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itsashleighthompson-blog · 7 years

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THROUGH A RAPIST’S EYES” (PLS TAKE TIME TO READ THIS. It may save a life, It may save your life.)

An Article from

Neena Susan Thomas

“Through a rapist’s eyes. A group of rapists and date rapists in prison were interview…ed on what they look for in a potential victim and here are some interesting facts:

1] The first thing men look for in a potential victim is hairstyle. They are most likely to go after a woman with a ponytail, bun! , braid, or other hairstyle that can easily be grabbed. They are also likely to go after a woman with long hair. Women with short hair are not common targets.

2] The second thing men look for is clothing. They will look for women who’s clothing is easy to remove quickly. Many of them carry scissors around to cut clothing.

3] They also look for women using their cell phone, searching through their purse or doing other activities while walking because they are off guard and can be easily overpowered.

4] The number one place women are abducted from / attacked at is grocery store parking lots.

5] Number two is office parking lots/garages.

6] Number three is public restrooms.

7] The thing about these men is that they are looking to grab a woman and quickly move her to a second location where they don’t have to worry about getting caught.

8] If you put up any kind of a fight at all, they get discouraged because it only takes a minute or two for them to realize that going after you isn’t worth it because it will be time-consuming.

9] These men said they would not pick on women who have umbrellas,or other similar objects that can be used from a distance, in their hands.

10] Keys are not a deterrent because you have to get really close to the attacker to use them as a weapon. So, the idea is to convince these guys you’re not worth it.

POINTS THAT WE SHOULD REMEMBER:

1] If someone is following behind you on a street or in a garage or with you in an elevator or stairwell, look them in the face and ask them a question, like what time is it, or make general small talk: can’t believe it is so cold out here, we’re in for a bad winter. Now that you’ve seen their faces and could identify them in a line- up, you lose appeal as a target.

2] If someone is coming toward you, hold out your hands in front of you and yell Stop or Stay back! Most of the rapists this man talked to said they’d leave a woman alone if she yelled or showed that she would not be afraid to fight back. Again, they are looking for an EASY target.

3] If you carry pepper spray (this instructor was a huge advocate of it and carries it with him wherever he goes,) yelling I HAVE PEPPER SPRAY and holding it out will be a deterrent.

4] If someone grabs you, you can’t beat them with strength but you can do it by outsmarting them. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch the attacker either under the arm between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh – HARD. One woman in a class this guy taught told him she used the underarm pinch on a guy who was trying to date rape her and was so upset she broke through the skin and tore out muscle strands the guy needed stitches. Try pinching yourself in those places as hard as you can stand it; it really hurts.

5] After the initial hit, always go for the groin. I know from a particularly unfortunate experience that if you slap a guy’s parts it is extremely painful. You might think that you’ll anger the guy and make him want to hurt you more, but the thing these rapists told our instructor is that they want a woman who will not cause him a lot of trouble. Start causing trouble, and he’s out of there.

6] When the guy puts his hands up to you, grab his first two fingers and bend them back as far as possible with as much pressure pushing down on them as possible. The instructor did it to me without using much pressure, and I ended up on my knees and both knuckles cracked audibly.

7] Of course the things we always hear still apply. Always be aware of your surroundings, take someone with you if you can and if you see any odd behavior, don’t dismiss it, go with your instincts. You may feel little silly at the time, but you’d feel much worse if the guy really was trouble.

FINALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THESE AS WELL ….

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do it.

2. Learned this from a tourist guide to New Orleans : if a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from you…. chances are that he is more interested in your wallet and/or purse than you and he will go for the wallet/purse. RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car: Kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and start waving like crazy. The driver won’t see you but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping,eating, working, etc., and just sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc. DON’T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is the perfect opportunity for him to get in on the passenger side,put a gun to your head, and tell you where to go. AS SOON AS YOU CLOSE the DOORS , LEAVE.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

a. Be aware: look around your car as someone may be hiding at the passenger side , peek into your car, inside the passenger side floor, and in the back seat. ( DO THIS TOO BEFORE RIDING A TAXI CAB) .

b. If you are parked next to a big van, enter your car from the passenger door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

c. Look at the car parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard/policeman to walk you back out. IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)

6. ALWAYS take the elevator instead of the stairs. (Stairwells are horrible places to be alone and the perfect crime spot).

7. If the predator has a gun and you are not under his control, ALWAYS RUN! The predator will only hit you (a running target) 4 in 100 times; And even then, it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ. RUN!

