French Christmas Food

A French Christmas dinner is traditionally shared en famille* on the evening of the 24th December. True traditionalists will have a light supper before attending la messe de minuit*, then return home to the real sit-down dinner, which can last until 4am!

Florence from My Parisian Kitchen, a bilingual French cooking blog, has published her top picks for a traditional feast below, and though times are changing in France as everywhere, a quick straw poll au nid* revealed the team were plus ou moins* in agreement. Bon appétit*!

And let’s not forget le champagne*, of course! As per the My Parisian Kitchen article:

“This is not a dish but is actually something you definitely have to serve for a classic French Christmas eve dinner. You may want to pour in crème de cassis blackcurrant liquor to make a Kir Royal. But if the champagne is good, there’s no need!”

— Florence (My Parisian Kitchen)

[Read full article]

*with the family | *midnight mass | *the champagne | *at the nest | *more or less | *Happy eating!

Parisians try to pronounce English

One of the most valuable things about learning a second language is that it can give you more empathy towards non-native speakers of your own mother tongue. Watching people try to wrap their tongues around words we pronounce with ease probably evokes a different response now, compared to your pre-French learning days.

You’ll probably find yourself barracking for them rather than laughing at them, which could be worth bearing in mind next time you’re worried about making a mistake in front of a native French speaker, non*?

*don’t you think?

Lost in Cheeseland

In Le Chouchou News de novembre*, we featured a new book by American-in-Paris Lindsey Tramuta about the accuracy (or not) of the storied Parisian woman.

Originally from Philadelphia, Lindsey has called Paris home since 2006. She has written for the New York Times, Glamour, Condé Nast Traveler, Elle Décor and Bon Appétit, among others.

Not content to rest on her laurels, for the last couple of years she has also produced and presented a fantastic podcast covering such diverse topics as bread-making with Apollonia Poîlane, saving Nôtre Dame, crop tops versus hijabs in France and even dating and romance in Paris.

Save this one for some après-Noël* exploration. There is much to be mined here. [Go to podcast]

*November’s Chouchou News | *post-Christmas

Wine quotes

With la joie festive* top of mind for many, see if you're able to match the French citations* to their English translations.

*festive cheer | *quotes

ANSWERS : 1C 2A 3E 4B 5D

Yuka

If one of your Résolutions de Nouvel An* involves taking a more considered approach to your supermarket shopping, it might be worth downloading the Yuka app.

Created in Paris in 2016 by a small team of three who won a Food Hackathon competition, the app scans barcodes to break down the ingredients and nutritional value of products you’d find in the course of your weekly shop. It also analyses beauty products and gives ratings based on their potential for adverse health effects.

By the way, though the developers are cent pour cent français*, the name Yuka was inspired by the Mexican wife of one of the founders who is from the state of Yucatán.

[Visit the Yuka website]

*New Year’s Resolutions | *100% French

Name the francophone countries

Name the French-speaking countries in which you'd find the following attractions touristiques*. The first person to contact us with all six correct answers will win a Lingua Franca En Voyage guidebook.

CLUE: 115 islands make up this sublime archipelago in the Indian Ocean.

CLUE: These surreal-looking gazelles are called les gérénuks and could not be plus mignons*.

CLUE: Sticky rice is a staple.

CLUE: The Historic Old Quarter was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

CLUE: Caught between two countries who enjoy a serious love/hate relationship. Starts with ‘G’.

CLUE: This destination is home to a significant Tamul community.

*cuter

La Petite Histoire

If you've ever done a group lesson here at Lingua Franca, you've probably come into contact with La Petite Histoire*. A tale with the very humblest of beginnings, it winds up becoming a rollicking schlockbuster as you move up the levels and your French improves enough to handle the outrageous (some would say impossible) turns of events of the six young friends.

La Petite Histoire is currently only available to our students, however La Préquelle is for everyone’s enjoyment. Below, the fifth instalment of this new series, which is written to a Beginner 1 level.

*The Little Story | *The Prequel

Après le travail ce soir, je vais rentrer tout de suite*. J'ai une excellente nouvelle* et je veux* parler avec ma femme. En septembre, je vais recevoir une promotion! Je vais devenir responsable de l'hôtel où je travaille et je suis très enthousiaste*. Peut-être* dans le futur je vais pouvoir acheter un hôtel, mais pour le moment le plan est de faire un bon travail. Naturellement*, je vais travailler un peu plus, mais heureusement* ma femme va rester à la maison avec nos enfants.

