Beyond Paris

As the world’s most visited city, Paris is undeniably magical. Toutefois*, it’s not the only ville* in France worth the plane fare (or TGV trip). From indulging in Michelin-starred gastronomy in Lyon to hiking in Corsica or catching rays on the Cote d’Azur, this article provides plenty of inspo for your next visit à l’étranger*.

*However | *city | *overseas

Walk before you can run

Last month, I started down my Top 5 list of tips for speaking French. I hope you’ve been practising recently and have started to see les fruits de tes efforts*. Don’t be discouraged if you feel you’ve not made great strides. As tutors we know it’s sometimes difficult for students to see their progress, but if you’ve made any attempts at all, you’re more experienced and almost certainly better than you were before you did so. Allez*! Let’s get onto Top Tip #2.

Boring, je sais*, especially when you’re dying to speak French fluently. I mentioned in a previous post to think about slowing down your speech, as if communicating an important message to a four-year-old (do…not…put…the mobile phone…in….the toilet), but I feel it’s worth a bit of elaboration again this month.

It’s important not to run before you can walk and one way you can do this is to consciously slow down your speech, or rather, as this is more often the problem, your thoughts.

We’re so used to thinking and speaking at lightning speed in our own language that sometimes we try to do the same in French. You’ve put in so much time to learn your vocabulary, conjugate your verbs, remember the difference between au, du, de la, aux (or is it en, or dans - oh mon dieu*!) that by the time you come to speak, your head is an electric field, firing shots all over the place with the result that when it comes time to open your bouche*, your brain has seized up and you just draw a big, fat blank. Please let me assure you this is incredibly common and absolutely normal. However, if you launch into speaking in that frame of mind, ça va mal finir*. 

If you don’t make a conscious effort to slow down your racing mind and therefore your speech, instead of inching slowly towards the rabbit hole we all know so well, you race right into it and then can’t get out. Remember, le but* is to keep the conversation going. What usually happens by going too fast out of the gates is we strike a word we have no idea how to say very early on. We, as tutors, see it all the time. The student’s brow furrows first, then eye contact is lost because we tend to look up and to the left when we’re trying to remember something. This is followed by an awkward pause and almost guaranteed, our valiant Chouchou* will break into English with “Ugh, how do you say XYZ in French?” and the momentum is lost. Worse (and I know I’ve been guilty of this), the student reaches for their phone or dictionary, picks up their pencil and enters their own little world as they look for the word they think will get them out of their dilemma. In my experience, even I do find it, the person to whom I’m speaking has lost interest by that point and it’s very hard to pick up the thread of the conversation from there. Better to creep toward that potential rabbit hole and give yourself a chance to step around it.

Remember, calmez-vous*, slow it down, lentement mais sûrement is the path to good conversation.

Next month, Top Tip #3 gives you the choice: go high or simplify. Bonne continuation et bon courage!*.

*the fruits of your labour | *Come on | *I know | *oh my god | *mouth | *it’s not going to go well | *the goal | *Teacher’s Pet | *Calm down | *slowly but surely | *Hope it all keeps going well | *Good luck.

The 15 Hardest French Words to Pronounce

Learning grammar and memorising vocab are tough. But for many of our chouchous*, the biggest challenge of all is mastering French pronunciation.

It’s a problem shared by language learners and this article, ’The 15 Hardest French Words to Pronounce (with English Translations)’, will make you feel seen. If not entirely heard.

This list is by no means definitive, but ne vous inquiétez pas*. Our teachers are busy compiling une liste* of the words Lingua Franca students find the trickiest, plus some essential tips to help you parlez* like pros. Stay tuned.

*teacher’s pets | *don’t worry | *a list | *speak

Fancy a home in Provence?

If you’ve been dreaming of buying or renting a bolthole en France*, today might just be your lucky day. A former Lingua Franca couple is looking to sell their share in a lovely holiday home in Provence!

Regarde* the description and images below and on the AirBnB listing here  – the property is also available à louer*. C’est un rêve, non*?

Home in Provence

Ever dreamed of a home-away-from-home in France? Our lovely terrace house in the Vaucluse Department of Provence is available for rent! It has two bedrooms (2 queen beds and one single) so can easily accommodate a family of five for a delightful sojourn.

Our house is situated in an historic town in the lands around Avignon once owned by the Popes when they moved out of Rome and lived for most of the 14th century in Avignon. It has a medieval wall around the town, and our house is built into the wall, next to the “new gate: Le Portail Neuf”. From the top-floor balcony, there are views of Mont Ventoux, often featured in the Tour-de-France.

The town is Beaumes-de-Venise, famous for its muscat wine (often found on the dessert-wine list of Australia’s best restaurants). This lovely little town is central to a beautiful area of Provence dotted with numerous small towns with markets and many historic attractions accessible for delightful daytrips.

À louer
The house can be rented either on AirBnB for $160 AUD per night, or through the owners, Jane & Tony, long-time Lingua Franca students, for only 120 euros per week.

À vendre
The house is wholly owned by 12 Australians through an Australian company, and we own two of those twelve shares. The house is valued at approximately 240,000 euros ($AUD360,000). We have found we don’t fully utilise our two shares, so if anyone is interested in purchasing one of the shares, please contact Jane to discuss on mob: 0414 842 199 or email: aocbdv53@gmail.com

*en France | *look | *to rent | *It’s a dream, isn’t it?

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 the Intermediate 3 level.

*The Little Story | *The Prequel

“Veuillez attacher votre ceinture, s’il vous plaît, Madame. Nous allons atterrir à Heathrow bientôt.” L’hôtesse de l’air a souri gentiment et a continué le long du couloir en faisant ses contrôles de sécurité.

J’ai regardé Anouk qui avait les yeux fixés sur les nuages vers l’extérieur de l’hublot.

“Maman, on va pouvoir voir la maison de la Reine d’ici ?” elle m’a demandé. Elle avait l’air sérieuse.

