Entry 8 - Overall Reflection

Since my internship is coming to an end, this last entry will be a reflection on how well my internship went and what it brought to me. I will share my thoughts concerning the fulfilling of my goals, my use of strategies learned in class and my improvements in English as well as my host and the organization I worked for.

Goals

My goals were to enrich my vocabulary and to improve my writing skills. I think I accomplished both goals. Indeed, I had the opportunity to learn many pertinent and useful vocabulary words such as sustainable, empower and discrepancy, words that I can now use in my own writing. Also, with these entries I wrote every week and the work I am currently doing on e-KSS's Facebook page, I notice that it is a lot easier for me to write in English now. Words come more fluently out of me and my grammar structures are better. Therefore, my goals are accomplished.

Strategies

I had chosen to use the strategies of guessing, looking for patterns and accept ambiguity. The guessing strategy, as I said in my previous entries, was successful. It helped me translate faster and more accurately since I could figure out the meaning of words without always looking in a dictionary, also allowing me to remember them more. I used the ''looking for patterns'' strategy differently. Instead of searching similarities between French and English, I noticed the differences between them. That allowed me to understand better how English works and helped me avoid making mistakes of interference of the first language.

Growth

What I enjoyed the most in my internship is that I saw my grammar skills, my reading skills and my vocabulary improve. At the beginning, translations were difficult for me and as time went by, it became easier. I could translate faster because I understood more the work I had to translate. Therefore, my comprehension of English language in general had greatly improved. Also, with this internship, I wanted to dip my toe in the water and to make sure I really wanted to become a translator. And I realised that I enjoy this work a lot. This is definitely a career I will consider in the future.

Placement

Finally, my host and the organization I worked for are wonderful. My host was there for me, helping me when I needed it, giving me clear instructions and constructive and insightful feedback that helped me improve my work. I enjoyed working with him. I would definitely recommend this internship for the next years' students.

And this is what marks the end of my internship. It was a great experience that I won't forget.

Entry 7 - Practice Makes Perfect

(This blogpost won't follow the guide of anglaisenaction)

This week, I noticed many differences between English and French. I looked at the different ways to express ideas and grammatically correct sentences. I also focused on different accents during the week.

Linguistic observations

The translation of this week allowed me to see that the English language is more focused on people than French. Indeed, we usually try to avoid talking directly to someone or including ourselves in our writing in French. We would use impersonal pronouns like "on" or "il', or no pronoun at all, instead of mentionning "I" or "we". However, I noticed that the use of those pronouns is more common in English. Therefore, I had to translate sentences like "We only need to watch television" into "Il suffit de regarder" or "How will we choose" in "Comment choisir". So where French tries to avoid naming people, English focuses more on them.

Accents

As I was meeting my supervisor through Skype, I took time to analyse my host's speech and tried to see how his first language, Portuguese, could interfere in his English, even though I don't speak Portuguese. I noticed that he had a strong accent. For example, he pronounces the "ing" sounds in verbs in the progressive tenses or gerunds "ink". The "g" transforms into a "k" in his speech. He also pronounces "r" like in French, a rolled "r". I found interesting to see how his accent shows where he comes from. I then wondered if I had any particularties of speech like him and I noticed that I still have some trouble with my "th" sounds and sometimes I don't pronounce "a"s correctly. I put too much accent on the "é" sound of words. Therefore, I have an accent as well, an heritage of my Quebec native language. 

Vocabulary

Finally, here are the vocabulary words I learned this week:

• Pioneering: It is the act of innovating, of opening up new areas of thought, research or development. 
• Alumni: I saw this word in the section concerning the university partners. I found it interesting because it looks like a name of a sect or something. However, it is a former student or a graduate of a school.
• Backbone: It is originally the vertebrate spine. However, this word can be used with the meaning of a main support or a sustaining factor, for example "humanitarian aid acts as true backbone for unfolding a new reality in the Amazon". We barely use this expression in French.

Blog 6 - Breaking it Down

Since I'm halfway through the internship, I believe it is the perfect time for me to pause and to supervise my learning. Therefore, during this past week, I took time look back to see how much I improved since the beginning of my internship. 

Improvements

I realised that my listening and reading comprehension of English has improved significantly. For listening, before I had a lot of difficulties to understand speakers with other accents than the American one, since the latter is closer to my pronunciation of English. However, my host speaking with a Brazilian accent forced me to adapt and to familiarize myself with his different pronunciation. At the beginning, I had trouble understanding him, even if he spoke slowly. And I realise that now, I understand him a lot better. I don't need to ask him to repeat sentences. However, I still use the strategy of repeating what he said to make sure I understand everything. Therefore, my comprehension of accents has improved.

My reading comprehension has also improved. I'm able to read a lot faster in English than I used to six weeks ago. I need to pause less and less to guess the meaning of words or to search them in a dictionary. And when I do, it takes me less time to figure out their meaning using the context of the sentence. I was able to achieve this improvement because of the academic level of English of the website and with the help of my host who has always given me clear explanations of expressions and sentences, but also using professional language. Being totally immersed in advanced vocabulary has allowed me to developp and to improve my reading comprehension and my writing skills.

Challenges

What I find difficult is to apply my learning into oral communication. I have a wide vocabulary when it comes to writing, and I am a great listener, but I still search my words when I speak. Academic words don't come has fluently as basic words in my head when I speak spontaneously. I will have to practice more to become more fluent. 

Vocabulary

Finally, I learned new words and expressions this week:

• Discrepancy: It is a divergence, a difference between facts or claims. For instance, there is a discrepancy between the Infant Mortality Rates of indigenous and non-indigenous people.
• Illiterate: It is a person that is unable to read and write, or had no formal education.
• To draw talent: It is to find good professionals with knowledge and talent. I had never seen this expression and couldn't find an equivalent in French.