Archive for 'Culture'
French Music – Michel Delpech Posted by Tim Hildreth on Aug 13, 2019
We’ve just had our first few cool nights here in the Northeastern United States and while still weeks away, it got me thinking about a fall state of mind. En France, la fin de l’été et le début de l’automne signale l’ouverture de la chasse (In France, the end of summer and the beginning of…
French Architecture – The Louvre Pyramid Posted by Tim Hildreth on Aug 6, 2019
In previous posts, I’ve alluded to the fact that not everyone was originally happy about plans to build a giant glass-and-steel pyramid in the heart of one of Paris’s most treasured buildings. This week we look at a historical document that illustrates the different opinions of the time. Des Racines et des Ailes / Of roots…
French Culture Retro Pubs 4 Posted by Tim Hildreth on Jul 30, 2019
This week we’ll rap up our exploration of classic ’80’s commercials with a look at a commercial for the lessive Gama (Gama laundry detergent). After our earlier discussion about shops and shopping in France, this pub (commercial) introduces us to some of the commerçants (shopkeepers, business people) who work in France. Français English Rue Gama Gama Street Y…
A Whole New Blue World – Aladdin In French Posted by John Bauer on Jul 24, 2019
My love of the great songs from Disney only helps making learning French easier. With the recent release of Aladdin, I had a whole new world of excuses to sing loudly in French! Le saviez-vous (fun fact, litterally: did you know?) ? the first movie I ever saw au cinéma (at the movie theater) is…
French Culture – Retro Pub 3 Posted by Tim Hildreth on Jul 23, 2019
This week, another commercial from the 80’s. I like commercials because they are short, often have lots of great vocabulary, and can often be like litte stories. This commercial from Volkswagen plays with our expectations with a series of retournements (reversals) and a surprising ending. Français English Il a misé un million sur le noir ……
How Benjamin Franklin Inspired A Revolutionary Song – Celebrating Bastille Day In French Posted by John Bauer on Jul 17, 2019
With a weekend filled with fireworks and French pride, I thought it’d be fun to look into une chanson patriotique (a patriotic song) other than la Marsaillaise. L’hymne national français (the French national anthem) is known all around the world. Even if people are a little hazy on les paroles (the lyrics), the first few…
French Culture – Retro Pubs 2 Posted by Tim Hildreth on Jul 16, 2019
This week we enjoy another vintage commercial from the 1980’s. This one features (amazingly) the chanteur français (French singer) Patrick Bruel (même un très jeune Patrick Bruel / and a very young Patric Bruel, at that). Français English Moi j’ai le plan pour les vacances* I’ve got the plan for vacation Je prends le train…