“C’est un peu plus grand qu’une maison, chérie,” je lui ai dit “mais on ne sait jamais. En fait, demain on va voir sa maison de plus près quand Tatie Amina nous montrera les sites touristiques de Londres.”

“Ah,” elle a dit, ses yeux grands ouverts. “J’espère qu’on la voit.”

“On verra, ma petite,” je l’ai rassurée en prenant sa main pour l’atterrissage.

Trois heures plus tard on est arrivés à notre l’hôtel, près de la station de métro Gloucester Road. J’étais absolument ravie d’être à Londres pour la première fois. Tout me semblait tellement charmant, même si c’était une des plus grandes villes du monde. “Paris est sublime,” je me suis dit, “mais cette ville a un vrai caractère. Je l’adore déjà.”

Nous nous sommes installés dans nos chambres d’hôtel respectives et le plan était de se reposer un peu avant d’aller dîner à Covent Garden. Il était 14h30. Anouk avait l’air très fatigué, la pauvre. Moi, par contre, j’étais très impatiente de sortir de l’hôtel pour pouvoir découvrir le quartier. J’ai demandé à Amina et Hervé de garder Anouk pour une heure ou deux et heureusement ils étaient d’accord. J’ai pris la clef de ma chambre et je suis allée parler avec le concierge pour lui demander les directions jusqu’au métro, ou The Underground, comme disent les Anglais.

Après un peu de confusion à propos de la prononciation du nom “Gloucester” (je ne comprendrai jamais les règles de prononciation de l’anglais !) j’ai quitté l’hôtel avec un plan du quartier, un grand sourire et une forte envie de me plonger dans cette ville fascinante.

Je ne pouvais pas en croire mes yeux quand j’ai vu mon premier autobus à impériale rouge en vraie. J’avais le sens du déjà-vu comme il y avait souvent des photos de ces bus iconiques dans les pages de nos textes d’anglais.

Une heure plus tard, je me promenais toujours. Loin de mes responsabilités, je me sentais plus légère et j’avais l’impression d’être libre. Dans une sorte de rêverie, je me suis perdue un peu alors quand j’ai vu une librairie absolument charmante, j’ai décidé d’y entrer pour demander mon chemin. Je ne le savais pas à l’époque mais cette décision aller changer ma vie. 

“Could you attach your seatbelt, please, madam. We are going to land at Heathrow soon.” The air hostess smiled kindly and continued along the aisle doing her security checks.

I looked at Anouk, who was staring at the clouds through the window.

“Mum, are we going to be able to see the Queen’s house from here?” she asked me. She seemed serious.

“It’s a bit bigger than a house, darling,” I said to her “but we never know. In fact, tomorrow we’re going to see her house from closer up when Aunty Amina shows us the tourist sights of London.”

“Oh,” she said, her eyes round. “I hope we see her.”

“We’ll see, little one,” I reassured her taking her hand for the landing.

Three hours later we arrived at our hotel, close to the tube station Gloucester Road.

I was absolutely delighted to be in London for the first time. Everything seemed so charming to me, even if it was one of the biggest cities in the world. “Paris is sublime,” I said to myself, “but this city has real personality. I love it already.”

We settled into our respective hotel rooms and the plan was to have a bit of a rest before going to dinner in Covent Garden. It was 2:30pm. Anouk seemed very tired, the poor thing. I, on the other hand, was impatient to leave the hotel to explore the area. I asked Amina and Hervé to look after Anouk for an hour or two and luckily they agreed. I took my room key and I went to talk to the concierge to ask him directions to the tube station, or ‘The Underground”, as the English say.

After a bit of confusion about the pronunciation of the word “Gloucester” (I will never understand the rules of English pronunciation!) I left the hotel with a map of the area, a big smile and a strong desire dive into this fascinating city.

I could not believe my eyes when I saw my first red double-decker bus in real life. I had a feeling of déjà vu as there were often photos of these iconic buses in our English textbooks.

An hour later, I was still walking. Far from my responsibilities, I feel lighter and I felt like I was free. In a sort of dream-like state, I got a little lost so when I saw an absolutely charming bookshop, I decided to go in to ask for directions. I didn’t know it at the time, but this decision would change my life. 

My Paris Adventure (Part 2)

Last month we heard from one of our students, Pip, who was about to depart on a two-month adventure in Paris. Well, it’s been presque cinq semaines*, so we thought it was high time we check in to see what she’s been up to!

SO… HOW’S EVERYTHING BEEN GOING?

Très bien*! It has absolutely flown by, and I can’t believe I only have a few weeks left. There’s still so much on my (ever-growing) to-do list! The first month was wonderful but a bit intense as I was working remotely and was also doing daily immersion classes. So I was cramming in most of my sightseeing on the weekends.

I’ve just finished my French lessons now and am feeling much more relaxed. My best friend arrives this week and I finally have some time off work, so that will be lots of fun.

I’m loving Paris and am very happy with the bobo* area I am in (Voltaire, in the 11th) as it’s central and a short stroll to Place des Vosges. Paris’s oldest (and prettiest) square is one of my absolute favourite spots for lounging with a coffee and croissant. Or une glace* now it’s so warm.

ANY HIGHLIGHTS SO FAR?

So many. Every successful interaction en français*; watching the light projections at le Square du Vert-Galant for Nuit Blanche*; seeing a classical concert at La Sainte-Chapelle with the sun streaming in through the famous stained glass windows (a must); perusing le Musée Picasso – the current exhibition with art direction by Paul Smith is incredible, but just as amazing is the 17th-century private mansion it’s housed in – divine.

Also, my first pain au chocolat; visiting Versailles and the equally impressive Opéra Garnier; strolling Canal St Martin; thumbing through books at the legendary Shakespeare and Company bookstore; dinner in the most stunning garden at l’Hôtel Particulier in Montmartre. The service was questionable, but the location is so breathtakingly beautiful it was worth the 90-odd minute wait for our entrées.

I also loved the tranquil garden (and mint green tiles) at the Grand Mosquée. An unexpected side of Paris and well worth a visit.

