This is a true story. The events depicted in this text took place in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 2013. That is a good start for this story because I know it might sound unbelievable for one or two folks out there, but I guarantee you that at the time, I was as shameless as the […]
MOREHow I (Finally) Learned French after 10 Language Fails
How to fail at languages? Let me count the ways. At one of our summer parties this year, I said three sentences in French and the crowd broke out into a unison song of “Ohhhhh. Ahhhhh!” My monolingual friends are often amazed when they hear me speak a foreign language. It’s a reaction that I […]
MORE10 Ways to Say “How Are You?” in French (+ 10 Ways to Respond)
Comment allez-vous ? – “How are you?” When it comes to greeting your fellow French speakers, there are many ways to ask how they’re doing. In this article, I’ll teach you how to ask someone how they are in French. That way, the next time you greet your French friends, you’ll be equipped with plenty […]
MORE“I Learned This Language Just for You”: How to Save the World One Language at a Time
To learn a new language, you need a fire inside you. My identity as a language learner was forged by a spark that left me in tears. I made a little girl cry. Now, I actually started “learning” languages when I took French my sophomore year of high school. I thought it would be fun […]
MOREHow Pretending I Understood Italian Got Me Into a Whole Lot of Trouble in Italy
Finally, it was here. Our long-awaited holiday, a whole two weeks touring our favourite country – Italy! I was excited not just because of the amazing landscapes, food and culture, but because it was also home to my target language! On top of this, touring Italy had been a high priority on my partner’s bucket […]
MORE121 French Words & Phrases to Talk About Your Job
When you talk to someone for the first time, one of the questions you’ll most likely get asked is, “so tell me, what do you do for a living?” Or in French, “Dis-moi, qu’est ce que tu fais dans la vie?” I work in the music industry, and I find myself running into French speakers […]
MOREFrenchPod101 Review: 30 Days with FrenchPod101
It has been years since I abandoned French. French was my first love when it came to language learning (then I fell for Spanish). But something was calling me back… For several months I had been toying with the idea of reigniting the flames with French. I began to check out some of the many […]
MORE35 Free Online French Language Classes and Resources
Learning how to speak French? There are so many French courses and resources out there, it can be tricky to know where to start. How do you know which French courses are good quality, without wasting hours testing them all out? The good news is that there are tons of affordable and even free ways […]
MOREHow to Make French Grammar Simple with French Songs
How many young children have you seen walking around with a dictionary or a grammar book to look up words or sentence structures in their native language? How many people have told you they learned their native language with flashcards or vocabulary lists? Here’s my guess: zero. If you’re anything like me, you learned your […]
MOREThe French Alphabet: Why it’s Easier than You Think
In 1066, William (or Guillaume in French), the Duke of Normandy, invaded England and took possession of the crown of England. As a result of the Norman invasion, the French language began its own invasion of the English language (called Anglo-Saxon or Old English). That’s one of the reasons why English and French have so […]
MORE25 Essential French Phrases for Travelers and Tourists
So you’re travelling to France, or another French-speaking country (or province). Is it true that English is all you need? Regular readers of this site will know my answer: of course not! Even if you’ll only be spending a short time in the country, learning a few basic French phrases can be very rewarding and […]
MORE86 French Slang Words and Phrases so You’ll Fit Right in With the Locals
Let’s take a look at French slang. First, a quick caveat: Slang is hard to teach in any language. It varies a lot by region and age group. Consider the following English slang words. Depending where you live and how old you are, you may have never heard many of these before: hella (“extremely”) gobshite […]
MOREFrench YouTube Channels: 10 Youtube Channels to Take Your French to the Next Level
Watching French YouTube Channels is a fantastic way to learn French, and to immerse yourself in the French language. French YouTubers with English subtitles are especially good for beginner and intermediate French learners. Here’s how I think of it: The key to create a successful immersion environment at home is to use native content. That […]
MOREFrench Accent Marks: The Ultimate Guide
The words café and résumé are originally French, and in English we often write those words without the accents. In French, however, the accent marks are not optional. French has several different accent marks, also known as “diacritics”. They serve several different purposes in the language. Sometimes they affect pronunciation, sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they […]
MOREWhy I’m Teaching My Kids to Speak French Badly (and Why I Think You Should, Too)
Teaching kids French… what’s the “right” way to do it? I’m teaching my kids French, and here’s a fairly typical French conversation between me and my 3 year old: My 3 year old: It’s Grandad’s birthday! Me: ‘Oui, on va lancer une fete!’ (we’re going to throw a party) My 3 year old: Lancer fete! […]
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