French Films

Another way of attuning your ears to the French language (or any other language for that matter) - is to watch French language films. Some are broadcast on French TV (see earlier posts on French TV and TV5 Monde.)

Some cinemas will show French language films - and Ciné lumière at the Institut français in South Kensington regularly puts on new and older films. Each year there is a French Film Festival UK involving cinemas across the country. Details of the 2017 festival will be available here.

DVDs are available in shops, especially HMV and language bookshops (see the post on bookshops and on learning French). They can also be ordered through online retailers such as Amazon.



The BFI Player also has some French classics.

Subtitles are very useful - both English (so you link the two languages - and the more you watch films, the more able you are to distinguish literal translations with those giving 'the gist' of what is being said. Reading French subtitles with a French film can be helpful in reinforcing the recognition of particular words.

Do have a look through your 'English' DVD collection - you may be able to listen to the French audio feed, and/or French subtitles.

How to be a good citizen

Politics has been treated in recent years as if it was just another consumer choice. Political Parties use the same information, tactics and tricks as marketing people in any industry. "Special Deals" are the manifesto promises (and as often as unread as the terms and conditions in the small print). Image can seem less important than substance.

Yet in a democracy, we are not consumers - but citizens. We enjoy the privilege of choosing who is going to make the decisions which impact upon our lives (whether it be the Councillors making a planning decision which will change our neighbourhood; or the Prime Minister/President whose decisions could change the future of our country or the Planet). We can also exercise the right to "chuck the buggers out". And with privilege comes duty.

Yet how our institutions work - and how we can influence the decisions which affect us is known to a very few.

One of the issues that Educafé will be dealing with (and its 'sister' blog - Washminster) is how we as citizens can understand how our democracy functions. I will be posting occasionally on the key things citizens need to empower themselves.

Parliament is a mystery to many. It seems very complex - but there's material available which is both informative and uncomplicated.

A great place to start is http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/

I love this short video from Parliament's Education Service.



The House of Commons Library also provides information about some of the practices (and peculiarities) of Parliament. Have a skim through these resources

If you want to read more, I would thoroughly recommend "How Parliament Works. It is written by senior clerks who know their stuff - and how to explain it succinctly, in a way that is understandable.



If you want a copy of the "Bible" of parliamentary practice - then 'Erskine May' is available - at a price. I have bought two editions in my lifetime - but await a massive win on the premium bonds before I can buy the current edition.

French TV

I was asked, in response to last Monday's post, whether there were other French TV channels available? Certainly there are in France (and other French speaking nations). Outside those countries it gets more complex - but there are now a number of apps for tablets which allow you to watch live TV from the domestic channels.

I subscribe to Vision TV Net. [Which also provides packages of Portuguese, Polish, Greek and Arabic channels]. The French package includes

- France 24 [The French language version]
- Eurochannel [programmes including films and documentaries in various European languages dubbed or subtitled in French]
- France 2 [one of the main domestic channels]
- France 3 [another of the main domestic channels - but more regional content]
- France 5 [family programming]
- MCM Top [music channel]
- TV5 Monde
- The Museum Channel [lifestyle and culture]
- MyZen TV [the Well Being Channel]

All of these are available on my iPad. The subscription also covers my desktop - but fewer channels are available.

TV5 Monde

TV5 is a french language channel which broadcasts internationally. It has programmes from France, Canada, Switzerland and Belgium - and programmes covering all parts of the French speaking world.  If you are able to get it, it's a useful tool for developing your listening skills. [And don't forget, visual cues can also help understanding when listening to someone else].

It's website is http://www.tv5monde.com

But if you don't get TV5 as part of your TV service subscription, or you don't have a satellite dish - the website and the various apps can be of use in developing your skills in French. 'Learn French with 7 jours' is one such app - allowing you to watch a short news video and develop vocabulary through a series of related exercises/games. The 'TV5MONDE' app allows you to watch previously broadcast programmes on your tablet.

It is the website itself which contains a plethora of resources for the student of French. Do explore the 'Langue française' section of the website.  (Screenshot below)

I enjoy listening to French music - and you can develop your listening skills and vocabulary through http://enseigner.tv5monde.com/collection/paroles-de-clips. A video of a song is accompanied by various resources, including the lyrics (Les paroles).

If you'd done some French before, test your level - http://parlons-francais.tv5monde.com/webdocumentaires-pour-apprendre-le-francais/p-108-lg0-Test-de-niveau.htm - this will help you choose the right level of resources for you.

Series on Milton Keynes History

This week I started a series (about 30 posts are currently planned - but that may well rise.) on the sister blog  jdm's history explorer.

I'm re-posting the first in the series here. If you are interested, do subscribe to (or regularly visit) that blog.

Last month the city of Milton Keynes celebrated its 50th birthday - but the area has much of historical interest. It is overlooked by the iron-age fort of Danesborough, includes the Roman settlement of Magiovinium, a Roman villa, the historic Watling Street coaching town of Stony Stratford, Bletchley Park and transport routes from across the ages (Watling Street, Grand Union Canal, Railway, M1). It includes a number of ancient villages and the historic towns of Bletchley, Stony Stratford, Wolverton and Newport Pagnell.

In this and subsequent posts, I will share something of that history. There is an excellent map called "Milton Keynes Heritage". I believe that it may still be available from the Visitor Information Centre in Centre:MK [the huge indoor shopping centre]

I've always believed that to understand the history of an area, it is necessary to study its geography. Milton Keynes is built on a low plateau, crossed by three rivers.

