BTS/ DUT = short studies
BA, MA = university (licence, master)
of gosh ! / damn it ! = ah mince alors !
holy cow
the ending of the lockdown
two square meters = 2 mètres carrés
used to have a farm
used to be farmers
it didn't use to be modern
the machines didn't use to be modern
the machines used to be pulled by tractors
my work used to be ...
sheaf = gerbe
two horses used to pull the machine
USED TO + VERBE
WOULD + VERBE SANS TO
past = used to , would
would + active verbs only
I would -> I'd
used to  + active verb + state verb
i used to play, dance, swim, be, stay,
i would play, dance, swim
bind /ai/ -> a sheaf-binder = lieuse
combine harvester = moissonneuse-batteuse
used to look for ..., used to garden with them, used to feed...,
in those times = lointain :  en ce temps-là, autrefois
this : en ce moment
siblings= frères et soeurs
gather = rassembler
she used to cook some custard
jam-drop biscuits
fold the nappies = plier les couches
older than me

.Talk 15-  "stress in a sentence- free topics..."

pronounced
dynamic -> dynamism
strong -> strength
to stress = accentuer
the stress = l'accentuation
i'll make the most of the sea and the beach
I 'dream of a 'deckchair with a good 'book and a 'cocktail  at the 'seaside or near the 'swimming-pool
i think this a good 'programme to 'revitalize.

what do you think of that? (down)
will you come with me? (up)

no matter (peu importe)
a vegetable garden
yesterday 'morning, in my vegetable 'garden,
i 'saw a 'snake which was 'calm and 'not wild
i 'watered the young 'salads and 'beetroots
at this moment, i'm 'reading an easy 'book by Danielle Steele.
it makes me feel cool
to unlock (déverrouiller)

we will have = we'll have
we will not have = won't have

we won't have to respect the limit of 10 kilometres any more / any longer
NOT...ANY MORE = NO MORE
we won't have ... any more
we will have no more
every other Wednesday = le mercr tous les 15 jours
on ThursdayS = ts ls jeudis
on every other Thursday = le jeudi tous les 15 jours


.Talk 14-  "Vowel pronunciation- Intonation"

laptop = ordi portable
a de cat :  sack = licencier, caterpillar = chenille,began,
add, marigold = souci, apricot,
a de father : carnation = oeillet, avocado, lager = bière blonde
a de snake : aorta = /ei/, mayonnaise, made,
a de any : many, Thames
a de warrior : war, waltz, was, false, water, water, Malta, warm.
wary = méfiant
slug = limace, a predator
weeds = mauvaises herbes
when we had the house built
teenager = adolescent
permaculture, a vegetable garden = potager
he mixes aromatic herbs and flowers
the association of ..., the balance = l'équilibre
un carabe = a ground beetle, a predator, bettes = chards
seed = graine, paillage = (straw-) mulching
humidity, wet
aquaponics = aquaponie
aquaponics = a marriage between a vegetable garden and an aquarium, une serre = a greenhouse
clay = argile, poolwater
moteur = an engine
very tasty lemon

do they grow in the greenhouse? (up intonation)
faster, the fastest
...an environment which is different...
if i have a plant which has a disease, ...
does your son-in-law do that for his living? (up intonation)
how big is his equipment? (down intonation)
it's ..... metres long by .... metres wide
it's 2.50 metre long
it's one metre and a half wide

truite = trout, nourrir = feed, vers = lambric, lambric compost
vers = worm
yesterday or tomorrow
the day before yesterday  = avant-hier
the day after (tomorrow) = après-demain

Talk 13-  "Gardening"
                 
WORDS.
busy (occupé), eager (enthousiaste),  humanitarian,

/e:/ nurse, learn, stir, refer,
/a:/ car, father, bath, drama, charge, charger, ask, task,
/a/ cat, hat, map, bag, black, back, cap, chapel, Alaska, chariot
a planter : une jardinière; a trough : une auge
a pe'rennial flower : vivace
claw : griffe
leisure : loisure
caterpillar: chenille
a net : filet
butterfly : papillon
an invasion of caterpillars
lemon thyme : thym citronné
tarragon : estragon
apricot jam
savory : sarriette
rosemary : romarin
chives : ciboulette
parsley : persil
basil : basilique
coriander : coriandre
oregano : oregan
leaves : feuilles
to prune : tailler


it has worked : ça a marché
it works : ça marche
it's an association which helps people...
it's people who need help and support...


