Archive by Author
Une Visite Chez Le Coiffeur Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Mar 20, 2017
Here’s a short story in French (with it’s English translation below) about my son’s monthly trips to the barbershop. Following these three paragraphs, you can find the vocabulary used in the story as well as additional vocabulary you can use for your own trip to the hairdresser. Chaque mois, mon mari amène notre fils chez…
Blizzard! Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Mar 14, 2017
In New York, we are awaiting a huge blizzard just several weeks before the first day of spring. But did you know that the word “blizzard” is actually a loanword–from English to French? The exact etymology of “blizzard” is unknown, although it was first used in the eighteenth century in Minnesota and it has been claimed…
French Film: Un Peu, Beaucoup, Aveuglément Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Mar 7, 2017
A great way to avail yourself to French movies (and learning more French, particularly if you listen to the original French while reading the English subtitles) is through Netflix. Many of Netflix’s foreign films are French, and they get many of these films typically within a year after they are released in their native country…
What Are the French Parts of Speech? Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Feb 27, 2017
Most native English speakers are familiar with the eight or nine English parts of speech (nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, interjections, and articles). All English words fall into one of these general parts of speech. Luckily, French follows the same basic organization of parts of speech that English does. Called les classes de mots, French parts…
Funny French Expressions Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Feb 23, 2017
Recently, we’ve gone over French idioms and other common French expressions. But now let’s go over some funny French expressions that will have you laughing out loud (check out this post on the French equivalent of LOL–MDR). Avoir le cafard One of the most common French idiomatic expressions is a funny … if not odd… one…
Qui était saint Valentin? (Who was Saint Valentine?) Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Feb 13, 2017
Tomorrow is a day that is both loved (and possibly loathed) around the world. However, in France, la Saint-Valentin is celebrated a bit differently than in the United States. While my son and I are making valentines for all of his classmates in a show of friendship, kids don’t do this in France. Rather, la…
Aïe! French When You’re in Pain Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Feb 6, 2017
Aïe! (Ow!) I caught a head cold and am dealing with a painful headache today. I’m trying not to complain too much, but sometimes you’ve just got to speak about your ailments. And, if you happen to be in France when said ailments come on, you’ll need the correct French translation to express your pain and get…