Below is an email conversation with my French tutor. Her email is the first one, of course, she is responding to what I sent her (which is the second one--with all the corrections). What can I say, but "Ben, un jour je poudrais ecrive le francais." (I think that is right, I don't know. I should probably include it in my next email to her.)
Hello!
I'm soo sorry to hear that you're not good, but don't worry, your normal classes and your home come first! French tutoring should not be a burden for you so if you feel too busy, stressed or tired don't worry... you'll just do the excercise later, even if it's a week after!Your French is not bad at all (I corrected some things, but it's still good :) ).
For now I'll just say try to rest !!! and Good luck for tomorrow, I'm sure everything will go well :)
Good night !
I feel like i should label this email with a warning, such as:
CAUTION: You are about to read horrible French--please forgive me for I know not what I write!
Bonjour!
Ça va pas mal [you would say "ça va mal" or "ça ne va pas" and if you want to insist on the fact that it's you, you should say "je vais mal" or "je ne vais pas bien"] (is it avec moi? to say that it doesn't go well with me. or do I say pour moi--to say for me?) Je suis très occupée parce que mon emploi du temps c'est [no need for "c'" you should say mon emploi du temps est très chargé] très chargé. Demain je passer [je passes] un examen dans mon cour [de] descriptive linguistics. C’est très difficile ! Mais, je ne veux pas étudier plus. [it's ok!] (I’m trying to say that I don’t want to study anymore.) Je suis très fatiguée maintenant. Je fais [you should use past tense, and you would say then "j'ai fais" ] le ménage aujourd’hui, parce que je suis le esclave/slave/esclava [ une esclave] dans ma maison et j’etudie aujourd’hui, aussi. Je veux faire mes devoirs du [de] Français demain après mon cours.
Au revior !
Monday, September 28, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
what i've learned/what i know
several years ago, i would post these entries throughout my semester. i want to start writing them again. i think they give me a good pulse on how my semester is going. they also help me count my long weeks down. so here we go:
what i've learned:
school started on august 31, and tomorrow will be september 21--i guess that is about three weeks? (i really don't feel like doing the math :)
Grammar:
it turns out i really like the professor, dr. heckler. although he seems like a very serious man, he has these little quirks and sayings that make him very affable. so far i've done o.k. in the class. i do remember, however, a homework assignment that appears to be bleeding profusely. my only saving grace is that homework is only corrected, but not graded--thank you Lord! another very interesting tidbit I've learned is the origin of the word grammar. according to the professor it comes from the greek word "gramma" which means something in writing. and then the french word grammaire which was a combination of occult and learning. the occult learning, of course, was done when the church prevented the people from learning how to read or write. therefore, it was done in secret. he had another comment on the word spell--which could mean putting words together with the alphabet or as in magic, a magic spell. i don't know about you, but i find that kind of nerdy stuff very interesting!
Hemingway:
we have mostly gone through his short stories and should be starting The Sun Also Rises tomorrow. my biggest connection or apparent thought process is whether or not Hemingway meant to correlate the still born baby at the end of A Farewell to Arms to the fake peace agreements after World War I. when i worked on a mid-term for my history class last semester, i came across that theme. it was by a guy named Edmond Taylor in his book, The Fall of the Dynasties, written in 1963. this is what he thought WWI was about and its consequences, "...the story of the decline and fall and rebirth of despotism, of blind leaders and deluded masses of old wrongs perpetuated and of new ones imposed, of revolution leading to war and war leading to revolutions, of peace still-born, of hopes once more aroused and again betrayed, of vast regressions, of one small, halting step forward" (397). i don't know, haven't studied enough to know if Hemingway was making that same connection, but i think it a nice coincidence (even if it exist only in my brain).
Dev. of Am. Novel:
seriously, i have no opinion to give. or rather, i will keep it to myself for now. suffice it to say, i want my money back!!!!
Descriptive Linguistics:
this is proving to be a hard class. is it ox/en or oxen. how many morphemes? is it human/itari/an? discreteness? arbitrariness? mode of communication? morphology? phonology? i must say, it is all GREEKOLOGY to me! i will find out tomorrow (probably) when the professor returns the quiz.