The biggest river forms the Northern boundary of the city itself, then crosses through some of the rural parts and through the town of Newport Pagnell. The Great Ouse runs 143 miles from its sources in Northamptonshire (near the village of Syresham), through Brackley, Buckingham, Milton Keynes, Olney, Bedford, St Neots, Huntingdon, St Ives and Kings Lynn before entering the Wash. The Treaty of Alfred and Guthrum - which settled the border between the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and Danelaw ran along the Great Ouse between Stony Stratford and Bedford.

The second river is the Ouzel (also known elsewhere and in other eras as the Lovat). It rises not far from Whipsnade Zoo - and flows through Leighton Buzzard and through the city close to the site of Magiovinium; past the Open University, meeting the Great Ouse in Newport Pagnell.

The third 'river' is a brook - but it has carved out a pleasant valley which is partly used by the railway. Loughton Brook rises a little outside the City to its south west. It flows through the estates of Tattenhoe Park, Tattenhoe, Emerson Valley, and Furzton - where it feeds Furzton Lake, past the Milton Keynes (National) Bowl, Knowlhill (where the Teardrop lakes are), Loughton, past Bradwell Abbey and close to the Roman Villa in Bancroft, eventually meeting the Great Ouse in New Bradwell.

The BFI

The British Film Institute promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the UK. It has a vast archive based in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, and a number of cinemas. It also runs the BFI Player.

On the Southbank, there is a multi-screen cinema - linked to a superb shop (DVDs, Blu-Ray discs, and a large range of books) and a research library. You can even eat there. To see what is on go to https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/

Nearby, close to Waterloo is the BFI IMAX - http://www.odeon.co.uk/cinemas/bfi_imax/211/

The BFI Player is an on-demand service allowing you to watch films at home (or wherever you and your desktop or tablet are). There is a subscription service - more details are available here, or you can hire individual films. There are also free films available. I was particularly taken by the facility which allows you to search for films from a particular area. I have of course searched for 'Milton Keynes', but also for other places I have lived in. I even found a feature film made in my mother's school in Ammanford (She told me that when they were filming, her job was to make sure that no girls were around - the story is set in a fictional boys school). That film - David, can be accessed for free here. The caretaker (upon whom the story is based) was the brother of the first Secretary of State for Wales (although that post was to come a decade and a half later, and local MP - Jim Griffiths) and a poet in his own right. David Rees Griffiths won Chairs at Eisteddfods, under the bardic name 'Amanwy'. He actually was the caretaker at my mother's school.

Membership of the BFI brings many benefits, including support for it work. Further details are available here.

Duolingo

I noted the advice in Gabriel Wyner's book "Fluent Forever"  to "used spaced repetition systems" (not the sexiest of titles). There are a number of apps available that allow you to make your own. As a former law student (and Law Lecturer), I have used, and encouraged the use of "case cards" for revision. When I was at University - they had to be done manually - but now computers enable you to have these helpful revision tools - AND to set up a 'spaced repetition system'.

There is great value in making your own - and as you'll see in future posts - I believe strongly in the value of making one's own revision material - it is actually one of the most important stages in revision - and much value disappears if you rely on someone else's pre-manufactured revision material.

But there is one SRS that I (and other members of my family) use on a daily basis - and it comes in a free app.

Duolingo is (in the words of Wikipedia) "a free language-learning platform that includes a language-learning website and app, as well as a digital language proficiency assessment exam. Duolingo offers all its language courses free of charge. As of November 2016, the language-learning website and app offer 66 different language courses across 23 languages; with 22 additional courses in development. The app is available on iOS, Android and Windows 8 and 10 platforms with about 120 million registered users across the world."

I use it primarily to learn French - but also to build up a smattering of German, Spanish and Italian.

You set yourself a goal - There are four levels

- Casual (one exercise a day)
- Regular (two exercises a day)
- Serious (three exercises a day)
- Insane (five exercises a day)

Each exercise earns you 10 xp (points). The first day you achieve your goal begins a run (in Duolingo-speak - a 'streak'. That streak grows every subsequent day that you achieve your goal. I am currently on a 68 day streak. Forget to do your daily dose of Duolingo, and the streak ends and you have to start again. The fear of ending my streak acts as an increasingly effective motivator. (Of course, it also creates a habit - and that is vital for language learning).

The XPs are 'banked' - so I currently have 266 Lingots, which I can spend. That may be for outfits for my character (Formal attire, Champagne Tracksuit), but that is of no interest to me. I can also buy "Bonus Skills" - or attempt to double a five lingo waver by maintaining a seven day streak. But for me, the most useful is insurance against being unable to achieve my goal on any day. "Streak Freeze" allows my run to remain in place for one full day of inactivity. So all is not lost (if 'purchased' - using the lingots earned).

You can also compete with friends. NOT on the basis of your progress in a particular language, but on the amounts of XPs gained during that week. So you can compete against a friend studying a different language, at a very different level. If you are competitive, it provides another aid to continuing with regular study.

When you start a language in Duolingo there are a number of preset exercises. These take you through the essentials of that language. But when you've completed these - Duolingo keeps on going - it is a spaced repetition system!!! The algorithm notes your progress and increases the complexity of the exercises. This enable you to make progress, whilst reinforcing what you have already learnt.

I've found Duolingo useful because it has forced me to take note of and apply the rules of grammar. Eventually the application of grammar rules and sentence structure becomes automatic. Words and phrases are sounded - which aids listening skills, and you have to say some words - developing speaking skills (if it doesn't sound right, Duolingo forces you to repeat.

Do give it a try - it's free - and very effective.

The Duolingo website is https://www.duolingo.com and apps are free in Appstores.