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french Tv

loz

By loz
in French Language

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cooperlola Newbie

cooperlola

Posted
Posted
I think that watching French TV is a real help for language learners.  The images help you to understand, and the language is spoken as you will hear it every day - not in the "cleaned up" way it's presented in language courses. With the added bonus that you can keep up to date with the news and culture of your adopted country.  I wouldn't be without it, living here.
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Chancer Newbie

Chancer

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I second what Cooperlola says, and can speak from the perspective of just having swopped from English to French TV.

In hindsight it was a mistake to have had a skybox as it was really hard to give up (even harder than alcohol which I stopped at the same time) luckily due to cabling constraints I could only have one or the other. -French or English TV not TV or alcohol[:)]

I have been watching only French TV for the last 2 months and it has been fantastic for my learning, especially using teletext although the "live" text as in news items understandably lags so far behind and is very different to the spoken words (again understandably) that I prefer not to use it.

It was recommended to me when I first arrived by my language tutor(s) and I should have taken the advice then.

In my opinion it is of little use if you still are able to access the UK channels as well unless you are very self disciplined.

Go for it!

Editted

France 5 / Arte is my favorite for the nature and travel programs.

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suein56 Rookie

suein56

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[quote user="loz"]

Is there any point in me getting French TV as a step towards learning language?

[/quote]

If you already have a TV and an aerial then I agree watching French TV will help you. I found the News - because the announcers speak clearly and reasonably slowly - very helpful; ditto adverts, purely because they are repeated so often and use colloquial speech.

Watching 'Urgences' was astonishing as the delivery was so bullet fast, eventually I managed to understand some of what was said.

I especially like the Arte programmes - UK films with French subtitles I found fascinating as the English language was just absorbed automatically and I could concentrate on the (imaginatively chosen phrases of the) written French translation.

If you will have to buy a TV set and pay for an aerial to be connected, then only you can decide whether the outlay would be justified.

Sue

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Clair Newbie

Clair

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As per LyndaandRichard's post above, French tv with subtitles is highly recommended by Mr Clair too!

His favourite program is "La carte aux Trésors" on Wednesdays on FR3, as it shows a lot of French places from untouristy points of view.

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mint Newbie

mint

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French TV, I am not sure if it's good or not for my OH.  He now tells me that when he watches closely, the announcers have such different facial movements and make such different shapes with their mouths that it would be impossible for him to immitate them!  Some excuse, I know!

When we were househunting, he did come across a children's programme which taught colours and so forth and it followed the adventures of "le grand poulet rouge" who went into "la vallee verte" and saw some "arbes jaunes" etc, etc.

Then within a month of our being here, our dog actually killed a free range chicken (yes, I know, another very DISTRESSING story that I can't bear to even think about!)  The recriminations and desperate feeling of impotence, when I had to face the owner and explain what our dog had done!

For once, my dear husband (who struggles with the language, bless him) found a use for the phrase "le grand poulet rouge" (he doesn't eat meat, incidentally) and told madame, with some solemnity and much sadness, "Le grand poulet rouge est mort!"

I felt terrible as madame looked like she needed the eggs that le grand poulet rouge produced and, even as I offered to provide compensation, I felt the inadequacy of our position.  I think that was the worst day that we have had in France.  This is month 5 and we have learnt, if nothing else, that we cannot let our dog off the lead until we have established that no living creature is in sight.

In the meantime, I wish I have the time to watch French and/or British TV but, there just seems to be so many other more pressing things to do.

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mint Newbie

mint

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Clair

Madame said, "ne vous inquietez  pas!" and kept patting me on the shoulder.  She told me that I was not to think anymore about what had happened, that dogs will be dogs and that she did not want any compensation from us.  We went to the local patisserie and bought her the biggest gateau that we could find and took it back to her house.  She indignantly refused the cake and offered the chicken for our "diner".  In the end, we had to leave the gateau on the garden wall and walk away!

I promise you, Clair, that is a day that we shall NEVER forget!  The kindness of the French, and we were reduced to feeling like raw oiks!

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Chancer Newbie

Chancer

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Another really good program is "Qui veut gagner un million?" presented by a Chris Tarrant lookalike

The format is familiar and the questions and answers stay on the screen for a very long time while the tense music etc plays so no need for subtitles.

I actually (would have) won 8000 euros the other day, it was a bit of  a fluke because there were no French history questions so I was very pleased.

I watched it on TV while I was in hospital for one of the operations and have since being discharged I have moved my parabola and am using an analogue reciever to get channels 1-6 but havn't seen it since, does anyone know what channel it is on and on what day? I am too mean to buy a tele guide!

