Universe conspiring for us
What is that phrase from the Alchemist? That when you really want something the universe is conspiring to help you. Well this entry is about one of those conspiracies. Let's call it "How Maria passed the French listening test". It's a trip down memory lane, it happened 7 years ago, so please fasten your seat belts.
I don't know how French exams are conducted in other countries, but here they are supervised by the French Institution (IFA). You can achieve different diplomas, the first is Delph1 and then there is Delph2. Delph1 and 2 are also called Sorbonne1. Next on the hierarchy are Sorbonne2 and 3. I only got Delph1, which is divided in 4 units. Unit1 consists of writing and oral examination and the same goes for Unit2 and 3. Unit4 however is writing, mostly emphasizing on grammar and a listening test.
My French teacher was confident I could do it. I was very good at grammar -if only she could see me now, I can't spell a single word in French- and I could understand enough from the listening test to get at least half of the marks. My teacher had also suggested watching French tv and more specifically a show called Grece et lumiere or Grece pays du lumiere, I'm not sure which one is the correct title. It was a 7 episode documentary on Salonica, cultural capital of Europe in 1997, which was first shown on TV5. I kept forgetting to watch it, so I don't think I watched more than 30 minutes in total. A week after it was finished, the Greek tv broadcasted as well, but again I didn't bother. A couple of weeks before my exams I read an article in the newspaper about the archaeological site of Vergina, the ancient capital of the Macedonians. It focused on some articrafts, among them a very well reserved mosaic featuring Persephone, sister of Alexander the Great.
The day of the exams came and I was as prepared as I could be. I had a good seat in the middle of the classroom, no sore throat to distract me, though the guy sitting behind me had a cold and kept coughing during the exams. Anyway, the examiner pushed the play button and a familiar music starts playing. It was the opening theme of the French documentary. I tried to focus on what I was hearing, but the complicated syntax was giving me a hard time. At some point I heard a phrase from which I recognized the words "sister", "Salonica" and "Persephone". I looked down at my sheet and sure enough there was a blank to fill in with the name of Alexander's sister. Needless to say that I didn't pass that test thanks to my listening skills, but my knowledge of mythology and history. And luck.
I don't know how much I wanted to pass the exams, but that was definitely a conspiracy.
I don't know how French exams are conducted in other countries, but here they are supervised by the French Institution (IFA). You can achieve different diplomas, the first is Delph1 and then there is Delph2. Delph1 and 2 are also called Sorbonne1. Next on the hierarchy are Sorbonne2 and 3. I only got Delph1, which is divided in 4 units. Unit1 consists of writing and oral examination and the same goes for Unit2 and 3. Unit4 however is writing, mostly emphasizing on grammar and a listening test.
My French teacher was confident I could do it. I was very good at grammar -if only she could see me now, I can't spell a single word in French- and I could understand enough from the listening test to get at least half of the marks. My teacher had also suggested watching French tv and more specifically a show called Grece et lumiere or Grece pays du lumiere, I'm not sure which one is the correct title. It was a 7 episode documentary on Salonica, cultural capital of Europe in 1997, which was first shown on TV5. I kept forgetting to watch it, so I don't think I watched more than 30 minutes in total. A week after it was finished, the Greek tv broadcasted as well, but again I didn't bother. A couple of weeks before my exams I read an article in the newspaper about the archaeological site of Vergina, the ancient capital of the Macedonians. It focused on some articrafts, among them a very well reserved mosaic featuring Persephone, sister of Alexander the Great.
The day of the exams came and I was as prepared as I could be. I had a good seat in the middle of the classroom, no sore throat to distract me, though the guy sitting behind me had a cold and kept coughing during the exams. Anyway, the examiner pushed the play button and a familiar music starts playing. It was the opening theme of the French documentary. I tried to focus on what I was hearing, but the complicated syntax was giving me a hard time. At some point I heard a phrase from which I recognized the words "sister", "Salonica" and "Persephone". I looked down at my sheet and sure enough there was a blank to fill in with the name of Alexander's sister. Needless to say that I didn't pass that test thanks to my listening skills, but my knowledge of mythology and history. And luck.
I don't know how much I wanted to pass the exams, but that was definitely a conspiracy.
posted by Maria | 10/03/2004 02:11:00 pm
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