French lessons, events & trips
FRENCH LESSONS EVENTS & GIFTS
Allez, allez*! Take 10 minutes to learn these evocative phrases which all use the verb aller*.
*Go, go! | *to go
As a child you may have dabbled in a bit of pig latin, but did you know the French have their own secret language called verlan?
The name verlan itself is in fact an illustration of how this very-commonly used langage* works. To create a word in verlan, we must first identify the sounds of the syllables. The next step is to reverse their order. Attention*, you’re not reversing the letters, you’re inverting the sounds of the syllables.
For example, ‘ver-lan’ is made up of the sounds ‘lan-ver’, and l’envers in French means ‘backwards’. Tu piges*?
If not, don’t worry, it’s not immediately obvious, c’est sûr*, so we’ve given you some more examples below.
Interested in this sort of thing? If you live in Brisbane, we’ll be talking more about this little French quirk at our upcoming P’tit Week-end Immersion (more details here).
If you’re busy or don’t live in the area, please enjoy this video instead, by French artist Stromae, whose very name is verlan for Maestro. Clever, non*?
*language | *Be careful | *Do you get it? | *that’s for sure | *isn’t it?
Le Président* Emmanuel Macron has changed the colour of the French flag, but malheureusement* no-one seemed to notice…
*unfortunately
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, another instalment of this new series, Chapter 4 (of 6) of the Beginner Revision level.
*The Little Story | *The Prequel
Hier matin, j’ai décidé de faire un plan.
La semaine dernière j’ai essayé de parler à mon tuteur, Roger, à propos de nos cours. Il est très gentil et drôle aussi, mais nos leçons de sont pas assez sérieuses pour moi.J’ai besoin d’aide avec mon anglais et il préfère me donner des compliments et poser des questions sur ma vie privée. Donc, j’ai décidé de prendre le contrôle.
Je suis allée à la bibliothèque à l’université pour trouver un bon livre de grammaire pour l’anglais. Je veux un peu de structure pour nos leçons.
“Excusez-moi, monsieur. Je cherche un livre de grammaire anglaise,’ j’ai dit au bibliothécaire.
“Bien sûr, madame. Quel est votre niveau?”
“Ah, Leïla est très avancée, monsieur. Son anglais est fantastique.”
Surprise, je me suis retournée et j’ai vu la jeune femme qui connaît Roger - la rousse avec les yeux verts.
“Ah, salut!” j’ai dit et j’ai souri. “Je suis désolée mais comment t’appelles-tu?”
“Pas de problème, je suis Noëlle. Comment vont tes cours avec Roger?”
“Oui, très bien, merci. En fait, je suis ici pour chercher un livre de grammaire pour notre leçon cette semaine.”
“Ah bon? Mais j’ai pensé que Roger était ton tuteur. Il ne prépare pas des cours?” Noëlle a demandé.
“Pas vraiment,’ j’ai répondu. “Il préfère parler.”
“Parler ou flirter?” Elle était très directe.
J’ai rougi un peu. “Les deux, je suppose,” j’ai dit.
“Et voilà, ça c’est notre Roger!” Elle a souri.
“Mais son anglais est incroyable,” j’ai dit. “Il parle très bien.”
“Ah, bon?” elle a dit. Et puis elle a dit: “Leïla, si tu veux de l’aide dans le futur avec ton anglais, je suis australienne et donc je parle anglais couramment. C’est juste un idée.” Elle m’a donné son numéro et juste comme ça, elle est partie.
Yesterday morning, I decided to make a plan.
Last week I tried to talk to my tutor, Roger, about our lessons. He is very kind and funny as well, but our lessons aren't serious enough for me.
I need help with my English and he prefers to give me compliments and ask me about my private life. Therefore, I decided to take control.
I went to the library at the university to find a good grammar book for English. I want a bit of structure for our lessons.
"Excuse me, sir. I am looking for an English Grammar book," I said to the librarian.
"Of course, madam. What is your level?"
"Oh, Leïla is very advanced, sir. Her English is fantastic."
Surprised, I turned around and I saw the young woman who knows Roger - the redhead with the green eyes.
"Oh, hi!" I said and I smiled. "I'm sorry but what is your name?"
"No problem, I'm Noëlle. How are your lessons going with Roger?"
"Yes, very well, thanks. In fact, I'm here to look for a grammar book for our lesson this week."
