Pronunciation Exercise Using the "Shadowing" Method (Levels C1–C2)

Grammaire, orthographe et prononciation

Based on an excerpt from Guy de Maupassant's novel *Bel-Ami*.

TEACHING STRATEGY:

The primary objective is to have students read aloud using the “shadowing” method in order to achieve the best possible pronunciation while maintaining the proper intonation and adhering to the punctuation, which is very significant here.

For each paragraph, students will then look up unfamiliar vocabulary to expand their vocabulary.

A discussion will help students better understand the character’s intentions and his disillusioned nature, which borders on misanthropy.

An individual reading will allow us to assess the progress made and make adjustments as needed.

Finally, a “dramatized” reading will aim to bring the oral practice into a more physical dimension by adding gestures—and even movement for the most intrepid of our learners.

As for me, I have now closed off my soul. I no longer tell anyone what I believe, what I think, or what I love. Knowing I am condemned to horrible solitude, I observe things without ever expressing my opinion.

What do opinions, quarrels, pleasures, and beliefs matter to me! Unable to share anything with anyone, I have lost interest in everything. My thoughts, invisible, remain unexplored. I have trite phrases to answer everyday questions, and a smile that says “yes” when I don’t even want to bother speaking.

I no longer argue with anyone, I no longer defend anything, I no longer take offense at anything. I merely observe. I observe people’s opinions, doctrines, systems, and prejudices, and I say to myself, “How foolish it all is! How narrow-minded people are!”

Sometimes I amuse myself by repeating what this person or that person thinks, what a particular class, party, profession, or social circle believes. And I am always astounded to see just how convinced everyone is that they are right, just how much each person despises their neighbor, just how certain each person is of their own judgment and how much they scorn that of others.

Ah! If only we knew the vanity of all these certainties, the poverty of all these convictions, the foolishness of all this stubbornness! If we could see clearly into people’s minds, we would discover the same stupid pride, the same ridiculous infatuation, the same pretentious ignorance in the scholar, in the ignorant, in the intelligent, and in the fool alike.

For all men are equal. The only difference between them is the degree of their foolishness.

FURTHER EXPLORATION: WRITING EXERCISES ✍️ ✍️ ✍️ ✍️

This excerpt lends itself very well to C1-C2 writing exercises focused on introspection, disillusionment, social criticism, and philosophical argumentation.

1. Reasoned introspective monologue (C1)

Instructions

Following the narrator’s example, write an introspective essay in which you explain why you have gradually stopped debating with others.

Your text should:

  • express a psychological evolution;
  • include concrete examples;
  • use formal language;
  • incorporate techniques of emphasis and contrast;
  • be between 350 and 500 words long.

Linguistic Objectives

  • To qualify a judgment;
  • Use vocabulary related to thought and disillusionment;
  • Use:
    • concession;
    • hypothesis;
    • emphatic sentences;
    • anaphora;
    • the subjunctive.

Additional Challenge C2

Incorporate a philosophical reflection on:

  • truth,
  • the illusion of certainty,
  • or intellectual solitude.

2. Philosophical Refutation (C2)

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Instructions

The narrator states:

“All men are equal. The only difference between them is the degree of their foolishness.”

Write a reasoned refutation of this statement.

You must:

  • challenge the narrator’s pessimistic view;
  • develop a structured argument;
  • draw on historical, literary, or philosophical references;
  • adopt a formal and nuanced style.

Length

600 to 800 words.

Targeted Skills

  • Argumentation;
  • Logical structure;
  • Modalization;
  • Complex connectors:
    • certainly,
    • nevertheless,
    • still,
    • even if,
    • assuming that,
    • it must be acknowledged…

3. Change in Perspective (C1-C2)

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Instructions

Rewrite this passage from the perspective of:

  • a staunch optimist;
  • or from the perspective of someone deeply committed to political and social causes.

The character must implicitly respond to the narrator.

Educational Value

An excellent exercise for:

  • practicing polyphony;
  • changing the tone;
  • transforming a worldview;
  • expanding one’s vocabulary for argumentation.

4. Literary Sequel (C2)

Instructions

Imagine that an event deeply affects the narrator and forces them to open their heart to others again.

Write the continuation of the text while maintaining:

  • the style;
  • the rhythm of the sentences;
  • the literary register;
  • the psychological depth of the excerpt.

Guidelines

  • Include at least:
    • two rhetorical questions;
    • a gradation;
    • a extended metaphor;
    • a paragraph of pure introspection.
Happy woman with a tablet, celebrating success with arm raised, yellow background.

5. Literary Essay (Advanced C2)

Caucasian woman with curly hair and glasses in a thoughtful pose indoors.

Topic

Is withdrawal from the world a form of lucidity or a moral defeat?

Expected Criteria

  • An introduction that poses the problem;
  • Dialectical structure;
  • Literary or philosophical references;
  • Open-ended conclusion.

Possible References

  • The Pensées by Blaise Pascal
  • Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche
  • The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus
  • *Characters* by La Bruyère

6. Advanced Stylistic Exercise (C2)

Instructions

Identify and then imitate the stylistic devices used in the text:

  • anaphora;
  • accumulations;
  • ternary rhythms;
  • exclamatory sentences;
  • generalizations;
  • derogatory vocabulary.

Next, write an original paragraph on:

  • social media,
  • political debate,
  • or contemporary certainties,
    imitating the style of the excerpt.
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7. Preparatory Oral Task (C1-C2)

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Oral Exam Topic

“Are people incapable of truly listening to others?”

Variation

Debate:

  • One candidate defends the narrator’s lucidity;
  • the other denounces his cynicism and resignation.

This excerpt is particularly useful for exploring:

  • abstraction;
  • argumentative depth;
  • intellectual irony;
  • modality;
  • social criticism;
  • the development of a strong literary voice.

It is well suited to a C2-level assignment focusing on nuanced thinking and stylistic mastery.