Académie française

C’est possible* that in recent times, I may have lightly mocked the Académie française* for its somewhat anachronistic tendencies.

Set up in in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII, its raison d’être* is to protect the purity of the French language.

It’s actually one of five académies, that fall under the auspices of the Institut de France*. While the Académie française is concerned with language, the others take care of literature, pure sciences, fine arts and the social sciences.

*It’s possible | *French Academy | *reason for being | *academies | *French Institute

There are forty members of the Académie at any one time, who are called the immortels*, since they are elected for life. So serious are they about this life-long tenure, that when Marshal Pétain was sacked for collaborating with the Nazi regime in occupied France during WWII, his post was left vacant until his death in 1951.

The Académie bears the responsibility for producing the dictionary of reference for the French language and let’s just say they’re not exactly rapide*. In 1986, work started on the 8th edition. By 2011, they were up to the letter Q.

In its nearly 400-year history, only nine women have been granted a seat, with the first, writer Marguerite Yourcenar, elected in 1980.

*immortals | *quick

The Interior of Académie Française

So, there are reasons for my failure to wholeheartedly embrace this institution. However, having just read this France 24 webdoc (brand new word for me in English, by the way), I am rempli d’humilité.

Fusty or not, the history and practices of the Académie française are so passionnant*, they deserve further exploration, and listening to Sir Michael Edwards, the first native-English speaker elected as an immortal, express his unbridled love for the French language had me racing to other corners of the internet to see what I could find.

Below, a list of my favourite anecdotes*.

*truly humbled | *interesting

1. In their excitement to publish the first edition of the official dictionnaire français*, a very important word was somehow omitted: Français (French). Incroyable, non*?

2. Each immortel is required to foot the bill for their own l’habit vert*, a black or navy blue jacket embroidered with green laurel leaves. No uniform being complete without a sword, bien sûr*, their next job is to commission one, replete with symbolic flourishes and in some cases, jewels. One immortel, Amin Maalouf, said that his induction cost him in the region of $230,000. Luckily for French writer, poet and dramatist, Jean Cocteau, he had a benefactor in Coco Chanel, who gifted him a 2.34 carat emerald (above) which formed the centre of his lyre. Who was charged with putting it all together? None other than la Maison Cartier.

3. Most people hate public speaking, but imagine the pressure of having to write a eulogy for the immortel you’re replacing and deliver it in front of 39 masters of the French language. C’est le pompon*! Eight days later, if all goes to plan, a reception is held for the new member to welcome him (or occasionally her) to the fold. Things did not quite go to plan for Georges de Porto-Riche. His eulogy was deemed unsatisfactory, he refused to rewrite it and consequently, he was not afforded a reception. Maybe not the best work début* in the history of the world.

4. Occasionally, the Académie’s rigid adherence to existing rules means they run the risk of impeding the free use of the language. A recent controversy was kicked off when Lionel Jospin’s government began using la ministre instead of the official le ministre to refer to a female minister. The Académie was not impressed and insisted upon the traditional use of the masculine noun for a minister of either gender. In 2017, 77 linguists retaliated with an opinion column to denounce the “incompetency and anachronism”. Today, use of either form remains highly controversial. Quel cauchemar*.

*French dictionary | *Incredible, isn’t it? | *green outfit | *of course | *It takes the cake | *start | *What a nightmare

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, another instalment of this new series, the final chapter of the Beginner Revision level.

*The Little Story | *The Prequel

"Leïla, est-ce que vous pouvez rester cinq minutes après la classe aujourd'hui, s'il vous plaît ?" Simon a demandé.

J'ai rougi. Quelle honte ! Simon a rendu nos essais au début de la classe et j'ai vu la mauvaise note tout de suite.

"Oui, bien sûr," j'ai dit, d'une petite voix.

Cinquante minutes plus tard, j'étais toute seule avec mon professeur d'anglais, Simon. "Leïla, si je comprends bien, vous avez un tuteur pour améliorer votre anglais, c'est vrai ?"

"Oui," j'ai répondu.

"Bon," il a dit, et puis il a demandé "et comment ça va ?"

"Évidemment, pas très bien !” j'ai dit.

Simon a rigolé, et puis il a dit: “Leïla, vous savez bien que je voudrais vous donner des cours supplémentaires, non ?"