There have been times when I’ve been moved to tears by the sheer beauty (and Frenchness) of it all. I still grin from ear to ear whenever I see La Tour Eiffel. Seeing this accordion player and his cat in Montmartre today was more than I could take. And I’ve also met some lovely people along the way.

AND LOWLIGHTS?

That’s not to say it’s been easy. It hasn’t. There were a few issues with my Airbnb when I arrived (terrible bed, for starters), but I am lucky to have a great property manager who dealt with my list of complaints promptly. The neighbours tend to have parties at unpredictable times (say 2am on a Monday). Juggling work and school has been exhausting, I’ve been sick and I’ve had a lot of FOMO.  

Mon chat me manque beaucoup*. But, in a strange twist of fate, there’s a cat café on my street (yes, I did go once after a bad day. The food was hideous, but I made a friend who lives in London).

I also had un incident malheureux* involving a very long, stressful and rainy day, a traditional Jewish fallafel sandwich from the iconic L'As du Fallafel in Le Marais and a day-old Sézane trench coat. One trip au pressing*, $60 and a two-week wait later, I got my coat back just as summer finally arrived.

HAS ANYTHING SURPRISED YOU?

The lack of screw-top wine bottles anywhere. That the French seemingly have a thing for escape rooms (there’s a surprising number in my quartier). That you’ll have to queue not just for museums but to go into stores like Polène and Sézane.

Also, Parisians are nothing like the aloof stereotype we’re familiar with. 90% of my interactions have been positive and, as long as you’re polite, decisive (they don’t like dilly-dallying) and try to speak French, they’re quite chaleureux* and helpful.  

YOU ENROLLED IN AN IMMERSION OVER THERE. HOW WAS THAT?

It was chouette*. I went to Langue Appart in Oberkampf (11th) – a 10-minute walk from my apartment. I would definitely recommend it, it’s a great little school. The teachers are excellent (they all have a different teaching style from what I’ve heard), and all the staff welcome you by name. The materials are very comprehensive, it’s all conducted in French and the lessons are a mix of grammar (argh), videos, games and lots of speaking practice and practical exercises.

There are also a few social activities: drinks; an excursion – we learned all about La Commune and the history of the artsy 20th arrondissement and Père-Lachaise; and an international ‘picnic’ held indoors (I went to three stores only to be forced to make Anzac biscuits with honey instead of golden syrup… not the same).

However, you really do need to be motivated. The students come from all over the globe and are predominantly young, well-educated and highly intelligent (lots of med and law students in my batch). If you slack off, you’ll very quickly feel out of your depth.

ARE YOU FEELING MORE CONFIDENT WITH FRENCH?

Hmmm, bonne question*. I think I had an unrealistic expectation of how much I’d learn by osmosis over here. I now realise I would need a good six months of full immersion to be anywhere even close to fluent.

After having done the intensive course, all the tenses are a lot clearer in my head. My reading is better (but that’s always been my strength) and my listening has improved, largely from eavesdropping on people. However, speaking… I still struggle a lot. (Having said that, immediately after writing this the lady at the métro station complimented me on my French and made my day.)

The number of times I’ve walked off only to realise I said something incorrectly in conversation is higher than I’d like to admit. But I’ve been trying and, by and large, the French have been quite supportive – if a little amused at times (especially at the chemist).

When shop assistants realise you’re not French, they’ll sometimes ask if you’d prefer them to speak in English or French. I find this really helpful and always opt for French. However, there are many more who’ll automatically switch to English. In which case I just keep trying to answer in French to get them to revert back :).

HAVE YOU BEEN ENJOYING THE FRENCH CUISINE?

Far too much! I’m particularly partial to galettes. However, the extremely carb-heavy French diet is less than ideal for a type 1 diabetic... I’m also desperate for some spice in my life, so have booked a Mexican restaurant for when I’m in London next week.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO FOR THE REST OF YOUR STAY?

Ma meilleure amie* arrives soon, and I can’t wait to play tourist (and directionally challenged tour guide). I had another friend here from Sweden for a weekend which was so lovely, but other than that I’ve largely been flying solo. It’s been fine during the day, but I’m looking forward to more nighttime exploring.

I’m also excited to see Paris through a fresh set of eyes now I’m a ‘local’.

*nearly 5 weeks | *Very well! | *short for bourgeois-bohemian (hipster)| *an ice cream | *in French | *White Night | *I miss my cat a lot | *an unfortunate incident | *to the dry cleaners | *warm | *great | *good question | *My best friend

Le Top 5 tips for speaking French.

I know I’m speaking a lot about my new-found love for tennis at the moment, but it’s very hard to ignore the parallels between trying to learn French and picking up a tennis racket again after a 40-year gap (and I was no Navratilova in the first place, je vous assure*).

My friend and I started hitting balls late last year and loved it so much we decided to do it more regularly in 2023. After a few sessions, though, it became clear we needed some help, so we started doing a lesson before work on a Thursday and then having a hit on a Saturday.

We dream of being able to turn up and spend the whole hour on the court, rallying back and forth to one another in a calm and competent manner. You won’t be surprised to hear that our current experience is a very long way from that. Some days we manage to hit a few shots in a row, but many, many balles de tennis* end up going straight into the net or way over the baseline at the other end. One or two have even somehow gone through a mysterious hole in my strings and hit the fence behind me, but we won’t dwell on those ones.

A very similar thing may happen to you when you try to speak French. We know that most of you are borderline fluent when under the shower or when driving, but when it comes the time to have a real conversation with another person, suddenly you find yourself afflicted with all manner of trous de mémoires*.

For beginners, this can be put down to nerves and is completely natural, but what if you’ve been doing French for a while and you still draw a blank? Or worse, find yourself heading down a rabbit hole from which there appears to be no return?

We find this usually happens because you’re trying to speak French as you do English (or your native language, whatever that may be). I really don’t enjoy saying this, but it’s simply impossible for most of us.

