Archive for May, 2016
L’heure de la sortie / Quitting Time Posted by Tim Hildreth on May 17, 2016
Listening to one of my old favorites in the car the other day, I got to thinking about French expressions for time and in particular the difference between some very common expressions that, while not exactly confusing, can trip up the novice and experienced language learner alike. You see, the French have two words for…
Songs in French: Stephan Eicher Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on May 16, 2016
Stephan Eicher is a Swiss singer-songwriter who sings in many languages, including French, German, Italian, English, Swiss-German, and Romanche (a Romance language spoken in some areas of Switzerland). While his earliest success began in German-speaking countries, Eicher has become well known in French-speaking countries as well. Eicher debuted his career as a techno-punk artist, then gradually…
France’s 2016 Eurovision Submission! Posted by Josh Dougherty on May 12, 2016
It’s May, and for many Europeans, it’s the return of something very important. Non, je ne parle pas du soleil (no, I’m not talking about the sun), but Eurovision! Not familiar with it? Basically, every participating country submits a singer and song to represent them. From there, the songs are performed in 2 semi-finals and…
Follow The Footprints – Origin Of Pied-Noir Posted by John Bauer on May 11, 2016
Last week I interviewed Arnaud Fièvre as a part of the Real French Series. One of the things he talked about was le mot (the word) pied-noir. Litterally translated pied-noir is black-foot, but it has a different meaning in French. According to le Larousse, pied-noir is a noun and an adjective and has the following…
A singer captures mon cœur Posted by Tim Hildreth on May 10, 2016
Not every country is lucky enough to have a former model as their “first lady”, but France isn’t just any country! Carla Bruni Sarkozy, the wife of France’s former president, Nicolas Sarkozy (president from May 2007 – May 2012)* is not only a model, but also an accomplished singer. Italian by birth, Carla Bruni grew…
Le Petit Journal Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on May 9, 2016
A big announcement in French television occurred today when Yann Barthès, the host of Le Petit Journal, announced that he would be leaving the show after five years as its host. Le Petit Journal is often compared to The Daily Show in America, and Barthès was often compared to former Daily Show host Jon Stewart. Although Barthès…
Happy Saint Judith’s Day! Name Day Celebrations in France Posted by Josh Dougherty on May 5, 2016
May the 5th is more than just cinco de mayo. On this day, we also celebrate Judith of Prussia. Judith was born in the 13th century in Thuringia, which is now part of central Germany. At the age of 15, she married a very rich man who enjoyed displaying his wealth around the village. Judith…