Le tréma

This past week at Lingua Franca we've been holding free trial lessons in the run-up to a new term. One day, we had a small group including an absolute beginner, an intermediate (but slightly rusty) speaker and someone who was really quite advanced. I decided to do a quick lesson on the French accents, as it is suitable for all levels and en plus* it's heaps of fun! I thought you might like it too, so this week we made a short video explaining my favourite accent of the five, le tréma*. Enjoy.

*plus *the trema (or the two dots you sometimes see above a vowel in French).

How to recognise une bonne baguette*.

Apart from the delicious taste, I suppose? Well, there is one tell-tale sign you may not know about: les alvéoles*. So what are these indicators of quality? Simply put, they are air cavities and can help you distinguish an artisanal bread from a mass-produced one. The air pockets are usually the result of a dough that has been treated with the respect it deserves, that is, with as little interference from le boulanger* as possible.

So what is is about theses trous* that makes for a special bread? Here below an explanation from the esteemed website, Pains et Tradition*:

"En effet, afin de créer des pains exceptionnels on essaye de manipuler la pâte le moins possible et on se contente de simplement découper au format voulu en laissant la fermentation naturelle produire son œuvre."

"In fact, in order to create exceptional breads, we try to touch the dough as little as possible and simply cut it into the shape we require and then let natural fermentation do its work."

Mais attendez*! There's more...

"Ainsi, certains pains peuvent présenter une superbe alvéole que l’on qualifie de trou mais qui, en réalité est un signe de grande tradition et de respect de la nature."

"Thus, certain breads have superb air cavities that may look like holes, but in fact are a sign of great tradition and a respect of nature."

So where to find the best baguettes in Brisbane? Please do let us know your favourite spot, but here are some of ours:

Christian Jaques, Kangaroo point (Christian flies his flour in from France. That is dedication.)

Danny's Bread, Teneriffe (worth a trip for the smell of the fresh bread alone)

Chouquette, New Farm (surely soon to be granted 'institution' status?)

Bon appétit!*

*a good baguette | *air cavities | *the baker | *Breads and Tradition | *But wait! | *Happy eating!

MORE ON DIOR

Our coup de cœur* continues...

Back from our weekend in Melbourne seeing the Dior exhibition and accompanied by Brisbane designer Paul Hunt, we're all inspirés* by the world of fashion.

Above, notes from our October Meetup which was devoted to la maison de Christian Dior*. We hope you enjoy them.

Below, links to some very interesting videos à propos de* Dior. Profitez-en*.

**love affair | *inspired | *the Christian Dior fashion house | *about | *make the most of them.

Paris - City of Fashion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1CosehYHWc

Inside Dior

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNUdRv1yRS4

Handmade with Love in France

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0mYDZXnbF0

Christian Dior

Christian Dior

As many of you may know, we are taking a group of students and friends down to Melbourne to see the Christian Dior exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria soon, with the lovely and talented Paul Hunt as our chaperon*. 

In celebration of the seventieth anniversary of the House of Dior, the exhibition is organised by theme, and includes a sumptuous display of more than 140 créations* designed by Christian Dior Couture between 1947 and 2017.

Part of the reason for my interest in this exhibition is that this year I have watched two or three documentaries on Christian Dior and his famous maison de couture*. As often happens, someone recommended a doco to me, I watched it and then off down the rabbit hole of haute couture* I went. I wouldn't rate fashion as one of my passions (though I've always had an interest in it) but these documentaries really got me in. The creativity, the craftsmanship and the sheer beauty of the creations are really worthy of marvel and an absolute visual delight.

I started with 'Dior and I', which documents the arrival of Raf Simons as the new Creative Director of the house. Measured and modest, does Raf have what it takes to modernise the brand? If all it took were creativity, Raf would be a shoo-in (see his transformation of a somewhat bland exhibition space into a floral explosion for proof). However, as we learn, politics, egos, tempers and commerce all have a hand to play.

Next, I moved onto Inside Dior, which charts the arrival of Dior's first ever female Creative Director, Maria Grazia Chiuri. I cannot for the life of me work out how I managed to watch it as I can only find la bande annonce* now, but I believe it is available on Foxtel.

