
Clips organised by level
Level 3
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Description |
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Daniel_Prevost_Moncuq.avi Daniel_Prevost_Moncuq.srt Daniel_Prevost_Moncuq.doc Daniel_Prevost_Moncuq.mp3 Daniel_Prevost_MoncuqMe.mp3 |
Here is a short piece from Daniel Prévost Le village de Montcuq. Prévost was part of Jacques Martin's team on the television show Le petit rapporteur, and here he milks the unfortunate name of this village for all it's worth |
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Les Revenants.avi Les Revenants.srt Les Revenants.doc Les Revenants.mp3 Les RevenantsMe.mp3 |
Here is Les revenants a film by Robin Campillo which takes the standard horror theme of people coming back from the grave - but here in a society which wants to treat them humanely and decently. A very French preoccupation, and a good film |
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Policiers.avi Policiers.srt Policiers.doc Policiers.mp3 |
More than 60 years after the catastrophe of 1940, French society is increasingly willing to take a painfully honest look at this period. Full marks to them. This clip will make you take a deep breath I think |
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Bouteille.avi Bouteille.srt Bouteille.doc Bouteille.mp3 |
I just have to admit that I have a weakness for romantic American films dubbed into French. And the French dubbing actors are magnificent. This is a good example |
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RevueDePresse.avi RevueDePresse.srt RevueDePresse.doc RevueDePresse.mp3 RevueDePresseMe.mp3 |
From the France 2 breakfast show Télématin, hosted by William Leymergie |
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Dracula.avi Dracula.srt Dracula.mp3 Dracula.doc |
The first film clip this month is an American-made 'Dracula'. Everything I always say about anglo-american films dubbed into French applies - they are where you need to start if you like films. French films are far, far too hard. |
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EchappéesBelles.avi EchappéesBelles.srt EchappéesBelles.mp3 EchappéesBelles.doc |
This is the Département d'Ardèche and a small town,Vallon-Pont-d’Arc, which evidently risks suffocating under its own success. But all is well. Nature is preserved. |
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ChevallierLaspales.avi ChevallierLaspales.srt ChevallierLaspales.mp3 ChevallierLaspales.doc |
It's the speed of the enunciation that makes this difficult. Don't worry about it. Read through the text, play it with the subtitles. Then try it without |
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Subjonctif.avi Subjonctif.srt Subjonctif.mp3 Subjonctif.doc SubjonctifMe.mp3 |
Start by watching this clip with the subtitles turned off. Try to get the gist. See if my version helps. Read the text. Then with the subtitles. Finally without. |
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AR3.avi AR3.srt AR3.mp3 AR3.doc |
Anne Roumanoff is perhaps the leading French stand-up comic of today. Her Radio Bistro sketch features a slightly sozzled lady who holds forth on the characters of the political scene. She actually speaks quite clearly, but very fast. And, in order to enjoy the humour, you have to know something about the people she is lampooning. |
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Publicité.avi Publicité.srt Publicité.doc Publicité.mp3 |
These are very difficult. The pace of the voices is fast, the style informal, the vocabulary often very modern. Note however - they are designed to be easily understandable by native speakers ! |
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CommentViolon.avi CommentViolon.srt CommentViolon.doc CommentViolon.mp3 |
Comment s'est fait - Violon The specialist vocabulary in this piece is difficult to grasp. The word lousse isn't even in Le Grand Robert. Anyone know it? |
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Raynaud-4.avi Raynaud-4.srt Raynaud-4.doc Raynaud-4.mp3 |
This shows exactly why comedy is the hardest listening exercise. We follow the boy reasonably well, but it's the father who has the punch lines! |
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FindingNeverland.avi FindingNeverland.srt FindingNeverland.doc FindingNeverland.mp3 |
I selected this clip as a dubbed British film with formal dialogue. But the vocabulary makes it difficult |
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FrancoisePanafieu.avi FrancoisePanafieu.srt FrancoisePanafieu.doc FrancoisePanafieu.mp3 |
This is a highly educated woman speaking very informally and under a certain stress. She actually speaks very clearly, but the speed and choice of language make it quite difficult |
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RDevosOuiDire.avi RDevosOuiDire.srt RDevosOuiDire.doc RDevosOuiDire.mp3 |
The verb Ouïr,says Devos, is very difficult to conjugate. This is a Level-3. It's what makes learning to listen to French so worthwhile |
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Sirima.avi Sirima.srt Sirima.doc Sirima.mp3 |
I don't think there is anything I can say about this |
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JC.avi JC.srt JC.doc JC.mp3 |
