NEXT MEETING

NEXT MEETING
No meeting until September


lundi 10 février 2014

Chez Danielle, february 6th


Hi there all !
A bit of revision won't hurt ....
*************************************************** Sunday was " la fête de la Chandeleur ", a Holy Day in "l'hiver se meurt ou prend vigueur"
like the Ground Hog (marmotte) :
if it is sunny she comes out, winter stop   .... if it is cloudy she return back for several weeks


Ground Hog on the snow




-- What theme do you want to do ?

- Laurence says she is perhaps going to write a book, her memories ....
  Memory
Archives   ph  K , architect, psychology, Achille  ... but  ph tch... , child, church ...

about Achille : le talon   Achille heel ph son long, hill son bref

about fit et suit : it fits you well (il vous va bien .... for size)
                          it suits you  ( il vous va bien  ... for look)

- Ruth was in Rouen for a Lecture = conférence.
  but conference is un colloque in English


- Exclamations 


    What   + a  devant un dénombrable au singulier : What a man !
                   devant des expressions exclamatives : What a mess !, what a shame (désordre, honte)

               sans a ..................................au pluriel : What teachers !

   Such   + a (same rule)  Such a good child   
   Quite  + a       -              Quite a big room    une bien assez grande pièce


-- following what theme ....

- Danielle ask for the small talk with her tourists   ... Hello ! Can I help you ?

 .. Have a good journey   ?                                Avez vous fait bon voyage 
 .. Do you want a drink    ?                              Désirez vous une boisson
 ...Is the bed comfortable   ?                             Avez vous trouvé le lit confortable
... Have you everything you need   ?                 Avez vous besoin de quelque chose
... Are you settled in ? Comfortably?               Etes vous bien installés
... What are you planning to visit ?                  Qu'avez vous prévu de visiter
... Do you want a flyer?                      un document pub but ... a frequent flyer is un grand voyageur


 -- Vocabulary     

  - If you have the flu you need a handkerchief        un mouchoir (foulard/main)
  - le pluriel est en s, par contre attention aux finales en f qui deviennent ves :
          wife       wives     femme
          thief      thieves   voleur
          elf         elves      fée
          roof      rooves    toit
 - rappel de la prononciation du I qui sf exceptions se dit AIE !!!!!!
         life, knife, ride, collide ....

-- Prépositions   suite ...

15. Poor fellow. He collided WITH a train on his way FROM work
16. Her beautiful voice  compensates FOR her hideous face and lack OF intelligence
17. We compliment you ON your good taste IN literature
18. I must congratulate him FOR his success ON the examination
19. He has not contributed much TO the solutions TO our difficulties
20. Can I depend ON you not to be angry WITH me FOR being late
21. He tried to hinder me FROM going out, but IN spite OF all his efforts, he could not prevent me               FROM doing so.

Good Bye Everyone 


the train starts tomorrow to two to two too ..... 


  and thank you for the Jelly Roll cake succulent !




NB : And don't forget Jelly Roll Morton, un géant du jazz ..





dimanche 12 janvier 2014

9 janvier 2014 - Les Rois chez Marcelle et Maurice




News : New Year's resolution:
            or  I resolve to ...
                     I promise
                     I vow (pr. VAO)

Marcelle promise to practice piano
Roselyne resolves to really learn English
Francine wants to be on time, better organized (poorly ...well...better...best)
Maurice doesn't change nothing at all !
Max would drink less wine the evening
Laurence less Champaign
Ruth wishes successful for her library
Michel dreams of become mayor ...

Formules de fin de lettre

signing a letter
best, all my best
best wishes
regards, best regards
sincerely yours
love (seul, mais jamais wishes seul)

lots of love, much love, all my love  ....  ! à réserver à son amoureux-se

Usage des prépositions :

TO - AT -   à -rattachement, avec notion de direction pour AT
IN - INTO - dans, avec mouvement pour into

OF -  de
FROM - de, avec notion de séparation, éloignement

ON - sur

WITH - avec

BY- par     

FOR - pour

1. Concentrate ON doing a little work FOR a change
2. The success OR our venture depends ON our skill
3. It is cruel to separate children FROM their parents
4. What has happened TO this poor man
5. I'm not interested IN modern art AT all
6. The soldier poured the beer FROM the jug INTO the glass.
7. Don't worry. I will protect you FROM harm
8. He is terribly absorbed IN his work ON bacteria
9. Abstain FROM alcohol. It i dangerous FOR you IN your condition
10. He assured me OF his full consideration IN the business ( but WITH his homework)
11. Our newspaper aims AT having a million readers BY next year (si date butoir sinon in)
12. We are not arrived AT any decision ON the matter IN question
13. The books are ON loan* TO us FROM a private library
14. She averted her face FROM the sight OF his suffering
15. Poor fellow; he collided WITH a train ON his way FROM home

* loan prêter, but books are lent by the library, borrow emprunter
( à suivre ...)

Quick, go and get the doctor :

After the festive seasons .... You 'll have perhaps :
 - a sore throat gorge sensible, irritée
 - a headache mal de tête
 - a backache mal de dos       " ache"évoque le mal persistant


Twelfth-Night pancake ; galette des Rois






Max is the King 














lundi 16 décembre 2013

Carols

Thursday, december the 12th, 
Francine and Michel's

-- Intro                         All work and no play make Jack a dull boy

                                            Too much hard work and not enough leisure time can be unhealthy.                                 