The average adult knows between 25 000 and 35 000 words in their mother tongue. By the end of our Absolute Beginner 1 course, you’ll know approximately 200 words, so if you extrapolate that figure, by the time you’ve completed our Intermediate Revision Course you’d know about 2 500 words. That is, you have approximately 10% of the word power in French that you do in English.

But, don’t be too déçu(e)*. You can absolutely make this work to your advantage. Over the course of the next few newsletters, I’ll be offering up my top five tips as to how to pull that off.

You’ll definitely notice there’s a running theme in all of the tips. If you remember nothing else, please learn this one par cœur*: lentement mais sûrement*.

So you know by now that my dream of lazily (and competently) rallying with my friend from either side of the net is on hold as we get to grips with the basics.

At one of our very first lessons, as Vince, our tennis coach, watched Tanya and I flail around the court trying to hit winners (which were for the great majority definitely losers), he casually mentioned the concept of the 100-point rally. Naturellement*, this stopped us in our tracks. The tennis definition of the word rally “is a sequence of back and forth shots between players” and I’m pretty sure two shots in a row is stretching the meaning of the word ‘sequence’. Vince gently suggested that the next time we had a hit together, we have as our goal to reach a 100-point rally without an error. Jaws on the floor, Tanya and I paused to consider just how gently and carefully we’d need to hit the ball if we were to get beyond 10 points in a row, let alone 100. Firstly, we’d have to move much closer to the net to reduce the margin for error. We’d have to take care to make sure the ball simply hit the strings, rather than try to erase the Dunlop logo with each whack. Lastly, we’d have to be mindful of where the other was standing to make sure the shot was easy for them to reach (needless to say our footwork is inexistant* at this point).

Every single bit of this can be applied to speaking French and another definition of the word ‘rally’ might be worth bearing in mind: to draw or call (persons) together for a common action or effort. 

Sure, when you’re approaching fluency, knock your socks off by adding flourishes and brilliant tournures de phrases*, but when you’re just  starting out, be a good partner to your interlocuteur*. That is, physically position yourself in a comfortable manner to get ready to communicate. This means: lower the shoulders, take a couple of deep breaths to centre yourself, open up your body language and look your partner in the eye.  Take another slow breath et voilà*! You’re closer to the net already.

Next, scrap the complicated English sentence you’re dying to communicate, and instead, imagine you’re about to explain that same idea to a four-year-old. How would you speak? Slowly? Carefully? Using simple language? Pausing every now and then to check they were following? Oui*? Now you’re on the path to success.

Imagine the opening question was “What are you doing today after the class?”. Instead of trying to say (to use an example from a recent class, merci* Martha!) “I’ve gotta rush home because I’ve got a guy coming to sand and reseal the deck” try this instead: “Aujourd’hui, après la classe, un homme vient à la maison. Il va travailler sur mon balcon.” Granted, not textbook perfect French, but you’ve got your message across, probably in a slow and deliberate manner but also hopefully (and this is by far the most important bit) in a way that is easily comprehensible.

Finally, be kind to your speaking partner, particularly if they’re not quite as advanced as you. This goes back to the four-year-old idea. Be sure to choose simple words and phrases you think your French-speaking buddy will understand. Don’t deny them the incredible pleasure of understanding a couple of simple sentences in a French they’re likely to be familiar with. You know the feeling yourself, so be sure to share it around as much as you can.

I really hope this advice doesn’t come across as patronising as it is sûrement* not my intent. You know how to communicate extremely well in your mother tongues, quite likely a great deal better than me. What I notice, though, is that in our excitement (anxiety?) to speak French, we sometimes forget the basics. It is my strong belief that if you can adopt this approach the next time you have a go at speaking, you’ll see more smiles than frowns, and that goes for your classroom potes* and ‘real’ French people as well.

Next month: walk before you can run.

Bon courage*!

*I assure you | *tennis balls | *memory lapses | *disappointed | *by heart | *slowly but surely | *Naturally | *non-existent | *turns of phrase | *fellow speaker | *there you go | *Yes | *thank you | *Today, after the class, a man is coming to the house. He is going to work on my balcony. | *surely | *mates | *Good luck

New Series: Liaison

With winter here, you might be looking for a new French series to dig into on those chilly(ish) nights in. Well, tu as de la chance* because Apple TV has delivered Liaison. With the star power of Vincent Cassel and Eva Green, this glossy, 6-part thriller has received somewhat mixed reviews. However, one of our chouchous* insists it’s worth a binge. 

Filmed in French and English, Liaison features Green and Cassel as agents and former lovers working together to combat international cyberattacks threatening the UK. And, unlike many hard-to-follow films, the French parts are relatively clear and easy to understand. 

Intrigued? Have a look at la bande annonce* here and see if it’s ton truc*.  

*you’re in luck | *preview | *your thing

10 Unexpected Things You’ll Find in Paris

La tour Eiffel*, le Louvre*, chic French femmes* in les marinières* and une pâtisserie* on every corner. These are probably some of the things you expect to see in Paris. And you certainly won’t go home disappointed. However, the city is also sure to serve up some smile (or shiver) inducing surprises – if you know where to look.

Whether you’re joining us in the City of Light in September or planning your own trip in the not-too-distant future, this article ’10 of the most unexpected things you’ll find in Paris’ is worth bookmarking.

We can’t say we recommend numero deux* (pardon the pun), but to each his own!

*The Eiffel Tower | *The Louvre | *women | *striped tops | *a pâtisserie | *number two

English – C’est compliqué aussi!

Ever find yourself cursing the day you decided to learn the beautiful, complicated language that is French? Well, spare a thought for English learners because it's no cakewalk for them, either.

Not convinced? We’ll just leave this right here.

Le subjonctif* isn’t looking like quite as much of un cauchemar* now, is it?

Merci, Hayley, pour cette petite perle*.

*The subjunctive | *a nightmare | *Thanks, Hayley, for this little gem

Bisoubye x

Tu connais* Paul Taylor? If so, you may have been lucky enough to catch the Paris-based British comedian in Brisbane last month. He was in town touring his third bilingual show, ‘Bisoubye x’, following on from the success of his previous offerings, ‘#FRANGLAIS’ and ‘So British Ou Presque’.

