Six étudiants de différents pays se rencontrent. Qu’ont-ils en commun ? Ils sont tous venus passer un semestre dans une université américaine. Pendant ce séjour, ils vont améliorer leur niveau d’anglais, découvrir un peu plus la culture américaine et approfondir leurs connaissances dans leur domaine d’étude. Cette série de conversations en anglais est consacrée à ces six étudiants et à leur quotidien pendant ces quelques mois aux États-Unis. Elle a été conçue pour les apprenants ayant un niveau d’anglais intermédiaire ou avancé.
Cliquez sur le lien audio et écoutez la conversation tout en la lisant ci-dessous. Les mots importants sont expliqués à la fin, en anglais, de façon à vous immerger totalement dans la langue. Ils sont suivis d’une brève traduction ou explication en français. Et si vous voulez suivre la leçon tout en anglais, de l’introduction à la conclusion, cliquez ici.
Dans cette conversation, trois étudiants (Lucía, Ajay et Jana) discutent du leadership féminin, notamment à l’échelle mondiale.
Lucía: Studying for this political science exam is driving me crazy!
Jana: Relax. Ajay and I were planning to take a study break, so we can help you study.
Ajay: Yeah, of course. What do you need to know for the exam?
Lucía: Well, at the moment, I’m learning that women leaders of countries are rare.
Ajay: I mean, I knew there were fewer female leaders than men, but how rare?
Lucía: Of all the elected heads of state in the world, less than 10 percent are women.
Jana: Less than 10 percent? That’s a terribly low percentage.
Ajay: I don’t understand why more women aren’t elected. Women have excellent leadership qualities.
Jana: Yeah, we do! For example, I can definitely multitask. And when I’m working on an engineering project, I have to collaborate. Those are both qualities that leaders should have.
Lucía: Absolutely. And you’ve seen me on the soccer field, so you know I’m strategic and decisive.
Jana: Also excellent qualities for leaders. And women also have grit. So many women have fought for what they believe in, even in the face of opposition.
Ajay: You didn’t have to convince me. I think both of you would make fantastic leaders. Wait, aren’t both of you leaders of clubs on campus?
Un peu de vocabulaire
In this context, the phrase “driving me crazy” means “making me annoyed and frustrated.” (Énerver, taper sur les nerfs, rendre dingue)
A study break is a short period of time when a student stops studying and does another activity. (Une pause pendant les révisions)
A head of state is a person who is selected to be the head of the government of a country. An elected head of state is a person who is selected by voting to be the head of the government of his or her country. (Un chef d’État; un chef d’État élu)
To elect means to select someone by voting. (Élire)
Leadership qualities are the characteristics that leaders often have or that people think leaders should have.
To multitask means to be able to do several different things at the same time.
To collaborate is to work with one or more other people in order to achieve a common goal, create something, or do something.
Strategic means related to a plan of achieving a purpose or goal.
To be decisive means to make decisions quickly and with confidence. (Décidé, ferme, résolu ; qui sait prendre des decisions. Dans un autre contexte : décisif)
Grit is a characteristic that means having mental courage and determination. (Résilience)
The phrase in the face of opposition means the time you meet or deal with the people or group you are competing against, as in business or a game.
In this context, the word wait is short for wait a minute/second/moment. This means that the person speaking has just remembered or thought of something. (Ici : Mais au fait. Ce verbe signifie normalement « attendre ».)
In colleges and universities in the U.S., there are often clubs. A club is a group of people who meet to participate in activities or events, such as a sport, hobby or other shared interest.
Vous voulez approfondir vos connaissances en anglais ? Profitez de nos articles sur ShareAmerica.
Le site American English* propose toute sortes de ressources gratuites pour les profs d’anglais et les apprenants. Sur la page Facebook d’American English*, retrouvez chaque jour du matériel d’apprentissage en anglais.
Les conversations en anglais sont produites par Heidi Howland, des programmes d’anglais du Bureau des affaires éducatives et culturelles du département d’État.
*en anglais
