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French Music – A Christmas Song Posted by Tim Hildreth on Dec 24, 2019
Today is le réveillon de Noël (Christmas eve) … et demain c’est Noël (tomorrow is Christmas). And while it is a time of joy and celebrations for many, it is also a time to remember those who cannot fully enjoy the saison des fêtes (holiday season) for whatever reason. In 2015, the French singer Michel Polnareff released…
French Language – Pom, pom, pom Posted by Tim Hildreth on Dec 17, 2019
I’ve heard it said that if you don’t encounter a language before a certain age, there are sounds in that language that will not only be difficult (if not impossible) for you to pronounce properly, but even hard for you to hear! I say it’s never too late as long as you apply yourself. This…
French Culture – Songs, songs, songs Posted by Tim Hildreth on Dec 10, 2019
Le nouvel an (New years) is just a few short weeks away, but it’s not just a new year, it’s a whole new décenie (decade). The perfect time for a look back … and for un cadeau (a gift). In the new year, Transparent Language will be sponsoring a “greatest hits” Spotify list of songs…
French Current Events Posted by Tim Hildreth on Dec 3, 2019
December isn’t typically la saison des grèves (strike season) in France, but this year the month that usually kicks off the holiday season will being with la grande grève du 5 décembre (the great strike of December 5). What’s the problem? In what could be the largest social movement in years, “plusieurs millions de salariés du public…
French Commercial – Sharing the work Posted by Tim Hildreth on Nov 26, 2019
Ariel is not just famously the Petite Sirène (Little Mermaid), in France, it is also the name of a well-known laundry detergent. On my recent trip to France, I saw the following commercial that resonated with me. Commercials are not only a great way to learn vocabulary, since they are often very concrete and the…
La Place Dauphine – Paris Posted by Tim Hildreth on Nov 19, 2019
I’ve been to Paris so often that sometimes I think I must have seen it all (even though I know I have so much more to discover!) On my recent trip, I got to discover one of those little hidden gems that make Paris so wonderful … and I had been walking right by it…
From Paris With Love Posted by Tim Hildreth on Nov 12, 2019
I recently spent the weekend in Paris. Two very important people in my life were celebrating leur 25e anniversaire de mariage (25th wedding anniversary) and since I had been at their wedding 25 years ago, it seemed only fitting to go back for the party! While I (happily!) spent most of my time visiting with loved…