*straight away | *piece of news | *I want | *Perhaps | *Naturally | *luckily/fortunately

Aujourd'hui, je suis très, très contente. En général, je suis contente mais récemment* je suis un peu frustrée*. J'adore mes filles (Anouk a deux ans et les jumelles* ont trois mois) et j'adore être mère mais j'adore aussi la culture, les langues* et franchement*, les adultes. Donc, je vais aller à l'université pour étudier une licence en lettres*. Je vais continuer à apprendre* l'anglais: la littérature et la langue. Je suis très enthousiaste et je suis sûre que mon mari va être content aussi.

*recently | *frustrated | *twins |*languages | *frankly | *Bachelor of Arts | *to learn

Il est 09h45 et nous allons partir bientôt. Nous allons aller chez le médecin à 10h30 parce que nous avons un rendez-vous. Ma femme et moi allons avoir un bébé cette année et le médecin va faire un contrôle*. Après, nous allons aller à un petit restaurant près de notre appartement pour le déjeuner. C'est fantastique parce que c'est notre premier enfant et ma femme, Amina, va rester à la maison et je vais continuer à travailler. Heureusement, elle aime beaucoup ma sœur Leïla. Elle a déjà* des enfants et Leïla va pouvoir* aider Amina avec des conseils*.

*a check-up | *already | *to be able to/can | *some advice

Alors, c'est officiel*. Je vais retourner à Paris pour travailler à l'Université de la Sorbonne en septembre. Je suis en Angleterre en ce moment avec mes enfants mais je vais partir dans deux ou trois semaines pour trouver un appartement dans le cinquième ou sixième arrondissement. Je vais être triste de quitter* mes enfants mais c'est nécessaire malheureusement*. C'est impossible de trouver un poste* ici en ce moment. Et j'adore Paris, c'est vrai, c'est juste* difficile pour mes enfants.

*it's official | *to leave | *unluckily/unfortunately | *a position | *just

En septembre je vais étudier* l'anglais à l'Université de la Sorbonne. Moi! Un étudiant! C'est incroyable. Normalement*, je préfère faire la fête, c'est vrai, mais ma copine* est anglaise alors je veux parler bien anglais. Je dois* faire quelque chose*. Elle est actrice et elle travaille avec des collègues anglais et je n'aime pas quand on va aux restaurants ensemble et je ne comprends pas la conversation. Je n'aime pas beaucoup étudier, mais j'adore Alexandra. En plus*, mes parents disent que je dois faire quelque chose avec ma vie*.

*to study | *Usually | *my girlfriend | *I must | *something | *And plus | *my life

Je vais retourner à l'université en septembre et je suis très enthousiaste. Je vais continuer à étudier le français mais je vais avoir un autre* projet aussi. Je vais chercher un homme...un mari, en fait*. J'ai des problèmes de visa et pour rester en France je vais devoir* trouver un homme français très vite. Je ne sors plus* avec Étienne. Il n'est pas très sérieux et je n'ai pas le temps pour des jeux,* alors voilà*.

*another | *in fact | *to have to/must | no longer | *games | *so there you go

---

JEAN-LOUIS
After work tonight, I am going to go home straight away. I have a great piece of news and I want to speak to my wife. In September, I'm going to receive a promotion! I am going to become the manager of the hotel where I work and I am very excited. Maybe in the future I am going to be able to buy a hotel, but for the moment the plan is to do a good job. Naturally*, I am going to work a bit more, but luckily my wife is going to stay at home with our children.

LEÏLA
Today, I am very, very happy. In general, I am happy but recently I am a bit frustrated. I love my daughters (Anouk is two years of age and the twins are three months) and I love being a mother but I also love culture, languages and frankly, adults. So, I'm going to go to university to study a Bachelor of Arts. I am going to continue to learn English: the literature and the language. I am very excited and I am sure that my husband is going to be very happy as well.

HERVÉ
It is 9:45am and we are going to leave soon. We are going to go to the doctor's at 10:30am because we have an appointment. My wife and I are going to have a baby this year and the doctor is going to do a check-up. After, we are going to go to a little restaurant close to our apartment for lunch. It's fantastic because it's our first baby and my wife, Amina, is going to stay at home and I am going to continue to work. Luckily, she likes my sister Leïla a lot. She already has children and Leïla is going to be able to help Amina with some advice.