8. As women, we are always trying to be sympathetic: STOP IT! It may get you raped, or killed. Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking, well educated man, who ALWAYS played on the sympathies of unsuspecting women. He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often asked “for help” into his vehicle or with his vehicle, which is when he abducted his next victim.

Send this to any woman you know that may need to be reminded that the world we live in has a lot of crazies in it and it’s better safe than sorry.

If u have compassion reblog this post. ‘Helping hands are better than Praying Lips’ – give us your helping hand.

REBLOG THIS AND LET EVERY GIRL KNOW AT LEAST PEOPLE WILL KNOW WHATS GOING ON IN THIS WORLD. So please reblog this….Your one reblog can Help to spread this information.

THIS COULD ACTUALLY SAVE A LIFE.”

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itsashleighthompson-blog · 7 years

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BURN 100 CALORIES

The amount of calories that you can burn depends on your weight but i think that it could be helpful anyway

Workouts

☾ Biking: 25 minutes of casual cycling ☾ Cardio dance class: 15 minutes ☾ Elliptical: 10 minutes ☾ Jumping rope: 10 minutes at a moderate intensity ☾ Lifting weights, vigorously: 15 minutes ☾ Pilates: 25 minutes ☾ Rowing machine: 15 minutes ☾ Running stairs: 6 minutes ☾ Running: 10 minutes of running at a 6 mph pace ☾ Swimming: 15 minutes moderate intensity ☾ Walking stairs: 11 minutes ☾ Walking: 20 minutes of walking at a 3 mph pace ☾ Water aerobics: 23 minutes ☾ Yoga: 20 minutes ☾ Zumba: 11 minutes

Sports and Leisure Activities

☾ Basketball, shooting hoops: 20 minutes ☾ Bowling: 30 minutes ☾ Dancing around living room: 20 minutes ☾ Darts: 35 minutes ☾ Golfing, carrying clubs: 15 minutes ☾ Ice skating, moderate: 18 minutes ☾ Kickball: 13 minutes ☾ Mini golf or driving range: 30 minutes ☾ Playing catch with a football: 35 minutes ☾ Playing Frisbee: 30 minutes ☾ Playing soccer, casual: 13 minutes ☾ Skiing,downhill: 10 minutes ☾ Softball or baseball: 18 minutes ☾ Tennis (doubles): 21 minutes ☾ Tennis (singles): 15 minutes ☾ Treading water, moderate effort: 23 minutes ☾ Volleyball, recreational: 26 minutes ☾ Water skiing: 15 minutes

Yard Work

☾ Mowing the lawn: 30 minutes ☾ Painting house: 38 minutes ☾ Raking leaves: 33 minutes ☾ Shoveling snow: 25 minutes ☾ Washing the car: 40 minutes ☾ Weeding the garden: 28 minutes

Everyday Activities

☾ Carrying an infant: 24 minutes ☾ Cleaning, moderate effort: 26 minutes ☾ Cooking: 34 minutes ☾ Doing dishes: 40 minutes ☾ Mopping the floor: 20 minutes ☾ Playing with children: 23 minutes ☾ Pushing a stroller: 35 minutes ☾ Rearranging furniture: 24 minutes ☾ Shopping: 38 minutes ☾ Sweeping: 23 minutes ☾ Walking the dog, 26 minutes

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itsashleighthompson-blog · 7 years

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“Low calories” fast food menus

CHey angels ! Have you ever been in a situation where you’re forced to go to eat fast food ? If you can’t avoid it, here’s a bunch of the lowest calories food in different fast food chains ! It took a lot of time to do these so I hope you like it :)

Everything is one serving/piece

McDonald’s

Burgers / Main :

Cheeseburger (302 cals)

Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich (380 cals)

Filet-O-Fish (380 cals)

Hamburger (250 cals)

McChicken (350 cals)

McDouble (380 cals)

4 Chicken McNuggets (180 cals)

Premium Asian Salad (140 cals)

Premium Bacon Ranch Salad w/o Chicken (190 cals)

Premium Southwest Salad (220 cals)

Sides / Snacks :

Kids French Fries (110 cals)

Strawberry Yogurt (50 cals)

Cuties (35 cals)

Apple Dippers (15 cals)

Side Salad (20 cals)

Dessert :

Chocolate Chip Cookie (170 cals)

Kiddie Ice Cream Cone (45 cals)

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (140 cals)

Vanilla Reduced Fat Ice Cream Cone (200 cals)

Condiment :

Coffee Cream (20 cals)

Grape Jam (35 cals)

Ketchup Packet (10 cals)

Marinara Sauce (15 cals)

