I’ve gotten into the habit of briefly sampling lots of different content and only commit when I find something that really clicks with me. As it is, I sometimes find it tricky to find satisfying stuff to read/listen to in English. Now combine that with strict language difficulty criteria and with the fact that discovery/curation resources (reviews/recommendations etc) are themselves mostly in the language I don’t know well yet, and it becomes a real puzzle. So I’ve found it pays off to devote a great deal of time “exploring”. (Yet another dimension of language learning that requires a great deal of time…)
I’d also add that content designed for language learners itself varies a lot on how inherently interesting it feels. As an autodidact, you also have the option of sampling many different language learning resources until you find one that clicks with you. (The most important one is the primary dictionary you use. It ideally should feel fun, not a chore, to read it.)
I’m having a good time with the Duolingo French podcast. Before, I had listened to all of their Spanish seasons. I think I catch enough of the French that it’s worthwhile for me. I just listened to an episode about a dude in the southern countryside who helped migrants without documents settle and get resources, so it passes the test for being interesting outside of the language learning context.
One of these days, I gotta find French counterparts to This American Life. I already have quite a few of those for Spanish and they’ve been a godsend for staying interested, hearing a variety of accents, and learning specific vocabulary for many topics.
I just listened to an episode with a Québécois storyteller. I’m very tickled by the heavy rhoticity. Solidarity with the rhotic peoples of Montreal and Beijing.
Maintenant, je veux tout faire en français. Je joue à Ratchet & Clank en français. J’écoute des podcasts en français. En même temps, je fais des recherches sur l’histoire du Québec. Je ne terminerai pas apprendre les langues.
C’est trop étrange. Je veux dévorer les articles du wikipedia sur l’histoire de les Amériques. Les auteurs tiennent une perspective différente que l’une du anglaise. C’est une perspective un peu sensitif a l’ironie. Maintenant je veux lire un livre français sur l’histoire américaine.
Man I wish I retained any of my high school or college French classes. I guess I retained just enough to understand the gist of this post but not enough to reply competently.
I should try again to dedicate time to language learning but I’m so bad at keeping a routine. Maybe getting notifications from this thread will get me on track
Apprendre des langues est drôle! J’ai trouvé un livre du XIXe siècle sur l’histoire des états-unis. Lire en français est un peu plus facile qu’en espagnole. Le style est très clair.
Je me dis que je pratique français quand je joue des jeux vidéos et lis des bandes dessinées. J’ai finisai Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time. Maintenant je joue A Rift Apart. Les voix sont très expressives et drôles, un peu énervants mais je ne voudrais pas quelque-chose différant.
En attendant pour un échange, j’ai acheté deux bandes dessinées du Tintin en français. Apportera-il conservatisme catholique à la lune? J’attendrai et voira. Malgré tout sur Hergé, j’aime toujours les couleurs et compositions de sa œuvre. Je dois chercher un autre auteur qui fait choses comme ça.
I switched to Portuguese in my app. Very fun to basically comprehend sentences purely through Spanish and French knowledge. I love the sounds. I’m looking forward to watching Copa Libertadores with Portuguese commentary and getting some Portuguese language comics down the line.
Have you watched the infamous Quebecois King of the Hill dub, where they changed the setting from Texas to Quebec? My French isn’t good enough for me to grasp the subtleties between Metropolitan or Quebecois French. But you might find it a curiosity.
Have you looked into the Hearst dialect? It’s said to be nothing like the Quebec kind. Have you had any exposure to the other American French dialects like Acadian and Cajun?
Have you listened to any French hip hop? It’s a very lyrical genre, France enjoyed a great deal of hip hop dating back to the '80s, and there’s a lot of regional variations, if you’re looking for them.
There’s also some Quebecois folk punk, but I don’t have a lot of familiarity with the genre to tell you if any of them are any good for the genre, other than they are another way to be exposed to joual.
Quebecois King of the Hill sounds so perfect. I would love to watch it. One day, I’ll converse with Quebecers in Quebec.
I have heard the occasional Louisiana French from reality shows. It sounds wild. I don’t think I’ve heard Acadian French. I just assume everyone speaking French in Maine is a Quebecer on vacation.