"Oui, et c'est très gentil de votre part, mais je ne peux pas accepter. En fait, j'ai une autre option: une femme australienne qui s’appelle Noëlle. Elle parle couramment et elle est très sympa, donc vous allez voir une différence très bientôt, Simon.”

“D’accord, Leïla, mais l’offre tient toujours. Je m’intéresse beaucoup à votre progrès.”

J’ai dit merci à Simon et je suis parti pour trouver Noëlle.

Elle était toute seule à une table au café et elle a souri quand elle m’a vu.

“Leïla, salut ! Comment vas-tu ? Viens ici, tu veux un café ?”

“Non, merci, c’est gentil. Je ne vais pas rester longtemps. J’ai beaucoup de travail à faire,” j’ai dit sérieusement.

“Ça va, Leïla ? Tu es stressée ? Qu’est-ce qu’il y a ?”

“J’ai reçu une mauvaise note pour mon essai d’anglais…” j’ai commencé.

“…et tu veux mon aide ! C’est bien ça ?” Noëlle est très confiante.

“Oui, mais j’ai un problème. Je ne sais pas comment dire à Roger que je ne veux pas continuer avec nos leçons,” j’ai dit.

“Pas de problème, Leïla. Je peux faire ça.”

“Mais non,” j’ai crié, “je ne peux pas te demander de faire ça !”

“Leïla, écoute-moi. Je connais Roger très bien. On est amis. Je peux expliquer la situation facilement. Il va comprendre.”

“Ah, je ne suis pas sûre, Noëlle,” j’ai dit, ‘Ce n’est pas très correcte de faire ça.”

“Tu es trop sérieuse, Leïla. Roger est un playboy. Il aime faire des leçons avec toi parce qu’il veut te draguer, pas parce qu’il veut t’aider. J’insiste, Leïla. Je vais le faire.”

Timidement, j’ai dit ‘oui’ et j’ai dit au revoir.

Imaginez ma surprise quand deux heures plus tard j’ai vu Noëlle et Roger à une table au café, côte à côte, main dans la main, leurs lèvres collées. Amis? Je ne pense pas.

“Leïla, can you stay five minutes after the class today, please?” Simon asked. I blushed. How shameful! Simon gave our essays back at the start of the class and I saw the mad mark straight away.

“Of course,” I said, quietly. Fifty minutes later, I was all alone with my English professor, Simon. “Leïla, if I understand correctly, you have a tutor to improve your English, is that true?”

“Yes,” I responded.

“Right,” he said, and then he asked “How is it going?” “Obviously, not very well!” I said. Simon laughed, then he said: “Leïla, you know that I would like to give you extra lessons, don’t you?”

“Yes, and it’s very kind of you, but I cannot accept. In fact, I have another option: an Australian woman called Noëlle. She speaks fluently and she’s very nice, so you’re going to see a difference very soon, Simon.”

“Okay, Leïla, but the offer still stands. I am very interested in your progress.”

I said thank you to Simon and I left to find Noëlle. She was all alone at a table at the café and she smiled when she saw me.

“Leïla, hi! How are you? Come here, do you want a coffee?”

“No, thanks, that’s kind of you. I’m not going to stay very long. I have lots of work to do,” I said seriously.

“Are you okay, Leïla? Are you stressed? What’s up?”

“I received a bad mark for my English essay…” I started.

“…and you want my help! Is that it?” Noëlle is very confident.

“Yes, but I have a problem. I don’t know how to tell Roger that I don’t want to continue with him,” I said.

“No problem, Leïla. I can do that.”

“But no,” I cried, “I can’t ask you to do that!”

“You’re too serious, Leïla. Roger is a playboy. He likes to do lessons with you because he wants to pick you up, not because he wan’t to help you. I insist, Leïla. I am going to do it.”

Timidly, I said ‘yes’ and I said goodbye.

Imagine my surprise when two hours later I saw Noëlle and Roger at a table in the café, side by side, hand in hand, their lips glued together. Friends? I don’t think so.

Brigitte Bardot

Cette semaine* at Lingua Franca we debuted our brand new Club de Culture classes for our more advanced students.

Each term, we’ll focus on a different aspect of French culture and for Term 1 we’ve chosen le cinéma*.

The courses run over ten weeks and we devote each lesson to a certain acteur ou actrice* and their most iconic film.

Spanning the period just before the arrival of La Nouvelle Vague* all the way up to the present day, we kicked off week one with Brigitte Bardot in Roger Vadim’s 1956 film Et Dieu…créa la femme*, which marked his directorial debut.