Survery of Literary Theory:
this week we read "The Yellow Wallpaper" and "Ode on a Grecian Urn." i so wished that i had paid a little more attention to the presentation on the yellow wallpaper given by some students when i was in mrs. sample's class. i must admit that i had never read the story in its entirety. apparently the woman is suffering from post-partum depression. but, it is my impression that she had suffered all of her life with mental illness; which is what i wrote because i think the professor wanted to hear our thoughts--no matter how crazy (no pun intended, of course) they were. as far as Keats poem, my pitiful attempt at interpreting the last sentence, "Beauty is truth, truth beauty,"--that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know" is that the beauty of the grecian urn is the only thing (perhaps not the only thing, but an important thing) that has remained from that ancient civilization. that is my story, and i guess i can stick to it, until someone tells me why i'm wrong.
what i know:
i know that my body is breaking down. i have awful pains in my legs. and i'm trying to get back into jogging with little success.
my one bright and shining spot in the whole week was the one hour i spent with my french tutor. je suis tres heurese. i am very happy. the bible instructs us not to despise the day of small beginnings. friday was such a day of small beginnings for me. my hope and dream is to learn french. c'est mon reve.
a bientot!
what i've learned:
school started on august 31, and tomorrow will be september 21--i guess that is about three weeks? (i really don't feel like doing the math :)
Grammar:
it turns out i really like the professor, dr. heckler. although he seems like a very serious man, he has these little quirks and sayings that make him very affable. so far i've done o.k. in the class. i do remember, however, a homework assignment that appears to be bleeding profusely. my only saving grace is that homework is only corrected, but not graded--thank you Lord! another very interesting tidbit I've learned is the origin of the word grammar. according to the professor it comes from the greek word "gramma" which means something in writing. and then the french word grammaire which was a combination of occult and learning. the occult learning, of course, was done when the church prevented the people from learning how to read or write. therefore, it was done in secret. he had another comment on the word spell--which could mean putting words together with the alphabet or as in magic, a magic spell. i don't know about you, but i find that kind of nerdy stuff very interesting!
Hemingway:
we have mostly gone through his short stories and should be starting The Sun Also Rises tomorrow. my biggest connection or apparent thought process is whether or not Hemingway meant to correlate the still born baby at the end of A Farewell to Arms to the fake peace agreements after World War I. when i worked on a mid-term for my history class last semester, i came across that theme. it was by a guy named Edmond Taylor in his book, The Fall of the Dynasties, written in 1963. this is what he thought WWI was about and its consequences, "...the story of the decline and fall and rebirth of despotism, of blind leaders and deluded masses of old wrongs perpetuated and of new ones imposed, of revolution leading to war and war leading to revolutions, of peace still-born, of hopes once more aroused and again betrayed, of vast regressions, of one small, halting step forward" (397). i don't know, haven't studied enough to know if Hemingway was making that same connection, but i think it a nice coincidence (even if it exist only in my brain).
Dev. of Am. Novel:
seriously, i have no opinion to give. or rather, i will keep it to myself for now. suffice it to say, i want my money back!!!!
Descriptive Linguistics:
this is proving to be a hard class. is it ox/en or oxen. how many morphemes? is it human/itari/an? discreteness? arbitrariness? mode of communication? morphology? phonology? i must say, it is all GREEKOLOGY to me! i will find out tomorrow (probably) when the professor returns the quiz.
Survery of Literary Theory:
this week we read "The Yellow Wallpaper" and "Ode on a Grecian Urn." i so wished that i had paid a little more attention to the presentation on the yellow wallpaper given by some students when i was in mrs. sample's class. i must admit that i had never read the story in its entirety. apparently the woman is suffering from post-partum depression. but, it is my impression that she had suffered all of her life with mental illness; which is what i wrote because i think the professor wanted to hear our thoughts--no matter how crazy (no pun intended, of course) they were. as far as Keats poem, my pitiful attempt at interpreting the last sentence, "Beauty is truth, truth beauty,"--that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know" is that the beauty of the grecian urn is the only thing (perhaps not the only thing, but an important thing) that has remained from that ancient civilization. that is my story, and i guess i can stick to it, until someone tells me why i'm wrong.
what i know:
i know that my body is breaking down. i have awful pains in my legs. and i'm trying to get back into jogging with little success.
my one bright and shining spot in the whole week was the one hour i spent with my french tutor. je suis tres heurese. i am very happy. the bible instructs us not to despise the day of small beginnings. friday was such a day of small beginnings for me. my hope and dream is to learn french. c'est mon reve.
a bientot!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
senior citizen
my senior year at the university of texas-pan american began this week. oh my goodness! i am terrified. i don't know what i will do, or if i will graduate in may. not only do all the stars have to line-up, but so do all the classes that i need to fulfill my double major requirements. i am taking five (yes, 5) english classes. i don't think i was thinking clearly when i signed up for them. but maybe if i try to explain it to myself, it will make sense to me.
why i'm taking the 5 english classes i signed up for this semester
first of all, i'm taking English Grammar.
