Archive by Author
Punctuation Mark and Symbol Names in French Posted by Josh Dougherty on May 26, 2016
John’s post yesterday reminded me of the first time I had to orally give mon adresse mail. I knew she was talking about my email address. I’d mastered the alphabet and proudly spelled out the letters, but I stopped when I got to the at sign. How do you say that?? I didn’t want to say…
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…
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…
10 Items You Can Buy in France But Not in the USA Posted by Josh Dougherty on Apr 28, 2016
Going for a long stay abroad is both exciting and scary. When you get there, you quickly learn that the language skills you’ve mastered in the classroom aren’t exactly used that way in real life. You’ll run into accents you have hard time understanding and new expressions you don’t know. But it isn’t just a…
Thumbs Up! Counting with Your Fingers in France Posted by Josh Dougherty on Apr 21, 2016
It’s no secret that counting in French for beginners comes with some difficulty. Even after years of practice, your natural reaction may be to think of the numbers in your native language. That’s how it’s been for me, anyway, and it’s been over 14 years. If a number comes up while I’m speaking in…
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…
Want to Try a Nun’s Fart? No Really – They’re Delicious! Posted by Josh Dougherty on Mar 24, 2016
Who doesn’t love a good French pastry? Even those who aren’t fans of sweets (they really do exist…) have to partake in these culinary treats while abroad to see what the big deal is. France is known for its pastries, but there are so much more than just les pains aux chocolat and les croissants…