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07/11/2007, 12:27 J.R's gone native Joined on 16/07/2006 Picardie, Sussex Posts 1,695 Re: Any recommendations for French authors to read? Sweet 17 On another post you were asking whether it is still possible to lose your mother tongue these days. As an example last night I was desperately searching for a word to put in my posting and it wouldnt come, I kept thinking of sleep apnae, narcolepsy and several others, until I read your post this morning with "insomnia"! I rest my case In my case I have had close to total immersion for 2 years as I live on my own and hence am not speaking English to a partner, apart from writing on this forum I converse in English maybe twice a week. Editted I also gave up English TV 4 months ago after being hospitalised and forced to watch French TV which surprise surprise I really liked. In hindsight (once again I struggled to find the english word for retrovision) I wish I had given it up long before or never started watching it. Sky TV is a major contributing factor to the number of English immigrants who never learn the language.    Report

08/11/2007, 12:54 sweet 17 Joined on 05/08/2006 charente maritime Posts 2,045 Re: Any recommendations for French authors to read? JR I will not be so ill-mannered as to ask you what charming and (possibly mature) age you have reached.  But, I do think that some of your description of not being able to remember words certainly comes from getting older. Sometimes, I have to describe something using 3, 4 or more sentences and yet, the word itself will elude me!  I find this profoundly annoying and I get very cross with myself when that happens. I'm quite convinced that you can get more fluent and comfortable in a tongue other than your mother tongue.  If a person lived in, say, France long enough and, like you, got little chance to speak their own tongue, then I can easily conceive of a time when they would feel more "natural" speaking French than English. One other thing that does interest me is that of accent.  Because I have lived in different parts of the UK, I have found myself speaking more like the people that I lived and worked with, whichever part of the UK that happened to be.  For example, because the last place I lived in was South Wales, I often meet people who tell me that I sound a bit Welsh!  I find that very strange (and alarming) indeed as I don't think that I have ever consciously adopted a Welsh accent. Now I am in France, many French people have complimented me on my French accent.  Mind you, I don't think I speak particularly well.  It's just that where we live, to find a Brit that speaks more than a few words of French is as rare as finding a truffle in your back garden! Kind regards, JR, and thank you for a thought-provoking post.    Report

08/11/2007, 18:02 J.R's gone native Joined on 16/07/2006 Picardie, Sussex Posts 1,695 Re: Any recommendations for French authors to read? J'ai quarante huit ans, mais je préfére dire <quarante ans> et marmotter <hors taxes> In French I am quite used to having to use a sentence to describe the word I am seeking, people are quite understanding and will usually tell me what it is. The problem that I have is that I do this more and more when speaking English, and because I have always been fairly erudite and the friends that I speak to have even less understanding of learning a second language than most of the French I encounter, they think that I am going senile. Which I probably would be (like them!) without the challenge of a new life in a new country. I will have my biggest ever challenge this weekend, if it works out as I hope I will report on it, if not I won't as I would be too embarrassed    Report

08/11/2007, 18:40 Phil & Pat Joined on 24/12/2006 Falaise, Calvados (14) Posts 96 Re: Any recommendations for French authors to read? Just thought I would come back to thank all those who have replied, we'll see what Falaise mediatheque can come up with next week. Please carry on with the conversation... Phil.    Report

08/11/2007, 18:46 sweet 17 Joined on 05/08/2006 charente maritime Posts 2,045 Re: Any recommendations for French authors to read? Why, JR, you are a mere sapling, a spring chicken, what have you!  I do what you have just described when I am stretching myself in French.  Went to the Bricolage place when we first came (last April) and asked for a door-stop.  Because I didn't know the word, I asked for something that stops the door banging on the wall.  I think I was told it was called a "buttoire" but the French people on the forum will tell me whether I heard right! I await to hear news of your biggest challenge.  Keep telling yourself you will sail through it and you will!  I am a great believer in the power of positive thought.  Good luck. PS.  Like you, we also came for the challenge and to expand our lives in retirement.    Report

08/11/2007, 18:54 Anton Redman Joined on 23/08/2004 Gironde Posts 1,921 Re: Any recommendations for French authors to read? The bible is strange and very hard going in French. I want the King James English version read at my cremation despite a firm conviction that God if he or she exists speaks and read Aramaic. Not mad on Jules Verne but if you like hard SF then he can be a good read. Chester Hymes and James Baldwin despite their roots are good fun in French if you know their books in Amerenglish.    Report

08/11/2007, 19:04 sweet 17 Joined on 05/08/2006 charente maritime Posts 2,045 Re: Any recommendations for French authors to read? Well, Anton, if you're going to have the King James bible, I think I might be allowed Shakespeare? Anyone know of any good books (simplified, abridged possibly) with parallel texts.  When I was learning Italian, I found such books very useful and enjoyable. Mind you, if it's Camus, don't bother to tell me.  I find him particularly difficult; must be my bird brain or my grasshopper mind (as my OH would have it)!    Report

08/11/2007, 19:21 raindog Joined on 26/09/2007 HERAULT Posts 761 Re: Any recommendations for French authors to read? I recently read L'Etranger and found it fascinating. (it also cleared up a bit of mystery surounding the lyrics of The Cure's Killing An Arab for me!) sociability is just a big smile and a big smile is nothing but teeth    Report

08/11/2007, 22:01 Maricopa Joined on 01/10/2007 Hérault Posts 160 Re: Any recommendations for French authors to read?  cooperlola wrote: I've always found it's good to read translations of books you're familiar with - especially when you start off.  If you know the plot, it stops you looking up the words you don't know, and you just pick them up from the context - much easier to get the flow of the thing, and I personally found I absorbed new words as a result.  Wholeheartedly agree with cooperlola on this one.  I am currently reading Le seigneur des anneau (Lord of the Rings), as I have read it circa 20 times( in English) since having first discovered it as a teenager.  It means you can just relax as you are reading, and only have to look up the occasional word.  It is also interesting for spotting the occasional idiom.  At first I was reading it really slowly, but my pace is picking up now.  The wierdest thing is the fact that all the names were translated, and being so familiar, that took some getting used to.    Report

28/11/2007, 19:21 crépuscule Joined on 19/01/2006 Scotland Posts 49 Re: Any recommendations for French authors to read? One of my friends recommends reading Henri Troyat. He isn't actually French so the theory is that his French is easier to understand! I haven't tried it myself as I'm too lazy to try to read a whole book in French.    Report

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France Forum » Leisure and Pas... » Books and Liter... » Any recommendations for French authors to read?

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