Archive for 'Culture'
French Music – Jazz Manouche Posted by John Bauer on Feb 24, 2016
When people think of French music, they often think of one of the more famous chanteurs (singers) like Edith Piaf or Jacques Brel. But what else is there? Le jazz is one of the most famous styles de musique (styles of music) in the world. It made its way from New Orleans all the way…
Slow Cooker French Recipe: Fricassée de Poulet à l’Ancienne Posted by Josh Dougherty on Feb 18, 2016
Last year, I moved from the east coast to the west coast of the US, and one of the biggest shocks I had when I arrived was the weather. Why is it 80° in February? Don’t get me wrong – j’adore ce temps (I love this weather), but growing up on the other side of…
Can You Carry a Tune? – French Slang Posted by John Bauer on Feb 17, 2016
After living in France for several years I still learn new words and phrases every day. Whether it’s figuring out how to buy un tournevis (a screwdriver) or making mistakes, there’s a lesson to be learned. The same week I wrote about l’argent (money) I attended a meeting where I heard un nouveau mot (a…
The French Judiciary Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Feb 15, 2016
The American judiciary has been in the news a lot lately due to the passing of Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia. The Supreme Court, as most people know, is the highest federal court in the United States and acts as the final interpreter of all federal constitutional law. In France, the court that interprets constitutional…
Are You a French Noob? – French Web Series Posted by John Bauer on Feb 10, 2016
Modern TV shows are not always what I am looking for and it can be hard to access French TV outside of France. Heureusement (fortunately) there’s a lot of content on the internet to meet your French needs! I have a few web-séries and Youtubers I like to watch, like Norman or NesBlog, and today…
An Onion without an I – The French Spelling Reform Posted by Josh Dougherty on Feb 4, 2016
Anyone who has heard French can tell you it’s a beautiful language. Anyone who has written French can tell you it’s freaking difficult at times. Yes, those lovely sounds are accompanied by a complicated spelling system filled with silent endings, stem-changing verbs, hyphenation, elision, and doubled letters – and, of course, there are exceptions to…
What Does This House in San Francisco Have to do with the French? Posted by Josh Dougherty on Jan 28, 2016
Exactly one year ago today, I hopped on a plane to go visit a friend in San Francisco. I’d originally only planned to stay for 5 weeks, mais je suis tombé amoureux de la ville (but I fell in love with the city), and I never left. Whoops. I was excited about what it had…