"Oh, really? But I thought Roger was your tutor. He doesn't prepare lessons?" Noëlle asked.
"Not really," I responded. "He prefers to talk."
"Talk or flirt?" She was very direct.
"Both, I suppose," I said.
"And there you go. That's our Roger!" She smiled.
"But his English is incredible," I said. "He speaks very well."
"Oh, really? she said. And then she said: "Leïla, if you want some help in the future with your English, I am Australian and so I speak English fluently. It's just an idea." She gave me her number and then, just like that, she left.
We hate to be the ones to break it to you, but Noël* is just around the corner.
In great news though, the organisers of Le Festival* have decided to end 2021 with a bang by staging Brisbane’s first French Christmas Market .
Bringing a traditional, French festive vibe to West End’s impressive West Village complex, the event will run over two days, the 20th and 21st November. Come along to browse quality produits français* just in time to fill your Christmas stockings.
Hope to see you there!
Plus d’infos* right here.
If you’ve been into le nid* recently you may have noticed a little ceramic pot filled with these delicious caramel treats just as you walk through la porte*. Well, it was full…
It turns out our Chouchous* have taken to these iconic French treats in a big way, so we’re offering you the chance to win a packet of your own. Be the first person to translate la blague* below and les bonbons* are all yours!
Firstly, though, some history…
Finding themselves with a surplus of cocoa, the Director of the Delespaul-Havez company, M. Fauchille, and his employee, M. Galois, decide to create a brand new recette* as a way of using it up.
According to legend, one factory machine malfunction later the Caram’bar (as it was then known) was born, a portmanteau word combining caramel* and barre*.
Carambar decided to include jokes on the inside of each wrapper. They launched a competition in schools across France asking students to submit their best (clean) jokes with the incentive of winning one’s weight in Carambar. Naturally, they were inundated and the blague Carambar* took off.
Renowned for being des blagues à deux balles* , the Carambar jokes are nonetheless fondly considered in France, much like the ones found in Christmas crackers dans ce coin*.
After an absence of five years, Carambar ads return to the screens with YouTubers extolling their virtues as well as a new strap line: “Carambar, c’est la barre!”
A play on words, the marketers swapped c’est la balle* for c’est la barre*, in reference to the bar shape of the sweet and a whole new generation of enfants français* were hooked.
So here we go, une petite sélection* of des blagues Carambar.
1. Pourquoi les maisons en Angleterre ne sont-elles pas solides ?
Parce qu’elles sont en glaise. (anglaises)
2. Quelles sont les lettres les plus vieilles de l’alphabet ?
A G (âgé)
3. De quelle couleur sont les parapluies quand il pleut ?
Ils sont tout verts ! (Ils sont ouverts)
*the nest | *the door | *Teacher’s Pets | *the joke | *lollies | *recipe | *caramel | *bar | *Carambar joke | *corny jokes | *in this neck of the woods | *It’s awesome | *it’s the bar | *French children | *a little selection
I know people are dubitatifs* when we tell them that the French often perceive our pronunciation flaws as adorable, but just try watching this video and not smiling in sympathy.
*doubtful
If you have just une minute*, it is well worth watching the very beginning of this documentary, “Dior - Designer of Dreams”.
The opening scenes find us at a photo shoot for the image above, and the moment of its capture is pure magie*. Keep an ear out for the unexpected Australian accent off camera, too. It truly is une équipe internationale* who pulled off this exquisite exhibition of 70 years of the House of Dior at Le Musée des Arts Décoratifs de Paris in 2017.
If you have an interest in la haute couture*, you’ll fall in love dès le départ*.
If you’re more of a sceptic, though, this could be le documentaire* to win you over, as it illustrates in the most intricate detail le dévouement*, la passion* et le travail acharné* required to create things of such beauty.
Currently showing at the Brooklyn Museum in New York, is it too much to hope it’ll eventually find its way aux Antipodes*?
Entre temps*, we have a video to watch… Enjoy.
*one minute | *pure magic | *an international team | *haute couture (literally ‘high sewing’) | *from the get-go | *the documentary | *the dedication | *the passion | *the sheer hard work | *Down Under
In 2019, Lingua Franca took two groups of Chouchous* on a two-week tour around north-western France. One of the absolute points forts* was our visit to St Malo and from these belles images* it's easy to see why.