In fact, Jean Carmet is not at all typical of French stand-ups. His humour is what the Americans call 'dead-pan'. And it's beautifully conceived and written. With - if I am not mistaken - an imperfect subjunctive ? |
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Brigitte.avi Brigitte.srt Brigitte.doc Brigitte.mp3 |
This is evidently Level-3. As always, see what you can pick up without the subtitles, then enjoy with. Even with the text the double entendres may make you ponder a bit ! |
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ChagrinFiscal.avi ChagrinFiscal.srt ChagrinFiscal.doc ChagrinFiscal.mp3 |
Full of idiomatic expressions, this
sketch "Où l’amène-t-on, la France? |
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Ouvrard.avi Ouvrard.srt Ouvrard.doc Ouvrard.mp3 |
Although the speed of this patter
song makes it a Level 3, notice how clear is the diction of this music
hall entertainer ! |
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Experiences.avi Experiences.srt Experiences.doc Experiences.mp3 |
In between the scientific bits from the presenter, the conversations show well what we're trying to get the ear to pick up - the style of idiomatic French. Not easy. |
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Lafesse.avi Lafesse.srt Lafesse.doc Lafesse.mp3 |
Obviously, it's a Level-3. But once you've picked up what he's getting at, you laugh |
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Fantômas.avi Fantômas.srt Fantômas.doc Fantômas.mp3 |
This is a Level-3 because of the sound quality which is of its time. It's not too difficult, though. Keep the subtitles switched off at first! |
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RobinDesBois.avi RobinDesBois.srt RobinDesBois.doc RobinDesBois.mp3 |
I expected this to be a Level 2, perhaps less. In fact it makes quite a difficult listening exercise. The better the dubbing, the harder the film is to follow. This is very well done. |
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20HPACSadultere.avi 20HPACSadultere.srt 20HPACSadultere.doc 20HPACSadultere.mp3 |
When I prepare subtitles, I don't leave 'holes' as I do on the sonsenfrancais transcriptions. However, there are places in this extract where my ear fails. Look out for them, and see if you can correct my version ! |
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LasVegas.avi LasVegas.srt LasVegas.doc LasVegas.mp3 |
The dialogue is fast and supposed to be idiomatic. But in fact it's a sort of transatlantic French, nothing like as difficult as the real thing. Still a Level-3, though |
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TM091113.avi TM091113.srt TM091113.doc TM091113.mp3 |
What makes the first half difficult to follow is not just the speed, but also the incoherence of the presentation. Hang on in there, though. By contrast, the second half offers some challenges of vocabulary, like 'qui en fit et ses supports et ses suppôts' ! |
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LeBonheur.avi LeBonheur.srt LeBonheur.doc LeBonheur.mp3 |
I quote this because it gives us a chance to exercise our ears on the sort of muttered dialogue that passes for realism nowadays. It's a Level-3, but note that it's very easy to follow. We don't have trouble guessing what's going on, do we ? |
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20HUltragauche.avi 20HUltragauche.srt 20HUltragauche.doc 20HUltragauche.mp3 |
I think we'd better make this a Level-3 because of the commentary both in the street and the studio which is really quite challenging |
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AnneRoumanoff6.avi AnneRoumanoff6.srt AnneRoumanoff6.doc AnneRoumanoff6.mp3 |
Obviously this is a good Level-3. Like the great Coluche, Roumanoff's voice slurs, and she often adopts the voice of the France d'en-bas. Super listening practice. |
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ToulouseLautrec.avi ToulouseLautrec.srt ToulouseLautrec.doc ToulouseLautrec.mp3 |
The voice of the journalist is not only fast, but at times quite indistinct, and of course, the lady talking to camera in the film has the music to contend with. But this is exactly what the ear has to learn to decipher. |
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TF120H-Identite.avi TF120H-Identite.srt TF120H-Identite.doc TF120H-Identite.mp3 |
As well as posing a problem for the French, the question of identity/immigration is interesting for us. The voices in this piece - rather hard to follow - are also very much French voices |
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LeZèbre.avi LeZèbre.srt LeZèbre.doc LeZèbre.mp3 |
Lhermitte's voice is fast, but very clear. Getting used to this rapid delivery is an important step in listening to French. Level-3, obviously |
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ObjetScandale.avi ObjetScandale.srt ObjetScandale.doc ObjetScandale.mp3 |
Compare the French of the voice-over with the interview with Gainsbourg or the police sketch. The voice-over is pretty much like written French. The other is contextual, coded, the French of everyday life. Listen to it carefully, and see if you can correct the parts where my ear went wrong. |
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TF120HPiratage.avi TF120HPiratage.srt TF120HPiratage.doc TF120HPiratage.mp3 |
As so often with this type of piece there are some very difficult moments. I'm going to rank this Level-3. |
