28 Feb
Just finished watching Canada win gold in men’s hockey– what a game!
I understand that with 14 trips to the top of the podium by Canadian athletes during the Vancouver games, Canada now holds the record for the most gold medals during a single Winter Olympics. While they didn’t make their goal of winning the medal count, I’m sure the Canadian Olympic Committee is pleased with the results of the “Own the Podium” campaign (“A nous le podium” in French).
金牌 金メダル Médaille d'or
28 Feb
Well, the results are in and I’ve officially passed the DELF B2. For an idea of what that means for my French, here is what CIEP (Centre international d’études pédagogiques) has to say about this level:
A B2 user has a degree of independence that allows him/her to construct arguments to defend his/her opinion, explain his/her viewpoint and negotiate. At this level, the candidate has a degree of fluency and spontaneity in regular interactions and is capable of correcting his/her own mistakes.
Having said that, most of my initial reactions from the test were right on the mark; although I passed the level, my score wasn’t anything worth bragging about. From this point, I plan to regroup and challenge B2 again at some point in the future.
The happiest news is that my Linguathon idea raised about $200. Thanks again to all of my sponsors, your donation is going to a good cause! I wrote a simple “Post Exam Report” which can be found here.
As you know, language learning is something that I’m quite passionate about. If someone in your family or circle of friends aspires to some degree of competency in another language, please encourage them to keep at it. Contrary to popular belief, Albertans have a wealth of language learning opportunities and resources right here at home– there’s simply no need to move across the world for the sole purpose of welcoming another language into your life!
21 Feb
Thanks to everyone who sponsored me in my personal Linguathon. As promised, I wrote the B2 level of the DELF French examination last week. I imagine that it will take some time before I receive my actual score, but I thought I could post a simple summary of the structure of the test and how I thought it went.
At the outset, I should note that the pass/fail line, or ”Seuil de réussite pour obtenir le diplôme”, is 50%. Having said that, one must obtain a score of at least 20% in each of the areas listed below to receive the diploma. This is quite similar to most standard language tests that I’ve seen, including English ones. One notable exception is the highest level of the Japanese proficiency exam, which requires that you obtain a mark of 70% in order to pass(!)
With that cleared up, here is a summary of what the DELF B2 test takes you through over the space of a few hours (immediate reactions in green, more comments below):
| Listening Comprehension questionnaires dealing with three recordings: - interview, news bulletin etc (played once) - presentation, lecture, speech, documentary, radio or television programme (played twice). Maximum duration of recordings: 8 mins (30 minutes for this section—25 points) |
Honestly speaking, this section was HARD– I think I did poorly. [POOR] |
| Reading Comprehension questionnaires dealing with two written documents: - text of an informational nature regarding France or the French-speaking world - text of an argumentative nature (1 hour for this section—25 points) |
The reading section was challenging. [AVERAGE] |
| Writing Taking a personal stand (contributing to a debate, formal letter, review of a film/book) (1 hour for this section—25 points) |
I worry about losing points for grammar/conjugation errors (esp. accents) [AVERAGE] |
| Speaking Stating and defending an opinion based on a short document designed to elicit a reaction. 20 minutes of preparation time. 30 minutes of speaking/debating |
Discussing your point with two native speakers is challenging, but I think I stumbled through OK. [AVERAGE] |
Comments— areas for improvement
Clearly, my biggest area for improvement will be the listening section. To imagine a real-life equivalent of this part of the test, imagine you have a colleague who is presenting a 3 minute update on a project in another language. If you count yourself as being able to speak that language in a professional context, you would be able to follow the presentation and make a few simple notes, n’est-ce pas? Afterwards, you’d be able to say where they went, who they talked to, and the gist of what they said, highlighting a few key points.
Simply put, this is what the DELF Listening section tests. There are two different exercises, and in both sections, you’re able to look at the questions before the selection is played. To go back to the real-life example I just made, isn’t it reasonable to imagine that you would have an idea of where your colleague went, and what you wanted to know before she started speaking? After you’ve gone over the questions, the first selection is played just once, and then you have a few minutes to answer the questions. For the second selection, you have two chances to listen to the recording (i.e. prepare, listen, answer, re-listen, check answers). On balance, I think it is an exceptionally fair and practical listening test.