Then, thoroughly intrigued, I travelled back in time to see where it all started. Christian Dior: The Man Behind the Myth an English-language documentary that lifts the veil on Dior's upbringing and his unlikely rise to “director of dreams for high society”.

I hope you enjoy this most beautiful journey dans le terrier du lapin* as much as I did.

*chaperone | *creations | *fashion house | *high fashion | *the trailer | *down the rabbit hole

Coin culture | Culture corner

Coin culture | Culture corner

© Bianca Brandon-Cox

Even if your childhood has long passed, I am sure you’ll remember the little counting rhyme you used to use in order to make decisions. Does ‘Eeny, meeny, miny, moe…’ ring a bell at all? I bet it does. And I bet now you’ve remembered it you’ll be wishing you could use it as an adult from time to time when things get really compliqué*, non?*

Have you ever wondered (and I’m guessing not) how the French enfants* approach this decision-making process? Well, wonder no longer, because le voici*:

Am, stram, gram,

Pic et pic et colégram,

Bourre et bourre et ratatam,

Am, stram, gram.

As to the meaning of the ditty, speculation abounds, including having origins as a Teutonic saying used to decimate prisoners (not so nice) or even a Shamanic incantation (très mystérieux*). Ma version préférée* is that is simply a form of onomatopoeia, invented for the sheer pleasure children’s ears.

For those of you who are more visual, voici une vidéo*. It is très mignon*.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3jZmWdcebs

*complicated | *no? | *children | *here it is | *very mysterious | *My preferred version | *here is a video | *very cute

Le chouchou | Teacher's pet

Le chouchou | Teacher's pet

Corinne Sklavos

Name/nom: Corinne Sklavos

Age/âge: 28 

Level/Niveau: ABR

LF:    Corinne, quelle est ta profession?

CS:     I work as a medical scientist.

LF     Pourquoi tu étudies le français?

CS:    I am studying French to minimise my sense of unilingual shame on my trip to France in September. I have never studied a language before but I am having a lot of fun in my group lessons at Lingua Franca. I have some very clever friends that speak French. I like texting them in French when I can…it’s good practice for those irregular verbs (no wonder I’m le chouchou). French culture just seems so cool to me too: wine, cheese, Dior…say no more!

LF:     Mot préféré en français?

CS:     My favourite French word is Billecart-salmon 🥂 #tchintchin

LF:     Merci, Corinne et bon courage pour Term 4.

CS:     You’re welcome, LF!

Peut mieux faire | can do better

Peut mieux faire | can do better  

On aime | We like

On aime | We like

Chef's table France

© Kevin Laurino / Netflix

Even if you don’t have Netflix, I strongly encourage you to take a look at Chef’s Table France on Youtube. If you have Netflix, tant mieux*, you are in for a sensual treat of the highest order.

The Emmy-nominated series opens the door on the world of French cuisine. Beautifully shot and captivatingly told, the stories of the passion, drive and sheer excellence of some of France’s top chefs will have your papilles* pulsating. The series will open your eyes to the esteem in which the French hold their most enduring obsession: la cuisine*.

One of the most touching stories comes from Alexandre Couillon, a high school dropout from the gastronomic wasteland of Noirmoutier on the Atlantic Coast, whose surname means ‘moron’. Despite this unfortunate moniker, Alexandre is an absolute genius in the kitchen. Along with his wife, Alexandre pours his heart and soul into their restaurant La Marine, in the hopes of putting his terroir* on the map. Seven years later, they are ready to walk away defeated, when un grand rebondissement* comes their way. No spoilers here, but if you don’t shed une larme ou deux*, you might need to check your pulse. Fantastic viewing. The best thing for you, as a student French: English subtitles. Watch, learn and be inspired.

Voici la bande announce* for season 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZsysCwH3zQ

*all the better | *taste buds | *food | *homeland | *twist in the tale | *a tear or two | *Here is the trailer

Au nid | In the nest

Au nid | In the nest

links

If you’ve been meaning to do it all year, grab your last chance to come along to a Free Trial lesson here au nid. We’d love to get you started on your French apprentissage* before the year is out.

