Le cinéma français: Entre les Murs Posted by Jennie on Apr 9, 2010
Hier soir (last night), I stayed up till 2h du matin (2:00 in the morning!) to finish watching “Entre les murs,” a film released in the US as “The Class.” Normalement, je ne suis pas très fan du cinéma—normally, I’m not a big fan of cinema. I get scared easily (« Le Roi Lion » m’a fait…
Confusing French Pair: La Langue vs. Le Langage Posted by Jennie on Apr 7, 2010
It’s hard to grasp as a débutant (beginner), but great French writing is elegantly structured without losing its clarté. More than croissants or fashion, I think la culture française se défine (French culture defines itself) by its language—both la langue and le langage. These two words fascinated me when I first learned them. They have…
The French Language: L’Éloquence, Par Excellence! Posted by Hichem on Apr 6, 2010
If the Italians are notoriously known for their obssession with l’Opéra, the English for their penchant towards the performing arts, the Germans for their grand amour of la musique classique, then what about the French? Eh bien the French are tout simplement fond of their own language! What they cherish par-dessus tout (above all) is…
Un petit déjeuner parisien Posted by Jennie on Apr 5, 2010
One of the things I miss most about Paris is the breakfasts—les petits déjeuners. (Before we go any further, did you know that « jeuner » means to fast, so « déjeuner » is literally to break the fast ?) Un petit déjeuner parisien, for me, c’est tout simple. It depends if you’re eating chez…
Un apéro à la française Posted by Jennie on Apr 1, 2010
My favorite French custom, sans exception, is l’apéro, or l’apéritif: the late-afternoon, pre-dinner cocktail hour. Whether you’re in France or having friends over chez vous, here are the bons mots de vocabulaire (right vocabulary words)! An apéro is a goûter (snack) for grown-ups. You’ll need des boissons et de quoi grignoter—drinks and something to snack…
How To Feast Like the French Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 31, 2010
Although French restaurants might seem similar to the ones in North America, there are some differences you should know about. Eateries in France are essentially temples for worshiping food. Each part of the country has its own specialties which beguile your nose and tickle your taste buds. But in order to feast like the French…
How To Write A Résumé in French Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 25, 2010
Are you thinking about trying to get a job in a French-speaking country? It would be a great language learning-experience, that’s for sure! If you are, then you will need to know a few important things about writing a résumé for your prospective employer(s). 1. The first order of business? Résumé literally means “summary”, so…