With a wafer-thin script and some comedically bad fight scenes, the film nonetheless is credited with introducing le sex-symbol* Brigitte Bardot to the film-going public. An indomitable free spirit, we see her topless, shoeless, braless, pantless and even legless…but never helpless. It’s BB who holds all the power for the majority of the film, until, with a couple of violent slaps to the face, her young husband brings her to heel in what makes for an anti-climactic and uncomfortable ending.

The release of the film coincided with the beginning of the sexual revolution and eerily mirrors the love story between Vadim and his starlet wife, Bardot, which scandalised her conservative parents.

À mon avis*, Et Dieu…créa la femme still merits a watch, if only to marvel at Bardot’s unbridled sexual allure and to reassure oneself that, in the words of one of our students “les temps ont bien changé!*”

Interest piqued? You can watch the entire film ici*.

*This week | *the cinema | *actor or actress | *The New Wave | *And God…Created Woman | *the sex symbol | *In my opinion | *times have definitely changed

La Moustache

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It may have occurred to you that moustache is a French word, but did you have any idea of the social significance it has carried throughout history?

Moi non plus*, but here's a little wrap up, thanks to the website of France Culture (one of the radio stations we recommend to students of all levels to 'get your ear in’).

Enjoy!

---

*Me neither

A bit of friction...

I’m pretty sure I’m not alone when I say that one of the petits plaisirs* I enjoy when travelling in a French-speaking country is a trip to the local pharmacie*.

There’s something about seeing products that I’ve long considered produits de luxe* being sold to le grand publique* at extremely reasonable prices.

There there are the petites découvertes* involving products we simply don’t have here. One such discovery took place a few years ago when we were on a trip to la Nouvelle Calédonie*. I’m a sucker for a good-looking label, so when I came upon my first bottle of Friction de Foucaud, I couldn’t part with my sous* fast enough.

It was only when I got back to the hotel that Deborah, whom some of you know, told me that it was a French product reeking of nostalgia in the vein of Quick-Eze or Vicks Vapor Rub for those of us who grew up here.

She explained that it was mostly used as a refreshing tonic in hot weather or as a quick and effective pick-me-up for those days that just seem to drag.

it was created in 1946 by Madame Lucienne Merle. Inspired by the climate she experienced living in French Indochina (now Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam) this secret formula, which has remained unchanged for 70 year, offered ‘sovereign relief from tiredness’.

Since its creation, and in an effort to penetrate a larger market, the range has been extended to include roll-ons, foot creams and thigh gels. Its popularity was given a boost in the 80s when tennis player Yannick Nosh extolled its virutes.

According to the Friction de Foucaud website:

”Vous serez séduits à votre tour en l’utilisant, par le mariage d’huiles essentielles de citron, d’orange, de thym, de romarin, mêlées à des extraits naturels de camphre et de menthol qui donnent à la friction cet effet rafraîchissant et énergisant.”

”You, too, will be seduced when you use it, by the combination of essential oils such as lemon, orange, thyme, and rosemary, mixed with natural extracts of camphor and menthol with give the friction its refreshing and energising effect.”

*small pleasures | *pharmacy | *luxury products | *the general public | *little discoveries | *New Caledonia | *cash

Chanel exhibition comes to Australia

Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel died on the 10th January 1971 and yet more than fifty years later, the designs from her eponymous maison de couture* scream her legacy.

Until the 25th April, we here in Australia have the chance to appreciate the enormous impact she had, not only on the way women dress, but on how they live their lives.

Plus d’informations ici*

*Fashion becomes out of fashion, style never does | *fashion house | *More information here

How to Learn French

Some of you may have already cottoned on to the fact that I am pretty passionate about the French language.

I started learning it at the age of 11 at my local primary school and right from that first lesson it was le coup de foudre* for me.

Nearly forty years later, I’m still learning French and about 13 years ago I set up Lingua Franca to teach other people this belle langue*. The Lingua Franca team has taught literally thousands of people and part of the reason we all love it so much is that while we’re officially the educators, what we learn from our students is like a rich vein of gold that we get to mine at each and every lesson.

As an Australian who learned French as a second language from one of the most remote corners of the earth, with no French heritage and little in the way of French culture to discover, I’m often asked by our students how I did it.