Spicy Buffalo Sauce (35 cals)

Strawberry Preserves (35 cals)

Sugar Packet (15 cals)

Burger King

Burger / Main :

Garden Grilled Chicken Salad (320 cals)

Chicken Fries (290 cals)

4 Chicken Nuggets (190 cals)

Jalapeno Chicken Fries (300 cals)

Grilled Hot Dog (310 cals)

Grilled Chili Cheese Dog (330 cals)

Bacon Cheeseburger (330 cals)

Bacon Cheeseburger Deluxe (290 cals)

Cheeseburger (300 cals)

Rodeo Burger (310 cals)

Hamburger (260 cals)

Double Hamburger (360 cals)

Whopper Jr. w/o Cheese (340 cals)

Sides / Snacks :

Side Caesar Salad with dressing (220 cals)

Side Garden Salad and Avocado Ranch Dressing (230 cals)

Satisfries French Fries (190 cals)

Motts’ Harvest Plus Applesauce (50 cals)

BK Fresh Apple Slice (25 cals)

Onion Rings (150 cals)

Dessert :

1 Oatmeal Raisin Cookie (155 cals)

Blue Raspberry ICEE (120 cals)

Butter Sugar Cookie (160 cals)

Carnival Cookie (160 cals)

Ginger Spice Cookie (150 cals)

Red, White & Blue Cookie (160 cals)

Soft Serve Ice Cream Cone (160 cals)

Cream Cup (140 cals)

Strawberry Ice Cream Sundae (190 cals)

Condiment :

Barbecue Dipping Sauce (1oz) (40 cals)

Strawberry/Grape Jam packet (30 cals)

2 King Pickles (0 cals)

King Ketchup (10 cals)

KFC

Burger / Main :

don’t eat pieces of chicken (like thigh or wings) here, there’s so much calories inside even one piece

Crispy Chicken BLT Salad w/o Dressing (360 cals)

Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad w/o Dressing & Croutons (340 cals)

Chicken Little (320 cals)

Chicken Little w/o Sauce (230 cals)

Honey BBQ Sandwich (320 cals)

Sides / Snacks :

Caesar Side Salad w/o Dressing & Croutons (40 cals)

House Side Salad w/o Dressing (15 cals)

Green Beans (25 cals)

Biscuit (180 cals)

Cole Slaw (180 cals)

Corn On The Cob (3″) (70 cals)

Gravy w/ Bites (50 cals)

Sweet Kernel Corn (100 cals)

Mashed Potatoes w/o Gravy (90 cals)

Mashed Potatoes w/ Gravy (120 cals)

Macaroni and Cheese (160 cals)

Dessert :

Sweet Life Chocolate Chip Cookie (160 cals)

Sweet Life Oatmeal Raisin Cookie (150 cals)

Condiment :

Colonel’s Buttery Spread (30 cals)

HBBQ Dipping Sauce Cup (40 cals)

Honey Sauce Packet (30 cals)

Hidden Valley The Original Ranch Fat Free Dressing (35 cals)

Marzetti Light Italian Dressing (15 cals)

Chick-fil-A

Burger / Main :

Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich (290 cals)

4 Grilled Nuggets Kid’s Meal (70 cals)

Kids Waffle Potato Fries (310 cals)

4 Kids Nuggets (130 cals)

Asian Salad (330 cals)

Grilled Market Salad (200 cals)

Sides / Snacks :

Fruit Cup (70 cals)

Hearty Breast of Chicken Soup (140 cals)

Side Salad (70 cals)

Kale Superfood Side (140 cals)

Dessert :

Icedream Ice Cream Cone (170 cals)

Chocolate Milk (150 cals)

Condiment :

Sriracha Sauce (45 cals)

Honey Mustard Sauce (45 cals)

Barbecue Sauce (45 cals)

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itsashleighthompson-blog · 8 years

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Positive people also have negative thoughts. They just don’t let those thoughts control them.

Unknown (via onlinecounsellingcollege)

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itsashleighthompson-blog · 8 years

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I’m prepared to receive the flak for this but I’m going to emphasize a point here:

Your mental illnesses do not excuse your violent actions. Your mental illnesses do not give you an excuse to act like an asshole. Your mental illnesses do not give you an excuse to make threats to people, no matter how angry you are.

Please stop treating mental illnesses like a free pass to do whatever the hell you want. We’re all suffering from different baggage in our lives and we all make mistakes.

Apologies can be given. You can be forgiven.

But persistent badgering and saying “I have this and this wrong with me so stfu” is unacceptable.