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TF120HFraude.avi TF120HFraude.srt TF120HFraude.doc TF120HFraude.mp3 |
The defrauded employer, the fraudster, even the security expert give us something to think about. Is it, perhaps the effect of stress on the voice ? I think this is actually Level-3 ! |
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MaculinFeminin.avi MaculinFeminin.srt MaculinFeminin.doc MaculinFeminin.mp3 |
Given that Magdane 'swallows' his words, speaks quickly... why is this reasonably comprehensible ? The quality of the sound recording perhaps ? It's still a Level-3, evidently |
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StarWars.avi StarWars.srt StarWars.doc StarWars.mp3 |
Interesting that as soon as
pronunciation deviates from Paris standard we're foxed. Where on earth did
these guys learn their French? And are they part of the Francophone
community ? |
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Sarko.avi Sarko.srt Sarko.doc Sarko.mp3 |
Nicolas Sarkozy - according to the satirists - speaks a very relaxed French. There were a few places where I had to guess what he was saying. It's pretty clear, but Level-3 |
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DavidCopperfield.avi DavidCopperfield.srt DavidCopperfield.doc DavidCopperfield.mp3 |
This is typical of the sort of passage that gives no difficulty when you listen to it 'live', because the ear just skips the hard bits. But when you make a transcription, it isn't enough to pick up the general idea of what Mrs Gummidge says, you have to try to unravel the speech. |
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TF120HGaspillage.avi TF120HGaspillage.srt TF120HGaspillage.doc TF120HGaspillage.mp3 |
When I started these pages I assumed that news items were going to be the Level-1 'norm'. In fact, although the voice overs are always very clear, it is the comments of the man in the street - in this case the down-and-out in the street which we want to pick up. And that is not at all easy |
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Apocalypse.avi Apocalypse.srt Apocalypse.doc Apocalypse.mp3 |
There is considerable linguistic interest in this piece. The presenter speaks very quickly, but very clearly. You often have to pick up the sense of what he says without necessarily catching every word. And the chilling series of prophecies make for some nice formal French |
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TF120HJeux.avi TF120HJeux.srt TF120HJeux.doc TF120HJeux.mp3 |
This is a Level-3, obviously. There were moments where I had to leave gaps, and no doubt there are places where I got it wrong. But look, it's exactly the sort of thing we're learning to follow ! |
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PeterPan.avi PeterPan.srt PeterPan.doc PeterPan.mp3 |
The voices of children are always the hardest to decipher, but these are very polite children ! I couldn't pick up the verb in the sixth line which I replaced by 'écrit'. Can you ? |
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TempsOtages.avi TempsOtages.srt TempsOtages.doc TempsOtages.mp3 |
Interesting on the linguistic level, this extract, because a couple of the people being interviewed speak very very indistinctly. This will exercise your ear at level-3 |
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20HClandestins.avi 20HClandestins.srt 20HClandestins.doc 20HClandestins.mp3 |
The gentleman who represents the PME is the perfect example of the Frenchman who 'swallows his words'. Let's give him a Level-3 |
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PriseDirecte.avi PriseDirecte.srt PriseDirecte.doc PriseDirecte.mp3 |
Andrés speech poses quite a little problem, doesn't it. We'll make it a Level-3 |
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JeuDeLaMort1.avi JeuDeLaMort1.srt JeuDeLaMort1.doc JeuDeLaMort1.mp3 |
The rule of gold is that when educated people get excited, their voices blur. Level-3 |
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LivreDePoche.avi LivreDePoche.srt LivreDePoche.doc LivreDePoche.mp3 |
Some pretty difficult voices, with the fuzzy sound quality of the epoque. I missed bits here and there. Level-3 |
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AnthonyKavanagh.avi AnthonyKavanagh.srt AnthonyKavanagh.doc AnthonyKavanagh.mp3 |
Compared to other comics, Kavanagh's diction is amazingly clear. However, his vocabulary is trendy, and of course he speaks fast. A level-3 |
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TF120HPesticides.avi TF120HPesticides.srt TF120HPesticides.doc TF120HPesticides.mp3 |
The voice-over one understands as one does words on the page - each word separate and distinct. Understanding what the farm-worker says is a matter of context, of cultural clues - and of guess-work |
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GrippeA.avi GrippeA.srt GrippeA.doc GrippeA.mp3 |
It's a good exercise, because this guy speaks very clearly, and very fast. After acquiring basic vocabulary, learning to follow fast clear speech is the next step |
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FemmesOmbre.avi FemmesOmbre.srt FemmesOmbre.doc FemmesOmbre.mp3 |
We have a nice range of voices here. These ladies speak quite clearly, but it is far from the French of the news announcer. We'll call it Level-3 I think |
