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Second Language Module

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hey guys and gals,

I'm new around here, so first of hi!

This is a great forum to check up on every now and then to keep up to date with and just to hear peoples theorys and opinions on alot of topics to do with instructing really! I'm a 22 year old male, BASI level 2 currently.

Anyway, down to business. I have planned in all of my modules for BASI level 3 this winter, got a schedule set in place and hopefully all will go accordingly. My one main worry though is the cheapest module of ISIA, the second language one. I'm just hoping to hear from a few of you, or all of you lol, to find out how you went about getting up to the right standard for the phone assessment. What language you chose, what level you need to be at realistically, how you went about it etc?

Learning languages isnt my forté, so any way i can make the process just that little bit easiar would be great. I've heard stories of people having foreign friends to sit it for them etc, also people who have just learnt every possible answer for the kind of questions that they could be asked rather than the actual language itself. Obviously i would like to try and commite to learning as much as i could of be it either French or Spanish for me. French being the obvious choice, but the one i have less experience in.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this and look forward to your replies!

Stef
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
stef89, afraid I can't help that much other than with what BASI say on the website, as I did the old workbook.

Are you based overseas? If so, then finding locals to practice with should be fairly simple. If not, then you could try one of those linguaphone type courses.

Did you do a GCSE language?
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Hey Beanie,

Nope, at the moment im living in the uk but heading out to france at the start of january. I'm just struggling with the whole learning what i need to know rather than the whole language from scratch. Don't particularly want to have all the modules for my isia but have this one holding me back.

And yep, i did Spanish at GCSE, but that was over 6 years ago and not using it hasnt helped. But i am considering that as im sure its alot easiar to refresh your memory and add to, rather than start from scratch in such a short period of time!
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
stef89, If any French course / book start with " the monkey is in the tree" run out / throw it away..... Laughing Laughing
There are no monkeys roaming freely in France..... Shocked
Friends of mine did a years evening classes in french, before we took them and the course turned out to be a complete waste of time as it was essentially a 10 yr old GCSE course...
As you live in London where there are many French nationals, who I am sure would like to help, even if it may mean a small fee....
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
If you plan to try and work right through to Level 4 and get your Carte Pro then go for French. You can do any language for ISIA but if it is not French you will have to do another test for Carte Pro. Something that BASI don't make very clear.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
stef89, if you are prepared to pay, the French Institute in South Ken does classes at all levels. The moment you go through their door, no language other than French is allowed and all the teachers are native French speakers. Very good.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
stef89,
It's better now. The old workbook was just stupid. Sod all to do with learning a language - just typical conjugating verbs (yep, the reason English people can't speak foreign languages, but an easy way to get statisics on how well the teacher is doing wink ). I teach Italians to ski and my local lingo ain't that bad, but for some of the workbook questions I just answered that I didn't even understand the question (which was written in English) - still passed Madeye-Smiley

Best bet would be to do a Beanie1 says and get hold of a linquaphone course and start from lesson one.


noisey wrote:
There are no monkeys roaming freely in France..... Shocked

I was having a beer tonight with StewartWoodward (esf tignes) and he is quite hairy - does that count
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
snowrider, thanks for pointing that out. I will mention it to BASI.
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Thanks for all your help guys! I plan on going all the way to ISTD to the obvious choice would be french, but doubt i can get up to the standard in such a short period of time, so i might have to do french!

Anyone done the test here who can explain how you thought it was?

Cheers,

Stef
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
What you definitely should not do is download Azureus, install it, and use it to search for Rosetta Stone French language pack level 1 - 3 (or similarly named programs; beginner French etc). Though the voice activation software is awesome, intuitive, and incredible for getting you speaking/understanding the lingo rapidly; faster than any other method: it's wrong to steal software - so you shouldn't do it. A decent mic is a bad investment too, since you shouldn't download the software.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowrider, good point - the French test when going for the Carte Pro could potentially be a bit of a pain as the French want you to arrange it yourself, but through an "approved" person. Which is likely to be both time-consuming and expensive!

That said, I speak French pretty fluently, but don't actually have any (post secondary-school) qualifications to prove it. When applying for my Carte Pro, I rang the guy up, explained this (all in French) and asked what I should do. He said "Eh, don't worry, your French sounds pretty good to me!" and signed me off on the spot!
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Answer from BASI:

"The requirements for the European Mountain Safety are that a snowsport instructor be competent enough in the language where they are working to effect an evacuation of an injured person. Therefore having completed the minimal requirement for the BASI Level 3 in being able to converse in a second language would not be sufficient if they are not working in that country. For example if a BASI member has completed a second language test in Italian and that member then goes to work in Austria, the member will be required to demonstrate to the Austrian authorities competence in German.
Therefore to spell things out very clearly if a BASI member intends to work in France, do a second language test in French, or similarly if you are going to work in Italy do a second language test in Italian. It’s that simple in logic.
In addition, if the BASI member then decides to change countries he/she will still be required to demonstrate his/her competence in the language of the country to which he/she has moved. If the BASI member intends to go to several countries he/she will need to have language competence for each country.
ISIA actually states within its statutes for the second language element, the instructor should be able to teach their sport in the host nation language, making the instructor much more employable. BASI has not decided not to impose this stringent level yet, but it may well become a necessity within EU law. So get learning!"
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So what about those intending to teach in British Columbia and Vancouver? Is there a Canadian English test?
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Jane L, if you intend to work in an English speaking country, then it wouldn't matter which language you chose to do your second language module in...
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Quote:

So what about those intending to teach in British Columbia and Vancouver? Is there a Canadian English test?

.....or scots or gaelic? Wink
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I can do cockney, speaking it proper like wot I does cos it woz the way I woz brunged up, init
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