MyFrenchLife Community: how to get more from your membership
Bonjour to you and thank you!
During 2019 I realised it was the year to celebrate 10 years of MyFrenchLife – MaVieFrançaise. Wow, ten years! And how we’ve grown and how we’ve got better at what we do.
The consistent thing though is that we continue to evolve. We continue to strive to gain a deeper understanding of France, the culture and the people!
- We strive to avoid the rose coloured glasses and dig deep to find and appreciate France beyond the cliché.
- And more importantly, we are sharing that information, those experiences and tips with you.
- What’s even better is that you are also sharing and supporting each other!
Your membership: How to enjoy it even more
As I prepared this 10-year birthday celebration review, I realised that what you’ll find below may provide you with –
A Guide as to How you can Gain more from your MyFrenchLife – MaVieFrançaise membership.
As you read please take up some of the many opportunities presented to:-
- more fully engage yourself in the MyFrenchLife Community and
- enjoy your immersion in France beyond the cliché.
At MyFrenchLife.org we’re best known for our articles about France.
But our true passion? Discovering new and better solutions than anything that’s come before.
We “always dream of things that are better, and think of ways to reach those things.”
Please never hesitate to offer your suggestions or to collaborate in any way. As you’ll see below we usually have a number of member collaborations and initiatives underway.
What is MyFrenchLife-MaVieFrançaise? Let’s revisit who we are & what we do
- A global community of Curious Savvy Francophiles.
- You can discover and experience FRANCE beyond the CLICHÉ wherever YOU ARE with MyFrenchLife.org
- 1. TRAVEL to FRANCE and also FRENCHIFY your life wherever you are: –
A place where you can discover, learn & experience France beyond the cliché. - 2. MEET other members in FRANCE or WHEREVER you are: –
A Community where you can, meet, chat, laugh, share, enjoy and learn more about France beyond the cliché.
- 1. TRAVEL to FRANCE and also FRENCHIFY your life wherever you are: –
- We invite you and your friends to join us and meet the other amazing generous members
– they can join us here: https://myfrenchlife.org/sign-up/
Now let’s take a moment to reflect upon our beginning
It all started with me studying French at the Alliance Francaise de Melbourne.
I was studying the ‘express’ or intensive course at the time which comprised 4 hours each Saturday morning. It was challenging but I was hooked! My friend and I were always calculating how long it would be until we were ‘Fluent’ – whatever that meant. Anyway I felt that I seriously lacked the confidence to speak French. At the time I was at what’s described as the ‘intermediate level’ and I was struggling to find a solution to this confidence problem.
After trying a number of different options, none of which felt comfortable, I decided to start my own group, so that a few of us could meet, speak in French, share lovely French wine and cheese! Sounds like fun? Well it was and still is!
That was the beginning of ‘French Conversation in Melbourne‘ a group >2000 members. Francophone members meet regularly in 5-6 different locations around Melbourne. The groups range from 6-8 people to c 20. Many are native English speakers who are now competent Francophones, others are French natives from France or French overseas territories, who enjoy the interaction with committed passionate Francophiles. These French native speakers are very generous souls and I really appreciate their contribution. Further, there are other members who are regular and committed hosts for each reunion. We could be doing this without them. Merci mille fois !
It’s quite an achievement to be so established – to have survived for 10 years!
I congratulate you all, the hosts and the members/attendees!
I’m proud of what we’re all doing, each in our own little way!
These reunions are something that many members look forward to. If you’d like to join you can do so here.
How did MyFrenchLife.org come about?
Well, I was intrigued that all the Francophiles and Francophones I was meeting, had a story as to why they were so passionate about France, the country, culture, people and language. From there came the seed of the idea.
MyFrenchLife is and was always intended to be a platform for the voice of many! It was never a blog.
Where together we could all discover and get to better understand France: the history, culture, people and language. A place where everyone shares THEIR French life. We have a healthy archive of >2500 articles to dive into – a rich archive.
I want to thank the committed Contributors who work with us, writing quality articles and also those who work translating texts. The diversity and depth of MyFrenchLife.org continues to improve.
If you’d be interested to become a Contributor, then please email us on info@myfrenchlife.org
Awards: Top 100 French Blogs & Websites in 2019 | French Bloggers
Last Updated Dec 14, 2019 – as awarded by Feedspot
MyFrenchLife.org has been awarded in 2nd place in the top 100 French blogs/sites for a couple of years now.
And what about 2019 – what’s happening now?
