chimeraofeloquence

[chimeraofeloquence]

“I only go out to get me a fresh appetite for being alone.”

Latin: exeo tantum cogere mihi appetitum recentum solitario.

Greek: ἐξέρχομαι μόνον πορεύειν τὴν νέαν πεῖναν τῷ μονόστολῳ.

—Lord Byron

[chimeraofeloquence]

faculty library | warm afternoon | articles on literature

[chimeraofeloquence]

me @ my friend: hey I`ve just started learning French and thought you could help me a bit since you know the basics?

friend: sure, no problem

friend, one day later: btw wanna study ancient greek I`ve already signed us both up for the course

me: ...

me: yEs !!

[chimeraofeloquence]

french resources masterpost

i don’t even know where to begin with french…i love learning languages so much, i really wish my parents had started me when i was younger. i started taking french in seventh grade but i really hope to spend a semester abroad in france & visit senegal when im older. however, french can get super crazy with accents and hard pronunciation and fancy vocab, which can get really confusing, so here’s a masterpost w all of the french resources i’ve gathered :) 

where to start

duolingo aka the most amazing free language learning program ever

rosetta stone- i’ve heard really great things about this program, but it is not free 

bonjour- this website is rlly helpful & even if you’re already in a french class like me, you can find lots of resources for when you’re confused :) plus it’s free!!

babbel- they have programs for beginners + advanced 

grammar + spell check

bonpatron-  grammer + spell check

languagetool- grammar + spell check

reverso- grammer + spellcheck

how to change the spellcheck language on word

dictionaries

collins

word reference (this is my personal favorite, i highly recommend it + it is so much better than google translate & much more reliable!!) 

larousse

linternaute

linguee (this one is probably my second favorite)

you can get word reference (free!!) on the app store, as well as linguee (which i think is free as well??)                               

phonology

french vs english phonology

french pronunciation for beginners

pronunciation chart

guide to french pronunciation

exercises you could try

+ more practice

the ultimate guide to french pronunciation w videos!!

10 pronunciations you won’t learn in school

ok so i just found out the other day that if you’re on flashcards on quizlet & you press the little speaker icon it will say the word for you!! this has been super helpful on my auditory quizzes + generally getting a feel for the pronunciation of words. but i wouldn’t say it’s too reliable so definitely check out these other resources (link to quizlet) 

grammar

passe compose help (past tense)

passe compose w/ avoir

passe compose w/ etre

passe compose practice (+ more)

imparfait vs passe compose 

a helpful post explaining imparfait vs passe compose

intro to accents

type french accents w/o a french keyboard (just copy/paste into your document)

how to put accents on letters

noun gender

7 tips on learning french grammar

grammar practice

conjugation practice

how to conjugate 

french grammar masterpost

music

these are a few of my favorites:

stromae- hip hop//electronic but i still like his music

maitre gims- rapper but he sings quite a bit in his songs 

joyce jonathan- omg her songs are so cute please go listen

christophe mae-can we just talk about his song “tombe sous le charme” i love it + he sort of reminds me of jack johnson 

vianney!!- guys “je te deteste” is my favorite song on my french playlist right now. the sophomore that sits next to me in our french class recommended him to me & i can’t stop listening 

christine & the queens

also check out these links for more music:

universal music france

this post with french music recommendations

my post on music//podcasts for learning languages (lots of people have been recommending artists which has made this post so much better so please message me if you have any other recommendations or questions!!)

8tracks- french music

other stuff to listen to//watch

french youtubers

10 podcasts for french learners

the ten best tv shows to watch for french learners

ok don’t throw anything at me but watching peppa pig in french is actually a good method (i don’t remember who suggested this to me but thank you so much @ whoever it was) 

easy to understand french movies

news + culture

savoirs

euronews

1jour1actu

l’humanite

multilingual books

some blogs (not on tumblr) in french + about french culture (frenchcrazy, i learn french, oui, c’est ca, french together, fluentfrenchnow)

my tips

definitely keep a vocab notebook where you can either paste vocab lists or write them in on your own

listen to french music. find your own favorite artists. and tell me, so i can put them in here. but seriously, go do it & get those phrases + pronunciations stuck in your head!!

making quizlets for vocab will benefit you more than just using someone else’s

find friends in your class to help (if you’re in highschool, upperclassmen are a blessing pls go ask them questions if you’re lost in class), the senior that sits next to me is really good at conjugating, and i’m pretty good at remembering vocab so we make a great team

find/join a study group!! the freshman girls in my french class made a group chat & we all send links to quizlets/other resources & help each other with homework 24/7

ask questions/do speaking exercises during class. trust me, you will benefit from it. plus, having your teacher correct you on your pronunciation during class is much less embarrassing than getting an F on that speaking test 

french help on tumblr

this french idiom masterpost

more french resources

french grammer masterpost

if you’re still looking for help, definitely check out the tag #langblr

or ask me a question here

or send me a message

or ask any studyblr studying french :))

my posts

essay masterpost

studying when ill masterpost

music resources for language learners

i hope this helped!! :) 

[chimeraofeloquence]

The magical place where I get my textbooks from

[chimeraofeloquence]

things to do more of in the new year

assume the best about people and strive to take a good-hearted view of everyone

lie on your back outside and watch clouds go by. soak up the sun or lie in the cool shade of a tree

don’t hold grudges

apologize often. apologize with sincerity. forgive.