Known for his good-natured (and potty-mouthed) skewering of French culture, including the head-scratching politics around (language warning!) La Bise, Taylor conducts his comedy shows in a mix of French and English. And he’s loved by francophone and English-speaking audiences alike.  

If you’re unfamiliar with his work, this Frenchly article gives a good synopsis. Or, encore mieux*, our own office manager Fiona Berrocal, whom many of you know and love, interviewed the man himself recently on radio 4EB as part of L’Heure Francophone. Take a listen here from 40:20 mins.

If you’re now kicking yourself that you missed out, you have two options. The first is to jump on un vol* and catch him in France from October (or at one of his other international shows), and the second is to watch his previous shows from the comfort of your home*. Then make sure tu es prêt* when the next tour is announced. Nous serons!

* Definitely not suitable for work

*Do you know? | *even better | *a flight | *you are ready | *We will be!

My Paris Adventure

This month we have a slightly different spin on our regular ‘My French Adventure’ interview series as one of our chouchous* is off on a real adventure. Pip’s been a student at Lingua Franca since our Masters Street days and, after plusieurs* months of planning, is about to depart on an 8-week holiday à Paris*. Jaloux? Nous aussi*.

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO HEAD TO PARIS?

Watching Emily in Paris. Je plaisante*! It’s honestly something I have wanted to do since forever. I’ve studied French on and off for years (with une enorme pause* between studying at high school and starting at Lingua Franca a few years back) and have always wanted to spend a few months there to really improve my grasp on the language.

A trip was in the back of my mind, then Covid struck. Now travel is back on the agenda, it seemed like the time was right. I’m self-employed and have no major commitments here (other than a very needy chat*), so it was a case of ‘pourquoi pas*?’.

WHAT WILL YOU BE DOING THERE?

I’ll be doing a bit of an immersion and working remotely for my clients (unfortunately someone needs to pay my mortgage and Airbnb fees). I’ll take a few weeks off and have two friends visiting, but otherwise, I want to try and avoid English speakers to make the most of the experience. I plan to be based in Paris and live like a local as much as possible but will do some day trips here and there.

WHICH AREA ARE YOU STAYING IN?

I’m staying in the 11th. I chose it as it’s quite nice and central yet relatively affordable and because there seems to be a good language school in the area (will report back). I also wanted a more lowkey ‘local’ experience rather than staying in a touristy or grand arrondissement* and peering into the designer boutiques and antique stores feeling like a paysanne*.

Katrina helped me make my decision and I’ve since heard from some Parisian contacts that it's a great area, so I can’t wait to check it out.

HAVE YOU HAD ANY TROUBLE BOOKING YOUR TRIP?

Bien sûr*. As they say, nothing worth doing is ever easy, and there have been some bumps along the way. One of the biggest challenges was finding accommodation due to the Bail Mobilité law. I don’t fully understand the ins and outs, but you essentially need to prove you’re either working or studying to be eligible to rent most properties on Airbnb (for longer than a month). And working remotely and doing casual, non-tertiary study doesn’t cut it.

So I had to trawl through hundreds of listings to find a suitable property as there’s no way of filtering them. It was un cauchemar* but I got there in the end.

Then there are the protests around the retirement age reform... I considered changing my dates for a while but once they started collecting the rubbish again, I thought I’d take my chances!

WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO?

At the moment, I’m looking forward to getting on that plane and being able to switch off! But after that, just strolling around and exploring at my leisure. I have a giant list of things to do, see and book. But my favourite part of travelling is always the unexpected discoveries you make when mooching about.  

Then, of course, there's the food. I’ve booked an extortionate dinner at the Jules Verne restaurant in the Eiffel Tower, but I'm equally excited about croissants and fromage* in the park.

GOALS WITH THE FRENCH LANGUAGE

I’ve booked in for a few weeks of immersion to start with, then I’m going to play it by ear. I didn’t want to overcommit and have the school component feel like a chore, especially as I’ll be working too. At the end of the day, I’m mainly hoping to soak up all Paris has to offer. If I manage to become more confident with speaking French along the way, ça sera la cerise sur le gâteau*.

*teacher’s pets | *several | *in Paris | *Jealous? Us too | *I’m joking | *a huge break | *cat |*why not? | *district | *peasant | *Of course | *Mobility lease |*cheese | *that will be the cherry on top (literal translation ‘the cherry on the cake’)

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 4 of the Intermediate 3 level.

*The Little Story | *The Prequel

Cinq minutes plus tard, je cherchais toujours mes boucles d’oreilles préférées, mais je ne pouvais pas les trouver.

Soudain, Hervé a crié “Allons-y, Leïla ! On va être en retard.”

“Jean-Louis, tu as vu mes boucles d’oreilles ?” j’ai crié de la chambre.

“Oui, elles sont dans la poche de ma veste, dans l’armoire. Tu me les as données l’autre soir après le dîner avec Noëlle. Tu m’as dit qu’elles te faisaient mal.”

“Ah, oui, tu as raison. Deux minutes !” j’ai répondu.

Mais en cherchant dans la poche, je n’ai rien trouvé. “Quelle veste, Jean-Louis ?” j’ai crié. Je commençais à paniquer.

“Leïla, viens ! On va rater l’avion si tu ne viens pas tout de suite!” a dit Hervé.

“Leïla,” a dit mon mari quand je suis revenue au salon, “encore une fois, ne t’inquiète pas ! Tu as ton passeport ?”

“Bien sûr,” j’ai répondu, “Il est là, dans mon sac à main. J’ai le passeport d’Anouk aussi.”

“Tu as les billets?” Hervé a demandé.

“Oui, je les ai avec les passeports,” j’ai répondu. “Et j’ai les chèques voyage.”

“Bon, tu es prête, alors !” a dit Jean-Louis.

“De toute façon,” a ajouté Hervé, “Amina a beaucoup de boucles d’oreilles. Elle peut te donner une paire.”