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ObjetsGuerre.avi ObjetsGuerre.srt ObjetsGuerre.doc ObjetsGuerre.mp3 |
The expert is one of those who, his mind fixed on his historical speciality, has difficulty with the rules of syntax. We'll have to make it a Level-3 for that reason |
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AlexMétayer.avi AlexMétayer.srt AlexMétayer.doc AlexMétayer.mp3 |
What is remarkable is the clarity of Métayer's voice. It's a Level-3 of course, and the 'accident scene' is not easy to follow - but compared to Coluche .... |
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TF120HViolEcole.avi TF120HViolEcole.srt TF120HViolEcole.doc TF120HViolEcole.mp3 |
A wide variety of voices. As always, emotion breeds incoherence (and bad grammar).There is plenty of emotion here. Level-3 |
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FaitsDivers.avi FaitsDivers.srt FaitsDivers.doc FaitsDivers.mp3 |
The voices of Christopher, his mother and the huissier make this a Level-3 |
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Philosophie.avi Philosophie.srt Philosophie.doc Philosophie.mp3 |
The pedagogic point here, is that when the content of what is being said is abstruse, we have difficulty following the words. The brain has to interpret the sense, and it overloads. |
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TF120HHopital.avi TF120HHopital.srt TF120HHopital.doc TF120HHopital.mp3 |
Linguistically this is interesting. As always, emotion clouds the voice, and the voices here are variously guilty and indignant. Apart from the voice-over I'd say a Level-3 |
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Voyante.avi Voyante.srt Voyante.doc Voyante.mp3 |
I would not normally post this here - the voice of the clairvoyant puts it towards the top of the sonsenfrancais site. However, this fascinated me. The clairvoyant has to mutter mysteriously and unintelligibly, hasn't he ? It's all part of the act. |
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TF120HCybercriminels.avi TF120HCybercriminels.srt TF120HCybercriminels.doc TF120HCybercriminels.mp3 |
I think we'll make this a Level-3 because of the disguised voice of Harry the Hacker. Tests the ear, doesn't it ? |
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FaitesEntrerAppât.avi FaitesEntrerAppât.srt FaitesEntrerAppât.doc FaitesEntrerAppât.mp3 |
The background music in this extract, coupled with the speech of the first policeman and the witness, makes this a Level-3 piece, where we have to infer what is being said rather than distinguishing each word separately |
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RestosDuCoeur.avi RestosDuCoeur.srt RestosDuCoeur.doc RestosDuCoeur.mp3 |
At a certain level of difficulty we have to infer what is being said, rather than picking up each word distinctly. We pick up the general sense, and then fill in the detail. Don't take my text as gospel ! |
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TempsColonies.avi TempsColonies.srt TempsColonies.doc TempsColonies.mp3 |
It's a level-3 in many places. See if you can tell where I've gone wrong - and try to do better ! Email me the results. |
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FrançaisLibres.avi FrançaisLibres.srt FrançaisLibres.doc FrançaisLibres.mp3 |
The voices of old people, and the voices of children are always a challenge |
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E=M6Fraicheur.avi E=M6Fraicheur.srt E=M6Fraicheur.doc E=M6Fraicheur.mp3 |
The voice-over isn't so difficult, although irritating. The technical expert though - !! Level-3 |
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QuestionMaison.avi QuestionMaison.srt QuestionMaison.doc QuestionMaison.mp3 |
It's pretty comprehensible until the man starts sticking it on the wall in the last two minutes. Level-3 from there on... |
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TF120HMémoire.avi TF120HMémoire.srt TF120HMémoire.doc TF120HMémoire.mp3 |
Of all the clips on this site, this one perhaps best
demonstrates that understanding what we hear is largely the effect of
interpretation by the brain of linguistic and cultural cues Take, for instance the doctor who speaks of la panne de mémoire. In fact what I hear is la plan... Level-3, but this is - as always - what we're are aiming to master |
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20HProstitution.avi 20HProstitution.srt 20HProstitution.doc 20HProstitution.mp3 |
This is a Level-3. The voices of the ladies are by no means as difficult to follow as they might be - given the nature of the piece. But it's a good work-out for the ear |
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VousVoir.avi VousVoir.srt VousVoir.doc VousVoir.mp3 |
The different voices are fascinating. Folliot has the burr of the South. The army personnel speak - like army personnel. Not easy, but exactly the sort of thing we want to learn to follow. |
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DianePoitiers.avi DianePoitiers.srt DianePoitiers.doc DianePoitiers.mpg |
Note the enormous difference between the voice-over and the other voices. Why are they so difficult ? It's a Level-3 |
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GrosMots.avi GrosMots.srt GrosMots.doc GrosMots.mp3 |
I will content myself here by repeating the warning. Very, very bad language. Do not download if that offends you |