Entry # 8 - Overall Reflection

Goals

I don’t really attain my goals because I need more practice and time. But I think I am less

shy to speak or to ask some question in English. Of course I need to practice again and

again.

Strategies

I used some strategies like to repeat some word if I have difficulty to pronounce them. After I

ask someone who speaks very well in English, if it’s correct like I pronounce the word. I

used the strategies of to watch the television in English to help with the pronunciation.

Finally, I used the strategies to talk little bit with my friend or too with the student at High

School James Lyng to become less shy. All these strategies worked for me except to watch

the television in English. Because I love to watch the television and it helps me, really but I

don’t have a time. Of course, I will use these strategies in my future like for others

languages because they help me with my pronunciation.

Language

My level of English doesn’t improve for oral or pronunciation. I have again difficulty with my

structure sentence and sometimes I am so stress then I forget some words. I need just more

practice. I see a little bit difference because I am less shy to ask some question. I know now

it’s more good try to speak English like it’s not good the structures sentence or others things

of don’t talk in English and never practice to learn more about the language. I don’t find

easy some things and the most difficulty for me it’s my pronunciation like I said before.

Growth

I learn about myself of I am able to speak in English and to try if I want. I need just to be less

shy and don’t scare. Yes. I learn more about Anglophone culture because before I knew

practically nothing about this culture. This experience gives me a glance on Anglophone

culture. I loved this experience.

The internship

I learn many things with this experience. Like some expressions, some words. I could see

how the English High School is like in office. It’s very complicated. I meet really good

people. I don’t do differently this experience if I had to do it again. I gave my best and I tried

to speak like I can.

Gratitude

I thank my host with firstly to thanking her to help me and the most important to accept me.

Finally, I gave to her a little gift. It was some chocolates. If I wrote notes or card to my host

for thanksgiving her it was: I want to thanksgiving you for all for your patience, your smile

and for to teach me some things. If I have an others internship to do I want to come back

with. I appreciate all. Thanks you and I hope to see again.

The placement

I recommend this internship to others students because all people are so good. They are

patience mainly my host: Allannah Murphy. If I have to do this experience again, of course, I

want to come back there.

Entry # 7 - Pratice makes perfect (Jan. 9 - Jan. 16)

Interaction with the secretary in office.

Me: Miss? Can you write the word lesstick?

Secretary: What?

Me: Can you write the word lesstick? The word you say me last time and I don't understood.

Secretary: Aaah! You want I write lipstick? You need that?

Me: No. I don't know how I can explain this. It's the word of the last time please.

Secretary: Oh.. eum.. I don't understand really.

Me: Eumm.. because you say me last time: Can you take the lesstick in all the room please? You know, little paper for the absence.

Secretary: Aaaah ok I understand now, you want I write latestick?

Me: Yes! I have very difficulty to pronunciate this word. I need to practice.

Secretary: It's ok, no problem. (She writes the word)

Me: Ok thanks!

What I would say in the future

Me: Hi miss! How are you?

Secretary: Hi, good thanks you.

Me: I have a question. Do you remember the last time you said me a specific word to say a little paper for absent?

Secretary: Yes. It was late stick.

Me: Yes exactly. Can you write me the word on a paper please?

Secretary: Yes of course. (She writes the word)

Me: Thanks you miss!

Ah-ah moment!

Most of time wherever I am I can hear some Anglophones say: How are you

doing? I never understood and I did not want to dare asking an Anglophones to tell me what

this meant. But one day, when I heard a student say that, I asked him what this expression's

mean. He explained me that this expression is the same that: How are you? I found it funny

because before I thought it meant: What are you doing? I realized after this situation that

English people have some expressions that are different than in French. I can't translate that in

French because it does not means the same thing.

Formal dialogue

I heard formal dialogue when the teacher called the parents of students. I know it is a formal

dialogue because they take their time to speak very well. They say all the words without any

expression.They are very polite. When the teachers have a conversation on the phone with

the parents I understand very well because it's not too quick and it's very clear.



Informal dialogue

Of course I heard informal dialogue it’s the student who talk like that most of the time. I know it's

informal dialogue because they talk very fast and with some expression like: dude, nice,

gonna, wanna, etc. Sometimes I heard some students were vulgar. I have a lot of difficulty to

understand informal dialogue with some expression that I don't know what they can mean.

Entry # 6 - Breaking it down (Dec. 12 - Dec. 19 and Jan. 2 - Jan. 9)

Listening Comprehension

It's not always easy for me to understand the people because they talk very fast

and they use some words very complicated for me. But when it happened, firstly I try to

understand with body language and if I don't understand again I ask the person to repeat

but more slowly. For example, a time, the secretary asked me to take some paper in all class.

She said: Can you get late slips in all class? I understood the sentence except the word less

tick. I asked her: What's late slips? She replies: it’s the little paper with absence of student.

Like that I learn a new word.

Accent


I think my English accent become well but it’s not again easy for me to talk in English

without my French accent and to pronounce some words. I observe some things when

English people pronounce a word they stick their tongue to the back in their mouth and

they do a sharp blow and I practice that because I have so much difficulty to talk well in

English.




Fluency


I didn’t become fluent in English because it’s very short to practice my English but now I am

less shy to speak English, less than before. If I continue like that I will become better. It’s

easy to talk about me in English because since I learn English it’s this I do in my course.

Like: How are you? What’s your name? Etc. I hesitate again for my structure sentence and

English people have difficulty to understand me cause this. My strategies it’s to watch

television in English to help me for real because I can hear every time some pronunciations

or expressions.



Humour


Sometimes jokes in English don’t have the same sense if I translated like in French then

sometimes I don’t understand the joke. What it’s funny in my internship it’s the students like

a time, a student comes at office to talk to secretary but he was so cute and so funny like he

talked. But I don’t remember his jokes I just remember how he was so funny.



Accuracy


My main goal was to try to speak in English with somebody to practice and I did. My

pronunciation was not very well like s with third person simple present but I try and I know I

need to practice that. It’s not because I don’t know the grammar in English it’s just because I

am little stress when I speak in English and I forget some rules.



Select 5 new words, expressions or structures


I learn of course like I explained it before the word late slips. I learn too the verb to knock

because a time I wanted to say ‘cogner à la porte’ and I ask the secretary how I can say that

and she says me: It's known. I learn the words confidence I don't remember why but I know

the word means to have a confidence in a someone (avoir confiance), principal instead

saying director because it’s the good word in English.