take photos of beautiful moments in your life even if they’re not Instagram-worthy; don’t share it on social media, just take it for you

give compliments to strangers and friends alike

don’t use your phone before bed - read, journal, or meditate instead

before you turn off your light at night think of three things you’re grateful for (write them down to look back on at the end of each month)

wake up early to watch the sunrise or go somewhere with a nice view to watch the sunset

have extravagant breakfasts more often

buy someone you love flowers

buy yourself flowers too

if you have houseplants, talk to them to help them grow. give the same encouragement to the people in your life.

call your grandparents, even if you hate talking on the phone. listen to their stories. ask about their cats

find new music in weird places on the internet. don’t listen to it if you don’t like it. listen to it loudly if you do.

learn to be patient - with others, with life, and with yourself

eat good food

text a friend to let them know you’re thinking about them

do things slowly, one by one. make real changes. be present in your life everyday. be vividly present, with all of you, be there

[chimeraofeloquence]

things to look forward to

hugs from a loved one, open windows and high ceilings, birds chirping, a book devoured in one night, stargazing, reflecting to see how far you’ve come, scented candles and a stack of notebooks, old architecture, a fresh start, typing late at night to finish your piece, newly developed pictures, blushes and shy smiles, exploring a library or bookshop, getting so excited about a project your hands start to shake slightly, the city in the early mornings

[chimeraofeloquence]

My research takes me to some weird places but it’s very interesting 😌

[chimeraofeloquence]

Rainy day in NYC

[chimeraofeloquence]

new year’s eve | reminiscing

these are photos of (just outside) paris when i visited two years ago. out of the whole trip, these were the best photos i got and they were rushed ones where i didn’t even look at my screen properly because i had to keep up with my family who were already disappearing into the crowds ✨

[chimeraofeloquence]

Took some time to reorganize my life before the new year

[chimeraofeloquence]

Keira Knightley in Colette - 2018

[chimeraofeloquence]

Sometimes I’m like “ancient greek plays are so old, how am i going to relate to the characters?” but then 

[chimeraofeloquence]

ah yes, my favourite foreign language feel, “I know what all of those words mean individually but not together like that”

[chimeraofeloquence]

passive studying is my answer for all. it’s the best idea that i found in the internet.

i am not lazy person but someday i am so exhausted about doing my best in language in spite of my full-time job.

i made a perfect schedules but if it didn’t work i shamed myself for laziness. as a result i didn’t want to learn anything.

this time I am currently learning how to be more kind to yourself. and as side effect my interest is coming back. now if I have no time or no energy to take a full study session I am just doing some passive studying. and it is works perfectly.

some tips for passive learning:

be kind to yourself. you need to take care about you. you need to hear your inner voice. don’t shame yourself. please. you are such a gem.

find some online friends with whom you can chat on your target language. when you have a study session mark some new grammar structures and use them in your conversations when you learning passively.

listen music in your target language. if you in journaling do some art stuff with lyrics.

read books without add on your dictionary each unknown word. just read passively.

start a studyblr or some kind of blog on your target language. or just write in a paper journal (i saw this tip on lindie botes channel on youtube and this thing stuck in my mind)

read out loud

listen a podcast or radio station on your target language.

take an online (or not) educational course of smth interesting for your in your target language.

watch film, cartoon, video on youtube with subs.

have a fun. without fun it is more difficult. does it matter without fun?

[chimeraofeloquence]

Source.

[chimeraofeloquence]

Thank you so much, Meg! I love this post!! And it's especially precious considering that you had to pick up the role of a substitute Santa, so thank you again 🖤

Theatre in Poland

Hi @chimeraofeloquence! I’m your substitute Santa, and since you’re interested in theatre, I’ve decided to make a post about theatre in Poland. I hope you’ll like it :)

First, some vocabulary:

English - Polish

a theatre - teatr (m)

a play - sztuka (f)

a performance - przedstawienie (n) or spektakl (m)

to perform (a role) - grać or odgrywać (rolę (f)) 

an actor - aktor (m)

an actress - aktorka (f)

a director - reżyser (m)

a stage - scena (f)

a scenography - scenografia (f)

a stage prop - rekwizyt (m)

a script - scenariusz (m)

a script writer - scenarzysta (m)

Poland has a long tradition of theatre, starting from the Middle Ages and religious plays, called dramaty liturgiczne. You can read about the history of Polish theatre here (in Polish) or here (in English), although the English article concerns only the 19th and 20th century. There is also a nice article in English about the most important Polish authors, actors, and trends in theatre, here, but again, only in the 19th and 20th century.

I’ve also found a Polish Theatre Journal (the articles are in English) - here.

If you want to watch or hear Polish actors, Teatr Polski im. Arnolda Szyfmana in Warsaw has a youtube channel where they post trailers of their performances and some backstage interviews with the actors (in Polish). 

There is also a certain theatre phenomenon in Poland - it is called Teatr Telewizji (a television theatre) - and it’s a play performed and registered especially for TV and you can watch it only on TV :) You can find the older performances on youtube, and the latest on the official webpage (sadly, you might not be able to watch the official page outside of Poland, but I’m not sure). 

One last thing: two years ago Polish television produced a tv show called Artyści (The Artists), which is an 8-episode-long story about the economic and artistic struggles of the director, the actors, and the workers of a fictional Polish theatre in Warsaw. This tv show was scripted by two theatre script writers, and indeed watching it feels more like watching a theatre performance than a tv show. It was very well received by both the critics and the audience. I’ve watched it and loved it, it’s kinda weird and eerie :) Again, it can be watched on its official webpage, but I don’t know if it works outside of Poland. But if you ever have an opportunity to watch it, I certainly recommend it :)