If you’re plein d’enthousiasme* about your French, these upcoming school holidays offer you a chance to hone your skills even more. Whether it’s travel French you’re after, or you want to clean up all of those pesky little words (en, à, aux, mon, du…ringing bells?) our September workshops could be just the solution*. Learn more here: En Voyage and Les Petits Mots.

Can you believe we’re heading towards the end of the year already? Before things get too crazy, be sure to sign up for Term 4. Classes start the week of the 2nd October and we look forward to seeing you en classe*.

Youpi!* It’s finally happening. Many of you have been asking us for years and in September 2018 we’re going to make it une réalité. Yes, our inaugural France trip. We’re in the planning stages, but if this announcement make your oreilles* prick up, go here to learn more. 

For those of you who prefer to stay a little closer to home, we will once again be heading off to Nouméa in April next year. We’d love to have you come along. Let us know you’re keen. For all you rats de bibliothèques* out there, in Term 4 we will once again be running our Club de Lecture on Thursdays at 10am. This term, we have chosen a slightly easier book called Et si c’était vrai*, which will be a relief to those who participated in Term 3’s bookclub. By the way, huge félicitations to those very students. You certainly did not shy away from the challenge! Your vocabulary will thank you, c’est promis.

Finally, a lovely thing happened au nid* this week. Katrina was named as a finalist in the Australian Institute of Managers and Leaders ALEA awards. She did not take out the gong this time, but what a wonderful feeling to be nominated. To the mystery person who made it happen, un grand merci*.

*learning | *all fired up | *answer | *in class | *Yippee! | *ears | *bookworms | *And if it were true | *I promise | *in the nest | *a huge thank you.

MY FRENCH STORY | MON HISTOIRE FRANÇAISE

MY FRENCH STORY | MON HISTOIRE FRANÇAISE

Ricky Self

I started learning French when I was in high school. I enjoyed it but was frustrated I couldn’t practise and use it much, so after a year of learning French at school, I stopped. Ten years later, I made the decision to start learning a language and that’s how French came back into my life. I was planning a three to six-month European trip, and I thought knowing a bit of French would be helpful. I was also considering living there for a bit as I have a British passport. Ten days into my European trip, I met the biggest motivation to learning the language: a French girl called Elsa.

From then on, I started learning with a lot more consistency! I was always buying new books and getting excited by new French movies but mostly I was studying every single day whenever I could, with Elsa’s help sometimes. After a year of learning, we spent three months in France and I noticed an improvement. I was spending most of my days listening to the radio, watching French TV and trying to speak to Elsa’s family and friends. It was really hard but it definitely helped my confidence. We moved back to Australia after that and although I still had the best reason to practise my French with me, I kind of stopped for about a year until we moved to Brisbane in August 2015.

Here, I found my motivation again and I was studying several times a week, on my own, watching the news on SBS every morning and going along to French Meetups when I could. I joined Lingua Franca in early 2016 which gave a real boost to my French: the structure of the lessons and the support of the tutors really helped me reach a higher level and even motivated me to sit the DELF B1 in November 2016. I had never sat a French test in my life so this was pretty daunting, though exhilarating. I remember being in front of my test and thinking to myself “Wow, you’re really doing it!”. So I did, and I passed. It gave me a huge boost and so when we visited Elsa’s family for Christmas 2016, I felt confident enough to speak to everyone in French. I loved it and I loved not relying on Elsa for translation and being able to have proper conversations with people. When we came back, I decided to challenge myself even more and enrolled for the DELF B2 training. It’s great for me because it gives me an end goal to focus my studies on and to stay motivated.

In June 2017, we went back to France and I decided to travel on my own for half of our trip which really challenged me. The safety net was off and I had no other choice but to speak French all the time. This experience was amazing and gave me a little taste of what fluency would feel like, which is now my new goal.

À la découverte de | discover Les châteaux Cathares

À la découverte de | discover

Les châteaux Cathares

© IP3 PRESS/MAXPPP

“Kill them all and let God sort them out”.