P.S. Was it on this forum during a similar discussion re sub-titles that someone asked (in all seriousness) how they could get the English sub-titles to French programmes?

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Jonzjob Newbie

Jonzjob

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We have just bought a new 'haunted fish tank' (TV to you) because we got fed up with having to sit half way across our enormous lounge to look at the one we bought when we arrived. We have always had just the French TV and radio with the normal areal, no dish. The new TV surprised us because when I set it up, on the auto set up, the first thing it did was go and find 18 digital channels, terestrial free to air stuff that we didn't know existed. Then it sorted out the normal, for us, 6 analog channels.

2 of the digital channels are continuous news and that is great, because you get to hear things over again about every 30 mins. It makes it so much easier to comprehend more!!! So to answer above question, yes we find only having French TV is very good for our learning and 'Laura le web' is a cracker!![:-))]

Good old Sony!!![:D]

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Clair Newbie

Clair

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[quote user="J.R."]... P.S. Was it on this forum during a similar discussion re sub-titles that someone asked (in all seriousness) how they could get the English sub-titles to French programmes?[/quote][blink]

Talking of various languages, but not about sub-titles...

With French digital  programs, you should be able to select the audio channels so as to view some programs in VO (version originale).

We can already do so with EuroNews on Sky, as it is available in several languages.

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Mr Coeur de Lion Newbie

Mr Coeur de Lion

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It's hilarious watching dubbed English or American shows in French. Days of Your Life is far more watchable in French than English!

I do feel sorry for the French though when it comes to movies and the like. I bet they would miss so much from the original. For example the movie Blood Diamond. In English you can appreciate the different accents which adds greatly to the atmosphere of the movie. You have American, English, Zim (cant spell Zimbavwean) accents and so on. How would they replicate that in French? I guess Allo Allo would be an interesting one to see how that would translate.

Also, to see a top actor eg Johnny Depp. In one film he'd have one French actor dubbing for him, and in another, more than likely it would be someone else dubbing for him. Guess it would make it that little bit harder to identify (if that's the right term) with the actor (or actress).

Sorry, back to topic.

R.

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chessfou Newbie

chessfou

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[quote]

Chessfou, I've just looked at the site with FF without any problems[/quote][Clair]

Curious. Typically, when using FF (2.0.0.6 - latest version) I get something like (having just tried it now):

HTTP Status 500 -

type Exception report

message

description The server encountered an internal error () that prevented it from fulfilling this request.

exception 

javax.servlet.ServletException: Filter execution threw an exception
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.internalDoFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:186)
	at org.apache.catalina.core.ApplicationFilterChain.doFilter(ApplicationFilterChain.java:144)

PS. Thanks for "livening" the link (again, I tend to use FF most of the time and, for whatever reason, when I post to this forum the links are not live).

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Clair Newbie

Clair

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[quote user="chessfou"]I tend to use FF most of the time and, for whatever reason, when I post to this forum the links are not live.[/quote]

I use FF 99% of the time and I always have to make the links live by using the ball and chain icon above... I have FF2.0.0.6 too

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loz Newbie

loz

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Thanks everyone for your input on French Tv. I think I will get one of those digital box and dish deals that are about for about 35 euros and tune in.I'll check out the kid's programs too. You see my Mum blessed me with good looks then gave me a small brain to ward off the envy of the Gods.

Thanks again.

Lawrence

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Loiseau Newbie

Loiseau

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[quote user="J.R."]

Another really good program is "Qui veut gagner un million?" presented by a Chris Tarrant lookalike

The format is familiar ...[/quote]

It's worth trying "Le Maillon Faible" too.  This is a same-format of "The Weakest Link" - with a French presenter who seems even more resistible than Ann Robinson !

Angela

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Chancer Newbie

Chancer

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Yes I watch that too, it is interesting to see the cultural differences in these essentially identical programs.

La Madame Anne Robinson does not take the piss out of or try to make the contestants look stupid, my late father would not have appreciated that at all, it was the highlight of his week when she had any sort of student to rip in to!

Until your posting I thought that it was the weakest sweater, i.e. maillot faible!

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Danny Newbie

Danny

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[quote user="loz"]

Thanks everyone for your input on French Tv. I think I will get one of those digital box and dish deals that are about for about 35 euros and tune in.

Thanks again.

Lawrence

[/quote] The 35 euro deals for box and dish are normally analogue and not digital ones. With them you will get the main 6 channels only and make sure you point the dish at the correct satellite.

Have a look at the many threads in the TV, Internet and telephone section for more info about the various channels available.

Danny

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