📸 : ouramericandream.fr
*Teacher’s Pets | *highlights | *beautiful images
There's only one...well deux* words for this delicious French version of comfort food: miam, miam*. Cuisinez bien*!
*two | *yum, yum | *Happy cooking!
Picture and recipe source : www.delscookingtwist.com
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, another instalment of this new series, Chapter 3 (of 6) of the Beginner Revision level.
*The Little Story | *The Prequel
“Qu’est-ce que tu fais aujourd’hui, ma chérie?” Jean Louis a demandé.
“J’ai mon cours d’anglais avec Roger,” j’ai dit.
“Bien sûr,” il a répondu. “Comment ça va?”
“Super, merci,” j’ai menti.
En vérité, Roger préfère flirter avec moi, j’ai pensé, mais je ne vais pas dire ça à mon mari!
_____________
“Salut Leïla, tu veux quelque chose à boire?” Roger a demandé quand je suis entrée dans le café.
“S’il te plaît. Un thé anglais avec du lait,” j’ai répondu.
“Ah, ma petite fille anglaise,” Roger a taquiné. “J’admire ta détermination d’apprendre l’anglais, Leïla.” Et puis il est parti pour aller au comptoir.
Tu n’es pas déterminé, Roger, ça, c’est sûr, j’ai pensé.
Quand Roger est retourné, j’ai décidé de dire quelque chose.
“Roger, j’aime bien mes cours d’anglais avec toi,” j’ai commencé.
“Moi, aussi, Leïla. J’aime être payé pour passer du temps avec une très belle femme deux fois par semaine,” il a souri et il m’a passé mon café. “Du sucre?”
”Je suis sérieuse, Roger. Ne me taquine pas,” j’ai dit.“Moi aussi, Leïla, je suis sérieux. Tu es une très belle femme. Je pense que tous les autres hommes dans ce café sont jaloux de moi.”
“Roger, ça suffit! Je n’aime pas quand tu parles comme ça. Tu sais que je suis mariée.”
“Oui, tu es mariée, Leïla, mais tu n’es pas morte! On est amis. J’aime te taquiner. Tu rougis très facilement.”
Mon visage était rouge, c’est vrai, mais je ne souriais pas.
“Roger, je veux changer nos leçons. Je ne veux plus…”
Soudain, une femme est passé devant notre table. Elle était magnifique - grande, avec des cheveux roux et les yeux verts.
”Coucou Roger!” elle a dit. “Toujours dans le café, je vois,” elle a taquiné. “Je suis surprise que ce n’est pas un bar.”“Tu me connais bien,” il a dit et il a rougi.
“À demain!” elle a dit, et elle est partie.
“C’est qui ça?” j’ai demandé.
“Elle s’appelle Noëlle’, il a dit et il n’a pas souri.
“What are you doing today, my darling?” Jean-Louis asked.
“I have my English lesson with Roger,” I said.
“Of course,” he responded. “How’s it going?”
“Super,” I lied.
In truth, Roger prefers to flirt with me, I thought, but I’m not going to say that to my husband!
_____________
“Hi Leïla, do you want something to drink?” Roger asked when I entered the café.
“Yes, please. An English tea with milk,’ I responded.
“Oh, my little English girl,” Roger teased, “I admire your determination to learn English, Leïla.” And then he left to go to the counter.
You’re not determined,Roger, that’s for sure, I thought.
When Roger returned, I decided to say something.
“Roger, I really like my English lessons with you,” I started.
“Me too, Leïla. I like to be paid to spend tike with a very beautiful woman twice a week.” He smiled and passed me my coffee. “Sugar?”
“I’m serious, Roger. Don’t tease me,” I said.
“I’m serious, too. Leïla. You are a very beautiful woman. I think that all the other men in the café are jealous of me.””Roger, that’s enough! I don’t like it when you speak to me like that. You know that I’m married.”
“Yes, you are married, Leïla, but you’re not dead! We’re friends. I like teasing you. You blush very easily.”
My face was red, it’s true, but I wasn’t smiling.
“Roger, I want to change our lessons. I no longer want…”
Suddenly, a woman passed in front of our table. She was magnificent - tall, with red hair and green eyes.
“Hi there, Roger!” she said. “Always in the café, I see,” she teased. “I’m surprised it’s not a bar.”