“C’est gentil, Hervé, mais ce sont mes préférées ! Ah, zut !”

“Chérie, s’il te plaît, laisse tomber. Pourquoi pas acheter une nouvelle paire à Londres ? Les Anglais ont des boutiques aussi, tu sais,” Jean-Louis a dit, en souriant.

J’étais surprise. Jean-Louis est normalement très prudent avec l’argent.

“Tu es sûr ?” j’ai demandé.

“Pour toi, ma reine, oui, je suis certain.”

“Merci beaucoup, chéri,” j’ai dit, touchée. Jean-Louis était vraiment très cool à propos de ce voyage, je me suis dit. “C’est très gentil. De toute façon, je les ai probablement mises dans ma valise par accident.”

Jean-Louis a souri, il m’a prise dans ses bras, et on s’est embrassés.

“Allez, ça suffit, vous deux. Il y a un avion qui nous attend. Allez, hop ! Dans la voiture !”

“Tu vas me manquer. Fais bon voyage, Leïla,” a dit mon mari.

“Merci, mon amour,” j’ai répondu avec des larmes aux yeux.

J’ai oublié le mauvais pressentiment et j’ai suivi mon frère vers la porte.

Five minutes later, I was still looking for my favourite earrings, but I couldn’t I find them.

Suddenly, Hervé yelled out “Let’s go, Leïla! We’re going to be late.”

“Jean-Louis, have you seen my earrings? I shouted from the bedroom.

“Yes, they’re in my jacket pocket, in the wardrobe. You gave them to me the other night after the dinner with Noëlle. You said they were hurting you.”

“Oh, yes, you’re right. Two minutes!” I responded.

But in searching the pocket, I didn’t find anything. “Which jacket, Jean-Louis?” I cried. I was starting to panic.

“Leïla, come on! We’re going to miss the plane if you don’t come straight away!” Hervé said.

“Leïla,” said my husband when I came back into the living room, “once again, don’t worry! Do you have your passport?”

“Of course,” I responded. “It’s here, in my handbag. I have Anouk’s passport as well.”

“Do you have the tickets?” Hervé asked.

“Yes, I have them with the passports,” I said. “And I have the travellers’ cheques.”

“Right, so you’re ready, then!” said Jean-Louis.

“In any case,” Hervé added, “Amina has lots of earrings. She can give you a pair.”

“That’s nice of you, Hervé, but they’re my favourites! Oh, damn!”

“Darling, please, drop it. Why not buy a new pair in London? The English have shops as well, you know,” Jean-Louis said, smiling.

I was surprised. Jean-Louis is usually very careful with money.

“Are you sure?” I asked.

“For you, my queen, I am certain.”

“Thank you very much, darling,” I said, touched. Jean-Louis was really cool about this trip, I said to myself. “That’s really kind of you. In any case, I probably put them in my suitcase by accident in any case.”

Jean-Louis smiled, he took me in his arms and we kissed.

“Okay, that’s enough, you two. We have a plane waiting for us. Come on, let’s go. In the car!”

“I’m going to miss you. Have a good trip, Leïla,” my husband said.

“Thank you, my love,” I responded with tears in my eyes.

I forgot the bad feeling and I followed my brother towards the door.

Tout va bien

Do you ever struggle with the verb pouvoir*? This song by Ezéchiel Pailhès will help you remember the negative, first-person conjugation, je ne peux pas*, for good. Simple and repetitive, it’s a bit of an ear worm. Go on and have a listen – we think you’ll be surprised how much tu comprends*. (But we’ve also included the translated lyrics, au cas où*.)

Listen on Spotify.

‘Tout Va Bien’

Je ne peux pas dire non, tout va bien
Ce serait mentir, oui, de le dire
Je ne peux pas dire non, tout va bien
Ce serait mentir, oui, de le dire

Je ne peux pas dire non, tout va bien
Ce serait mentir, oui, de le dire
Je ne peux pas dire non, tout va bien
Ce serait mentir, oui, de le dire

Mais ça va, va, va, va, va
Toujours mieux, mieux, mieux, mieux, mieux
Dès le soir
J'oublie tout, tout, tout, tout, tout
C'est bien trop, trop, trop, trop, trop dérisoire

Mais ça va, va, va, va, va
Toujours mieux, mieux, mieux, mieux, mieux
Dès le soir
J'oublie tout, tout, tout, tout, tout
C'est bien trop, trop, trop, trop, trop dérisoire

Je ne peux pas dire non, tout va bien
Ce serait mentir, oui, de le dire
Je ne peux pas dire non, tout va bien
Ce serait mentir, oui, de le dire
Je ne peux pas dire non, tout va bien
Ce serait mentir, oui, de le dire

Mais ça va, va, va, va, va
Toujours mieux, mieux, mieux, mieux, mieux
Dès le soir
J'oublie tout, tout, tout, tout, tout
C'est bien trop, trop, trop, trop, trop dérisoire

Mais ça va, va, va, va, va
Toujours mieux, mieux, mieux, mieux, mieux
Dès le soir
J'oublie tout, tout, tout, tout, tout
C'est bien trop, trop, trop, trop, trop dérisoire

Et en anglais*…

I can't say no, it's alright
It would be lying, yes, to say so
I can't say no, it's alright
It would be lying, yes, to say so 

I can't say no, it's alright
It would be lying, yes, to say so
I can't say no, it's alright
It would be lying, yes, to say so 

But it goes, goes, goes, goes, goes
Always better, better, better, better, better
From the evening
I forget everything, everything, everything, everything, everything
It's too, too, too, too, too ridiculous

But it goes, goes, goes, goes, goes
Always better, better, better, better, better
From the evening
I forget everything, everything, everything, everything, everything
It's too, too, too, too, too ridiculous

I can't say no, it's alright
It would be lying, yes, to say so
I can't say no, it's alright
It would be lying, yes, to say so
I can't say no, it's alright
It would be lying, yes, to say so 

But it goes, goes, goes, goes, goes
Always better, better, better, better, better
From the evening
I forget everything, everything, everything, everything, everything
It's too, too, too, too, too ridiculous

But it goes, goes, goes, goes, goes
Always better, better, better, better, better
From the evening
I forget everything, everything, everything, everything, everything
It's too, too, too, too, too ridiculous

*to be able to (can) | *I can’t | *you understand | *just in case | *And in English…

Rabbit holes and jumbo tennis balls

In the last How to Learn French post, we talked about les hauts et les bas* of being a beginner learner. I mentioned that when students sign up for their first French course, they’re usually brimming with excitement and just busting to start speaking French.

