The savvy francophile’s Tips & Advice about learning to speak French
Mathieu Avanzi has written an entertaining and deeply researched book, 'Comme On Dit Chez Nous', about the terms used in France for all sorts of things, from food to pencils to tires and more. It is witty and informative and comes with maps showing where different terms are used, including in the francophone regions of Belgium and Switzerland.
How important is learning French in today’s world, in which English dominates in so many ways?
When I first arrived in Paris 30 years ago with my French husband, I could barely say a word in French. Little did I know then how my French language journey would pan out.
Fluent in French — Many of us have a language journey story. Here is mine, bumps and all.
Learning from your mistakes. This is easy enough to take when you just get a little ding and lose a heart from Duolingo, but sounding stupid while speaking to a real live person is another matter. It is without question my biggest weakness when learning a language.
Learning French and learning to ski: they're the same really, or are they - ha!
Parlez-vous francaIs? After two years of French... when in Paris, I wasn’t confident. So, I decided to become competent in conversational French.
These four articles about learning French will ruffle a few feathers. That’s because my essays are full of subjective statements about how bloody hard French is to learn. This is especially so, I point out, for anyone not lucky enough to be young and locked up in a garret in Paris with a French lover—with the deliberate intention of doing nothing else but learn French.
Hoping to impress this festive season? Then why not try a few of our choicest French Christmas words and phrases! This year, we're dreaming of Christmas en français...
If fluency in French is no longer the sharp-tipped arrow in the quiver of career opportunities... it has the soft power of being very chic for a foreigner to speak.
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
