Archive for April, 2016
Le Monde: L’Atelier Diktée Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Apr 18, 2016
The French newspaper Le Monde has great resources for those who are trying to learn French. While Le Monde would certainly be useful for intermediate-advanced learners, it’s also a great way to learn not only about vocabulary, but about culture (including, of course, current events and politics!). In fact, Le Monde has several sections dedicated to French students…
It’s Springtime! – Open Windows in French Posted by John Bauer on Apr 13, 2016
Le printemps est arrivé (Spring is here) and the longer days, changing seasons, and changing clocks bring up thoughts of le grand nettoyage de printemps et les fleurs épanouies (spring cleaning and blooming flowers). The end of the cold months means that people will start opening up their houses and letting in l’air frais (fresh air)…
Mon Paris à moi / My Paris Posted by Tim Hildreth on Apr 12, 2016
After last week’s “trip” to ‘la Bretagne’, this week a few of my favorite things about Paris. The town I lived in during my time in France, Bois-Colombes, is just a short 10-minute train ride from the Gare St. Lazare (the St. Lazare train station) in Paris’s 8th arrondissement. Easy access to public transportation meant…
Le Passé Simple…in Action! Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Apr 11, 2016
Now that you’ve learned about what the simple past tense in French does and how to conjugate regular and irregular verbs, let’s take a look how it is used in classic works of literature. Here’s a passage from Guy de Maupassant’s famous short story “Les Bijoux”: Il chercha longtemps dans le tas de clinquant qu’elle…
Learning Through Poetry: “Le Jardin” by Jacques Prévert Posted by Josh Dougherty on Apr 7, 2016
La poésie (poetry) isn’t always everyone’s cup of tea, and reading and trying to understand it in a second language can be daunting. That being said, there are plenty of poems out there that are appropriate for any level. For beginners, I always recommend Jacques Prévert. I’ve taught a few of his poems, and my…
It Comes In Pints! – Beer In French Posted by John Bauer on Apr 6, 2016
When ordering something in a new country there are always surprises waiting in all the small differences from what you would expect and what actually arrives. One of my first times dans un bar français (in a French bar), on top of not knowing how to toast, I didn’t know how to order a beer…
Août en Bretagne Posted by Tim Hildreth on Apr 5, 2016
I arrived in France for the first time at the end of July (‘fin juillet’). I was jet-lagged, confused, and a little scared at the prospect of spending the next year so far away from everything and everyone I had grown up with back in the US. Before I even had time to settle in…