When I look around the office, though, it’s clear that I’m in no way different to so many others. My colleagues, all native-French speakers, are fluent English speakers as well. We have students we’ve watched become fluent and others who have come to us already speaking fluently. What we all have in common is that we took the first step, and then, crucially, kept going.

In this new series of articles, we’re going to look at how to learn French. Not the le, la et les* of it, but actually how to succeed in achieving the goal so many of you have.

So, gardez un œil* each month for our very top tips, drawn from the personal and professional experience of the whole team here at Lingua Franca: moi, l’équipe et nos Chouchous, bien sûr*.

*love at first sight | *beautiful language | *the, the and the | *me, the team and our Teacher’s Pets, of course

C'est délicieux!

If you just can’t wait for the Alliance Française French Film Festival to come to town, there is a stop-gap measure available to you.

Délicieux* was released in Australian cinemas on 26th December and though it is still showing, ne tardez pas* if you’re keen to catch it.

A historical comedy starring Isabelle Carré and Grégory Gadebois, Délicieux tells the tale of a talented and passionate chef, whose mistreatment at the hands of a grandiose duke eventually leads to the creation of France’s very first restaurant.

Enjoy la bande annonce*.

*Delicious | *don’t waste any time | *the trailer

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, another instalment of this new series, Chapter 5 (of 6) of the Beginner Revision level.

*The Little Story | *The Prequel

---

“Tu ne parles pas beaucoup ce soir, ma chérie. Ça va?” a demandé mon mari, Jean-Louis.

”Oui, ça va merci, mon amour. Je suis un peu fatiguée,” j’ai répondu.

“Tu veux un thé à la menthe?”

“Volontiers!” j’ai répondu, surprise. Mon mari ne dit pas ça souvent.

Cinq minutes plus tard, il est entré dans le salon avec deux tasses de thé. “Voilà, Leïla.”

“Merci bien,” j’ai dit.

“Tu es sûre que tu n’es pas triste, ma chérie? Qu’est-ce qu’il y a?”

“Ah, ce n’est rien, Jean-Louis. Je pense à Roger.”

“Je vois,” a dit Jean-Louis et il a commencé à regarder la télévision. Il n’était pas content.

“Jean-Louis, Roger est mon tuteur, c’est tout.”

Il n’a pas répondu.

“Jean-Louis, je suis ta femme! Roger est mon tuteur, c’est tout, et il n’est pas très bon pour être honnête,” j’ai ajouté.

“Leïla, ça c’était évident du début. Il est français. Ce n’est pas possible! Tu ne peux pas continuer. C’est cher et il n’est pas bon. Tu dois trouver une autre solution!”

“Tu as raison, mon chéri, je sais. En fait, je pense que j’ai trouvé quelqu’un hier…”

“Un homme ou une femme?” Jean-Louis était difficile parfois.

“C’est une femme australienne, si tu dois savoir. Elle s’appelle Noëlle et elle est très sympathique. Je ne sais pas comment je vais dire à Roger que je ne veux pas continuer, mais je vais appeler Noëlle demain.”

“C’est une très bonne idée, ma chérie. Et pour Roger, il doit savoir qu’il n’est pas bon, donc il ne va pas être surpris, je crois.” Jean-Louis a souri et puis il a dit: “Tu veux aller danser demain soir, Leïla? On peut trouver une babysitter pour les enfants et on peut sortir. Ça te dit?”

“Avec plaisir, mon amour,” j’ai répondu. J’adore danser avec mon mari et ce n’est pas facile de sortir quand on a trois petits enfants, donc j’étais très heureuse.

J’ai regardé mon mari et il était heureux aussi pour la première fois depuis longtemps.

“You’re not speaking much this evening, my darling. Are you okay?” asked my husband, Jean-Louis.

“Yes, I’m fine thanks. I’m a bit tired,” I responded.

“Do you want a mint tea?”

“Yes, please!” I responded, surprised. My husband doesn’t say that very often.

Five minutes later, he came into the living room with two cups of tea. “There you go, Leïla.”

“Thanks a lot,” I said.

“Are you sure you’re not sad, my darling? What’s up?”

“Oh, it’s nothing, Jean-Louis. I’m thinking about Roger.”

“I see,” Jean-Louis said and he started to watch television. He wasn’t happy.

“Jean-Louis, Roger is my tutor, that’s all.”

He didn’t respond.

“Jean-Louis, I’m your wife! Roger is my tutor, that’s all, and he’s not very good to be honest,” I added.