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itsashleighthompson-blog · 8 years

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Why do you speak French so well?

Jerrie is a 19 year old YouTuber and Internet personality from Germany with a passion for the French language. In this video he discusses his language learning journey, and describes both the struggles he went through while studying, and some of the tricks and tips he used to integrate French into his everyday life, improve his confidence, and make it “his language”.

I spent a very very veryyy long time translating this video into English and adding subtitles (who knew it could be so fiddly?!) before sharing it on Tumblr because, while I think it is a really good video, I am aware that a lot of you guys don’t speak German. To activate the subtitles, just click on the little icon to the left of the gear at the bottom of the video :~)

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itsashleighthompson-blog · 8 years

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élocution : art of speaking with expert control of gesture and voices, etc.

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itsashleighthompson-blog · 8 years

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itsashleighthompson-blog · 8 years

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Spanish Vocabulary: Verbos declarativos (saying verbs)

Admitir: to accept, to admit

Afirmar: to affirm, to state

Alardear: to boast

Anunciar: to announce

Averiguar: to figure out, to discover

Balbucir: to slur, to babble

Bramar: to bellow

Clamar: to cry out for

Confesar: to confess

Consultar: to consult

Contar (algo, una historia): to tell (something, a story)

Contestar: to reply, to answer

Conversar: to talk, to chat

Corregir: to correct

Darse cuenta: to realize

Decir: to say

Dialogar: to talk, to converse

Discutir: to argue

Entrevistar: to interview

Exclamar: to exclaim

Expresar: to express, to put into words

Fanfarronear: to brag, to boast

Formular: to formulate

Gemir: to moan, to groan

Gimotear: to whimper, to whine

Gruñir: to groan, to complain

Hablar: to talk, to speak

Indagar: to investigate, to inquire into

Indicar: to indicate

Inquirir: to inquire, to question

Insultar: to insult

Interpelar: to question

Interrogar: to interrogate

Jactarse: to brag, to boast

Llorar: to cry

Maldecir: to curse

Manifestar: to express, to state

Mascullar: to mumble, to mutter

Mencionar: to mention

Murmurar: to murmur, to whisper

Musitar: to mutter

Narrar: to narrate, to tell

Negar: to deny

Ofender: to offend

Ofrecer: to offer

Platicar: to talk, to chat

Preguntar: to ask, to request

Presumir: to brag, to presume

Proclamar: to proclaim

Pronunciar: to pronounce

Quejarse: to complain

Refunfuñar: to grumble

Reir: to laugh

Reírse (con nerviosismo): to giggle

Relatar: to relate, to tell, to narrate

Reñir: to fight, to row

Reportar: to report, to denounce

Responder: to answer

Revelar: to reveal, to disclose

Rugir: to roar

Susurrar: to whisper

Testificar: to testify

Zaherir: to berate, to mock, to insult

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itsashleighthompson-blog · 8 years

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Writing essays in french - Part 3

Making a judgement

3.1 Words expressing positive / negative judgements

- positive approuver - to approve louer - to praise admirer - to admire féliciter qn pour qch - to congratulate sb for sth se féliciter / se réjouir de qch - to be very pleased about sth soutenir / appuyer qn dans - to support some in sth - negative condamner - to condemn critiquer / blâmer qn pour qch - to criticize sb for sth désapprouver qch - to disapprove of sth remettre qch en cause - to call sth into question accuser qn de qch - to blame sb for sth tenir qn pour responsable (de) - to hold sb responsible (for) rejeter - to reject démentir, nier - to deny réfuter - to refute se plaindre de qch - to complain about sth contester - to question, dispute exprimer son mécontentement – to express one’s displeasure réfuter une idée / théorie – to reject an idea / theory

3.2 Words expressing advice

conseiller à qn de faire - to advise sb to do / recommend that sb do inciter / pousser qn à faire - to urge sb to do préconiser de faire - to recommend / advocate doing sth préconiser / prôner / recommander qch - to advocate sth revendiquer - to demand réclamer - to call for

3.3 Expressing a position : for / against

- for être d'accord avec - to agree with être / se prononcer pour - to be / to declare oneself in favour of être favorable à - to be for être bien disposé à l'égard de - to be well disposed towards être partisan de - to a supporter / advocate of avoir de l'enthousiasme pour - to be enthusiastic about tenir à - to be keen to do

- against être (fermement) opposé à - to (firmly) be opposed to être / se prononcer contre - to be / declare oneself against être défavorable à / hostile à - to be against être réservé à l'égard de - to be guarded about être un/l’adversaire de - to be an opponent of avoir des craintes quant à - to have misgivings about être réticent à faire - to be reluctant to do

