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All 14 Flashcards — Describing the stimulus
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Question
le stimulus visuel
Answer
the visual stimulus — a PHOTO linked to a theme that you describe and interpret in the SL oral (not a literary text)
Question
décrire vs interpréter
Answer
décrire = say what you literally SEE (on voit…); interpréter = say what it MEANS/suggests (il semble que…). Describe FIRST.
Question
au premier plan
Answer
in the foreground — the nearest, front part of the photo («Au premier plan, on voit…»)
Question
à l'arrière-plan / au fond
Answer
in the background — the far, back part of the photo («À l'arrière-plan, on aperçoit…»)
Question
au centre / au milieu
Answer
in the centre / in the middle of the image
Question
à gauche / à droite
Answer
on the left / on the right of the photo
Question
on voit… / il y a…
Answer
presenting language: «we see…» / «there is/are…» — use these to introduce what is in the photo (present tense)
Question
il s'agit de…
Answer
it is about… — say what the photo is about overall («Il s'agit d'une scène de marché.»)
Question
cette image montre / représente…
Answer
this image shows / depicts… — another way to present what the photo is about
Question
il semble que… / on dirait que…
Answer
interpreting language: «it seems that…» / «it looks like…» — use these to say what the photo SUGGESTS
Question
être en train de + infinitif
Answer
to be (in the middle of) doing — stresses an action in progress in the photo («une femme est en train de choisir des fruits»)
Question
How do you describe a stimulus photo?
Answer
Overview (on voit / il s'agit de) → foreground (au premier plan, il y a) → background (à l'arrière-plan) → detail → interpret (il semble que) → theme link.
Question
Why does «il y a un arbre, il y a un chien…» lose marks?
Answer
It's a bare list: pure description with no position language and no interpretation — it loses Message marks.
Question
Which tense do you describe a photo in?
Answer
The PRESENT (on voit, il y a, ils sont en train de…), never the past — a photo shows a frozen moment happening now.
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