“You know me well,” he said and he blushed.
“See you tomorrow!” she said, and she left.
“Who’s that?” I asked.
“Her name is Noëlle,” he said and he didn’t smile.
If you’re very, very lucky, one day you might wish to tell someone in French that you miss them. Encore mieux*, they might tell you that they’re missing you. Romantique, non*?
Romantique, oui*, but it’s not as easy as you might think.
The verb ‘to miss’ is manquer in French. So far so good, you may think, but this is where it starts to get a little tricky.
In English we say “I miss you". In French though, the structure is the equivalent of “You are missing to me”. That is, in French, the object of your affections takes centre stage, whereas in English it’s all about the person doing the missing.
It may help to think of the verb manquer as ‘to lack’. I find this help me come to grips with the fact that we use an indirect pronoun (to me) rather than a direct one (me). Ne prends pas la tête*, though. If you do structure your sentence in the English way, you’ll just be telling the person that they’re lacking to you, which could spark a conversation all of its own.
Of course, you could always turn this phrase into a question if you wanted to ask someone if they were missing you.
C’est clair*? Maybe not right now, but you will wrap your mind around this counterintuitive little gem in time, c’est promis. One of our Chouchous*, Nora, found this song which she swears has helped her to just that. Merci encore*, Nora.
*better still | *Romantic, isn’t it? | *Romantic, yes | *Don’t worry too much | *Is that clear? | *I promise | *Teacher’s Pets | *Thanks again
Many people struggle to keep the French modal verbs vouloir*, pouvoir* and devoir* straight in their heads.
At Lingua Franca, we teach that:
This charming French publicité* for condoms gives us a much more interesting way to remember the verb pouvoir, though. The little boy’s constant refrain is “Maman a dit que je peux” (Mum said I can), reminding us that pouvoir is as much about permission as it is possibility, and this boy is seemingly granted permission around the clock!
Tellement mignon.*
*to want/wish | *to be able to/can | *to have to/must | *ad | *So cute
You may have heard some talk about la rentrée* earlier this month, as French children were preparing to head back to school.
While la rentrée definitely describes the return to school after the long summer holidays in France, it is also used more broadly among the rest of the population.
In August, virtually the whole of France slows to a crawl, with not only schools but many businesses, restaurants and even the government shutting up shop for the hottest of the summer weather.
Almost everyone takes a holiday away from their home town. The most privileged may eye off international experiences and those on more modest budgets may faire du camping*. Regardless of the destination, le but* is to leave behind le quotidien* for a chance to changer les idées*. It’s for this reason that la rentrée holds such weight in the French culture. Come the start of September, it’s time to pack away the togs, get ready for school or work and look forward to a new year.
Whether that evokes excitement or apprehension probably rests on the quality of les vacances…*
*start of the school year | *go camping | *the aim | *the everyday | *to take one’s mind off something | *the holidays
One of the best nights of my life was spent in La Grande Place* in Brussels, drinking bière blanche* with a couple of young Dutch guys who also spoke French (and English and German and enough Spanish and Italian to get by - j'étais jalouse*).
I was about 21 at the time, wide-eyed and on my first trip to Europe. Quels beaux souvenirs*. I remember the sheer scale of the Place blew my little mind and the mix of culture, history, architecture and fashion was absolutely intoxicating. A spell was cast that night and la Belgique* has stayed close to my heart ever since.
I hope this post sends you straight back to your first experiences of travel and just how stimulating and exciting it can be. Oh travel, tu nous manques!*
*The Big Square | *white beer | *Belgium | *What beautiful memories | *We miss you!
Savez-vous que*….
Brisbane has its own French theatre troupe?
Here, Lingua Franca speaks to musician, actor, writer and director Thomas Smith, who wrote BFT’s latest play, Les Uns Contre Les Autres*.
Be sure to right to la fin*. We have two tickets to give away!
LF: Thomas, tell us a little about your background. Where are you from and how did you come to be living in Australia?
TS: I am a "Ch'ti" from Northern France who first visited Australia on a Working Holiday Visa back in 2008. After a year travelling around the country in a van, I spent a few months working in Brisbane... I fell in love with the city and decided to settle here!
LF: Have you always wanted to be a playwright? What propelled you to take this on?