3.4 Indicating one’s own agreement C’est un argument de poids – it’s a forceful argument Les choses évoluent dans la bonne direction – Things are moving in the right direction Ceci donne du poids à… - this lends weight to… Il y a bien des mérites à faire… - There’s a lot to be said for jouer un rôle bénéfique dans… - to play a beneficial role Le gouvernement a intérêt à faire… - It is in the government’s intetest to do… Mieux vaut faire X que de faire Y / Il vaut mieux faire X plutôt que de faire Y - It is better to do X than to do Y C'est une idée juste - right / clairvoyante - perceptive / pertinente - relevant persuasive - persuasive / perspicace - insightful

Beaucoup de gens s'inquiètent du nombre croissant d'accidents sur les lieux de travail et effectivement / en effet la situation est préoccupante. Many people are worried about the growing number of accidents in the workplace and indeed the situation is worrying

Il serait vain de nier que le pays est en crise. It would be pointless to deny that the country is in crisis De nombreuses voix se sont, à juste titre, élevées pour protester contre ces mesures. Many people quite rightly spoke out against the measures

3.5 Indicating one’s own disagreement Ce serait une erreur de croire que - it would be wrong to think that Rien ne sert de… - There is no point in… Il est illusoire de s'imaginer que... - It is fanciful to believe that… Croit-on vraiment que… - Do people really believe that… A quoi cela sert-il de faire… - What is the point of doing… A quoi bon faire… - Why bother doing…

On voit/comprend mal comment… - It is hard to understand why… Cet argument ne rime à rien - doesn’t add up / ne résiste guère à l'analyse - doesn’t stand up to scrutiny /est (hautement) contestable - is (highly) debatable / est démenti par les faits - is belied by the facts / n'est guère probant / convaincant - is scarcely convincing

C'est une idée aberrante - absurd / inadmissible - unacceptable / démentielle - crazy /

Il faut s'interroger sur le motif d'une telle démarche / sur la justesse d'une telle affirmation / We must ask ourselves about the motives of such a step / about the acccuracy of such a claim /

L'argument selon lequel […] est dénué de tout fondement /The argument that […] has no basis whatsoever On peut soutenir que les réformes mises en place jusqu'ici laissent beaucoup à désirer. / It is arguable that the reforms that have been implemented so far leave a lot to be desired Il est difficile de voir le bien-fondé d'un tel point de vue. It is hard to see the validity of such a point of view Il est peu logique / peu cohérent de se plaindre de la qualité du système éducatif et dans le même temps refuser d'y investir. It is illogical / inconsistent to complain about the state of education system whilst at the same time refusing to invest in it

3.6 Presenting a problem avoir de la peine à faire - to have difficulty doing un véritable casse-tête - a real headache une question épineuse - a thorny question une situation inquiétante - a worrying situation la principale difficulté porte sur - the main difficulty involves une pierre d'achoppement - a stumbling block un obstacle insurmontable - an unsurmountable obstacle une tâche quasiment impossible - a virtually impossible task remuer la couteau dans la plaie - to rub salt into the wound cette tendance s'accentue - this trend is increasing pour ne rien arranger - to make matters worse pour comble de malheur - to cap it all des obstacles subsistent encore - some stumbling blocks remain le problème a pris une telle ampleur que - the problem has taken on such proportions that avoir un effet dévastateur sur - to have a devastating effect on la situation s'aggrave - the situation is getting worse / empire de jour en jour - is geting worse everyday / arrive au seuil de la catastrophe - is verging on a catastrophe

source : The Manchester Metropolitan University

Désolée si j’ai laissé des erreurs, je viens de le republier au réveil.

@legendofmeme : merci de m’avoir signalé le problème avec ce post.

Celleux qui dorment au fond, ou qui jouent à Candy Cruche sur leur portable, c’est pas bien, faut se réveiller et faut suivre ;)

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itsashleighthompson-blog · 8 years

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8 Expressions/Words I Hear the French Use Often

1. Bah ouai/oui/non

This one I hear about 100x a day. It basically means “Well yeah…” as in how you would respond to someone asking or stating something fairly obvious. The meaning is mostly dependent on the tone.

Used in conservation:

Personne 1: “Si j’étudias plus souvent, je recevrais une bonne note”

Personne 2: “Bah ouai!”

Person 1: If I studied more often, I would get a good grade

Person 2: Well…yeah, duh!

2. En fait

This is probably the most highly used adverb. It’s english equivalent is “actually”.

