Assigments for Tuesday, September 30th, 2008.

Attention Learners. You'd better check out the blog and leave a comment on a constant basis, otherwise you will get a lower grade.

Remember that you have the assigment about the oral exposition as well as responding to the following page.
Increase your vocabulary.
Click on the vocabulary page, print it and complete the gaps with the best option.

How to Talk about a Document for the English Bac

How to talk about a document
Pour s'entraîner à parler oralement sur un document sans notes: s'enregistrer ou travailler en binômes.
le jour de l'examen: Here is the list. Do you need a copy of the text?
Ne pas oublier que les hésitations ne doivent pas laisser place à des reflexions en français, utiliser plutôt:Well/ you see/ anyway to get back to the subject/ what I'm trying to say is that.../what I'm trying to get at is that...
Avant de vous élancer: So,...
Pour lier les propos: Now we have.../ Also, we can observe.../In the same way.../Therefore=as a consequence/ on the one hand...on the other hand...we can see that.../ besides.../ however=but
Pour citer le texte: I'd like to quote from the text:"..."/ In this passage/ line/ stanza/ verse, we are told that.../ In this passage, the writer, the poet, the journalist, the novelist seems insist/ emphasize/ underline such phrases as "..." / such words as "..." / words like "..."
1. Definition
Nature
The document I'm going to talk to you about is an excerpt from a novel, a diary, a play, a speech.../ a short story/ an article from a newspaper, a magazine.../ a transcript of a film extract, a scene from a movie/ a poem/ a radio programme/ a song/ a speech/ an interview with... / a tale/a fable entitled +title and taken from+source.
text:it was written by.../ it was published/ released in.../ song: it is sung by.../speech: it was delivered at/in (place)/ on (date)/ in (year)/ by (speaker)/ movie: it was directed by.../ it was released in (date).
si l'auteur est connu, donner quelques informations à son sujet.
It deals with/ addresses the controversial/ crucial / important issue of/ takes a look at+topic.
2. The content
When
The scene is set/ the event occurred/ the incident took place...nowadays/recently/ long ago/ in the past/ in the future/ in (year/ season)/ on a Monday/ on June 2nd/ at Christmas.../in the evening/ at midday/ at 5.30/ at dawn...
Where
The story takes place/ the setting is/ the incident took place/ the event occurred...in Africa/ in London/ in a village/ in the street/ at Mrs Mankin's home/ in a bedroom/ in a shop...
Who
There are...characters. The main character is...He is depicted as young; he may be 16, in his thirties; he is elderly (physical and moral description). Another main character is...She...
Their relationship : they are friends/ brother and sister/ married...
There are...minor characters. they are mentioned but they are not present.
Summary
Basically the story is that of...The text can be divided into...parts/ the text falls into three parts.
Part 1, from line 1 to line...deals with/ concerns/ is centered on/ is focused on/ is based on.../In part 2, from...to.../the last part of the text is about.../ at the beginning of the text, when the text starts/ one day...suddenly...then.../At the end...finally...
3. Análisis

Why
By doing this, the singer/ (movie)the director/ the actor/ the journalist/ the writer/ the author
wants to/ intends to show/ suggest/ indicate/ make us feel that/ make us realize that/ make us understand that.../
wants the reader to feel/ (movie, play)the viewer to realize/ (movie, play) the audience to understand/ us to...
Think about Who tells the story? (mode de narration) Who sees? (point of view)
Pay attention to grammar, words, repeating motives, inside/outside, space, remembrance, dream, relationships with a community, tragedy, humour, self versus society, identity/otherness, passivity versus reaction, private/ public, childhood
4. Your opinion
I particularly enjoyed/appreciated...I found the extract interesting because.../I didn't really like this text because.../ I agree/ I disagree with the writer because/ my feeling is that.../ I wonder whether...
What I find the most incredible/ interesting/ ironical/impressive/ threatening/ unpleasant/ interesting in/ about this...is that...
It makes me think of.../ it reminds me of.../ this obviously refers to...In short/ to conclude/ to sum up...

The Dream

After watching the video, write down the possible answers to the questions:

1. Lynette had a dream. It was a dream:

a) she'd had once before.

b) that she had never had before.

c) she'd had many times before.

2. In the dream, does Lynette believe that Mary Alice is OK?:

a) Yes, she does.

b) No, she says she can tell that she's not fine.

c) No, but she pretends to believe her.

3. According to Mary Alice, is there anything Lynette can do to save her?:

a) Not really.

b) Yes - to tell her friends about this.

c) Yes - to talk to her and listen to her problems.

4. What's her advice to Lynette?:

a) To live every day like it was her last.

b) To enjoy the beautiful day.

c) To never complain about things.

5. How many times did Lynette dream of her again after this?:

a) Maybe once or twice.

b) Many times.

c) Never.