I am, right now, en train d’étudier [in the process of studying] for my first real French exam. The exam is tomorrow morning and I’m not too sure that I’m properly prepared, but I somehow am maintaining the nonchalance of someone who was either extremely knowledgeable about post-colonial film or actually spoke French.
The professor has kindly allowed me, the only foreign student in the third-year cinema course, to, in lieu of writing out the whole dissertation on the subject she will give us, complete a très détaillé [very detailed] outline. A reasonable suggestion, except when you consider how crazy the French are when it comes to essay organization. My English essays, although often unorganized, get by thanks to a fairly crafty manipulation of words that somehow dazzles professors and makes them believe that I’ve actually said something logical and A-worthy.
This strategy does not work in my pathetic French. What’s more, the French would never be tricked by clever turns of phrases the way my American professors are. They want structure, they want organization and they want neatness. Everything else is secondary.
So with dictionary, double-copy paper, white out and pen in hand, I will set off at the break of dawn tomorrow morning to embark on the quest of a lifetime that is my first French exam.
19 colonial and post-colonial films, 2 wars in Indochine, 3 hours, 1 exam.
2 comments:
YOU GOT IT!!!!!!! I have all the confidence in the world that you can do it.
Also, you speak French better than a lot of people I know. You do perfectly well at expressing yourself orally, so I'm sure this written exam will be a piece de tarte. Um. A piece of crossant. You know what I mean!
Bon courage, chérie! Tu vas réussir, j'en suis sure.
Aw, thanks, Jamie!
When I said nonchalant...I really meant it...I'm not even stressed.
This is probably a bad sign, but we'll just see how it goes.
Well, I'm off to watch some TV and then sleep (these are my final preparations...note my studiousness). *sigh*
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