Archive for November, 2018
Uncle Fingernail – Mispronouncing Oncle And Delivering Good News Posted by John Bauer on Nov 28, 2018
I received some very good news earlier this week! Ma petite sœur (my little sister) had a child and added to our family! All the messages about ma petite soeur were flooding in from ma famille (my family) as she was taken to the hospital, getting ready to become une mère (a mother). Après l’accouchement…
French History – World War I bis Posted by Tim Hildreth on Nov 27, 2018
Last week I shared a short excerpt from the Bulletin de Lille, a biweekly paper printed under the direction of the German Command in Lille. I love how the exchange illustrates the delicate dance between occupied and occupier that can arise in such situations. This week we look at a another except that highlights another…
It’s In The Pocket – Fun French Expressions With La Poche Posted by John Bauer on Nov 21, 2018
Some expressiosn françaises (French expressions) are as close as les poches (pockets). In fact, this little word poche is hiding quite a few fun expressions. My confusion with la poche in une expression française was brought up recently while I was at Disneyland. When leaving the studio section of the park, there’s a big sign…
French History – WWI and the Occupation Posted by Tim Hildreth on Nov 20, 2018
Last week the world celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Armistice that ended la Grande Guerre which ravaged Europe from 1914 – 1918*. As a young man living in France, I heard much more about la deuxième Guerre Mondiale since my host parents had lived under that occupation**, but the recent anniversary got me thinking about that previous…
Stuck In The Stuffing – Running Late In French Posted by John Bauer on Nov 14, 2018
The fast pace of a busy work day leaves little room for mistakes. When you are au bureau (at work), it’s important to know how to deal with new words or forgetting vocabulary so you can quickly tackle the task at hand. When un collègue (a coworker) uses une expression ou de l’argot (a expression…
Francophone language and culture – Finding an amazing meal in Québec Posted by Tim Hildreth on Nov 13, 2018
Sometimes the best things in life are surprises. The best meal I ever ate, was just such a surprise. Travelling through Québec on our way to viste la tante Rose, we found a marvelous meal, a wonderful souvenir (memory), and a story we still tell. All of these wonderful memories were brought back last week when ma tante…
Learning Voting Vocabulary With A Ballot Mistake Posted by John Bauer on Nov 7, 2018
After the spooky end of October, les élections de mi-mandat (the midterm elections) quickly arrived with a day involving more than just making decisions on future government positions and new laws. For French learners, it was also a vocabulary test every time the topic came up in conversation! Living en France, the US midterm elections…