SIMON
Well, it's official. I am going to return to Paris to work at the Sorbonne University in September. I am in England at the moment with my children but I am going to leave in two or three weeks in order to find an apartment in the fifth or sixth arrondissement. I am going to be sad to leave my children but it's necessary unfortunately. It's impossible to find a position here at the moment. And I love Paris, it's true, it's just difficult for my children.

ROGER
In September I am going to study English at the Sorbonne University. Me! A student! It's incredible. Usually, I prefer to party, it's true, but my girlfriend is English so I want to speak English well. I must do something. She is an actress and she works with English colleagues and I don't like it when we go to restaurants together and I don't understand the conversation. I don't like studying very much, but I adore Alexandra. Plus, my parents say I have to do something with my life.

NOËLLE
I am going to return to university in September and I am very excited. I am going to continue to study French but I am going to have another project as well. I am going to look for a man...a husband in fact. I have some visa problems and in order to stay in France I am going to have to find a French man very quickly. I am not going out with Étienne anymore. He is not very serious and I don't have time for games, so there you go.

Ultimate French Resources #5

I remember doing a translation for a mining company several years ago. The job involved translating an instruction manual for some mining software. Since I wasn’t (and am still not) au fait* with either of these domains, I asked a French friend to help me out.

We met in a café in the city. He’d been in town all day, and didn’t know we were going to meet up. When he arrived, he was carrying a tiny backpack with him. We ordered coffees and got to work.

We struck our first problème* a few minutes in, and I was astonished when he reached down into his backpack and pulled out a battered copy of Le Bescherelle to check a conjugation. The fact that he had prioritised his verb book, along with a bottle of water and his wallet, spoke volumes about the value the French place on this resource. It’s also the reason why you should consider getting one if you’re serious about your French.

WHAT:

A little red book of verb conjugations, given to all French schoolchildren at the age of 10.

POINT FORT*:

The design. It has the conjugations for over 12 000 French verbs, yet the book is compact and slimline. The secret? All 12 000 verbs are divided into categories according to how they are conjugated and then one very common verb from each group is chosen to be conjugated in full. That is, it is conjugated for all ‘persons’ (je, tu, il, elle, etc.) and in all tenses (don’t freak out when you see them all - there are a lot). The rest are found in the index along with the category number for easy reference.

POINT FAIBLE*:

It takes a little while to work out how to use it and it’s easy to mix up the page number and category number (see above). Once you’ve got the hang of it, though, you’ll wonder how you ever did without it. I know there are fantastic apps for French verbs on the market and I use one myself, but there’s something about the seriousness and accuracy of Le Bescherelle that I really enjoy. Plus, being able to look at all the tenses at once without having to move a screen around is a relief, franchement*.

PS:

There’s also a Bescherelle for very young children called Mon Premier Bescherelle Illustré* which is absolutely beautiful as well as a great way to improve your vocabulary!

*knowledgeable | *problem | *pro | *con | *frankly | *My First Illustrated Bescherelle

French Films on SBS

With les vacances d’été* just around the corner, you may already be in the process of lining up tout ce qu’il faut* to enjoy some seriously relaxing couch time. Bol de cerises, coupe de champagne et un film français?*. We can’t help you with the first two but we can certainly point you in the right direction for the third, thanks to our friends at Rendez-vous Australie.

A web-magazine designed for French speakers who live in Australia, Rendez-vous Australie is a trésor caché* and our own Fiona Berrocal is on the editorial team (elle touche à tout* as they say). Dedicated to Australian news and culture but written in French, it’s a great way to take the first step in reading a French newspaper, which we know is a goal for many of you.

The team at RVA know their French films and where to find them. SBS On Demand has a fantastic collection of foreign films and their French compilation is particularly impressive. The full list is here, ranked by year and with links to bandes-annonces*, or if you trust our taste, we’ve selected a few of our coups de cœurs* below. Bon visionnage*!

En liberté !
(The Trouble With You)

2018

[MORE INFO + PLAY]

Au revoir là-haut
(See You Up There)

2017

[MORE INFO + PLAY]

Un homme à la hauteur
(Up For Love)

2016

[MORE INFO + PLAY]

La famille Bélier
(The Belier Family)

2014

[MORE INFO + PLAY]

La Môme
(La vie en rose)

2007

[MORE INFO + PLAY]

*summer holidays | *everything you need | *Bowl of cherries, glass of champagne and a French film? | *hidden gem | *she has a finger in every pie | *trailers | *favourites | *Happy viewing!