 
Talk 12-  "biodiversity"
                 
WORDS.
species (espèces), survival (survie), extinction, to go extinct,
to be connected (être lié), interact, to grow crops (cultures),
to breathe (respirer),
bee (abeille), pollinator (pollinisateur),
to pollinate (polliniser),
humans' fault, to chop trees (abattre), destroy habitats, pollute, illegal trade, overfishing, hunting, invasive species,
climate change,
protect species, stop illegal trade in the wildlife, preserve land, reduce energy, fossile fuels,
recycle and reuse the waste, the landfill (déchetterie),
use more environmentally friendly products, use drones...
gardening, a trough /f/ (auge),
my neighbourhood (mon quartier),
a yard = plus ou moins 1 mètre

STRUCTURES.
you don't have to do it = tu n'es pas obligé de le faire
semaine passée, j'ai fait.... emploi du prétérit :
I was busy
I had a lot of work to do in my teleworking / working from home
the same .... as.... = le même ...que
moins de :
.fewer bees : fewer + nom pluriel (moins d'abeilles)
.less pollinisation : less + nom singulier (moins)
.how long is your trough? (quelle est la longueur de ton auge?)
.how wide and deep is it? (quelle est la largeur et profondeur?)


Talk 11-  "the cycling revolution"
                 
WORDS
...
social distancing , the virus crisis
it enables / doesn't enable soc. distancing (cela permet ou pas...),
foreigner (un étranger, issu d'un autre pays),
stranger (étranger, qui a un look étrange),
school : elementary, primary, secondary, university/ college, high school (lycée),
to ride, to cycle, a cyclist, a cycling lane (piste cyclable), a cycle specialist,
a walking path (chemin piétonnier), to ish winkles (bigorneaux),
traffic-jam, a gridlock (embouteillage), to struggle, fight obesity,`
to commute (faire la navette maison- travail), to be a commuter,
the tube = the underground (le métro),
the subway (passage souterrain en anglais UK; métro angl US);
per square meter (1 m carré),
an electric bike, a cargo bike, a steep slope (côte raide),
weather: minus zero (moins zéro), icy roads (gelé).


GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURES.
..
i go by bike (à vélo), i go on foot (à pied)
they have just received (ils viennent de recevoir)
he has just arrived (il vient d'arriver)
she has gone (elle est partie et pas encore revenue) to the beach
she has been (elle est partie et est revenue) to the beach.

one month ago, i went to the restos du coeur for the first time.
i have been going to the restos du c. for one month/ since February 1st.

we have been for a walk this afternoon (passé, date ne compte pas, c'est le résultat, constat).

who...: a commuter is a person who...

I had to take the tube when i worked

IF i were a mother no, i would have a cargo bike and accompany my children to school.


...
Talk 10-  "a land of dreams", R. Cash
                 
WORDS
...
.I don't know how to translate "skyscraper" in French?
.what does "skyscraper" mean ?

I am homeworking / remote working / teleworking (je télétravaille)
a skyscraper (gratte-ciel), a high tower (tour),
Central Park Tower is 472 meter high; it has 98 storeys (storey : in American = floors : in English) ! it was built in 2020.
The Empire State Building is 381 meter high; it has 381 storeys !
it was built in 1931 !
moon (lune) -> moonlight (clair de lune) = the light of the moon-  to light, lit, lit (allumer)-
moonlit skies = the skies are lit by the moon.
MoMA = Museum of Modern Art.
a file (un dossier)- a pandemic- hard-working (laborieux)-
a recipe (une recette)- pumpkin (citrouille)-
grapefruit (pamplemousse), cauliflower (chou-fleur),
a hard-boiled egg (oeuf dur), mashed potatoes (purée),
a puree of butternut and mashed potatoes,
tasty (qui a du goût)- tasteless (sans goût, fade)-

GRAMMATICAL STRUCTURES
...
am : in the morning - pm : in the evening
5 am : 5 h du matin - 5 pm : 17h
6h15 :   six.fifteen / a quarter PAST six
8h30 :  eight.thirty / half PAST eight
8h45 : eight.forty-five / a quarter TO nine.