Fighting words indeed, allegedly uttered by the Papal legate Arnaud Almaury prior to the massacre at Béziers, the start of a crusade against the Cathars which ultimately led to the massacre of approximately half a million inhabitants of the Languedoc Roussillon region. 

So who were the Cathars and why was the Catholic Church out for blood? With the benefit of hindsight, it is easy to see that c'était joué d’avance*. The Cathars were a religious group who appeared in France in the 11th century. It is believed their ideas came from the Byzantine Empire (modern-day Turkey and Bulgaria) and travelled to France via northern Italy. They represented a threat to the all-powerful Catholic Church as their philosophy gained ground and was tolerated or even accepted by many Catholics in the Languedoc region. While the Roman Catholics believed in one all-powerful God, the Cathars had a dualistic approach to religion, believing there was a good God who had created all that was immaterial (good, permanent and immutable) and a bad God who was the god of all material things, including the world and everything in it. They believed this bad God had captured souls and imprisoned them in ‘tunics of flesh’ (i.e. the human form) through conception. The only way to escape the mortal coil and enter heaven was to become a Parfait or Parfaite (Perfects, or those who lived irreproachable lives) and thereby avoid reincarnation. They therefore believed that all non-procreative sex was better than procreative sex, believed in contraception, masturbation, euthanasia and suicide. They did not eat meat, believed in the equality of men and women and possibly worst of all, refused to pay tithes to the Catholic Church. The stage was therefore set for a bataille royale*, which indeed came to pass. Pope Innocent III called for a formal crusade, and the slaughter began.

Since the Cathars were well-liked amongst the populace of Languedoc, they were often given refuge in the hilltop châteaux* scattered around the Languedoc region. These châteaux, often built on the top of escarpments and mountains and believed to be impenetrable proved not to be so. Over a period of two generations, starting in 1208, more than half a million people were killed, and not all of them were Cathars. Such was their popularity, it was often difficult to distinguish between true Cathars and Cathar sympathisers, many of whom were members of the Catholic Church, resulting in Arnaud Almaury’s famous, if bloody-minded, proclamation.

Les Chateaux Cathares, some of which have been restored, are firmly on the tourist trail in the region now known as Occitanie, an eerie reminder of the crusades of the Medieval Era.

*it was a foregone conclusion | *battle royal | *castles | *

De quoi ? | Say what ?

De quoi ? | Say what ?

se prendre un râteau | rouler une pelle

©EverEarth

What is it about the French using gardening tools to describe amorous pursuits? Perhaps they really love their jardinage*?

Prendre un rateau* is a colloquial French saying and is used to describe the (often humiliating) experience of being rejected by a love interest. So why are we talking about râteaux*? Well, if you think about it, c’est logique*. Imagine you’re walking along, dreaming about your intended, and you step on the teeth of a rake. What happens? Well, the handle hits you in the face and you’re laid out flat. Ça fait mal*, c’est humiliant* and ça laisse des traces*. We can all feel the pain, non?

“Oh le pauvre, il a essayé de draguer Martine, mais il a pris un râteau.” 

“ Oh the poor thing, he tried to pick up Martine, but she rejected him.”

Less violent, but perhaps even more excruciating, by the way, is to be put in the ‘juste-un-pote’* category, ’ with ‘pote’ meaning ‘mate’ or ‘friend’. Ouch!

So what if, in fact, you’re lucky enough to not ‘prendre un râteau’, but succeed in winning over your paramour? Well then, you might have to change verbs (and nouns for that matter) and rouler une pelle, which means ‘to snog’. Why is French kissing known in France as ‘rolling a spade’? You’d have to ask a French person. Sérieusement*, I’m out of ideas.