In addition to sharp listening skills, a reasonably strong short-term memory is helpful. If you are strong in both of these areas, you’ll do well on both of the exercises in the listening section; if average, the second selection (played twice) will salvage your score. I think I was below average, and definitely need to hit the mats before the next test.
Conclusion— did I make the right choice in skipping B1?
As I mentioned in a previous posting, I took the A2 test last October because I wasn’t familiar with the DELF series at all, and didn’t know where to start. I did very well on the A2 and wondered if I should simply progress to B1, or go for the challenge of B2.
Without question, I am sure that I would have done better on the B1 test and that would have ‘felt’ great; having said that, I think the B2 offered me a clear contrast of areas that need improvement. I look forward to seeing the results, but there’s no reason I can’t get started with thinking about how to improve for next time (June 2010).
2 Feb
Hello friends and family!
Do you remember when we were kids and we used to ask people to sponsor us in the school “spell-a-thon” to raise funds for school projects? Following in the same tradition, I’m wondering if you would consider sponsoring me in my self-proclaimed “Linguathon”? Your donation will depend on how well I do in the upcoming DELF (B2) French language proficiency exam.
The money raised will be donated to the Tamaraneh Society, which is a development project that I support as a volunteer. You will receive an official tax receipt for your donation through our partner, Change For Children.
DELF, as I should explain, is short for diplôme d’études en langue française, a French language proficiency exam that I will be taking this month (level B2). My French is quite rusty so this is a bit of a personal challenge!
Just like a spell-a-thon sponsor is calculated, what we would do is multiply my final DELF score (i.e. 75%) by your pledge amount (i.e. $20), and I would collect from you in late March ($15 in our hypothetical example).
If you’re game, just send me an e-mail to let me know how much you’re willing to pledge. If you have time for coffee, I’ll tell you more about the Tamaraneh Society, the projects we’re supporting in Sierra Leone, and the amazing woman that inspires the society.
24 Dec
When I first decided to take a French test a couple of months ago, I really didn’t know a thing about which tests were available. After talking to a few people, I settled on the DELF/DALF series, which is administered in my city by the Edmonton Public School Board’s International Credentials for Language Services.
I have to say, as a language proficiency test, I really like the DELF; there was a real “written exercise” (composing a letter), as well as an oral/aural section that is facilitated by two examiners. Having two people present to administer the spoken test means that the registration fee is higher than other language proficiency tests that I’ve taken; however, it’s a cost that I’m happy to bear— I thought the test was rigorous, fair and well-administered (why does it feel like this is turning into a restaurant review?). Suffice it to say that I’m a fan.
Regardless, I passed my level— actually, my score was good enough that I probably should have taken a more difficult level, but this was the perfect way to start. I’ll take the next level in early February and I’ll be using some of the practice guides available online to guide my study.
23 Dec
The Tamaraneh Society is a local organization that I feel honoured to be able to volunteer with. The coordinator is a remarkable woman named Memunatu Kamara who, after epic journey to Canada as a refugee, has worked tirelessly to support the rebuilding of her home village in Sierra Leone. Tamaraneh means “people helping eachother” in the Temne language, and that is exactly what we have been doing.
Tamaraneh Society has built, staffed and run two schools, dug one water well, provided seeds for three community gardens and almost finished constructing a health centre. The projects are run by the local community and coordinated by our board and our Canadian project coordinator. Six villages – almost 4000 people – benefit from our schools and water and will also use the health centre when it is completed.
We will be holding our annual fundraiser in February at the Westbury Fringe Theatre. If you are interested in buying tickets online, making a donation or finding out more about the Society, please click on the link below to be taken to the website.
22 Dec
A language is not just a body of vocabulary or a set of grammatical rules; a language is a flash of the human spirit, it’s a vehicle through which the soul of each particular culture comes into the material world. Every language is an old growth forest of the mind, a watershed of thought, an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities. Wade Davis @ TED
