Blog

Be Cautious with French Slang and Idioms

2010-09-07T05:00:00Z

Yes, I know, you spent hours studying them, and they’re so fun. And schools love to teach them since it makes for an easy, lively, fun class.

French Nouns Gender - Masculine Endings

2010-09-02T05:00:00Z

You all know that in French, even inanimate objects are feminine or masculine. But did you know some endings can tell you the gender of nouns? In this blog post, I'll go over the masculine endings, and will talk about feminine endings in my next one.

Le Chat Botté au Parc Montsouris - part 3 (with audio)

2010-08-31T05:00:00Z

Suite de l'histoire de John... début du spéctacle de marionnettes.

The right way to ask "where is the bathroom" in French

2010-08-26T05:00:00Z

It's more complicated than it seems. The French have old rules about excusing oneself to go to the rest room. You shouldn't go in the middle of a meal. And when you need to go, you should be very discreet about it.

Think Twice Before Asking People To Correct Your French

2010-08-24T05:00:00Z

I know this might sound like a strange piece of advise, but I've been there... So you have some French acquaintances, and you think it would be great to practice your French with them. Ok, sounds good.

Le Chat Botté au Parc Montsouris - part 2 (with audio)

2010-08-19T05:00:00Z

Suite de l'histoire de John... pensées sur Notre Dame et arrivée au Parc Montsouris.

Virtual Tour of Paris - 5th arrondissement

2010-08-17T05:00:00Z

The 5th arrondissement is abuzz with tourists and students and shoppers. But there are a few pockets of calm where you can relax and recharge and one where the famous now simply rest in peace.

Speaking French Tip: Communicate First

2010-08-12T05:00:00Z

I meet many people who understand enough French to get by in France, but then they freeze when they actually get there. They know they are likely to make mistakes, and that stops them from even trying to speak.

Le Chat Botté au Parc Montsouris - part 1 (with audio)

2010-08-10T05:00:00Z

Mon étudiant John est allé en France en mars 2010 et comme exercice, je lui ai demandé de me raconter une partie de son voyage, chose qu'il a faite avec son zèle et brio habituel. J'ai donc décidé de partager son travail avec vous. Notez les tournures avec "si" qui étaient un point de grammaire que nous étudiions. Cette histoire s'étendra sur 4 blogs, et vient avec des enregistrements audio.

Finding Out What Is Going On in Paris

2010-08-05T05:00:00Z

Paris has got to be one of the most documented cities on the planet. So many blogs, e-newsletters and Paris specialist publications like Bonjour Paris the weekly e-magazine. Bonjour Paris has a subscriber section and also a free section and the non-subscriber part has a very good listing of events and happenings.