“Leïla, that was obvious from the start. He’s French. It’s not possible! You can’t continue. It’s expensive and he’s not good. You have to find another solution!” “You’re right, my darling, I know. In fact, I think I met someone yesterday…”

“A man or a woman?” Jean-Louis was difficult at times.

“It’s an Australian woman, if you must know. She’s called Noëlle and she is very nice. I don’t know how I’m going to say to Roger that I don’t want to continue, but I am going to call Noëlle tomorrow.”

“That’s a very good idea, my darling. And for Roger, he must know that he’s not good, so he’s not going to be surprised, I think.” Jean-Louis smiled and then he said: “Do you want to go dancing tomorrow night, Leïla? We can find a babysitter pour the children and we can go out. What do you think?”

“With pleasure, my love,” I responded. I love to dance with my husband and it’s not easy to go out when one has three little children, so I was very happy. I looked at my husband and he was happy as well for the first time in a long time.

La Bûche de Noël*

Source : marieclaire.fr

Savez-vous que*…

La Bûche de Noël is the traditional cake served at Christmas in France. If you’ve been interested in French language, culture or cuisine for a little while, you may very well already know this. However, do you know the origins of this most recognisable of desserts français*?

Tradition has it that on the longest night of the year (le solstice d’hiver*), French pagans would burn an enormous log to stave off the freezing temperatures, bien sûr*, but also as an offering to the gods to ensure a plentiful harvest in the coming year.

While it’s unlikely you’ll want to recreate the heat of a burning log in our sweltering southern climes, you may wish to set yourself the challenge of making this spécialité hivernale*. Voici la recette* (it’s in French but if you need some help, just click on any term for the English translation. Bon courage!*

*The Christmas Log | *Did you know that | *French desserts | *the winter solstice | *of course | *winter specialty | *Here’s the recipe | *Good luck!

Christmas shoes

Savez-vous que*…

French children put out their chaussures* instead of their stockings in the hope that Père Noël* will fill them to the brim with cadeaux*?

Voici l’histoire*, thanks to French leather goods site Cirage et Compagnie*.

On raconte qu'un jour qu'il passait devant la maison de trois petites sœurs pauvres pour se réchauffer devant la cheminée, Saint Nicolas leur offrit quelques pièces de monnaie pour les aider.

Les piécettes glissèrent dans les chausses que les fillettes avaient mis à sécher devant le foyer de la cheminée. Ce n'est qu'après sa visite, qu'elles découvrirent la surprise en se réveillant.

Les bonnes choses se sachant vite, la rumeur s'est répandue et depuis, le soir du réveillon, chacun met ses chaussures ou ses chaussettes devant la cheminée ou bien au pied du sapin avec l'espoir d'y trouver quelque chose le lendemain matin.

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It is said that once upon a time, as Saint Nicholas passed by the front of the house of three poor little sisters, he asked to warm himself in front of their fire and offered them a few coins to help them out.

He slipped the little coins in the pantaloons that the young girls had placed to dry in front of the chimney. It was only after his visit, when they woke up the next morning, that they discovered the surprise.

Good news travels fast so the rumour got around and ever since, on Christmas Eve, children put their shoes or slippers in front of the chimney or even at the foot of the Christmas tree in the hope of finding something the following morning.

Mignon, non*?

*Did you know that | *shoes | *Father Christmas | *presents | *Here’s the story | *Wax & Co. | *Cute, isn’t it?

Père Fouettard

Les gens* often lament that things are just not like they used to be, and in many cases, it’s a fair complaint. The world seems to be changing at warp speed and it’s tempting to want to grasp on to the familiar.

However, there are certaines circonstances* when change is a positive thing and Père Fouettard is one of them!

No longer d’actualité* (you’ll see why soon), Père Fouettard (Father Whipper or Old Man Whipper) is a fictional (we hope!) character who accompanies Père Noël* on his rounds during Saint Nicholas’ Day on the 6th December. The story goes that while jolly Père Noël is busy handing out gifts aux enfants sages*, Père Fouettard dispenses lumps of coal to the naughty children. Fouetter is the verb ‘to whip’ in French and this is where this villain gets his name - he’s known to whip those rascals who have not been on their best behaviour all year.