i don't think i need to do a lot of explaining--i need help! the class and professor seem very interesting. he has little quirks that i am teaching my brain to ignore--such as a sort of bouncing up on his toes when he speaks.
my second class is Hemingway.
i am taking this class with a professor i had last semester. he is an awesome professor and it was really an easy choice.
my third class is Development of the American Novel. i signed up for this class because i am hoping that by reading the historical novels of american history it will sort of fill out my history major. we will be reading novels such as The Last of the Mohican's, Red Badge of Courage, The Grapes of Wrath, etc.
my fourth class is Descriptive Linguistics. this class is a required course for english majors--so i really didn't have a choice. the class is surprisingly very interesting! i have learned amazing things (like why my daughters are still not speaking spanish), in the first two days of class.
my fifth class is Survey of Literary Theory. again, this is a required course for english majors. i really don't have an opinion of the class because we have been going over the rules and procedures and how to use blackboard. it actually sounds a little bit scary! ideas that are above my IQ.
there it is in a nutshell--no history classes. i told my husband that i feel like i am eating my vegetables this semester (except for the hemingway class), and i will have my dessert next semester when i can take my history classes.
why i'm taking the 5 english classes i signed up for this semester
first of all, i'm taking English Grammar.
i don't think i need to do a lot of explaining--i need help! the class and professor seem very interesting. he has little quirks that i am teaching my brain to ignore--such as a sort of bouncing up on his toes when he speaks.
my second class is Hemingway.
i am taking this class with a professor i had last semester. he is an awesome professor and it was really an easy choice.
my third class is Development of the American Novel. i signed up for this class because i am hoping that by reading the historical novels of american history it will sort of fill out my history major. we will be reading novels such as The Last of the Mohican's, Red Badge of Courage, The Grapes of Wrath, etc.
my fourth class is Descriptive Linguistics. this class is a required course for english majors--so i really didn't have a choice. the class is surprisingly very interesting! i have learned amazing things (like why my daughters are still not speaking spanish), in the first two days of class.
my fifth class is Survey of Literary Theory. again, this is a required course for english majors. i really don't have an opinion of the class because we have been going over the rules and procedures and how to use blackboard. it actually sounds a little bit scary! ideas that are above my IQ.
there it is in a nutshell--no history classes. i told my husband that i feel like i am eating my vegetables this semester (except for the hemingway class), and i will have my dessert next semester when i can take my history classes.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Dub-ya
i received my first W on my transcript during the second summer session. i had never before dropped or withdrawn from a class. ashamedly so, i feel like a loser and a quitter. i feel like i quit on something and up until then i had not been a quitter. struggle as i might have, i had never quit! due to unavoidable issues (that i don't want to go into right now), i could not see myself successfully negotiating the course.
oh well, c'est la vie!
other than that small snag, i have been fine. my next semester starts on monday, and i really don't want to think about it. i am going to be swamped with fifteen hours.
i guess we will see...
oh well, c'est la vie!
other than that small snag, i have been fine. my next semester starts on monday, and i really don't want to think about it. i am going to be swamped with fifteen hours.
i guess we will see...
Friday, May 15, 2009
what i learned in french class
Chere Amie,
Comment-vas tu? Est-ce que tu vas bien? Je m'appelle Patricia. Je suis etudiante a l'universite "University of Texas-Pan American." J'ai 36 ans et j'ai deux filles. Mes filles sont tres sociables. Mon mari est tres agreable, aussi. Je voudrais parler francais parce que j'aime le francais! Je veux voyager en France un jour. Un jour je veux etre professeur de litterature ou histoire americain en France. J'etudie l'histoire americain, la litterature, et le francais ce semestre. J'aime beaucoup l'historie, aussi.
Voici mon emploi du temps. Le lundi, le mecredi, et le vendredi je vais a l'universite. A neuf heures moins le quart, je vais a mon cours d' historiography. Le professeur c'est Dr. Faubion. Apres mon cours d'historiography, je vais a mon cours du Francais. Mon professeur c'est Madame Fara. Ensuite, je vais a mon cours de l'litterature a onze heures moins le quart. Mon professeur c'est Dr. Laprade. Apres mon cours de l'litterature, je vais manger. J'ai une heure et demie pour manger. Ensuite je vais a mon derniere cours de l'histoire avec mes professeurs Dr. Weaver et Dr. Faubion. Apres tous mes cours, je suis tres fatiguee!
qu'est que vous pensez?
voici une photo de ma famille:
Comment-vas tu? Est-ce que tu vas bien? Je m'appelle Patricia. Je suis etudiante a l'universite "University of Texas-Pan American." J'ai 36 ans et j'ai deux filles. Mes filles sont tres sociables. Mon mari est tres agreable, aussi. Je voudrais parler francais parce que j'aime le francais! Je veux voyager en France un jour. Un jour je veux etre professeur de litterature ou histoire americain en France. J'etudie l'histoire americain, la litterature, et le francais ce semestre. J'aime beaucoup l'historie, aussi.