Traduction inversée anglais français :
a day habit = une habitude quotidienne-
a skype follower = un adepte (fan, partisan) de skype-
a pumpkin tart- a lemon cake- a chocolate cake ...
the cycle revolution = la révolution du vélo.
someone who ... : quelqu'un qui ...
something which ... : quelque chose qui...
-> ...the skies are lit by the moon
-> a pandemic is a situation which affects fragile people
-> Simone Veil is a French minister who changed the law of abortion.
we have been talking for one hour
I have been homeworking since November
he has been chatting on the phone for a few minutes.
..........

Talk 9- Women and society
               
"There is a gap between the two concepts: the world as it is, and the world as it should be",
(Barack and Michelle OBAMA).

STRUCTURES
..
should = devrait
"the world as it should be" B.Obama)
is/ are + ing = en ce moment, à l'heure actuelle
"women are paving the way to you" (sont en train de vous ouvrir la voie)
verbe au prétérit (2è colonne des listes de vb irréguliers,
ou verbe + -ED (verbes réguliers)
= décrit un moment passé, date connue et qui compte.
they fought for their freedom, independence
they struggled discrimination, they struggled against unequality...
she believed in her commitment in the community
despite + nom / in spite of + nom = malgré
in spite of / despite her family traditions, she managed to fulfil her dream to become a singer.

WORDS
..
key words (mots clés), such as (tels que):
struggle (combattre), strong values, education,
equality, community, respect...
to fulfil a dream = to achieve her dreams (réaliser ses rêves),
to face (confronter) racism, prejudices, unequality
a date (rv amoureux), a community meeting, a community organiser, a city worker,
a stay-at-home mom (maman au foyer), a volunteer,
confidence (confiance), compassion, tenacity,
she struggled for (s'est battue pour),
to struggle a ... (combattre un...),
a struggle (un combat),
a prejudice (préjugé),
to fight prejudices (des préjugés),
to fulfil a dream = to achieve a dream,
to open new doors, to move mountains (soulever ds montagnes),
Nobel Price of physics, a physicist and a chemist,
a law on abortion (avortement)
..........

Talk 8-   The pop-up shops phenomenon
                       + pronouncing practice

WORDS
..
the American president's nomination, taking office
the first Black woman as vice-president,
a riot in the Capitol (une émeute),
a casualty (-ies) (victime(s): blessés et morts),

the phenomenon (phénomène),
a pop-up shop (un magasin éphémère),
to pop up (= to appear),
the pop-up craze (l'engouement, le phénomène),
a landlord, a landlady (un, une propriétaire),
a tenant (un locataire),
to let (louer, par un propriétaire),
to rent (louer, par un locataire),
the economy was booming (l'économie prospérait),
the high streets were bustling (... fourmillaient),
many businesses had to shut down (... ont dû fermer),
a market stall (un étal),
they stopped trading (ils s'arrêtèrent de faire des affaires), the high streets (les rues principales),
fewer (+ un nom pluriel = moins de)
they paid fewer overheads (moins de frais généraux),
to pay fewer wages (payer moins de salaires, loyers),
heating (chauffage), for their premises (locaux)

STRUCTURES
..
prétérit progressif : be + verbe -ING : était en train de...
= l'imparfait en français, action qui durait dans le passé

the chef was looking for a pop-up shop,
the landlord was selling (était en train de vendre),
high streets were bustling (les rues s'animaient),
some shops were shutting down (fermaient) while
pop-ups were opening (ouvraient).

accentuation des mots
-les mots en -ic : sur l'avant-dernière syllabe.
photographic , geographic, biographic, artistic

-les mots en -phy : sur la 3è syll. avant la fin.
photography, geography, biography

..........

Talk 7- Back from Christmas holidays

our holidays, the curphew (couvre-feu), lockout (confienemnt), restrictions, constraints (des contraintes) etc...

..........