Exemple: “En fait, Barak Obama est très connu en France”

Example: Actually, Barak Obama is very well known in France

3. C’est pas grave

I love this expression because its a good less-boring response to someone thanking you than “de rien” and I also feel it summarizes the french disposition pretty succinctly. “It’s not a big deal”!

Personne 1: “Oh non! J’ai renversé du vin sur la table!”

Personne 2: “C’est pas grave!”

Person 1: Oh no! I spilled wine on the table!

Person 2: It’s not a big deal!

4. Pas de soucis

Nearly the same as #3. “Don’t worry about it”. It’s especially french if you barely pronounce the “de”, i.e. “Pas d’soucis”

5. Ça marche

“That works” No explanation needed.

Personne 1: “On peut se rencontrer un peu plus tard si tu es occupé maintenant?”

Personne 2: “Ça marche!”

Person 1: We can meet up a little later if you’re busy now?”

Person 2: That works!

6. Ça va/ Ça va?

Ok, for anyone that has taken french 1 you’re probably like duh Anndi of course they say that a lot. But this phrase is way more all-encompassing than your high school teacher led you to believe. This phrase can mean “How are you” “I’m fine” “It’s Ok” “That’s fine” “Is that Ok?” “Are you OK?” “Are you doing alright? “I’m doing alright” etc etc. It all means more or less the same thing but the translation changes slightly depending on the context.

Personne 1: “Tu veux plus de bonbons?”

Personne 2: “Non merci, Ça va”

Person 1: You want more candy?

Person 2: No thank you, I’m fine

7. Franchement

Meaning “Frankly”, this word is a lot less dorky and more widely used than its english counterpart. Its more similar to how we would use “honestly”.

“Franchement, je comprend pas comment quelqu’un pourrait voter pour Donald Trump”

“Honestly, I don’t know how anyone could vote for Donald Trump”

8. N’importe quoi

I learned that this word means “whatever” but its honestly more similar to “nonsense” “Craziness”. I often hear my host mom tell her kids “Ne faites pas n’importe quoi!” which roughly means “You’re out of control!/ Stop all this nonsense!”

Personne 1: “Il y aura une autre grève demain matin”

Personne 2: “Bof, n’importe quoi”

Person 1: There will be another strike tomorrow morning

Person 2: Ugh, craziness.

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itsashleighthompson-blog · 8 years

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Dziś potrzebny mi ktoś nowy // Today I need someone new Taki ktoś, jak Ty // Someone just like you I kto pół nocy na mnie czekałby // Someone who’d wait for me for half of night Gdy korytarzem czołgam się do drzwi nad ranem // While I’m crawling thought the hallway in the mornin Dziś potrzebny mi ktoś nowy // Today I need someone new Taki ktoś, jak Ty // Someone just like you Kto w korowodzie czarno-białych dni // Someone who’d be in the pageant of black and white days Będzie, jak nagły dopływ świeżej krwi na stałe // Just like sudden intake of fresh blood permanently

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itsashleighthompson-blog · 8 years

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Crash Course in Russian | The Alphabet

Ok people so I’m thinking of making some Russian language powerpoints. I know a lot of you like ‘quick and dirty’ language learning (as do I) so I figure I might as well simplify some of my own notes and share them here.

The first set I’m uploading is the Cyrillic alphabet. I know there are TONS of these out there but I personally can’t stand graphics/drawings or ‘tips & tricks’ on my study materials because I find that immensely distracting, so I’ve put together a set which I find much more aesthetically pleasing.

I’ve included some short notes on palatalization but otherwise everything is greatly simplified. Again, I plan for this series to be a ‘quick and dirty’ overview for those who have little to no familiarity with the language and who don’t plan to study it very seriously. Alternatively this series can serve as scaffolding material for those to plan to learn the language in the future.

As a disclaimer, I am not a native speaker of Russian and though I will be putting a lot of effort into these there are bound to be some mistakes. I appreciate any kind feedback or corrections.

ENJOY <3

Other sets in this series: The Cursive Alphabet | Tips on Pronunciation

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itsashleighthompson-blog · 8 years

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being on the language side of tumblr is like shopping in a really expensive shop and seeing tons of stuff you want and you’re like ooooooh but if I could just learn that language and then you’re like “put it baacckk you don’t need another one”

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itsashleighthompson-blog · 8 years

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~ FRENCH MEDIA #1 ~

This is a list regarding ways I expose myself to French both spoken and written in music, film and news portals. Obviously this list is non-exhaustive and there are several aspects which I haven’t discovered yet and in the future I’ll most probably create better & improved versions as I discover different artists, films, etc. and possibly even include other segments such as literature!