As though that’s not disturbing enough, an alternative tale goes like this:

“An innkeeper (or a butcher in other versions) captures three boys who appear to be wealthy and on their way to enrol in a religious boarding school. Along with his wife, he kills the children in order to rob them….They drug the children, slit their throats, cut them into pieces, and stew them in a barrel. St. Nicholas discovers the crime and resurrects the children. After this, Père Fouettard repents and becomes St Nicholas' partner.”

Quelle horreur*!

Source: Wikipedia

*People | *certain circumstances | *in common usage | *Father Christmas | *to the good children | *What horror!

A different type of crèche.

Savez-vous que*…

Though we use the word crèche in English to mean a nursery where babies and young children are cared for during the working day, there is another meaning related to Noël*.

Une crèche* is also the French word for a nativity scene, as it comes from the Old French cresche or ‘crib’.

Not up to speed on your French religious figures’ vocab? N’ayez crainte*, we’ve got you covered.

*Did you know that | *Christmas | *a nativity scene | *Never fear

Le Réveillon de Noël*

Though today only about 15% percent of French citizens declare themselves practising Catholics, there was a time towards the end of the 19th century when that number was 98%.

This could explain the French tradition of celebrating Christmas on the 24th December with a very late dinner, usually eaten upon their return from Mass and often kicking off at about midnight.

Naturally, things have changed since then and many families celebrate with an earlier dîner* on Le Réveillon de Noël with some even waiting for the 25th to celebrate.

While in the most religious of families the Christmas meal was deliberately simple (for example une soupe aux légumes*) as a reminder that Jesus was born into poverty, today the meal is often a veritable festin de Balthazar* and can include foie gras*, huîtres*, queues de langoustines*, saumon fumé*, champagne* and the traditional bûche de Noël, of course.

Délicieux*!

*Christmas Eve | *dinner | *vegetable soup | *feast fit for a king | *foie gras | *oysters | *lobster tails | *smoked salmon | *champagne | *Christmas log | *Delicious!

Cher Père Noël*

Savez vous que…*

Since 1962 it has been French law that every letter written to Père Noël* will be responded to in the form of a carte postale*? C’est vrai*!

La Poste (the French version of Australia Post) even has several versions of suggested texts to help les enfants* express their dearest wishes, as well as various addresses, all of which will ensure accurate delivery. C’est tellement mignon*. Here’s the full story.

*Dear Father Christmas | *Did you know that… | *Father Christmas | *postcard | *It’s true | *children | *It’s so cute

Notre ami Thibaut

If you’ve been a student at Lingua Franca for a few years, it is likely you’ve come across Thibaut Guigues. Thibaut was kind enough to appear in a series of videos where we asked local French friends to respond to a series of questions about their lives.

Thibaut fielded beginner questions such as ‘comment vous appelez-vous*?’ and ‘vous avez des enfants*?’ all the way through to those requiring much more reflection such as ‘quel livre a le plus marqué votre vie et pourquoi*?’ and ‘si vous étiez votre animal domestique, que feriez-vous de vos journées*?’

At the time Thibaut was 34 years old, the owner of Le Comptoir Français (a business he set up importing classic French clothing brands into Australia) and he and his wife Kate had just had a baby, the delightful (and noisy!) Arthur.

Our students have very fond memories of him, even though they’ve never actually met him. Until now, that is…

Last weekend at the inaugural French Christmas Market in West End, Thibaut was spotted by one of our students and she couldn’t resist the chance to ask for an update on sa vie*.

PS: The affection goes both ways. Thibaut has very kindly offered Lingua Franca readers a 15% discount across his whole range, just in time for Christmas!

LF: Tu peux te présenter, s’il te plaît?

TG: Bonjour, je m’appelle toujours Thibaut mais j’ai maintenant presque 39 ans. Je suis Franco-Australien. J’ai mon propre business qui s’appelle Le Comptoir Français et je suis marié à une australienne.

LF: Tu as combien d’enfants maintenant?

TG: La famille s’est agrandie, en plus d’Arthur (qui a maintenant 6 ans), nous avons une fille qui s’appelle Margaux (comme le vin).

LF: Tu habites où?

TG: Nous avons déménagé et nous habitons maintenant à Toowoomba.

LF: Tu as un animal domestique?

TG: Nous avons un chat qui s’appelle Pomme (comme le fruit) 

LF: Comment vont tes sœurs?

TG: Mes sœurs vont très bien. Une habite en Bretagne et l’autre près de Paris.

LF: Et ton papa? Il joue toujours au golf?

