French pronunciation basics part 2 Posted by Tim Hildreth on Mar 21, 2017
A few weeks ago, I shared a fun song that highlights proper pronunciation for the common ‘oo’ sound in French, based on requests for more help with pronunciation. This week in our continuing journey of sound, I thought it would be a good time to talk about final consonants. As many of you probably know…
Une Visite Chez Le Coiffeur Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Mar 20, 2017
Here’s a short story in French (with it’s English translation below) about my son’s monthly trips to the barbershop. Following these three paragraphs, you can find the vocabulary used in the story as well as additional vocabulary you can use for your own trip to the hairdresser. Chaque mois, mon mari amène notre fils chez…
Managing Le Déménagement – Moving In French Posted by John Bauer on Mar 15, 2017
After a few more longues layovers I’ve settled into mon nouvel appartement (my new apartment). The whole process of moving was stressful, but not nearly as much as ma soutenance (my thesis defense). After the holiday cheer died down and the sounds of Bonjour Noël were drowned out by the cries of “Bon Nouvel An…
A few of my favorite things Posted by Tim Hildreth on Mar 14, 2017
This week marks my cinquante-deuxième (52nd) entry to the Transparent Language French blog! Bon anniversaire à moi! (Happy anniversary to me!) Cinquante-deux semaine (52 weeks) means it’s been just un an (one year) since I first introduced myself to you! I hope it’s been une bonne année (a good year) for all of you and…
Blizzard! Posted by Elizabeth Schmermund on Mar 14, 2017
In New York, we are awaiting a huge blizzard just several weeks before the first day of spring. But did you know that the word “blizzard” is actually a loanword–from English to French? The exact etymology of “blizzard” is unknown, although it was first used in the eighteenth century in Minnesota and it has been claimed…
And the César Goes To… Best French Films of 2016 Posted by Josh Dougherty on Mar 10, 2017
Oscar season may be over, but there’s still some (understood) hype about the nominated movies and also the ceremony itself. Viola Davis gave an impassioned acceptance speech, Meryl Streep received a standing ovation for her “overrated” career, the Jimmy Kimmel/Matt Damon feud continued, political talk was able to sneak its way in, and we…
La Vaisselle – Washing Dishes In French Posted by John Bauer on Mar 8, 2017
My early trips to l’épicerie were an interesting exercise in how much I trusted my French. I took gambles on whether the bottle I was buying was l’assouplissant (softener) or la lessive (detergent), hoping it wasn’t l’eau de Javel (bleach). I haven’t had the luxury of having an apartment with un lave-vaisselle (a dishwasher) since…