Who is The New Parisienne?

Most people who have fallen in love with the French language came to it by the way of French culture: fashion, literature, movies, ballet, food, wine…the list goes on.

If you own a television or have ever flipped through a fashion magazine, you’ll know how ubiquitous the French aesthetic is. We often hold up French chic as the gold standard of style.

But how do we know if we’re being fed the true story? What does it mean to be Parisienne? Has it changed? Does asking these very questions make us feel slightly uncomfortable, like something’s about to be taken away from us?

Are we ready to have the dream not shattered, but perhaps adjusted to better represent the Parisienne of today? If you’re curieux(euse)* enough to consider the questions, you’re going to love this book.

[BUY THE BOOK]

[READ THE FULL ARTICLE]

*curious

Your turn to be teacher

See if you’re able to find and correct the mistakes in the following sentences. The first Chouchou* to contact us with the answers below will take home a Lingua Franca grammar cheat sheet! Bon courage!*

Cheat Sheets - Complete set of 4

*Teacher’s Pet | *Good luck!

Swoon : Corsica

It’s always le bon moment* to be transported by la beauté* of France. Here, we present another spectacular French island, this time Napoleon’s birthplace: Corsica.

Photography : Pinterest

*the right time | *the beauty

At Sixes and Sevens

We use idiomatic phrases involving numbers all the time in English. Don’t believe me?

• Back to square one

• Behind the eight ball

• Baker's dozen

…and I’m only up to the letter B on the list! It stands to reason the French do the same.

Here are some of our favourites.

La Petite Histoire

If you've ever done a group lesson here at Lingua Franca, you've probably come into contact with La Petite Histoire*. A tale with the very humblest of beginnings, it winds up becoming a rollicking schlockbuster as you move up the levels and your French improves enough to handle the outrageous (some would say impossible) turns of events of the six young friends.

La Petite Histoire is currently only available to our students, however La Préquelle is for everyone’s enjoyment. Below, the fourth instalment of this new series, which is written to an Absolute Beginner Revision level.

*The Little Story | *The Prequel

Ma fille, Anouk, est très petite. Elle a deux ans et c’est notre premier enfant. Ma femme, Leïla, et moi sommes très contents. Je suis marocain et Leïla est française donc Anouk est marocaine/française. Elle a les cheveux noirs et les yeux verts. Elle parle beaucoup et dit ‘maman’, ‘papa’, ‘merci’ et ‘mange’ tout le temps*. Elle aime la musique et elle adore jouer avec notre chat. Elle ne regarde pas la télévision mais elle aime danser pour nous. Dans le futur*, Anouk va parler arabe, français et peut-être* un peu d’anglais. Notre petite famille est très contente.

*all the time | *In the future | *perhaps

Mon mari Jean-Louis est un homme intelligent, fort et déterminé. Il est marocain mais il habite en France depuis* 10 ans. Il travaille dans un hôtel en ville et il aime beaucoup son travail. Parfois* il travaille trop, mais en général je suis contente. Je ne travaille pas en ce moment* parce que nous avons un petit bébé, Anouk. Elle a deux ans et elle est adorable. Jean-Louis a une grande famille. Tout le monde* habite au Maroc sauf Jean-Louis, mais il va au Maroc souvent*. Jean-Louis a de grands plans* pour notre futur. J’ai des plans aussi mais pour le moment* je reste* à la maison avec mon bébé.

*since/for | *Sometimes | *at the moment | *Everyone | *often | *big plans | *for the moment | *I'm staying

Ma sœur Leïla est une femme formidable*. Elle est très intelligente et elle parle français, anglais et un peu d’arabe. Elle a un petit bébé, Anouk, et elle est très contente. Elle ne travaille pas en ce moment. Elle reste à la maison avec le bébé parce que son mari travaille beaucoup. Jean-Louis (son mari) est un homme gentil mais il est très déterminé et ambitieux. Leïla aime la culture: les langues, les livres, les films et elle adore danser. Jean-Louis danse aussi, mais en ce moment il est trop occupé* donc ils ne vont pas aux bars et aux restaurants comme dans le passé*. C’est normal, je suppose. Ils ont un petit bébé.

