Archive for November, 2017
Handfuls Of Hands – Common Gestures In French Posted by John Bauer on Nov 29, 2017
There are often small things that can be hard to learn in French because they aren’t things that are often said. Talking about specific hardware or buying a bed can lead to learning some interesting vocabulary. A similar difficult part of learning the language is learning the words for les gestes (gestures). When I first…
French Vocabulary – Nap Time Posted by Tim Hildreth on Nov 28, 2017
Last Thursday we celebrated the very American holiday of Thanksgiving* here in the United States. And while Thanksgiving is not typically celebrated in France, some of my best memories from my times in France happened on or around Thanksgiving time. First some vocabulary After dinner Thursday, I entered a state lovingly referred to in the…
Buying a House (in French) Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Nov 27, 2017
My husband and I recently bought our first house. It has been a welcome distraction, especially since we lost someone very important to us this year and we were getting lost in our grief. But it has also been chaotic, time-consuming, and a little scary, too! There are lots of things that I wasn’t familiar…
Like Wine? You Gotta Try the Beaujolais Nouveau! Posted by Josh Dougherty on Nov 26, 2017
It’s November, and for those of us in the States, the 4th Thursday of the month means expressing our gratitude by stuffing ourselves senseless with turkey and lining up to go shopping at 4am the next morning. In France, though, it is the 3rd Thursday that’s a big deal. Unlike the US’s special November Thursday…
To Do The Point – Fun French Expressions Posted by John Bauer on Nov 22, 2017
There are some expressions that can seem really strange. Whether it’s being known like le loup blanc (the white wolf) or being sick as a dog, there is a lot of colorful language that often goes unnoticed by les locuteurs natifs (native speakers). Il y a une expression française (there’s a French expression) that really…
French History – Le Manureva Posted by Tim Hildreth on Nov 21, 2017
Thirty-nine years ago, the French sailor Alain Colas and his boat, le Manureva, disappeared off the Azores (a group of North Atlantic islands about 850 miles west of the coast of Portugal) while particpating in the Route du Rhum. The tale has inspired many, including the French composer Alain Chamfort and the singer/songwriter Serge Gainsbourg…
Coeur de Pirate (And A Goncourt Announcement) Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Nov 20, 2017
My husband is a big fan of Nouvelle Star, the French equivalent of the British show Pop Idol. It is similar in format to The X Factor and other music reality shows, where a jury of famous and/or influential people in the music industry vote on whether or not to allow musicians through to the next level, and eventually to…