TG: Mon père pratique toujours le golf et le bridge, toutes les activités d’un bon retraité. Il a hâte que les frontières ouvrent pour pouvoir venir nous rendre visite.

LF: Comment va ton business?

TG: Le business continue à grandir car en plus de mon site internet je suis en charge de la distribution pour la marque Saint James pour toute la région Australie/Nouvelle-Zélande. Je trouve de nouveau magasins et je présente les nouvelles collections deux fois par an.

LF: Finalement, tout le monde veut savoir si Arthur crie toujours en se réveillant?

TG: Arthur ne crie plus le matin. Il est passé directement de bébé à adolescent et aime bien faire la grasse matinée.

LF: Can you introduce yourself, please?

TG: Hello, I am still called Thibaut but I am now nearly 39 years old. I have my own business called Le Comptoir Français and I am married to an Australian woman.

LF: How many children do you have now?

TG: The family has grown, in addition to Arthur (who is now 6 years old), we have a little girl called Margaux (like the wine).

LF: Where do you live?

TG: We’ve moved and we now live in Toowoomba.

LF: Do you have a pet?

TG: We have a cat called Apple (like the fruit).

LF: How are your sisters going?

TG: My sisters are going really well. One lives in Brittany and the other close to Paris.

LF: And your Dad? Is he still playing golf?

TG: My father still pays golf and bridge, all the activities of a good retiree. He is keen for the borders to open so he can come and visit us.

LF: How is your business going?

TG: The business continues to grow because in addition to my website I am in charge of the distribution for the Saint James brand for the whole of the Australia/New Zealand region. I’m finding new boutiques and I present new collections twice a year.

LF: Finally, everyone wants to know if Arthur still wakes up crying?

TG: Arthur no longer cries in the morning. He has gone straight from being a baby into adolescence and loves having big sleep-ins.

*what is your name? | *do you have any children? | *which is the book that has most affected you and why? | if you were your pet, what would you do with your days? | *his life

French hand gestures

“You truly have another language with your hands.”

C’est vrai*! It is said that making yourself understood over the phone in a foreign language is so very difficult because up to 80% of all communication is non-verbal.

This very cute video will have you gesticulating your way to better French in no time.

*It’s true!

Josephine Baker

“France made me what I am. I will be grateful forever. The people of Paris have given me everything… I am ready, captain, to give them my life. You can use me as you wish. ”

— Josephine Baker offering her services to Free France

What a life it was to give.

Born into poverty in Little Rock, Arkansas, Josephine Baker was waitressing by 12, married by 13 and at 19, long divorced from the first of her four husbands, took Paris by storm when she landed a leading role in La Revue Nègre*, a musical comedy show featuring an all-black cast.

But this was just the start. At Le Casino de Paris* she wowed in her one-woman show (if you don’t count her pet cheetah Chiquita, who wore a diamond collar) and at one time was the highest paid and the most photographed woman in the world. Dame Shirley Bassey said of her: “I swear in all my life I have never seen, and probably never shall see again, such a spectacular singer and performer."

The first woman of colour to have a starring role in a major motion picture, Baker returned to the States triumphant, but received terrible reviews for her role in a reprisal of the Ziegfield Follies. Heartbroken, she retreated to France, relinquished her US citizenship and became a French citizen.

A new marriage to Frenchman Jean Lion followed and as war broke out in 1939, Baker moved to the South of France and became involved in the French resistance. Later (and with yet another new husband Jo Bouillon) she adopted 12 children of different races and religions creating what she called her ‘Rainbow Tribe'.

There are so many more twists and turns to the life of Josephine Baker, but one constant was her love for her adopted country. Whereas her life in the US was hampered by segregationist policies, in France she could move about freely, without fear of reprisals. Like many American artists during the Jazz Age, she found her creative home in the clubs and theatres of Paris, and remained fiercely loyal to la République française until her death in 1975.

Jus this week, it was announced that Josephine Baker would become the first Black woman to be entered into the Panthéon mausoleum, joining illustrious alumni such as Victor Hugo, Pierre and Marie Curie, Louis Braille and Antoine St Exupéry, author of Le Petit Prince.

Read more about her fascinating life here…

*The Negro Revue | *The Paris Casino

Let’s get straight to the point.

Allez, allez*! Take 10 minutes to learn these evocative phrases which all use the verb aller*.

*Go, go! | *to go

It’s all back to front.

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?