*formidable/great | *busy | *the past

J’adore mon fils Timothy. Il a dix-neuf ans et il est grand, blond et gentil. Il va à l’université et il étudie* le commerce. Il adore les finances et il va travailler dans une banque internationale après ses études*. Il adore sa petite sœur, Sophie, et ils habitent ensemble dans notre maison à Londres. Je travaille en France en ce moment mais je vais en Angleterre de temps en temps* pour passer du temps* avec mes enfants. Leurs grands-parents (les parents de leur mère) habitent à Bath et pour ça*, je suis content.

*he is studying | *his studies | *from time to time | *to spend some time | *for that

Ma copine Alexandra est chouette*. Nous sommes ensemble depuis six mois alors pour moi, c’est une relation sérieuse. Elle est actrice, elle a vingt-trois ans, elle est belle (bien sûr*) et elle adore la musique. Alexandra est anglaise. Elle est brune avec les yeux bleus et elle est très sexy. Nous allons aux restaurants, aux bars et au cinéma quand elle est ici, à Deauville. Elle parle français parce que sa grand-mère est française. J’aime sa grand-mère mais elle ne m’aime pas* beaucoup. C’est bizarre. Je ne comprends pas pourquoi*.

*great | *of course | *she doesn’t like me | *I don’t understand why

Mon copain Étienne est fantastique. Il est très sportif et il adore faire de l’exercice. Moi, aussi. Le matin, nous allons au parc ensemble en face de notre bâtiment*. Nous n’habitons pas ensemble. Étienne habite avec ma voisine Sandrine (sa sœur)…pour le moment. Étienne adore les sports en général: le rugby, le tennis et même* l’équitation! L’après-midi, nous allons à la piscine et le soir, nous regardons le sport à la télévision. Je suis contente d’être sa copine, mais je suis très fatiguée avec toute l’activité! Mon copain est très, très beau et gentil, aussi, mais il n’est pas très intelligent. Ce n’est pas grave* - je ne cherche* pas de stimulation intellectuelle, vous comprenez*?

*building | *even | *It doesn’t matter | *I’m not looking for | *you understand?

---

JEAN-LOUIS
My daughter, Anouk, is very small. She is two years old and our first child. My wife, Leïla, and I are very happy. I am Moroccan and Leïla is French so Anouk is Moroccan/French. She has black hair and green eyes. She speaks a lot and she says ‘Mum’, ‘Dad’, ‘thank you’ and ‘eat’ all the time. She likes music and she loves to play with our cat. She doesn’t watch television but she likes to dance for us. In the future, Anouk is going to speak Arabic, French and maybe a bit of English. Our little family is very happy.

LEÏLA
My husband Jean-Louis is an intelligent, strong and determined man. He is Moroccan but he has lived in France for 10 years. He works in a hotel in the city and he really likes his work. Sometimes he works too much, but in general I am happy. I am not working at the moment because we have a small baby, Anouk. She is two years old and she is adorable. Jean-Louis has a large family. Everyone lives in Morocco except Jean-Louis but he goes to Morocco often. Jean-Louis has big plans for our future. I have plans too but for the moment I’m staying at home with my baby.

HERVÉ
My sister Leïla is a great woman. She is very intelligent and she speaks French, English and a bit of Arabic. She has a little baby, Anouk, and she is very happy. She isn’t working at the moment. She is staying at home with the baby because her husband works a lot. Jean-Louis (her husband) is a kind man but he is very determined and ambitious. Leïla loves culture: languages, books, films and she loves to dance. Jean-Louis dances as well, but at the moment he is too busy so they don’t go out to bars and restaurants like in the past. It’s normal, I suppose. They have a little baby.

SIMON
I adore my son Timothy. He is nineteen years of age and he is tall, blond and kind. He’s going to university and he is studying business. He loves finances and he is going to work in an international bank after his studies. He adores his little sister, Sophie, and they live together in our house in London. I work in France at the moment but I go to England from time to time to spend time with my children. Their grandparents (my wife’s parents) live in Bath and for that, I am happy.

ROGER
My girlfriend Alexandra is great. We have been together for six months so for me, it’s a serious relationship. She is an actress, she is 23 years old, she is beautiful (of course) and she loves music. Alexandra is English. She is a brunette with blue eyes and she is very sexy. We go to restaurants, bars and to the cinema when she is here, in Deauville. She speaks French because her grandmother is French. I like her grandmother, but she doesn’t like me very much. It’s bizarre. I don’t understand why.

