‘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…
Dual Gender Nouns Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on May 2, 2016
I’ll never forget the moment my husband pointed at the tie he was wearing and said, “Do you think she’s too short?” He was just learning English at the time and was used to all nouns having a gender in French. I didn’t understand who he was talking about at first … me? Some other…
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…
Ancient France: La Forêt de Brocéliande Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Apr 25, 2016
Brocéliande is a mythical forest that first appeared in chivalric tales in the twelfth century, most notably legends featuring King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. (King Arthur is a mythic early sixth century king and scholars still debate over whether or not he actually existed, although it is likely he was based…
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…