From faux amis to verlan; idioms to SMS lingo, join us as we unravel the intricacies of French language.
How good is your French? I do not, in fact, advocate fluency where fluency is not going to happen, and I always insist people try to not worry about it too much. As long as you get your message across it really doesn’t matter so very much.
When an English-speaking person says they don’t speak French, they in fact use around 1500 French words without realising it.
At the very start of my French language learning, grâce à Edith, I gradually learnt to produce a good French ‘r’ sound. This is due to the place of speech sound articulation in English being different to that of the French.
It’s a phrase that stops a nation, or more so, a young girl at the ripe age of 16 on her first trip to France. This common French expression would continue to stump me for years to come. So let’s identify and explore quand même on the dissecting table...in context.
I once worked as a bartender in Lyon, France, which introduced me to the most fabulous French sounds that I had ever heard. I had never used these sounds to convey the same message in English before. In fact, if I ever performed such a movement, I would most probably do so silently.
Every time I hear a new idiom, I understand their culture just that little bit more as the expressions create stories and imagery which are identifiable to a way of life. So, the question is, how to think like a French person?
Come with us to experience French life beyond the cliché.
Magazine – Events – Experiences
Wherever you live, if you’re a francophile or French and you’d like to join our team of Contributors then we’d love to hear from you – check out our submissions page. We’re also constantly seeking savvy interns – please check on available internships