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//MUSIC//

This is the longest section in my list because I’m quite exposed to French music and different French artists. This is the best way for me personally to learn vocabulary as well as get my ears somewhat used to spoken French especially since it is such a fast-spoken and elidable (omission of letters, ex. ce que je dis= c’qu’j’dis, etc.) language. All the artists can be found on Spotify yet possibly not their entire discography.

What I usually do is give a listen to a song the first time to see if I like it and then follow the lyrics on a lyric website. This is very crucial to both test your understanding of the language and also enrich your vocabulary. Google any words you don’t know and try to keep a list of the words you learn. Listening to music can also introduce you to colloquial or vulgar terms which is quite cool tbh but be attentive when to use them. Also try to listen to the songs as much as you can so you’ll eventually learn the lyrics which will be a huge boost to your understanding of spoken French and better your pronunciation, and will assure you remember new vocabulary.

Artist Name: Description. Favourite songs.

Stromae: Probably the most popular singer in French nowadays; mostly electronic; very good lyrics for general vocab, not too hard to follow or understand. Papaoutai, Tous Les Mêmes, Alors On Danse, Formidable, Carmen, Sommeil

Indila: pop; very nice and catchy debut album; really good for vocab and quite easy to follow. Dernière Danse, Tourner Dans Le Vide, SOS, Ego

Coeur de Pirate: Francophone singer from Canada; indie and pop; moderately-paced songs. Place de la République, Comme des Enfants

Vitaa: earlier work is very soul but most recently transitioned to pop and electronic; some colloquial expressions, uses a lot of elision, might be quite difficult to understand just by listening. No Limit, La Même, Game Over, Emmène-Moi, Emmenez-Moi, Mégalo, Vivre, Ma Soeur

Sexion D’Assaut: rap collective; not super fast but I find it rather hard to understand just by listening. Ma direction, Désolé

Maître Gims: member of Sexion D’Assaut; rap; quite fast at times; quite good for vocabulary, frequent use of one-off english words. J’Me Tire, Zombie, Bella

Orelsan: rap and electronic; really good for vocab on the whole and not so difficult to keep up with. La Terre Est Ronde, Le Chant Des Sirènes, Ils Sont Cools (<- this song contains A LOT of slang/colloquial words and phrases)

Lio: 80′s pop singer; upbeat songs; very easy to keep up with, ideal for beginners and beginner vocabulary. Amoureux Solitaires, Le Banana Split

Vive La Fête: synthpop music duo; very alternative hipster tumblr pale blog aesthetic; very easy to follow. Noir Désir, Nuit Blanche

Shy’m: pop and electronic; typical commercial pop music-sound but in a different language tbh; quite easy to follow and keep up with. L’Effet de Serre, En Apesanteur, Et Alors!

Kendji Girac: winner of The Voice France; dance-pop and kind of gypsy as well; easy to follow, good for vocab and some simple yet commonly used words you might not know. Andalouse, Color Gitano, Mon Univers, Viens Chez Nous

H Magnum: I’ve only recently found out about him because he was featured in a song with Vitaa but his music seems really catchy though not too easy to follow just by audio. Aucun Mytho, Garde L’Équilibre

Lartiste: same as H Magnum because he was featured on Vitaa’s new album, a bit tricky to follow by audio. Polygame

Rose: I know like one song of hers because our French teacher showed us a song of hers during class which was really cute and she doesn’t seem hard to follow; quite good song for vocab. La Liste

Édith Piaf: really slow traditional-pop 40′s 50′s music, easy to follow but some low quality audio files can be annoying to actually understand. La Vie En Rose (I actually prefer Grace Jones’ version of this so check that out too)

France Gall: winner of ESC 1965; very 60′s French pop, catchy songs; alright to keep up with. Poupée de cire, poupée de son, Laisse Tomber Les Filles

Zaz: I know one song but it’s super catchy and nice and also not hard to keep up with. Je Veux

Eurovision Entries: Check out the Eurovision entries of: France (almost all in French) Switzerland (some in French) Belgium (some in French) Luxembourg (most in French)

LYRICS:

Wiktionary: Extremely good for searching individual word meanings, nice and clean interface with usage notes where applicable and most often verb conjugations as well. Also denotes little yet important details of words (ex. H aspiré, Colloquial/Vulgar words, etc.) If a word / expression is not present in the English version, it’s most probably in French Wiktionary, but the definitions might be difficult to understand sometimes.