NOËLLE
My boyfriend Étienne is fantastic. He is very sporty and he loves to exercise. Me, too. In the morning, we go to the park opposite our building. We don’t live together. Étienne lives with my neighbour Sandrine (his sister)…for the moment. Étienne loves sports in general: rugby, tennis and even horse riding! In the afternoon, we go to the pool and in the evening, we watch sport on television. I am happy to be his girlfriend, but I am tired with all the activity! My boyfriend is very, very good looking and kind, as well, but he is not very smart. It doesn’t matter - I’m not looking for intellectual stimulation, you understand?

World Wellness Group

We only dropped a basket of goods to our friends at the World Wellness Group a few weeks ago, but our panier* is already filling up with generous donations from our Chouchous*.

We’d therefore like to do a final drop-off before the Christmas break, so if you have any spare goods lurking in the back of your cupboard, we’d love to take them off your hands and give them to our fellow Brisbanites in need.

Helping to keep their community pantry with staples such as rice, pasta, canned beans and UHT milk allows the WWG to maintain their high levels of care.

All contributions gratefully accepted, none expected.

*basket | *Teacher’s Pets

La Petite Histoire

If you've ever done a group lesson here at Lingua Franca, you've probably come into contact with La Petite Histoire*. A tale with the very humblest of beginnings, it winds up becoming a rollicking schlockbuster as you move up the levels and your French improves enough to handle the outrageous (some would say impossible) turns of events of the six young friends.

La Petite Histoire is currently only available to our students, however La Préquelle is for everyone’s enjoyment. Below, the third instalment of this new series, which is written to an Absolute Beginner 3 level.

*The Little Story | *The Prequel

Bonjour! C'est le premier août, il fait beau et je suis en vacances! Je suis à Marrakech, au Maroc, avec ma femme, Leïla, et notre fille, Anouk. Je suis marocain et j'aime visiter mon pays*. J'habite en France, mais je passe* beaucoup de temps au Maroc avec ma famille. J'ai une grande famille. J'ai quatre sœurs et trois frères et tout le monde habite à Marrakech sauf moi. J'aime être avec ma famille. Nous parlons, nous faisons du sport ensemble, ma mère et mes sœurs cuisinent beaucoup et j'aime passer du temps avec mes cousins et cousines. Leïla aime le Maroc aussi. Elle adore les vacances ici. Elle aime aller au hammam avec mes sœurs et aller au marché pour faire les courses. Nous sommes très contents.

*my country | *I spend | *Moroccan bathhouse

Bonjour. Aujourd'hui il fait chaud et je suis à la maison des parents de Jean-Louis avec mon bébé, Anouk. Jean-Louis est au parc avec ses frères. Ils jouent au foot ensemble. La mère de Jean-Louis, Fatima, est très gentille. Je ne parle pas arabe, mais elle parle français (ouf!*) donc nous parlons beaucoup et cuisinons beaucoup aussi. Le matin, nous allons au marché ensemble pour choisir des légumes et de la viande pour le dîner. J'aime la cuisine marocaine et nous passons des heures et des heures à table. En France, nous sommes très occupés donc j'aime être un peu tranquille, mais de temps en temps je voudrais sortir* le soir!

*phew! | *around the table | *I would like to go out

Salut! Je suis en vacances avec ma femme Amina à Londres, en Angleterre. Aujourd'hui est jeudi et c'est le deuxième jour de nos vacances. Il fait froid donc nous allons à la Galerie Nationale. Ce soir, nous avons un dîner avec des amis anglais d'Amina, Robert et Beth. Leur fils, Michael, est un ami d'Amina. Robert et Beth habitent à Dorset mais ils sont à Londres pour le mariage de Michael. Nous allons au mariage samedi, alors* demain nous allons chez Harvey Nichols pour faire du shopping. Je cherche une cravate* et Amina cherche des chaussures*. J'aime beaucoup Londres, mais je n'aime pas beaucoup la cuisine anglaise.