*gardening | *to take a rake | *rakes | *it makes sense | *it hurts | *it's humiliating | *it leaves a mark | *friend-zone | *seriously

On aime | We like

On aime | we like

Call my agent

© Dix pour cent / DR

Call My Agent, or as it is known in France ‘Dix Pour Cent’* is a twelve-part series about a small team of theatre/cinema agents in the 1st arrondissement of Paris and is light entertainment at its best. The ‘dix pour cent’ of the title refers to the cut the agents take from their famous clients’ earnings. And believe me, once you've watched a couple of episodes, you’ll believe the agents deserve every single centime*. Perhaps borrowing from the success of HBO’s Entourage, the series includes cameos from some of French cinema’s greatest vedettes*, amongst them Cecile de France, Nathalie Baye, Laura Smet, Christophe Lambert and Isabelle Adjani.

Series 1 is now available on Netflix.

*Ten Per Cent | *cent | *stars

Au nid | In the nest

Au nid | In the nest

links

It's not too late to join us in Akaroa. We have someone who has had to pull out so there is a Seaview Studio going begging at the moment. Jetez un œil. If you're keen to know more, just let us know.

We have had a huge response to our annual Raclette Dinner and it is sold out. It’ll be back on next year, but if you can't wait that long, you might want to register your interest for our upcoming Dégustation de Vin* scheduled for September.

Great news here au nid*. Deborah is back and she’s available for conversation classes and private lessons. In Term 4, Deborah will be taking on a full roster of evening group lessons, but in Term 3 she has a couple of spots available of an evening and would love to see you.

If you’re keen to put your French to the test, register your interest for the DELF in 2018. As you know, since the DELF classes are so small (max. four students) we decide their place on the timetable to suit the participants, autant que possible*. So if you think you may be interested, let us know and we'll start the ball rolling.

Want an introduction to French wines in a fun, relaxed setting? Come and join us as Constant Beguin Billecocq, from Noble Wines joins us to give us an intro into les vins français*. We'll be tasting un vin blanc*, un vin rosé*, un vin rouge* and un champagne, bien sûr*. Places limited, lots of fun to be had.

Don't forget, Speaking Practice starts in just two weeks' time, and it’s not too late to benefit from the ‘Catch the Worm’ Price. Following straight on from Speaking Practice, in the September school holidays, we have two fantastic workshops, En Voyage and Les Petits Mots. En Voyage will have you speaking more like a local and less like a tourist. Les Petits Mots is for any of you who have ever exclaimed ‘It's the little words that get me!”. Limited places.

*wine tasting | *at the nest | *as much as possible | *French wines | *a white wine | *a red wine | *of course

MY FRENCH STORY | MON HISTOIRE FRANÇAISE

MY FRENCH STORY | MON HISTOIRE FRANÇAISE

clinton hanney

I started studying French to keep my old brain active and have a challenge. I learnt a little French at school, many years ago‚ and it seemed logical to build on that.

No one in my family speaks another language, so I feel very pleased with myself!

As a child, my father worked for Qantas and we travelled extensively, but never to Europe. I hated travelling and vowed and declared I would never travel overseas again. But, learning French has changed my mind completely and now I have travelled to France using my basic French to great effect. I have the most beautiful friends in the Pyrenees, I am applying for Irish citizenship and would love to live in France one day for a period to experience the culture, beauty and language, not to mention the food and wine! I don't recognise myself and learning French, especially at Lingua Franca with the best teachers, has been transformative. 

The standout moment speaking French was in France and is twofold: I asked a woman with a pram getting on a train from Paris to Bordeaux if I could help her and she said she was ok, but appreciated my offer (she recognised I was Australian!) and then when I realised we were on the wrong train going to Versailles and I asked for directions, successfully.

I try and do a couple of hours each week at least, and now doing the DELF I study on Sunday morning with my fellow student. So that's on top of 2 hours of lessons in each semester. Thinking about it, I should be better than I am, so no reflection on my teachers!

Speaking French makes me feel good about myself, clever, and it lets me appreciate how clever people are who are multilingual. 

And as a bonus, I have made a whole host of new and wonderful friends. Merci beaucoup!

Editor's note: Clinton may well have left the best part of his story out. A true romantic, he and his beautiful wife Cathie, married 30 years, renewed their vows in a tiny church just outside of Pau in south-west France last year. Une histoire qui touche le cœur...*

*A story that touches the heart.