Word Reference: I prefer Wiktionary to this yet whenever I’m not satisfied with a meaning on Wiktionary, Word Reference saves the day tbh. Extremely good and reliable online dictionary + different languages as well.

Genius: My favourite lyric website. Contains songs in many different languages and the words are 99% of the time spelt perfectly. Some songs might also contain annotations to hep you delve between the lines and discover the lyrical meaning. Check out Genius specifically for French.

Paroles Et Traduction: Lyrics to French songs + lyrics to English songs which are also translated to French!

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//FILM//

To be completely honest I haven’t explored French cinema so much so far but I’m getting into it more and more. Ideally, films in French should be watched with subtitles even at more intermediate stages, just so everything is understood. However at the same time try to grab hold of some words here and there and test your understanding by listening to the dialogue and it will also help you get used to the usual fast-paced conversation which typically takes place in French. I recommend watching it without subs after you’ve given it at least one run-through and understood the basic conversations and the film plot, and then continue to test your hearing and observation just by hearing.

Film Name ((If Any) Translation) (Year) Description.

First and foremost I’d recommend every film by the Québécois director Xavier Dolan because his work is honestly so lovely tbh.

I Killed My Mother (J'ai tué ma mère) (2009) Probably one of my favourite films ever actually. Essentially the film deals with the complex bond between a (gay) son and his mother

Heartbeats (Les Amours imaginaires) (2010) The story of two friends who fall in love with the same man

Laurence Anyways (2012) “The story of an impossible love between a woman named Fred (Frédérique) and a transgender woman named Laurence (then living as a man) who reveals her inner desire to become her true self” (Wikipedia)

Tom at the Farm (Tom à la ferme) (2013) “Tom, a young advertising copywriter, travels to the country for the funeral of his boyfriend Guillaume. There, he is shocked to learn that no one knows who he is, nor his relationship to the deceased. Guillaume’s brother Francis soon sets the rules of a twisted game. In order to protect the family’s name and the deceased’s grieving mother, Agathe, Tom now has to play the peacekeeper in a household whose obscure past bodes even greater darkness for his “trip” to the farm.” (Wikipedia)

Mommy (2014) “Diane Després is a widowed mother who is overwhelmed by the difficulty of raising her troubled, sometimes violent son Steve as a single parent. Després then begins to receive assistance and support from her mysterious new neighbour Kyla.” (Wikipedia)

Other films I know of:

Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001) Also one of my favourite films ever TBH. “ It tells the story of a shy waitress who decides to change the lives of those around her for the better, while struggling with her own isolation.” (Wikipedia) (It has a really lovely soundtrack too, check that out!)

Blue Is The Warmest Colour (2013) This won the Palme D’Or unanimously so it’s definitely good I presume even though I haven’t actually gotten myself round to seeing it yet?? “The film revolves around Adèle , a French teenager who discovers desire and freedom when a blue-haired aspiring painter enters her life. The film charts their relationship from Adele’s high school years to her early adult life and career as a school teacher.” (Wikipedia)

Le Roi Danse (2000) Recommended by my French teacher during our Molière lesson of Le Malade Imaginaire to help us understand the context of the setting. It’s based on a biography of the composer Lully and it features his relationships with Louis XIV Of France, Molière and Robert Cambert.

Molière (1978) Also recommended by my French teacher, except that this is biographical of Molière himself to my knowledge.

Also check out the most popular French-language films on IMDB!

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//NEWS PORTALS// (+ more)

This is very good to get used to reading French without the long-term dedication / difficulty of actual French literature, and extremely beneficial to vocabulary. I recommend liking their Facebook pages as well rather than just visiting their websites to receive constant updates and a passive French-language presence online! Also try to read the comments left by people to test your understanding further (however be cautious of spelling errors or colloquialisms)

Outlet Name (Website) / (Facebook page): Description.

Le Monde (Website) / (Facebook): very popular and very regularly updated

Le Figaro (Website) / (Facebook): also very popular and regularly updated

L’Internaute (Website) / (Facebook): not as popular as Le Monde or Le Figaro yet is still very good and well-updated

Okapi (Website) / (Facebook): this is a magazine rather than an actual news portal. It has some magazine pages on its moderately updated Facebook page, but you can also get a subscription through its website

TV5MONDE (Website) / (Facebook): also not an actual news portal but rather a television network, but there are plenty of written articles on its website (under Informations) which you should check out!

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That comprises this list of a few ways to become more exposed to the French language! As I said, this is far from exhaustive, and I hope to create another list as I delve into the language further. Hope this is of use to people learning the language!

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