*so | *so | *tie | *shoes

Bonjour. Je ne suis pas en vacances. Je suis à Londres, en Angleterre. Je suis anglais, et mes enfants habitent ici à Londres, mais je travaille à Paris. Alors, je suis à Londres et je passe du temps avec mes deux enfants. Ils sont très gentils, mais un peu tristes. C'est compliqué*. Ma fille, Sophie, aime les sports (elle joue au tennis et elle fait de la natation) mais elle n'aime pas beaucoup l'école. Mon fils, Timothy, est grand, blond (comme moi), il parle français et il voudrait être comptable. Il aime l'argent!. Mercredi, nous allons à Bath parce que mes parents y* habitent dans une maison en face de la cathédrale en ville.

*complicated | *like | *money | *there

Salut tout le monde! C'est l'été et il fait chaud ici à Deauville. Je suis à la maison de vacances de ma famille et je vais à la plage le matin, le restaurant le midi et le casino le soir. J'aime nager, j'aime manger et j'adore les femmes donc je suis très content. Nous avons une grande maison en face de l'hippodrome* avec un beau jardin. Mes amis arrivent demain et quand nous sommes ensemble, nous faisons la fête! En septembre, Deauville a un festival de film britannique donc* je reste ici pour ça. Je parle anglais bien et j’aime pratiquer avec des touristes. Je ne suis pas timide.

*racetrack | *so

Bonsoir. Je ne suis pas contente. Je suis ici à Paris et mes amis sont en vacances. Ce n'est pas normal*! Ils sont en Espagne, au Portugal et même* aux États-Unis. Je suis un peu jalouse*. Mon appartement est petit et il fait très chaud. Mon chat est ici avec moi, mais elle ne parle pas beaucoup, donc je suis un peu triste. Je voudrais être en vacances aussi, mais je n'ai pas beaucoup d'argent parce que je suis étudiante. Ma famille est en Australie et c'est très loin*. Heureusement*, ma voisine, Sandrine a un frère. Il est très beau et il habite avec elle maintenant. Il est très sportif donc demain, je vais au parc en face pour faire de l'exercice. L'appartement de Sandrine a de grandes fenêtres et j'ai un plan.

*It's not right! | *jealous | *far away | *thankfully

---

JEAN-LOUIS
Hello! It's the first of August, it is nice weather and I am on holidays! I am in Marrakesh, in Morocco, with my wife, Leïla, and our daughter, Anouk. I am Moroccan and I like to visit my country. I live in France, but I spend a lot of time in Morocco with my family. I have a large family. I have four sisters and three brothers and everyone lives in Marrakesh except me. I like to be with my family. We talk, we play sport together, my mother and my sisters cook a lot and I like to spend time with my cousins. Leïla likes Morocco as well. She loves holidays here. She likes to go to the hammam with my sisters and to the market to do the grocery shopping. We are very happy.

LEÏLA
Hello. Today it's hot and I am at Jean-Louis' parents' house with my baby, Anouk. Jean-Louis is at the park with his brothers. They're playing football together. Jean-Louis' mother, Fatima, is very kind. I don't speak Arabic, but she speaks French (phew!) so we speak a lot and we cook a lot as well. In the mornings, we go to the market together to choose the vegetables and meat for dinner. I like Moroccan cuisine and we spend hours and hours around the table. In France, we are very busy so I like being a bit quiet, but from time to time I'd like to go out at night!

HERVÉ
Hi! I'm on holidays with my wife Amina in London, in England. Today is Thursday and it's the second day of our holidays. It's cold so we're going to the National Gallery. This evening, we have a dinner with some English friends of Amina, Robert and Beth. Their son, Michael, is a friend of Amina. Robert and Beth live in Dorset but they are in London for Michael's wedding. We are going to the wedding on Saturday, so tomorrow we're going to Harvey Nichols to do some shopping. I am looking for a tie and Amina is looking for some shoes. I like London a lot, but I don't like English cuisine much.

SIMON
Hello. I am not on holidays. I am in London, in England. I am English, and my children live here in London, but i work in Paris. So, I am in London and I am spending time with my two children. They are very kind, but a bit sad. It's complicated. My daughter, Sophie, likes sports (she plays tennis and she swims) but she doesn't like school very much. My son, Timothy, is tall, blond (like me), he speaks French and he would like to be an accountant. He likes money! On Wednesday, we are going to Bath because my parents live there in a house opposite the cathedral in town.