Voici mon emploi du temps. Le lundi, le mecredi, et le vendredi je vais a l'universite. A neuf heures moins le quart, je vais a mon cours d' historiography. Le professeur c'est Dr. Faubion. Apres mon cours d'historiography, je vais a mon cours du Francais. Mon professeur c'est Madame Fara. Ensuite, je vais a mon cours de l'litterature a onze heures moins le quart. Mon professeur c'est Dr. Laprade. Apres mon cours de l'litterature, je vais manger. J'ai une heure et demie pour manger. Ensuite je vais a mon derniere cours de l'histoire avec mes professeurs Dr. Weaver et Dr. Faubion. Apres tous mes cours, je suis tres fatiguee!
qu'est que vous pensez?
voici une photo de ma famille:
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
almost dead..umm... i mean done
i am in the final lap of this miserable semester. i took my final in historiography today, and i feel incredibly stupid! can you imagine missing the same question THREE TIMES??? yes, that is exactly what i did. mind you, i studied yesterday. i have this grayish mass in between my two ears that kept telling me the wrong answer. for some inexplicable reason, i kept using this word association thing that didn't give me the right answer. Braudel was a proponent of macrohistory. but, much to my desperate chagrin, i kept wanting to say that braudel=broad which meant microhistory. seriously, i think that if i took the test again tomorrow, i WOULD STILL GET IT WRONG!!!
on another note, i dropped a maymester course that i had foolishly signed up for. what was i thinking that i could get my girls to school by 7:20 a.m. every day for three weeks. it was a fail proof way to disaster. plus, once i remembered all of the end of the school year assemblies and celebrations, i figured i would have to miss most of them. i really didn't want to miss these special days that will never return.
so, then, i have to ask myself, "who cares if i'm 50 years old and decrepit by the time i get a bachelor's degree?"
on another note, i dropped a maymester course that i had foolishly signed up for. what was i thinking that i could get my girls to school by 7:20 a.m. every day for three weeks. it was a fail proof way to disaster. plus, once i remembered all of the end of the school year assemblies and celebrations, i figured i would have to miss most of them. i really didn't want to miss these special days that will never return.
so, then, i have to ask myself, "who cares if i'm 50 years old and decrepit by the time i get a bachelor's degree?"
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
until a research paper do us part...
my quasi love affair with writing is on the rocks. i am trying to finish up my research paper, and i have writer's block. it is actually painful to write. what's ironic about this whole thing is that i can write forever. i like to write. and to add to the stupidity of all of this, I'VE DONE MY RESEARCH!! yes, that's right, i've gone through at least 15-20 sources, some primary and some secondary. i have the material that i need, but i can't write.
i'll tell you what is at the root of the matter. i was told that i needed to type 20-30 pages. anytime i am given a NUMBER OF PAGES, i freeze! i can't think of anything, but the NUMBER!! the last time i had a paper due for this history class, 8 was the magic number and i completely froze on that, too!
to add to how crazy and pathetic this is, i remember writing excessively in my other history classes i took at del mar. they were darn near dissertations or at the very least a thesis. the professor would ask for 14 lines in a response or writing assignments and i would write paragraphs upon paragraphs until i had several pages.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME????
does anyone out there have the same thing happen?
by the way, the paper is due tomorrow. i, my dear reader, will turn it in late on thursday. i just can't do it. i have 12 pages (i know because every time i write a sentence i scroll down to the end of my document to see how much more i have to go!!)
i'll tell you what is at the root of the matter. i was told that i needed to type 20-30 pages. anytime i am given a NUMBER OF PAGES, i freeze! i can't think of anything, but the NUMBER!! the last time i had a paper due for this history class, 8 was the magic number and i completely froze on that, too!
to add to how crazy and pathetic this is, i remember writing excessively in my other history classes i took at del mar. they were darn near dissertations or at the very least a thesis. the professor would ask for 14 lines in a response or writing assignments and i would write paragraphs upon paragraphs until i had several pages.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME????
does anyone out there have the same thing happen?
by the way, the paper is due tomorrow. i, my dear reader, will turn it in late on thursday. i just can't do it. i have 12 pages (i know because every time i write a sentence i scroll down to the end of my document to see how much more i have to go!!)
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