Talk 6 -  Christmas stocking gifts


STRUCTURES
..
- condition :
. if I had a gift for ....., I would give her a ....
. if I chose presents in my stocking, I would put...
. if I could have a gift from your stocking, I would take..
. if you accept my gift, I think it will suit you (convenir)..
- regret :
I wish Christmas' Eve was (were) different !
I wish all my children came / could come for Christmas !
= if only they came ! / if only could come !
- preference :
. I would rather have ... = I would prefer to have ...
- ordre des mots :
. a wine glass = un verre à vin
. a glass of wine : un verre de vin
. a water glass = un verre à eau
. a glass of water = un verre d'eau

WORDS
..
a list of gifts = presents; a candle (bougie),
fragrance (parfum d'un objet), perfume (sur soi),
honey (miel), Scottish butter cookies, a woolly hat ,
a silk scarf (écharpe de soie), a mug, organic (=bio) tea,
a box of organic tea (loose / bags) (en vrac ou sachets),
a cooking protective glove (manique),
a fridge dish cover (charlotte pour plat), a thermos flask,
a glasses case (étui à lunettes),
a headband (serre-tête), a whistle (flûte irlandaise),
a novel (roman), sweets / candies (bonbons),
a heart-shaped box (une boîte en forme de coeur),
a bottle opener (ouvre-boîte), a soap (savon),
a hamper (panier garni), a perfume spray / container,
chocolate sweets with mint, a shopping bag.

TABLE + DINNER.
a tablecloth (nappe), a napkin (serviette de table), decorations, to decorate, a table runner (un chemin de table), table mats (sets), holly (houx), mistletoe (gui),
water glass, wine glass, natural food
"foie gras" / duck liver, scallops (noix de St Jacques), 
seafood (fruits de mer), a seafood platter (un plateau de fruits de mer) : mussels (moules), oysters (huîtres), Dublin bay prawns (langoustines), scampi / gambas,
prawns (crevettes roses), lobster (homard), capon (chapon), goose (oie), duck breast (magret de canard), deer (cerf), doe (biche), quail (caille), venison (venaison), Christmas log (bûche), ice-cream (glace)

..........

Talk 5- Christmas traditions in the UK   


WORDS                                                                            ..                                                                           
a menu is composed of:
starter  (entrée) + main course (plat principal)+ dessert.; a main = a main course                                                        
nom de l'animal + nom de sa viande :
cow -> beef,
calf -> veal,
pig -> pork,
sheep -> lamb, mutton.
venison , deer (biche)
a menu is composed of : starter + main course + dessert.
gammon (jambon à l'os), mince meat pies, a joint (un rôti),

STRUCTURES
..
- lire un prix :  £19.75 : nineteen pounds seventy-five.  
- donner une date: on + une date :  on (the) 16th (of) December

..........

Talk 4-  Wwoofing, couch surfing


STRUCTURES
..
I have been couch surfing / travelling : have (has) + been + verbe en -ING
= action qui a commencé dans le passé et qui dure dans le moment présent, traduit par un présent en français.
Since I left university, I have been couch surfing at my friends'.
He has been travelling around the world.

I haven't been... : haven't + participe passé du vb.
= à la forme négative, pas de verbe +ING mais un present perfect simple.
I haven't been able to find a job since I left school.
He hasn't grown cereals for a few years.

I am used to + verbe en -ING 
= je suis habituée à , j'ai l'habitude de
I'm used to calling my friends abroad = j'ai l'habitude d'appeler mes amis à l'étranger.

I used to + verbe avec TO
= j'avais l'habitude de, habitude dans le passé, révolue
I used to smoke when I was 20 ( = je ne fume plus).

at my friend'S [house] , at my friends' [houses]
= chez mon ami, chez mes amis; le mot "house" est sous-entendu.
I did couch surfing at my friend's house / at my friends' houses.

..
WORDS 
.. 
this year's pandemic (pandémie)
                                                                                      
TRAVELLING. WWoofing : World Wide Opportunities On Organic Farms
organic : biologique ---> organic farm, food
a video contest : un concours de vidéos
to provide a person with a thing: fournir qqch à qqn
it is allowed : c'est permis ---> it allows... : cela permet
to earn a living : gagner sa vie
sustainable (= durable) = that lasts constantly, all the time
a sustainable agriculture, economy, product
to grow food sustainably // to discover sustainable ways of living
frustrating : frustrant
a couch = a sofa
couch surfing  1) to stay in a person's house for free, and sleep on their sofa
couch surfing  2) lying on a sofa, watching TV, or browsing the internet on your laptop.
-> to be a couch potato
scruffy hair: cheveux ébouriffés.
.....