ROGER
Hi everybody! It is summer and it's hot here in Deauville. I am at my family's holiday house and I go to the beach in the morning, the restaurant at midday and the casino at night. I like to swim, I like to eat and I like women so I am very happy. We have a big house opposite the racetrack with a beautiful garden. My friends are arriving tomorrow and when we are together we like to party! In September, Deauville has a British film festival so I am staying here for that. I speak English and I like to practise with the tourists. I am not shy.

NOËLLE
Good evening. I am not happy. I am here in Paris and my friends are on holidays. It's not right! They're in Spain, in Portugal and even in the United States. I am a bit jealous. My apartment is small and it's very hot. My cat is here with me but she doesn't speak much, so I am a bit sad. I would like to be on holidays, too, but I don't have a lot of money because I am a student. My family is in Australia and it's a long way away. Luckily, my neighbour, Sandrine, has a brother. He is very handsome and he lives with her now. He is very sporty so tomorrow, I am going to the park opposite to do some exercise. Sandrine's apartment has big windows and I have a plan.

My French Story

People pursue French for a fascinating array of reasons, and we’re keen to hear all about them. If you have a story to share, please let us know. We’d love to feature your unique histoire française* in a future edition of Le Chouchou News.

Here’s one from a couple of years ago, profiling the lovely Corinne. Merci encore, Corinne, et à bientôt!*

Name/nom:

Corinne Sklavos

Age/âge: 

28 

Level/Niveau:

Absolute Beginner Revision

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!

*French story | *Thanks again Corinne and see you soon! | *Corinne, what is your profession? | *Why are you studying French? | *Teacher’s Pet | *Favourite word in French? | *Thanks Corinne, and best of luck for Term 4.

Swoon : Île de Ré

It’s always le bon moment* to be transported by la beauté* of France. Here, we present the charming Île de Ré on the Atlantic Coast, just near La Rochelle.

Photography : claires-blog.com on Pinterest

*the right time | *the beauty

Fleur de sel

I remember being in France on a trip with our students once and becoming almost overwhelmed with the enormous richness of the French culture. Admittedly, we’d been on a mission to soak it in, but at that moment it seemed like it was coming from every direction and permeating my very pores. Music, history, wine, fashion, language, art, cuisine…and I could tell I’d barely scratched the surface.

I’ll never forget that feeling and it’s what will propel me back to France for the rest of my life (if I’m very, very lucky).

So it was no surprise to me when I happened across the famous Fleur de Sel from Île de Ré recently that there was a history and tradition behind it qui fait rêver.*

In a tradition that spans more than 1000 years, paludiers* have hand gathered sea salt from the salt marshes in the north of Île de Ré. Known as “l’or blanc” or white gold, fleur de sel* production is once again a flourishing commercial pursuit. It was first traded in the Middle Ages, when monks from Saint-Michel-en-l’Herm, aware that the island was ideally situated at the crossroads of important shipping routes, decided to enter the market, trading with their Nordic neighbours the Danes, the Dutch and the Germans.

The arrival of railways and the Industrial Revolution spelled the end of the trade and the marshes fell into disuse, until in 1942, when a rehabilitation program was instigated which saw the patrimoine* of this ancient practice conserved.

So what makes fleur de sel so special? The reason lies in the fact the vast majority of the salt contained in the salt pans settles on the bottom of the marsh during the evaporation process. However, each day some salt crystals float to the surface of the water, forming a delicate crust on top. Its fragility necessitates that it be gathered by hand, and historically, workers who harvested fleur de sel were women, since it was believed they needed to be collected by "the more delicate sex." Today, both men and women do the harvesting, lifting the crystals from the salt marsh, like cream from milk. All of this care and attention doesn’t come cheaply of course, earning fleur de sel the nickname of "the caviar of sea salts."

Happening upon this website by chance is where the story kicked off, et quel voyage*! If you’re keen to treat yourself or someone you love for Noël, bringing a touch of tradition to the table has never tasted so good.

*that makes you dream | *salt mongers | *flower of salt | *heritage | *and what a trip!

Parisians speaking English

Here’s a challenge for you. Watch this video, and tell me that you don’t just fall in love with these Parisians trying out their English. A couple of things to bear in mind:

1) As a general rule, the French believe they are particularly bad at learning languages, hence all the comments about “I’m not very good”, “My accent is terrible” etc. (sound familiar?)

2) Despite the many mistakes they make, we can not only understand them really well, but they’re fun to listen to, non*?

*Don’t you think?