Archive for 'Culture'
A singer captures mon cœur Posted by Tim Hildreth on May 10, 2016
Not every country is lucky enough to have a former model as their “first lady”, but France isn’t just any country! Carla Bruni Sarkozy, the wife of France’s former president, Nicolas Sarkozy (president from May 2007 – May 2012)* is not only a model, but also an accomplished singer. Italian by birth, Carla Bruni grew…
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…
‘Zapping’ for beginners Posted by Tim Hildreth on May 3, 2016
« Le zapping est, dans le langage familier, une manière de regarder la télévision consistant à changer régulièrement de chaîne, et le plus souvent à une fréquence élevée, dans le but de trouver un programme que le spectateur jugera satisfaisant à regarder. Une pratique courante est de zapper durant les coupures de publicité. »* https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zapping, May 1…
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…
Saint-John Perse – French Poetry Posted by John Bauer on Apr 28, 2016
I interviewed mon ami (my friend) as a part of the Real French Series, and I wanted to get him to share de la culture française (some French culture) as a part of the interview. I asked him to recite une poème (a poem), and he was happy to share one! I had never heard…
Because you can’t always have Paris in the springtime . . . Posted by Tim Hildreth on Apr 26, 2016
It’s no secret that Paris is my favorite city. If I could, I would go there every year. Unfortunately, it’s all the way on the other side of the ocean! And with a limited budget (and limited American-style vacations!), I have to content myself with a trip every few years. Fortunately I live within driving…
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…