Archive for 'Culture'
Mind your manners Posted by Tim Hildreth on Feb 28, 2017
The French are very big on manners and following the rules of étiquette. You can read here about the rules for gift giving, here for proper greetings, and here for the rules for kissing (yes, they even have rules for that!). But do you know where the rules come from? The rules of French etiquette…
French Country Music: Baptiste W. Hamon Posted by John Bauer on Feb 22, 2017
When I’m walking around France the entire world is my textbook. The sounds of everyday life teach me new things like what exactly un tournevis is or how to buy batteries. I also get to hear de la musique française (French music) just by walking around, but sometimes I hear a song I really like…
Have You Heard “Are We Awake?” by French Singer Tal? Posted by Josh Dougherty on Feb 17, 2017
Since the beginning of time, music has helped us express ourselves in another way besides just speaking. Styles change and trends emerge, but music remains something important and essential in every culture. Headed to France any time soon? Turn on the radio and you’ll certainly hear the song we’re featuring today. The singer, Tal, has…
Are French Fries French? Part 3 Posted by John Bauer on Feb 15, 2017
The history of how English words use French as an adjective can be surprising and interesting. We’ve already looked at quite a few words in part 1 and part 2, and in this final part we’re going to look into la polémique (the controversy) surrounding the French origin of les frites. D’où vient les pommes…
Love and animals? Posted by Tim Hildreth on Feb 14, 2017
Happy Valentine’s Day! C’est le 14 février*. Le jour des amoureux ! (It’s the 14th of February. The day of lovers!) In honor of the day, I thought a little song about love was in order. Malheureusement (Sadly), l’amour n’est pas toujours facile ! (love isn’t always easy!) So while today’s song is about love…
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…
Les chansons de supporteurs de foot (French football songs) Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Jan 31, 2017
If you’ve ever watched a French football (soccer) game, you’ve probably noticed that fans shout out some very energetic and catchy songs and cheers. These songs differ depending on the team fans are cheering for, of course. (And it’s not just French fans who do this–if you’ve ever watched a Liverpool game, you might be familiar with You’ll…