Skit: Le Perroquet Mort (French)

ficbot · 09-01-2009, 09:01 PM

In honour of back to school...

I wrote this adaptation of the Dead Parrot Sketch for my enrichment French 5/6 students this year. I won't be teaching anybody older than Grade 2 this year so I won't be able to use it again

Bear in mind, this is not 'perfect' French because a) I had to simplify it down to something short enough for the kids to manage and b) I was restricted to only verb tenses and language structures that are used in our curriculum e.g. no 'vous' except for once, when I needed it for the imperative, no imparfait etc. and c) although I have been told my French is very good for an anglo, I am not a native speaker. I have had this beta's by other French teachers, and it's the best we can do given the constraints already mentioned

So, if you know French and want a good laugh...

LE PERROQUET MORT
rtf attached

evenstr · 09-01-2009, 09:06 PM

I'm looking forward to reading this! I'm in AP French at school; this seems like it might be at my level of comprehension (and I'm a Monty Python fan).

ficbot · 09-01-2009, 09:34 PM

It's only about three pages, it shouldn't take you long

evenstr · 09-01-2009, 09:42 PM

In any case, I am very grateful.

Kostas · 09-02-2009, 02:20 PM

Congrats and thanks ficbot! Funny (very) short story.

Native french speakers would perhaps want to make remarks as for the use of french language (which seems quite good to me).

Just two minor remarks:
1) Usage of "tu" instead of "vous", as often typically do native english speakers (in english "you" is for all cases).
It is not likely that such a dialog in "singular" could happen in french, though it's a one-to-one dialog. "Pluriel de courtoisie" (vous) is rather a rule in such cases.

2) Concerning fishes, "échelles" is probably an erroneous translation of "scales". As far as I know, the word used in french is écaille.

ficbot · 09-30-2009, 04:15 PM

Hi Kostas!

Thanks for your comments. Can't believe I missed the reply! Anyway, I know about the tu/vous thing. The program we use with the kids does not introduce the 'vous' form until a later phase. Some teachers I know disagree with this aspect of the program, but it is what it is and I was constrained a little by the limits of what vocabulary my students knew and what I could teach within the confines of our framework. If I was doing a direct translation or writing from scratch, I may have done it differently

That's why this is an 'adaptation' more than anything else.

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09-01-2009, 09:06 PM	#2
evenstr Enthusiast Posts: 43 Karma: 498204 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: St. Louis Device: Kobo Aura H2O	I'm looking forward to reading this! I'm in AP French at school; this seems like it might be at my level of comprehension (and I'm a Monty Python fan).

09-01-2009, 09:34 PM	#3
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	It's only about three pages, it shouldn't take you long

09-01-2009, 09:42 PM	#4
evenstr Enthusiast Posts: 43 Karma: 498204 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: St. Louis Device: Kobo Aura H2O	In any case, I am very grateful.

09-02-2009, 02:20 PM	#5
Kostas Still wondering why Posts: 253 Karma: 800 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Athens, Greece Device: PRS 505, (BlackBerry Bold ?)	Congrats and thanks ficbot! Funny (very) short story. Native french speakers would perhaps want to make remarks as for the use of french language (which seems quite good to me). Just two minor remarks: 1) Usage of "tu" instead of "vous", as often typically do native english speakers (in english "you" is for all cases). It is not likely that such a dialog in "singular" could happen in french, though it's a one-to-one dialog. "Pluriel de courtoisie" (vous) is rather a rule in such cases. 2) Concerning fishes, "échelles" is probably an erroneous translation of "scales". As far as I know, the word used in french is écaille.

09-30-2009, 04:15 PM	#6
ficbot Wizard Posts: 2,409 Karma: 4132096 Join Date: Sep 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite/iOS Kindle App	Hi Kostas! Thanks for your comments. Can't believe I missed the reply! Anyway, I know about the tu/vous thing. The program we use with the kids does not introduce the 'vous' form until a later phase. Some teachers I know disagree with this aspect of the program, but it is what it is and I was constrained a little by the limits of what vocabulary my students knew and what I could teach within the confines of our framework. If I was doing a direct translation or writing from scratch, I may have done it differently That's why this is an 'adaptation' more than anything else.