Unfortunately, that initial brio is often quickly replaced with something nearing despair as they realise the enormity of the task ahead. I’ve spoken about how that happened to me only very recently with learning Sanskrit. On a side note - I’ve had four weeks off due to a term break and guess who’s done about two hours of the 20 she planned? I have, though, managed to draw myself up a cheat sheet so at least I know what I don’t know (and I’m counting that as a win).

So, what to do when, after getting a handle on the groundwork, you’re ready to launch into actually speaking? This will likely happen to you a few times along your learning adventure. Here at Lingua Franca, we encourage you to do our Speaking Practice Courses right from Absolute Beginner 1, and it’s usually around the Absolute Beginner Revision mark that you’ll get your first soupçon* of desire to speak. Once you’ve got the present tense sur le bout des doigts*, you’ll probably be drawn to making your own simple sentences.

When you do, you’ll soon realise how great it would be to be able to tell someone what you did yesterday and what you’re going to do tomorrow. You can still say quite a lot without knowing those tenses, but roll on Beginner Revision…

Then, by the time you reach Intermediate Revision, usually in about your third year, you’ll be impatient to start speaking up, and rightly so. You’ve diligently learned several tenses as well as un tas de* vocab, you’ve got the numbers under your belt and have a pretty good handle on the pronunciation. You’re probably looking for a reward for all that hard work and your fervent hope is that when you do open your mouth the words will flow out as easily as they do from the ball of your pen.

Mais, non*!

How many times have we heard this refrain from our Chouchous*? It’s a lament I know well personally, having expressed it about my own French many, many times. Préparez-vous*, it’s a question you’ll ask yourself more than once throughout your French learning career, but it seems to be at its most piquante* when you know a lot in theory, but seem unable to let the words coulent*.

I remember in Year 12, just as we were nearing our final exams, our French teacher was particularly pleased with our performance one day. She said: “Félicitations, la classe*! You’re now able to speak at the level of an eight-year-old!”. While she smiled at us beatifically, we let out huge (and let’s face it, dramatic) sighs of disappointment. I’ll never forget it. All that work to be able to speak like a virtual bébé*? You’ve got to be kidding!

I’ve reflected a lot on that moment in the years hence, and have come to realise that Mlle MacPherson was paying us a sincere compliment. Though at 16 the thought of speaking like an eight-year-old was frankly insulting, when you think about how much an eight-year-old is able to say, most French learners would be delighted to have that level of fluency.

So, how to set yourself up for succès* as you take your first steps?

As frustrating as the advice to take it ‘slowly but surely’ may sound, it really will set you off on le bon chemin*.

Leaping out of the gates at full galop* might feel great for the first few words (which you’ve likely prepared ahead of time in your head), but a sentence or two later, you might feel yourself barrelling full speed into a rabbit hole from which it’s hard to escape. Trying to express yourself as you do in your native language, with the vocabulary, fluency and dexterity built up over a lifetime will ensure you spend more time underground than above it. It amounts to trying to run before you can walk, and from recent experience I can tell you this is probably not the way to build confidence, which will account for about 80% of your success.

Last month, I promised you a story about a jumbo tennis ball, so here it comes.

In a year of new things for me, I’ve recently taken up tennis. While my friend and I were keen to get on the court and rip a few backhands down the line at our first lesson, our teacher insisted we start by standing on either side of the net and throwing (carefully and very gently) an oversized pink tennis ball to one another. Oh, la honte*! This action apparently mimics the elements of a solid backhand and laid the groundwork for us graduating to our first strokes with a regular-sized ball later in the hour. 

This applies to your French as well. Freezing up mid-sentence because you don’t know the word for ‘four-wheel drive’, for example, is the equivalent of me trying to pull a drop shot on my opponent when I can’t even be sure I’ll make contact. Could you use the word for ‘car’ instead? How important to your story is it that your audience know you’re talking about a specific type of vehicle? Remember, the goal is to communicate. In order to get your message across, you may need to simplify the message itself. My bet is it won’t overly impact your story and the most important thing is that by choosing a word you know instead (voiture*), you’ll likely get to the next word and the next and the next, and before you know it, you’ll being having yourself a real-life conversation.

Next month, more tennis analogies* await, as we consider the concept of the 100-point rally. À la prochaine*!

*the highs and lows | *hint | *down pat | *a heap of | *but no | *my mouth | *Teacher’s Pets | *Get ready | *pointed | *flow | *Congratulations, class | *baby | *success | *Slowly but surely | *the right path | *gallop | *Oh, the shame of it! | *car | *analogies | *Until the next time

Sneak Peek into le Nid | Mot Français Préféré

There’s no denying French is, by and large, a beautiful langue*. However, some words are particularly satisfying to say en français*. Like our students, we all have our personal favourites. So without further ado, here are the favourite mots francais* of votre profs*.

*language | *in French | *French words | *your teachers

Recette: Gratin Dauphinois

Pommes frites*, tartiflette, aligot… The French sure know their way around a root veg and have a knack for elevating the humble spud into a gustatory sensation. Notre plat préféré*, toutefois*, is the creamy, dreamy delight that is gratin dauphinois. For your next dinner party (or all for toi-même*), give this pomme de terre*-packed recipe a go.

Bon appétit*!

Merci à Marmiton pour la recette*.