TS: I was introduced to theatre by chance: a friend proposed we audition for Brisbane's first ever French play produced by Growl Theatre in 2015, and it soon became an addiction. Along with five friends, we founded the BFT in 2017. Writing original plays was mainly born out of necessity, after we found out how difficult and time-consuming finding an existing play was - when you have limited casting options and don't necessarily want to produce works from the traditional French repertoire.
LF: How long does it take you to write a play and do you collaborate with other writers? And where do you get your inspiration from?
TS: It's usually an uneven process that's spread over several weeks, with sudden bursts of productivity followed by days of drought. My partner (and BFT's resident director) Isabelle is of precious help as we exchange ideas, she reviews my drafts and provides feedback. Inspiration is a mixed pot of past experiences and random observations: crossing Paris one summer in the Metro led to "Alas April", while the romantic vision people often have of France was "Repeat After Me"'s starting point.
LF: What is this year’s play about and when and where can we see it?
"Les uns contre les autres" is a tragi-comedy dealing with the challenges of long-term relationships and how they can be affected by lengthy lockdowns due to Covid. It will show at the Queensland Multicultural Centre in Kangaroo Point, Brisbane on 14, 15 & 16 October.
Head here for online bookings.
*Did you know that | * Against One Another | *the end
If you’re susceptible to une crise de FOMO*, hearing stories of friends going to Lune Croissanterie when in Melbourne could really rankle.
Fear no more, though, for Lune has opened up very recently here in South Brisbane and one of our intrepid Chouchous*, Sue, was straight onto it.
Source : www.lunecroissanterie.com
LF: Sue, I believe you had an interesting outing a couple of weeks ago? Where did you go?
SC: I went to Lune Croissanterie, which has just opened a new location in Brisbane, at the end of Fish Lane in Southbank (13-17 Manning St South Brisbane). It is the mecca of all things croissant, sweet and savoury.
LF: What made you so keen to go?
SC: I had heard of Lune in Melbourne, where it is famous for its over-the-top delicious croissants and pastries, but unfortunately didn’t manage to go there last time I was in Melbourne, and alas, such interstate travel is not feasible at the moment. Their croissants are supposed to be divine, and I’d heard from friends who went that it was amazing. So I knew I had to go when they came to Brisbane.
One of the founders is an ex-Formula 1 scientist, so in a way, this is the Formula 1 of croissants.
LF: Was there a queue?
SC: If you do go check it out, yes there WILL be a line out the door and down the street, because there’s not much space inside the store for socially distanced lines. But don’t let it deter you. They are take away only at the moment, and the line does move fairly quickly, so you won’t be waiting too long. Make sure to go earlier in the day to avoid disappointment, as they tend to sell out of some of the more popular flavours around noon-ish.
LF: Does it live up to the hype?
SC: For me, oui! It is freshly baked on site (you can see them baking in front of you as you wait). The skin is super crispy, and the inside is nice and fluffy, and some of the flavours have gooey cheese-filled layers. It is incredibly rich, but not overly heavy, and does not have that sometimes unpleasant over-the-top old butter flavour that some croissants have. I’m not a huge fan of the pure butter taste, but this is so light and well combined in the dough it is just perfect. It tastes just as good the day after (if you manage to have any leftovers!).
Definitely worth the trip for an occasional indulgence.
LF: What did you buy?
SC: I had the pain au chocolat, almond croissant, kouign amann, morning bun, ham & gruyere. My favourite was the kouign amann, light, crispy and delicate with a sweet glaze. The almond croissant is a beast, delicious, but on the heavy side with the almond paste. The ham and gruyere was amazing if you are after something savoury.
Their menu changes frequently, so check out their Instagram page for seasonal specials. Their Brisbane store has a more limited menu than what you’ll find online, which is for the Melbourne store.
LF: Three words in French to describe how it tasted?
SC: Riche, délicieux, merveilleux.
PS. Is “melt-in-your-mouth” a word? 😃
LF: Merci, Sue!
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, another instalment of this new series, Chapter 2 (of 6) of the Beginner Revision level.
*The Little Story | *The Prequel
Jean-Louis ne travaille pas le lundi alors nous avons décidé de faire un pique-nique aujourd’hui avec mon frère, sa femme et nos enfants. Hervé et Yasmine ont un nouveau bébé - un petit garçon qui s’appelle Nasir. Il est petit, avec les cheveux noirs et les yeux marrons. Il est adorable mais il ne dort pas beaucoup. Il est très actif et je vois que Yasmine est très contente mais fatiguée aussi.