Carols ------- Christmas Songs


-- Vocabulary

heaven         paradis   good heavens ! mon Dieu !
echoing       raisonner, faire écho
strain           (old) chant, musique    and also tension, stress
troll             (old) chant
yule tide      (old) Noël
carol            chant de Noël
holy             saint                             but holly houx
don              vêtir
apparel        tenue
hark             attention! écouter  (terme de chasse hunting)
sinner          pécheur .... seven holy sins
joyous         joyeux, syn joyful

and more ....
predictable  prévisible and unpredictable ...
jazzed up     arrangé façon jazz

and more again ...
emploi de "for" après certains verbes:
ask for sth, look for a dress, wait for the bus, pay for a drink ...
Danielle wishes for champagne so we wish her a very Happy Christmas

-- Finally we celebrate the end of these private lessons and thank         Ruth with a gift, an I.Pad.


"I'm very touched" said Ruth, overwhelmed !
                                 to overwhelm : émouvoir, bouleverser




dimanche 8 décembre 2013

Clever Scribes

 
 
The scribes’ invention to distinguish U and V in manuscripts : replace u  with o

 The vowel in these words is pronounced like the <u> in butter, fun, summer…

 
 
above
among
another
brother
colour
come
comfort(able)
company
cover
does
done
dove
dozen
front
glove
govern(ment)
honey
London
love
Monday
money
monk
monkey
month
mother
nothing
once
one
onion
other
oven
shove
shovel
smother
some
son
sponge
stomach
ton
tongue
won
wonder(ful)
 
 
 

 

samedi 7 décembre 2013

Thursday, 28th Nov, Ruth's
Thanksgiving day

News
Danielle was at a meeting of a Bed & Breakfast owners. She hoped champagne but not this evening !
Michel is in Paris with Francine in Education to be retired. Good luck.

Thanksgiving Day
 First celebration in 1621.  Thanksgiving Day (Jour de l'Action de grâce in Canadian French) is a national holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. Several other places around the world observe similar celebrations. It is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States and on the second Monday of October in Canada. Thanksgiving has its historical roots in religious and cultural traditions, and has long been celebrated in a secular manner as well.

Menu  Turkey is recommended or goose or duck, stuffy(farcie, étouffante)
Many other foods are typically served alongside the main dish(side dishes=accompagnt)
 - gravy (sauce au jus de viande), cranberry sauce, winter squash, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, nuts, bread 
Dessert : pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie ...
Beverages : apple cider (still or sparkling)... gazeux, wine (Beaujolais nouveau) sometimes.

Songs : Over the river and through the woods (cf your paper)
Invitation : opening table, persons alone are invited



Traditional Thanksgiving dinner

Recipe of the pumpkin pie














1 cup strained, cooked pumpkin (citrouille)
1 egg and 1 yolk (jaune)
3/4 cup scalded milk (ébouillanté)
1/2 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground spices ( cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg) (cannelle, girofle, muscade)

Line pie pan with pastry.
combine eggs, sugar, salt and spices. Gradually stir in milk and cream, then pumpkin.
Pour (verser) three quarters of the mixture into the pie shell, place it on the oven rack, then add the rest.
Bake in hot oven (220° C) for ten minutes, reduce heat to 175° and bake for thirty minutes longer, or until a knife comes out clean.(jusque un couteau ressorte propre)



Winter Squash
At this stage, most varieties of this fruit can be stored for use during the winter


This first year of English conversation is going to finish. 
We will say a very very very big thank you to RUTH 
at the end of the next lesson






lundi 25 novembre 2013

Thursday's theme


 How much do you know about this important American holiday?
We'll discuss it on Thursday, 28th November, as all Americans sit down for their big dinner.
See you at 5:45 P.M., 4 rue de la Gare (Ruth and Max)

vendredi 8 novembre 2013

Country or City life ?

Laurence, November the 7th

News

Laurence is visited by the postman for the New Year calendars.
She chooses dogs pictures, pet animals also named Puppy. 
So we speak about diminutives of a few words :

Baby, Kitty, Pretty, Merry (christmas),  
Merry, Happy, ... drunk




Theme :  Pro's and Con's of 
                                 
                              Country     vs      City life

pro
calm, quiet                                              shopping, restaurants, pubs 
a lot of vegetation, plants, flowers         markets, culture, movies
woods, spaces, walking                           public transportation          friendly animals, cattle                          many schools, hospitals
goodneighbours
door to door merchants

*********
con                                                          
long distances of anything               air pollution, crowd foule   
no movy, no high school ...              noisy, smelly(sentir mauvais)
wasps & flies                                    speedy (everyone in a hurry)
gossip ragots                                    indifference, anonymous
                                                         small flats (apparts petits)
                                                         lack of space, too many cars    


Vocabulary    

household appliances       boutique app ménagers 
night hawk                        oiseau de nuit
car pool                             co-voiturage
swimming pool                piscine
take turns                         faire à tour de role
age well                           bien vieillir

Phonétique

wind     prononcer comme ds ail , like, wine
wind, pepper, water, flour mill  (moulins à ...) but we say ...
grind the coffee, maïs
find
kind  sorte et aussi gentil

Accent              about ity in finale

= accentuer sur la syllabe qui précède le ity
ano'nymity, but we say anonymous
aud'acity, sim'plicity, ca'pacity

Tea Time

cider and delicious cakes cooked by Laurence
authentic, genuine recipe and BONA FIDE.


The Riddle













What kind of dog is this puppy ?