Talk 3- The news
             (Nov' 2020)

..
WORDS
..
THE NEWS
a poppy, poppies -> knitted poppies -> Poppy Day, GB
The residents of an elderly home have knitted more than 1,000 poppies for Remembrance Day 
to celebrate, to remember
huge = enormous 
a sniffing dog (= chien renifleur)
to train a dog (= former)
poverty, to rise -> the demand for food has risen 
to have millions of sensory receptors (smell)
to detect a disease (= détecter une maladie)
huge = enormous
injured = hurt (= blessé)
Ireland /aieland/, Celtic music
surfing therapy, to heal (=guérir)
to be scared = to have a phobia 
autism, a stroke (= une attaque)
to recover the capacity of speech
injured = hurt (= blessé)
a pleasure boat (= bateau de plaisance)
a lock (= écluse)
childhood (=enfance)
a lighthouse (= phare)
a modern, futuristic technological work 
..
STRUCTURES
..
Used to + verbe
moment passé, révolu, bien coupé du présent 
I used to live in Toulon = je vivais à T. 

prétérit : moment passé et connu
when I was young, I lived in ...
In my childhood, I was near a beach .../ 
25 years ago, I left my town and bought a painting...

present perfect : have/ has + participe passé (3è colonne des listes de vb) = traduit par le présent en FR
I have been living in ... for 20 years/ since 2000.​

.....

Talk 2-  Likes- November, 2021


WORDS
..
remotely
​videoconference
a lockout (un confinement), 
dark = gloomy (sombre) news, 
to be retired (retraité) -> retirement (la retraite), 
Brussels (Bruxelles),
biking (faire du vélo), to go biking,
cycling shorts (un cuissard) + a jersey (maillot),
on my own = alone,
advertising (la publicité), an ad (une pub),
a headphone (un casque pour écouter),
earphones (des écouteurs),
a mascot, to wear a kilt, Scotland -> Scottish (adj)
a key ring (porte-clé), a lucky charm (porte-bonheur), 
a mobile phone, to communicate with (communiquer),
to learn country line dances, 
a sheep (mouton), Ireland /ailend/ -> Irish
a shamrock with four leaves (trèfle à 4 feuilles),
a pebble (galet), seaside, beach,
to play the accordion

The news :
negative, dull = doom (sombre) = gloomy, pessimistic
..

STRUCTURES

Have/ has  + part passé de verbe avec "depuis"
I have been retired for two months/ since September =
​= je suis retraité depuis 2 mois/ depuis septembre.
I have played the accordion for five years = since 2015  = je joue de l'accordéon depuis 5 ans.

Prétérit + 1 moment passé précis connu
I started the accordion five years ago
= j'ai commencé l'accordéon il y a 5 ans.
When I worked, I was in the advertising industry.
= quand je travaillais, je travaillais dans...
I got the mascot last year
= j'ai reçu la mascotte l'année dernière.​

    * les pronoms interrogatifs
      dans les questions :   
 
   .who = qui ?
   .where = où ?
   .when = quand ?
   .why = pourquoi ?
   .how = comment ?
   .how often = tous les combien de temps ?
   .how long = combien de temps (dure...) ?
   .how many + pluriel = combien de
   .how much + singulier = combien de
                             + un prix = combien coûte


..........

Talk 1-  Introducing.  September, 2021

EXPRESSIONS
..
what is the meaning of "last"? (quel est le sens de"last")
what's "rencontrer" in English?
what's the English for "rencontrer"?
what's "topic" in French? = what's the French for "topic"
how do you say "rencontrer" in English?
I have forgotten ..(j'ai oublié...)
I don't understand... (je ne comprends pas)
..
WORDS
..
every + {nombre de semaines/ jours/ mois} :
.every two weeks (tous les 15 jours)
.every four days (tous les 4 jours)
.every three weeks (toutes les 3 semaines).