Nous sommes allés au Jardin du Luxembourg, qui est un grand parc près de chez nous. Yasmine et moi avons préparé le pique-nique. Je n’ai pas beaucoup de temps, donc j’ai préparé quelque chose de très simple: du poulet rôti avec une salade verte avec des tomates et du fromage de chèvre. Yasmine a passé beaucoup de temps dans la cuisine, je pense. Elle a préparé une assiette avec plusieurs petites salades (du houmous, des carottes épicées, des olives et des poivrons au cumin) et un tagine à l’agneau aussi. Elle cuisine très bien.
Nous nous sommes installés sous un arbre et nous avons parlé et mangé tranquillement.
Hervé, mon frère, a posé des question à propos de mes études. J’ai répondu avec plaisir.
“Ça va très bien, merci,” j’ai dit. “J’adore étudier à la fac. C’est très intéressant et j’aime bien les autres élèves. Le seul petit problème est que mon anglais n’est pas super, mais j’ai trouvé un tuteur et on fait des leçons deux fois par semaine.”
“Fantastique,” a répondu Hervé. “Je suis sûre que tu vas réussir. Tu es très intelligente.’
J’ai rougi et j’ai dit “Merci Hervé, mon frère préféré,” et il a rigolé.
“Je ne suis pas sûr,” Jean-Louis a dit. “Son tuteur n’est pas anglais. Il est français. Ce n’est pas normal”.
Soudain, l’ambiance est devenu un peu sombre et nous avons continué à manger en silence.
Jean-Louis doesn't work on Mondays so we decided to have a picnic today with my brother, his wife and our children. Hervé and Yasmine have a new baby - a little boy called Nasir. He is small, with black hair and brown eyes. He is adorable but he doesn't sleep much. He is very active and I see that Yasmine is very happy but tired as well.
We went to the Jardin du Luxembourg, which is a big park close to our place. Yasmine and I prepared the picnic. I don't have a lot of time, so I prepared something very simple: roasted chicken and a green salad with tomatoes and goat's cheese. Yasmine spent lots of time in the kitchen, I think. She prepared a plate with several little salads (hummous, spiced carrots, olives and capsicum with cumin) and a lamb tagine as well. She cooks very well.
We settled in under a tree and we spoke and ate peacefully.
Hervé, my brother, asked questions about my studies. I responded with pleasure.
"It's going very well, thank you," I said. "I love studying at the uni. It's very interesting and I really like the other students. The only little problem is that my English is not super, but I found a tutor and we do lessons twice a week."
"Fantastic," replied Hervé. "I am sure that you're going to succeed. You are very intelligent."
I blushed and I said "Thanks, Hervé, my favourite brother," and he laughed.
"I'm not sure," Jean-Louis said. "Her tutor isn't English. He's French. It's not normal."
Suddenly, the atmosphere became a bit somber and we continued to eat in silence.
Savez-vous que*….
Animal noises around the world are not the same? This is just the cutest little video which will have you rethinking the validity of our ‘oink oinks’ and ‘cock-a-doodle-dos’.
See if you’re able to match up the French noises for the various animals below. The first person to contact us with a perfect score will win a Petit Guide de Pronunciation*. Bon courage*!
Cock-a-doodle-do • quack quack • oink oink • coo coo • ribbit ribbit • cheep cheep
PS If you’re having difficulty even working out the English, the video is where it’s at!
Lingua Franca Petit Guide de Prononciation
*Did you know that | *Little Pronunciation Guide | *Good luck!
In July’s issue of Le Chouchou News we promised you a story about the famous Bal des Pompiers* which takes place on the evening of La Fête Nationale* which, as you know, is le 14 juillet*.
So how did it all start?
In 1937, bystanders from main parade on the Champs Élysées followed some of the firemen back to their caserne* in Montmartre. The fire chief made the fateful decision to open the doors to that tenacious group and a party ensued.
More than 80 years later, the Bal des Pompiers is still going strong and is a much-anticipated annual event, perhaps even more so than the parade itself for les fêtards*, at least.
D’où vient le Bal des Pompiers? | Where does the Firemen’s Ball come from?
*The Firemen’s Ball | *Bastille Day | *on the 14th July | *fire station | *party animals
