Brigitte's English Corner: Recent Episodes
Brigitte F
A meaningful poem by Pablo Neruda that makes us think about the meaning of our lives.
You start dying slowly
if you do not travel,
if you do not read,
If you do not listen to the sounds of life,
If you do not appreciate yourself.
You start dying slowly
When you kill your self-esteem;
When you do not let others help you.
You start dying slowly
If you become a slave of your habits,
Walking everyday on the same paths…
If you do not change your routine,
If you do not wear different colours
Or you do not speak to those you don’t know.
You start dying slowly
If you avoid to feel passion
And their turbulent emotions;
Those which make your eyes glisten
And your heart beat fast.
You start dying slowly
If you do not change your life when you are not satisfied with your job, or with your love,
If you do not risk what is safe for the uncertain,
If you do not go after a dream,
If you do not allow yourself,
At least once in your lifetime,
To run away from sensible advice…
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How music and languages are connected for me. A sample of singing in French at the end.
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Dorota interviewed me about my hometown in the South West of France
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Happy New Year 2023. Duet recorded on Smule.com.
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In French for a change. I loved the moving story told in the poem, that the author dedicated to his daughter Léopoldine who died tragically at a young age.
Written in November 1846, by French novelist and poet Victor Hugo
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Training to read expressively. How do you feel when you read a book?
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O my children! my poor children!
Listen to the words of wisdom,
Listen to the words of warning,
From the lips of the Great Spirit,
From the Master of Life, who made you!
"I have given you lands to hunt in,
I have given you streams to fish in,
I have given you bear and bison,
I have given you roe and reindeer,
I have given you brant and beaver,
Filled the marshes full of wild-fowl,
Filled the rivers full of fishes:
Why then are you not contented?
Why then will you hunt each other?
"I am weary of your quarrels,
Weary of your wars and bloodshed,
Weary of your prayers for vengeance,
Of your wranglings and dissensions;
All your strength is in your union,
All your danger is in discord;
Therefore be at peace henceforward,
And as brothers live together.
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Excerpt from: Confidencias de un superhéroe by Jaime Alfonso Sandoval Translated in English by Dawn Peacock; adapted and read by B. Feit.
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When music helps you in your language learning process. This traditional song has been made famous thanks to the Outlander series.
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Adapted from memories written by French novelist Nicole Provence
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my answer to the topic proposed by Tonie
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Exercise proposed by Dawn, working on vowel clusters and intonation
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This is the third round of the answers to the initial post. Thank you Tonie, from Denmark; Luza from Brazil; Roberta from Italy and Chitra from Bangladesh for sharing your experience with the inventions that are important to you with us.
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Second part of the challenge with Lena from Israel, Catherine from France, Shohreh from Iran and Ludmila from Russia speaking about the invention they've chosen.
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What invention couldn't you live without? Which invention impressed you?
Answers by Domi from France, Nyssa from Italy, Ildikó from Hungary and Carlos from Chile.
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A few thoughts, anecdotes and quotes about inventions to give you, listeners, starters to speak in your turn about inventions.
Your task will consist in talking about an invention you find so essential to yourself that you couldn’t live without it, essential to humanity, or just an interesting curiosity and explain why.
Will it be..
· The wheel
· Fire
· The domestication of horses
· The compass
· The automobile
· Concrete
· Nails
· Electricity
· The printing press
· The morse code
· Antibiotics
· The refrigerator
· Television
· Banknotes, just to give very few common examples?
Or none of them? You are free to choose whatever you like, there are so many more to talk about…
But remember, your time is limited, 1’30 to 2mns, so just say your name and country and then go straight to the point. Ready? Can’t wait to listen to you!
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Thank you Mila, Luza, Ildiko, Lena and Marcelo for bringing your contribution to this episode.
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You've all known embarrassing moments, when you would rather have dug your head in the sand if you had been able to do so. Your pride has been retrieved since then, so what about sharing some of them?
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Thank you Chitra from Bangladesh, Luza from Brazil, Domi from France, Marcello from Chile, Marine from France and Shohreh from Iran who tell about their memories linked to flying.
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Mila from Russia, Roberto from Italy, Tatiana from Belarus, Ildikó from Hungary and Lena from Russia tell about their memories linked to flying.
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In these days when travelling is limited, let's share some memories of previous flights or express more general considerations.
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Second part of partners expressing their thoughts about friendship.
Domi, Lena, Luza, Marina, Chitra and Marcelo
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Thank you Mila, Katty, Ildiko, Jenifer, Shohreh and Marcelo
And here is the poem Mila has written as a tribute to her friends:
Lots words have already been said
But it's so hard to find right ones
To speak about a real friend
Who was with you in ups and downs.
How find the words for a call at night?
With tears, complains and light of Moon
For strong desire to hug tight
And answer: "Wait, I'm coming soon"
How find the words for feeling close?
Despite the distance, busy days,
You feel at a meeting in months so
Like parted only yesterday.
The words for wrinkles and grey hair?
That your eyes just not able see
The friend they see is young the same
With prankish smile and sparkling glee.
Real friends don't need to ask for help
Their jokes and critics with love done
Pure gold they are, those old good friends
Like a masterpiece they're checked by time.
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Khalil Gibran1883 (Bsharri) – 1931 (New York City)
And a youth said, "Speak to us of Friendship."
Your friend is your needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.
And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.
When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind, nor do you withhold the "ay."
And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;
For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.
When you part from your friend, you grieve not;
For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.
And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.
For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.
And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.
For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live.
For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.
And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.
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In this episode, Jenifer from Spain, Chitra from Bangladesh and Marina from France share their reasons for reading.
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This podcast is a compilation of recordings sent by acquaintances from all over the world who shared their feelings about reading with us.
Catherine, Domi and Régine from France, Ildikó from Hungary, Joan Zen from Spain, Lena from Israel, Mila from Russia, Luza from Brazil, Marcelo from Chile, Roberta from Italy and Shohreh from Iran.
Thank you all for playing the game!
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I just can't help myself. I read to learn and to grow, to laugh and to be motivated...
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Have you ever felt desperate because you were not reaching the results you expected despite your efforts or hard work?
Whether it concerns sport, a diet or learning, what all these fields have in common is that you need to break through the "Plateau of Latent Potential" where you seem to be stuck, and then the result of your efforts will eventually be visible.
So don't give up, the reward for your work will come in its own time.
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Belgian singer Jacques Brel expressed wishes that are still meaningful today. They still move me to the bottom of my heart.
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Nice memories written by a friend from Russia, that I've read here for you. Thank you Mila for permitting me to narrate them.
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An attempt at reading expressively this poem by Joseph Brodsky
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How being afraid of making mistakes and wanting to be perfect can prevent you from moving forward. Just let go and dare, you'll improve step by step.
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