Archive for 'Uncategorized'
Paris vs. Marseilles (Read in French) Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Oct 24, 2017
In the post below, you will find a paragraph in French about the rivalry between Paris Saint Germain and the Olympique de Marseille, two soccer clubs. Read in French first and try to pick out words that are familiar to you. Then, try to guess the meaning of unfamiliar words based on the context of…
The Fables of Jean de La Fontaine Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Oct 9, 2017
You’ve probably heard of Aesop’s fables before, but have you heard of La Fountain’s? These fables are famous to many French schoolchildren and are still enjoyed to this day. La Fontaine’s fables (given the title Les Fables choisies, mises en vers par M. de La Fontaine; “The Chosen Fables, Put Into Verse by Mr. de La…
Jacquetta de Luxembourg Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Oct 2, 2017
Recently, I’ve been enjoying the historical novels of Phillipa Gregory. While she might be best known for her series on the Tudors, Gregory has also written a series on the Wars of the Roses. The Wars of the Roses were fought in the fifteenth century between two rival branches in the Plantagenet family: the House…
Did You Know? The French in North America Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Sep 25, 2017
Did you know that there are 10.4 million Americans who can trace their history back to France or to French Canada? While it is generally known that French-American relations were very friendly during the Revolutionary Period (indeed, France’s centuries-long tension with Britain provoked a military relationship between the fledgling United States and France that directly…
Welcome, Libra! Come Learn About Your Zodiac Sign in French! Posted by Josh Dougherty on Sep 23, 2017
On Friday, September 22nd, we experienced the fall equinox, so say au revoir to summer and bonjour shorter days and colder weather. The 23rd marks both my 30th year on earth (omg) and also the start of the astrological sign Libra. Last week on two separate occasions, I was speaking to (much wiser) friends about…
Le Président et le code du travail Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Sep 18, 2017
If you’ve been listening to the news lately, you might have heard that the newly elected French president, Emmanuel Macron, has been the subject of protests because of his vision of changing France’s labor laws. In French, labor laws are referred to as le code du travail. Travail, of course, means “work,” and workers can…
MHD Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Sep 12, 2017
My husband was recently listening to music that caught my ear. It was catchy and happy—just what I needed to listen to at the moment. The artist, MHD, has become somewhat of a star in France since the release of his debut album last year. He’s played at Les Victoires de la Musique, the French…