Tag Archives: French language
French language and culture – the life of a teacher Posted by Tim Hildreth on Dec 19, 2017
I think education has the power to change the world. One of these days, I hope to put my love of French and my passion for education to good use teaching French at a local school. Thankfully, being a teacher today – while still a difficult job – isn’t nearly as hard as it used…
French Language and Culture – At school Posted by Tim Hildreth on Dec 12, 2017
As I’ve mentioned before, ma tante Rose (my Aunt Rose) likes to send funny jokes and pictures from the internet. Her latest courriel (email) contained an attachment that sent me off on a little bit of an internet adventure. Unfortunately it meant a lot of extra digging. Fortunately it led to some fun discoveries that I’ll…
French Grammar – Putting an addition on the “the house of être” Posted by Tim Hildreth on Dec 5, 2017
êFrench uses helping verbs to form the past tense form known as the passé compose (the composed past)*. Most verbs use avoir as their helping verb while a select group though use être. While this rule is generally true, there is a special case when even verbs that usually take avoir use être to form…
French Vocabulary – Nap Time Posted by Tim Hildreth on Nov 28, 2017
Last Thursday we celebrated the very American holiday of Thanksgiving* here in the United States. And while Thanksgiving is not typically celebrated in France, some of my best memories from my times in France happened on or around Thanksgiving time. First some vocabulary After dinner Thursday, I entered a state lovingly referred to in the…
French History – Le Manureva Posted by Tim Hildreth on Nov 21, 2017
Thirty-nine years ago, the French sailor Alain Colas and his boat, le Manureva, disappeared off the Azores (a group of North Atlantic islands about 850 miles west of the coast of Portugal) while particpating in the Route du Rhum. The tale has inspired many, including the French composer Alain Chamfort and the singer/songwriter Serge Gainsbourg…
Reading Signs in French Posted by Tim Hildreth on Nov 14, 2017
A very important skill for traveling abroad is reading signs. This is as true in France as it is in any country. Reading the local signs isn’t generally a matter de vie ou de mort (of life or death), but sometimes it can mean the difference between privacy … and, well, wet shoes. I love…
Chartres Posted by Tim Hildreth on Oct 31, 2017
Located just over an hour to the southwest of Paris, the city of Chartres makes a perfect stop on the drive from Paris to points west (like la Bretagne). It is home to, among other things, the beautiful Notre-Dame de Chartres cathedral. That, along with a nice lunch, is just about a perfect detour in…