Learning 3 New Words From 1 Mistake Posted by John Bauer on May 23, 2018
Hier (yesterday), summer weather stormed through Paris and it started pouring during the humid afternoon. Le temps (the weather) may seem like nothing but small talk, but it ended up teaching me trois nouveaux mots (three new words)! It was a dark and stormy après-midi (afternoon) when it started happening. I turned to mon collègue…
A visit to Monaco Posted by Tim Hildreth on May 22, 2018
The Grand Prix de Monaco is this weekend (le 24 – 27 mai/May). It seemed like the occasion idéale (perfect opportunity) to talk about that tiny country nestled between France and Italy along la mer méditerranée (the Mediterranean Sea). Monaco or Monte-Carlo At just 2 square kilometers (or 485 acres), Monaco is the second-smallest country in the world (only…
French Poetry: “La Coccinelle” de Victor Hugo Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on May 21, 2018
I always love the time of year when ladybugs start coming out. In French, a ladybug is called une coccinelle, and it symbolizes good luck. The French often refer to les coccinelles as “les bêtes à bon Dieu,” which means something like “Good God’s creatures.” Some linguists state that this expression dates back to medieval times. According to medieval legend…
Gee Or Jay – Why I Struggle To Spell My Name In French Posted by John Bauer on May 16, 2018
One of the first things covered in most French classes is, reasonably, the alphabet. L’alphabet français (the French alphabet) is almost the same as l’alphabet anglais (the English alphabet), but that similarity hides some easy mistakes, especially when you need to spell something out loud. After learning l’alphabet français, I didn’t pay much attention to…
French Music – What happened to the shop girl? Posted by Tim Hildreth on May 15, 2018
Last week I introduced you to the French singer Bénabar, and through him, to la petite vendeuse. As I mentioned, Bénabar’s songs tell stories. And fortunately for us, sometimes those stories se retrouvent et se rejoignent (find each other and connect) in other songs. Un jeune vigile A young security guard embauche en civil au grand magasin Begins his…
French Music: “Si Tu Veux” by Mumford and Sons Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on May 14, 2018
If you’re a diehard Mumford and Sons fan, you might be aware that they’ve released one song in French. “Si Tu Veux” is a collaboration between Mumford and Sons, the Senegalese singer Baaba Maal, the South African pop group Beatenberg, and the producer-vocalist The Very Best. It was released on their Johannesburg EP, which was…
12 Points for France! How Did France do in the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest? Posted by Josh Dougherty on May 13, 2018
It’s May! If you grew up in Europe (or Australia?), you know the best time of year has finally arrived. It has nothing to do with the warm weather or holidays and everything to do with a little friendly competition between countries. More glitzy than “American Idol” and less heartbreaking stories than “The Voice” is…