INTRODUCTION / PRESENTATION
face-to-face
protective measure (geste-barrière),gel , to wash hands
social distancing (distanciation sociale)
a topic = a theme, a subject (un thème)
tips and tools (des conseils et des outils)
tools of communication
to create a blog, a website (un site web)
convenient (pratique)
a survey / an opinion poll (sondage)
social networks (réseaux sociaux)
a foreigner (un étranger)
to last (durer)
to meet (rencontrer)
before (avant) , after (après), until (jusqu'à)
what's the weather like?  cloudy? windy? sunny?

The news :
a hostage (otage), to liberate (libérer),
an abortion (avortement), a law (loi),
a practician (praticien), floods (inondations),
Nobel Prize of Chemistry (chimie),
a student cluster, to organize a party, to respect

GRAMMAR
..
.don't have to + verbe =  absence d'obligation
you don't have to take notes if you don't want (tu n'es pas obligé de prendre des notes si tu ne veux pas)

.have to + verbe = obligation, tu dois

.do you have to + verbe = dois-tu ...
do you have to visit your dad ? (est-ce que tu dois rendre visite à ton père?)

.did you have to + verbe = devais-tu ...
ex did you have to speak English?

.can -> possibilité: I can speak Italian = je sais parler italien  OU  .permission : you can use your phone (tu peux utiliser ton téléphone)

.could -> pourrait : you could come = tu pourrais (venir)

.interdiction : it's forbidden to ... (il est interdit de)
 = you can't (vous ne pouvez pas)

.emploi du passé "le simple past ou prétérit":
One year ago, I spent two weeks in the south of England.
Last Friday, I went to Brest and I visited my dad.    
 
.....
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Need any help ?

.Sorry, I don't understand/ I don't get it...
(désolé, je ne comprends pas)
.what is the meaning of "last"?
(quel est le sens de"last")
.what's "rencontrer" in English? = 
.what's the English for "rencontrer"?
.I don't know how to say "pandémie" in English...
.what's "struggle" in French ? =
what's the French for "struggle" ?
.how do you say "gratte-ciel" in English? / 
.I have forgotten ..(j'ai oublié...).



'Coffee break'

open discussion


Coffee break 8-  May 2021

replay TV programmes, a decoder
Ethiopia, Horn of Africa, arid, dry, hot
a desert, volcano
steam of the volcano
to dig, dug, dug
she wants me to have a look at her garden...
i want her to show me her garden...
homeless and migrant people
to dissolve
second-hand shop, a junk shop,
a flea market = marché aux puces
in a bric-a-brac shop, you can find old objects for sale
a flea market = marché aux puces
it used to be active for so many years
i'm used to practising yoga
to donate
sort them out (= trier)
a recylcing centre (= déchetterie)


Coffee break 7-

the Middle Ages (le Moyen Age)
a knight (chevalier)
a sprig (brin) of lily of the valley (muguet)
GP =  general practitioner
(médecin généraliste),
old age / great age (la vieillesse),
the elderly = old people,
sinking / shipwreck (naufrage),
Indonesia -> Indonesian,island,
Singapore -> Singaporean
sinking / shipwreck (naufrage)...


Coffee break 6-

borage : bourrache
a balance between (équilibre entre),
French fries (US) = chips (GB)
Belgium, Belgian chips
"chip", different pronunciation from "ship"
hilarious
they'll have to wait until the end of the year...
be in quarantine
a vaccine, immunity, to be immuned;
small Greek islands
to get rid of (se débarasser)
he hasn't been vaccinated yet
Is it true that "the longer you wait between the two injections, the more your immunity will last" ?
=  "the more weeks there are between two injections, the longer immuned you are"-


Coffee break 5-

"as the crow flies" (à vol doiseau),
curfew (couvre-feu), commercial (pub tv,radio)

prononciation ->
/a bref, ouvert/ : an ad = an ad'vert = an ad'vertisement (une publicité), cat, bag, fat,
/a: long/ : father, ask, task, car,
/a prononcé ei/ : dahlia, apricot, champagne,pastry, apiculture, stadium,
avocado /a bref puis a: /
/o prononcé v renversé/ : love, dove, a'ccompany, London

question + intonation -> 
1) Q 1- intonation montante
Q fermée = Yes/ No question
-can you hear me?
-do you understand?
2) Q 2- intonation descendante
Q 2 : Q ouverte = wh- Q
-what's her name?
-where do you live?
-what time are you going to have lunch?

différences ->
1) what time do you have dinner?
2) what time are you going to have dinner?
3) what time will you have ?