I’ve been pretty low profile this year, but still working hard behind the scenes with MyFrenchLife.org reinvigorating ourselves. Let’s have a look at what’s going on…
– Private groups
We’ve found that our Private Groups on Facebook are providing more member intimacy and encouraging greater engagement leading to increased opportunities for collaboration – see below.
- We have established the MyFrenchLife – MaVieFrançaise Private Community Group on Facebook and
- more recently we’ve started a subgroup called #bookchat where we chat about French books. This group is only open to members of the Private Community Group, and it is here that we
- host our #bookclub – reading recently translated and award-winning French books. Contemporary books which are popular in France right now! Some members read in French and others in English and it’s facilitated by Jacqueline Dubois Pasquier who lives between Paris and the South of France. Thank you Jacqueline!
- To join this private group click here.
- To join #bookchat and/or #bookclub you need to be a member of our private Community group (above) and request membership once you’re there. If unsure then email info@myfrenchlife.org
– Collaboration
Further, we’ve been encouraging more member collaboration and engagement… What does this mean?
We’ve been working with the members within these private groups to share knowledge, views, opinions, suggestions and tips on various topics. And those topics which prove to be popular within those private groups are being produced and published as articles.
Ideas are coming from members, then members are contributing, then other members are writing articles encapsulating all of that input and more! Written by members and quoting other members!
That’s how we’ve published these recent articles:-
1. Why we love France – 60 Francophiles can’t be wrong
– how do these perspectives compare with yours?
2. Top 10 Book Gift list for Francophiles
– don’t miss this one – member response has been very supportive.
3. French Shoe fetish
– so much fun!
Real Collaboration is underway. Watch this space, as we’ve only just begun.
If you’re interested in writing articles then please let me know: info@myfrenchlife.org
And based on our various collaboration strategies and the influence MyFrenchLife is providing to Francophiles globally we’ve started working the roll-out of a new Instagram strategy – make sure you’re following us @maviefrancaise .
In 2020 we’ll start our Instagram pilot by featuring services offered by members, especially those based in France and suited to our members – still lots to do there, but it will reward members in France and at the same time offer services to members from elsewhere who visit France. Don’t forget to follow @maviefrancaise
– Member gatherings
We’re soon to start new informal member gatherings. These may take different forms:-
- Francophiles getting to know each other, sharing, learning, experiencing. Meeting in France and elsewhere globally. First will be Melbourne, then London and then Paris… possibly some in the states later. We have a small number of members interest to host and join these. Gradually piloting…
- The purpose of these gatherings may include, book clubs, social outings etc. Gatherings may be in French or in English.
- If you’re interested to host a MyFrenchLife gathering anywhere – Let us know in comments below or email info@myfrenchlife.org
– Book review team
Oh, and we have a small book review team writing articles too
Let us know in the comments below if you’d like to join that team (or to just show us that you wish to renew your interest)
– Member interviews
4. Interview: Janet Hulstrand – writer, editor, writing coach, teacher – living between France & USA
5. Interview: Virginia Jones – photographer – Paris through my Lens
6. Interview: Gina Hunt – my Parisian dream
If you would like to collaborate in our member interview initiative then here is the link.
– le Bulletin & Judy’s weekly Missive
Each week we produce le Bulletin newsletter complete with my Missive
– Do you enjoy le Bulletin & Missive? I’d be delighted to hear commentary on this in the comments section below.
– What else?
I know I’ve probably forgotten some other initiatives, but the above should be sufficient to indicate how you can add more value to your membership.
And as I write this I realise we have achieved a lot – an appropriate celebration of 10 years and I thank each and every one of you for your contribution to our success and longevity.
– Suggestions
Should you have any suggestions or wish to say hello or make a comment then I’m open to all ideas, and I’d love to hear from you – please use the comment section below.
Sincerely
Judy MacMahon
About the Contributor
Judy MacMahon
Dear Judy, Thank you for the update. I’d certainly like to keep receiving updates about activities in Melbourne. If my memory serves me correctly, I first became of this site through ‘Meetup’. The evening rendez-vous disbanded and I cannot attend the other regular Wednesday meetings. Hopefully there’ll be another gathering at some stage on a Monday or Tuesday night. Winsome
Hello Elaine, thank you for your note. Yes, I’d love to see you at our French conversation reunions in Melbourne again. We have events during the weekends on Saturdays and Sundays and at the moment we do not have any during the evenings. If you’re in a position to volunteer as a host we can consider starting another reunion on Tuesday evening for example. Many thanks in advance. Judy