*French fries | *our favourite dish | *however | *potato | *yourself | *Enjoy! | *Thank you to Marmiton for the recipe

Paris Métro Roleplay

Récemment*, one of our profs* stumbled across this gem of a photo gallery of pranksters (or amateur actors?) roleplaying the names of different Paris metro stations. For example, a rock and roll band at ‘Duroc’, Les Trois Mousquetaires* at ‘Alexandre Dumas’ station and a naked man showcasing his personal freedoms at ‘Liberté*’. 

There are dozens of photos to ponder, so we’ll let you peruse the rest at your leisure. Bonne chance* figuring out some of the more obscure references!

*Recently | *The Three Musketeers | *teachers | *Freedom | *Good luck

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 3 of the Intermediate 3 level.

*The Little Story | *The Prequel

“D’accord, maman !” ma fille m’a répondu et elle a quitté la chambre. “Papa, tu es où ? Je vais à Londres et je veux dire au revoir !”

Finalement, j’étais toute seule pour la première fois de la matinée. J’ai poussé un soupir de soulagement. J’étais surprise de remarquer que même après ça, je me sentais toujours mal à l’aise. “C’est normal, Leila,” je me suis dit. “C’est la première fois que tu voyages sans tous les enfants. Elles vont beaucoup te manquer .”

Si je suis honnête, j’étais un peu anxieuse de laisser les filles avec Jean-Louis, même si sa mère allait l’aider. C’est leur père, c’est vrai, mais mon mari à la tendance à travailler très, très dur, donc il ne passe pas beaucoup de temps avec nos filles. Et le fait que sa mère vienne pour l’aider lui donne l’excuse parfaite pour travailler encore plus.

Mais même en admettant tout ça, j’étais toujours un peu inquiète. Je ne savais pas pourquoi, mais j’avais un mauvais pressentiment.

Je ne pouvais pas y réfléchir plus, parce que tout d’un coup, j’ai entendu la voix de mon frère. “Tu es prête, frangine?”

“Oui, frérot, j’arrive. Deux minutes !”

J’ai fini de fermer ma valise et je suis entrée dans le salon. Tout le monde était là. 

Jean-Louis parlait à Hervé et Anouk jouait avec ses sœurs et ses cousines, Sara et Mina.

“Bon, on est prêts pour le grand voyage ?” a demandé mon frère.

“Oui, tout à fait,” j’ai répondu. “Chéri, n’oublie pas qu’il y a une quiche pour vous dans le frigo pour ce soir. Vous restez ici ce soir, non ?”

“Ne t’inquiète pas, Leïla, ça va aller. Demain, on va à l’hôtel avec grand-mère. Vous avez hâte de la voir, les filles ?” Jean-Louis a demandé à Céline et Vivienne.

Mais les petites étaient trop occupées avec leurs cousines pour lui répondre.

“Ah, un instant, j’ai oublié mes boucles d’oreilles préférées. Je reviens tout de suite.” j’ai dit et je suis retournée à la chambre pour les chercher.

“Okay, Mum!” my daughter replied and she left the room. “Dad, where are you?” I’m going to London and I want to say goodbye!”

Finally, I was alone for the first time that morning. I let out a sigh of relief. I was surprised to notice that even after that I still felt ill at ease. “It’s normal, Leïla,” I said to myself. “It’s the first time you’re travelling without all the children. You’re going to miss them a lot.”

If I’m honest, I was a bit anxious about leaving the girls with Jean-Louis, even if his mother was going to help him. He’s their father, it’s true, but my husband has the tendency to work very, very hard, so he doesn’t spend a lot of time with our girls. And the fact his mother is coming to help him gives him the perfect excuse to work even more.

But even in admitting that, I was still a little worried. I didn’t know why, but I had a bad feeling.

I couldn’t think about it any more, because all of a sudden, I heard my brother’s voice. “You ready, sis?”

“Yes, bro, I’m coming. Two minutes!”

I finished closing my suitcase and I went into the living room. Everyone was there.

Jean-Louis was speaking to Hervé and Anouk was playing with her sisters and cousins, Sara and Mina.

“Right, are we ready for the big trip?” asked my brother.

“Yes, absolutely,” I responded. “Darling, don’t forget there is a quiche for you in the fridge for tonight. You’re staying here tonight, aren’t you?”

“Don’t worry, Leïla, it’s all going to be fine. Tomorrow, we’re going to the hotel with Grandma. Are you keen to see her, girls?” Jean-Louis asked Céline and Vivienne.

But the little ones were too busy with their cousins to answer.

“Oh, one sec, I’ve forgotten my favourite earrings. I’ll be back straight away,” I said and I returned to the bedroom to look for them.

Famous French Brands: A.P.C.

For most of us, missing luggage is an inconvenience, but for Tunisian-born, Paris-based Jean Touitou, it also served as inspiration. Losing his bags en route* to Barcelona and setting off in search of un jean*, the former Kenzo employee was unimpressed by the options on offer, especially the lack of his favoured raw denim.  

This experience, and his disdain for the OTT fashion of the 1980s, led Touitou to create the utilitarian-chic French label A.P.C. in 1987. Initially selling menswear only, Touitou soon realised les femmes* also craved a fuss-free alternative to loud, trend-led clothing. He introduced womenswear the following year – and the rest, as they say, is history. 

Headquartered in Paris, A.P.C. (or Atelier de Production et de Création*) has become synonymous with high-quality, practical, and casually elegant clothing. Think raw Japanese denim, well-cut basics like the perfect white tee or striped crew-neck sweater, and simple leather accessories. We’ll take the ‘Demi-Lune’ sac* in each colour, svp.

35 years on, the still-independently-owned marque* is highly sought after in Europe, the U.S. and Asia. Collabs with brands and celebs from Asics to Jane Birkin, Goop and Kid Cudi keep things fresh, and A.P.C. stores can be found in the world’s most fashionable cities – including Melbourne.  

But if un vol* down south isn’t on the cards, don’t worry. You can still get that French girl (or gars*) look by shopping the collection online.

*on the way | *jeans | *women | *Production and Creation Workshop | *Half-Moon bag | *brand | *a flight | *guy