Tag Archives: french blog
French Culture – Architectural Oddities Posted by Tim Hildreth on Mar 3, 2020
The news from France doesn’t stop (apparently some people think that Emmanuel Macron is more than just a bad president) and I do want to touch on the spread of Covid-19 in France, but in times like these, we can all use a little bit of divertissement (distraction). L’architecture … hmmm … de Paris? Everyone…
French Language – Time and Temperature Posted by Tim Hildreth on Jan 7, 2020
What better time than the beginning of a new year (and the beginning of l’hiver / winter) to talk about the time and the weather. My colleagues here at Transparent Language have covered some of this before, so think of this week as a review … with some helpful tips and new vocabulary. C’est l’heure…
French Language – Pom, pom, pom Posted by Tim Hildreth on Dec 17, 2019
I’ve heard it said that if you don’t encounter a language before a certain age, there are sounds in that language that will not only be difficult (if not impossible) for you to pronounce properly, but even hard for you to hear! I say it’s never too late as long as you apply yourself. This…
French Culture – Songs, songs, songs Posted by Tim Hildreth on Dec 10, 2019
Le nouvel an (New years) is just a few short weeks away, but it’s not just a new year, it’s a whole new décenie (decade). The perfect time for a look back … and for un cadeau (a gift). In the new year, Transparent Language will be sponsoring a “greatest hits” Spotify list of songs…
French Language – Three Wise Monkeys Posted by Tim Hildreth on Oct 8, 2019
A random line in one of my favorite French podcasts sent me down a bit of a rabbit hole to explore a variety of expressions … and from rabbits I was soon at des singes (monkeys)! Il n’y a pas pire aveugle … A few years back, I wrote a blog on the senses in…
French Vocabulary – Talking about family Posted by Tim Hildreth on Sep 10, 2019
I just finished a book called Mon frère (My bother) in which the French écrivain (writer) Daniel Pennac interweaves his memories of a dear older brother with excerpts from a Herman Melville short story. The short text, which I picked up last summer on my trip to France avec mon fils (with my son), touched…
French Culture – Back to School Posted by Tim Hildreth on Sep 3, 2019
Et oui, c’est encore la rentrée (des classes). (And yes, it’s back to school time!). This year, les élèves français (French students) across the country returned to leurs études (their studies) le lundi, 2 septembre (Monday, September 2). Mais avant / But first (before) Back to school (la rentrée) means back to school shopping. Chaque année, les parents reçoivent…