Coffee break 4-

casual (détendu, décontracté),
blurred screen (écran flou),
perennial flower /peu'rennial/, annual,
the blossoming season (de floraison),
a planter (a plant pot. une jardinière),
a window box (a pot on your window),
a trough (for animal food..une auge),
carnation (oeillet),
eyesight (vue), e-book reader (une liseuse),
permaculture, aquapony
is used as a fertilizer (engrais),
a garden centre (pépinière).

discussion à bâtons rompus :
-habitude:
"we generally jump from one topic to another"
"we talk about this and that".
-en ce moment :
"we're jumping from one topic to another"
"we're talking about this and that".

there has been a big change during the ten last years : action débutée dans le passé et qui se poursuit dans le présent, nous constatons des résultats, conséquences  aujourd'hui.
...

Coffee break 3-

new resources, solar energy,
treatment, to work with (fonctionner),
to earn money (gagner- de l'argent),
to win money (gagner - à un jeu...)
deforestation, owners (propriétaires),
is expecting a baby (attendre un enfant),
the rules (règles), constraints (contraintes), obligations, pressure,
Nightingale hospitals in England, a nurse,
Florence Nightingale 1820-1910, a pioneer,
to take a gap year (une année sabbathique).

Pronunciation
agriculture, architecture /tcheu:/
monarchy /k/

Structures
.the energy works with...
.he has travelled in lots of countries
.they have a skype chat for four months
...... to modify the monarchy rules which were set up in ...

...
Coffee break 2-

the pros and cons : le pour et le contre
sustainable resource (ressource durable),
wind turbine (éolienne), landscape (paysage),
to be involved in the project (être engagé),
give someone a transplant (faire une greffe)
= to transplant on somebody,
"the surgeon performed a womb transplant
on her" (le chirurgien lui greffa un utérus),
womb transplant (greffe d'utérus),kidney (rein)
godchild (filleul(e), godson (filleul),
god-daughter (filleule), godfather (parrain),
ultrasound image/ scan (échographie),
tendinitis (tendinite), sprain (entorse),
a physiotherapist (un kiné),
a cab = a taxi, New York yellow cabs
gradually (progressivement), threaten (menacer), are threatened (sont menacés),
anxiogenic (anxiogène) = anxiety-provoking situation / anxiety-generating situation.
...

Coffee break 1- February, 2021

.every two weeks = tous les 15 jours
.talk about this and that, jump from topic to another = parler à bâtons rompus.
a period of snowfall, floods
.forecast (météo), weather forecast (prévisions météo), snowfall (chute de neige),
snowflake (flocon), flood (inondation), cliff (falaise),
.balloon (ballon gonflable/ dirigeable/de baudruche),
goal (but), to cool the earth (rafraîchir la terre),
dangerous, unpredictable, unmanageable
.cycle path (piste cyclable)
.slope (côte, dénivellation),steep (raide),
.coast (la côte),steep (raide),
.a scientist (scientifique)
.a poet, a poem, birth, was born, death, to die (died), to be dead...
...
Some more topics for English  (thèmes)

the weather, weather forecast of the day,
.the pandemic, lockdown,
.foreign languages,
.travelling, wwoofing, couch surfing, dream(s)
.leisure activities, holidays,
.movies (films), series, books, 
.favourite book(s), serie(s), movie(s), music...
.books versus TV ? TV vs netflix/ networks ?
.food, health, eating organic or not ?
.cooking, recipes, food habits...
.the restaurant : going out, reservation, table,
.new technologies :  the internet, mobile phones, social networks...
.a typical day, my house, home,
.being a working-age adult vs being retired,
.traditions here and elsewhere (ailleurs),
.the UK, the English-speaking countries, USA
.an English tea-time, a full English breakfast,
.habits (coutumes), eating hours, dishes...
.at the railway-station, taking the train,
.at the airport, taking the plane,
.British-English versus American-English,
.photograph/ cartoon/ ads...
...

Talk

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by IMT 4 tremeliclass