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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 !
ANousRepublique.avi
ANousRepublique.srt
ANousRepublique.doc
ANousRepublique.mp3
Listen carefully to the bit where he says that handicapped people - presumably blind - should be able to right-click on an image to hear an audio account of what the image shows !
Amadeus.avi
Amadeus.srt
Amadeus.doc
Amadeusmp3
This is very representative of what I'm trying to offer as Level 2 clips. It's reasonably clear, but it doesn't give you every word separately as happens with documentary voiceovers. The brain has to fill in the gaps
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 !
 

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.

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' !

Zygel.avi
Zygel.srt
Zygel.doc
Zygel.mp3
Anglophones tend to describe the French voice as 'nasal'. Not true, it has the mellow resonance of a cello. Listen to Jean-François Zygel !
PierreBachelet.avi
PierreBachelet.srt
PierreBachelet.doc
PierreBachelet.mp3
I don't normally include songs because you can always get the words off the Internet, and they are not very good transcription exercises. So this is just for the pleasure of the songs...
MuseeToulouse.avi
MuseeToulouse.srt
MuseeToulouse.doc
MuseeToulouse.mp3
Laurence Piquet's diction is perfect. If you have a tendency to 'roll' the French 'r' as if you were permanently in a chanson by Piaf, listen to this lady
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
Art.avi
Art.srt
Art.doc
Art.mp3
As is often the case with surrealist theatre - Ionesco is the great example - the dialogue Level-1. But when the voices speed up ... the we have to work a little.
8Journalistes.avi
8Journalistes.srt
8Journalistes.doc
8Journalistes.mp3
You should have no difficulty following this Level-1 extract. I include it because we don't often have examples from television of this well-written formal French
Churchill.avi
Churchill.srt
Churchill.doc
Churchill.mp3
Discussions are very good sources of 'incoherent language', of false starts, repetitions; and also, rapid speech, people speakin g one on top of another. But this one isn't too bad. A Level-2
Barnaby.avi
Barnaby.srt
Barnaby.doc
Barnaby.mp3
The dialogue is always very clear, but the fast-paced action lends a little difficulty, making it a Level-2
FE-GuyGeorge.avi
FE-GuyGeorge.srt
FE-GuyGeorge.doc
FE-GuyGeorge.mp3
A wide range of voices, but the extract is clear enough. Christophe Hondelatte's voice is rapid. It's a solid Level-2 extract
JeuDeLaMort1.avi
JeuDeLaMort1.srt
JeuDeLaMort1.doc
JeuDeLaMort1.mp3
The rule of gold is that when educated people get excited, their voices blur. Level-3
ArmeeAir.avi
ArmeeAir.srt
ArmeeAir.doc
ArmeeAir.mp3
One of the reasons for the lasting success of Michel Drucker is that recognisable voice which can be crystal clear from the cockpit of a Mirage, or familiar when interviewing people - and much less easy to follow
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
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.
UnSoirZygel.avi
UnSoirZygel.srt
UnSoirZygel.doc
UnSoirZygel.mp3
This is a Level-1 in terms of listening. But turn the subtitles off the first time through and just listen to the quality of his voice. The orchestra's not bad either...
AD_Dentiste.avi
AD_Dentiste.srt
AD_Dentiste.doc
AD_Dentiste.mp3
The patient, Isabelle, has exactly the sort of voice that we are training our ear to follow. I couldn't pick up her very last comment precisely. Can you ?
Mentaliste.avi
Mentaliste.srt
Mentaliste.doc
Mentaliste.mp3
A moderate Level-2, because entertainers of this type take care to make sure that they are understood.
FemmePolicière.avi
FemmePolicière.srt
FemmePolicière.doc
FemmePolicière.mp3
 Although the (horrified) interest here is the story, it also makes a good listening exercise
Antigone.avi
Antigone.srt
Antigone.doc
Antigone.mp3
A Level-1, and you know what I always say... It's a good idea to have the subtitles switched off by default on your video software
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
Appel18juin.avi
Appel18juin.srt
Appel18juin.doc
Appel18juin.mp3
It's a level-1, but there is a range of voices in this short piece
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...
DH_Guerre.avi
DH_Guerre.srt
DH_Guerre.doc
DH_Guerre.mp3
I chose this as a Level-1 piece - so that I could say as always - Switch the subtitles off first time !
ES_AloeVera.avi
ES_AloeVera.srt
ES_AloeVera.doc
ES_AloeVera.mp3
Most of this is very much Level-1. Until perhaps the couple at the end who farm the plant.
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.
Tosca.avi
Tosca.srt
Tosca.doc
Tosca.mp3
A range of voices here, but quite clear and a modest Level-2

 

SousSoleil.avi
SousSoleil.srt
SousSoleil.doc
SousSoleil.mp3
It took me a while to make this transcription - not so much catching the words, but looking up the special name references on the Internet. Names are a real problem.
Zygel.avi
Zygel.srt
Zygel.doc
Zygel.mp3
The informal nature of this clip means that while most of the words are clear, occasionally they dip below the threshold of comprehension
CommentPringles.avi
CommentPringles.srt
CommentPringles.doc
CommentPringles.mp3
This is a Level-1. However, listen to the line that starts Qu'on les appelle. What is that at the end ? I couldn't pick it up. Can you ?

 

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