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…
Critics of the 2016 French Language Reforms Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Feb 8, 2016
As Josh detailed last week on the French spelling reform, the recent declaration by l’Académie française to implement spelling spelling changes that affect around 2,500 words was met with some resistance. Francophones (and Francophiles) have taken to twitter not only with the hashtag #JeSuisCirconflexe, but with examples of how the circumflex accent changes the meaning…
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…
Do You Feel Like A Million Bucks? – Money and Slang Posted by John Bauer on Feb 3, 2016
There are countless words and expressions that people use every day without realizing how they do not make much sense. L’argot (slang) is an important part of every language, but one that is unfortunately hard to find in many textbooks. Figuring out how exactly to say one million can be hard enough before trying to…
Gad Elmaleh…à New York! Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Feb 1, 2016
Mon mari a très hâte de voir son comédien préféré à New York, où il est en tournée jusqu’à juin. My husband is very excited to see his favorite comedian in New York, where he is performing until June. Gad Elmaleh is a star in French, where he is known not only as one of…