Archive for 'Vocabulary'
It’s Springtime! – Open Windows in French Posted by John Bauer on Apr 13, 2016
Le printemps est arrivé (Spring is here) and the longer days, changing seasons, and changing clocks bring up thoughts of le grand nettoyage de printemps et les fleurs épanouies (spring cleaning and blooming flowers). The end of the cold months means that people will start opening up their houses and letting in l’air frais (fresh air)…
Learning Through Poetry: “Le Jardin” by Jacques Prévert Posted by Josh Dougherty on Apr 7, 2016
La poésie (poetry) isn’t always everyone’s cup of tea, and reading and trying to understand it in a second language can be daunting. That being said, there are plenty of poems out there that are appropriate for any level. For beginners, I always recommend Jacques Prévert. I’ve taught a few of his poems, and my…
It Comes In Pints! – Beer In French Posted by John Bauer on Apr 6, 2016
When ordering something in a new country there are always surprises waiting in all the small differences from what you would expect and what actually arrives. One of my first times dans un bar français (in a French bar), on top of not knowing how to toast, I didn’t know how to order a beer…
Sick As A Dog – Catching A Cold In French Posted by John Bauer on Mar 30, 2016
I woke up l’autre jour (the other day) feeling sick. The combination of les maux, le nez bouché et le mal à la gorge (the aches, a stuffy nose, and a sore throat) let me know I had to get myself to une pharmacie or I’d end up calling les urgences. I took une douche…
Want to Try a Nun’s Fart? No Really – They’re Delicious! Posted by Josh Dougherty on Mar 24, 2016
Who doesn’t love a good French pastry? Even those who aren’t fans of sweets (they really do exist…) have to partake in these culinary treats while abroad to see what the big deal is. France is known for its pastries, but there are so much more than just les pains aux chocolat and les croissants…
Part 2: Line by Line Lesson: “Le droit à l’erreur” by Amel Bent Posted by Josh Dougherty on Mar 17, 2016
La semaine dernière (last week), I posted microlessons from the first 12 lines of Amel Bent’s Le droit à l’erreur (The Right to be Mistaken). The previous lessons focused on indefinite expressions, multiple word meanings, the 5 senses, negations, le passé composé vs. l’imparfait, the past infinitive, intensifiers, the uses of the word tout, coordinating…
Line by Line Lesson: “Le droit à l’erreur” by Amel Bent Posted by Josh Dougherty on Mar 10, 2016
Don’t you love it when a song you hadn’t heard in a long time comes on and you can sing along like a pro? This recently happened to me with a song I listened to when I started learning French. I didn’t know the lyrics well – it was always a song I had on…