SWOON: Lac d’Annecy

Located in the Haute-Savoie region of southeastern France, près des Alpes françaises*, Lac d'Annecy is a popular destination touristique* that attracts around 2.5 million visitors annually. And celebs such as actor Jean Reno who owns property in the area.

Spanning approximately 27.5 square kilometres, the alpine lake is renowned for its crystal-clear waters, often cited as the cleanest in Europe, and surrounded by picturesque mountains that lure nature lovers all year round.

With equipment rentals dotting the shoreline, it’s the perfect spot to indulge in water sports like paddleboarding, kayaking and sailing – or take it easy with a scenic boat tour. Prefer to stay on dry land? There’s a 42-kilometre-long bike path and numerous hiking trails to keep you occupé(e)*, including Mont Veyrier and La Tournette.

For less adventure and plus de culture*, head to Annecy at the lake’s northern tip. Dubbed the ‘Venice of the Alps’, the charming medieval town is home to winding canals, châteaux* and historic architecture. Plus, a vibrant cultural and dining scene accessible by train from Paris and Lyon – and less than an hour’s bus ride from Geneva.

*French Alps | *tourist destination | *busy | *more culture | *castles

Famous French brands: Repetto

With the recent resurgence in popularity of that early 2000s staple, the ballet flat, what better time to spotlight the iconic French company that does it best: Repetto. In ballet and fashion, few names hold as much prestige as Repetto – known for its craftsmanship, enduring style and star-studded following.

La marque* was founded in 1947 when Rose Repetto set out to create the perfect ballet shoe for her son, celebrated dancer Roland Petit. Her handmade shoes quickly gained a reputation for their comfort and quality, achieved with a unique “stitch and return” technique that ensures flexibilité* and an unparalleled fit.

Repetto shoes soon shod les pieds* of other renowned dancers, including Rudolf Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnikov, with the brand providing ballet shoes for the Opéra National de Paris to this day. However, it wasn’t until a fortuitous pairing that the brand’s reputation truly took off.

In 1956, an ascendant star, Brigitte Bardot, commissioned a pair of ballet flats, the "Cendrillon," for her film And God Created Woman. The shoes became an instant success – and a style signature of B.B.

In the early 2000s, Repetto ballet flats were the footwear du jour, popularised by celebrities like Kate Moss and Amy Winehouse wearing them on repeat. And while Carrie Bradshaw would never be seen without her towering heels, Sarah Jessica Parker regularly embraced Repetto flats as a chic and comfortable alternative off the screen.

Other admirateurs* over the years have included French singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg, who loved the Zizi style designed for dancer Zizi Jeanmaire, and Karl Lagerfeld, who often sent models down the runway in Repetto.

Today, the company produces various footwear styles, ready-to-wear clothing and accessories. However, it’s Rose's chic and comfortable ballet shoes that have earned Repetto an enduring iconic status.

Learn more of l’histoire de Repetto* here.

*The brand | *flexibility | *the feet |*fans | *the story of Repetto

Sneak Peek into Le Nid: Quel sport olympique regarderez-vous?

With les Jeux Olympiques* (JO for short) in full swing, we did a quick race around le nid* to learn what sports and events notre équipe* will be tuning in to. From the balletic art of la natation synchronisée* to le plus aventureux*, here is what we’ll be glued to for the coming weeks.

Katrina : “L'équitation - Je ne sais pas pourquoi, mais je l'adore!”
Equestrian – I don’t know why, but I love it!

Angéline : “La natation synchronisée pour la beauté et la précision des mouvements.”
Synchronised swimming for the beauty and the precision of the movements.

Marion : “L'escrime.”
Fencing.

Alicia : “L’athlétisme, la gymnastique et le breakdance.”
Athletics, gymnastics and breakdance.

Alexia : “La gymnastique, le basketball, la natation et le triathlon.”
Gymnastics, basketball, swimming and the triathlon.

Justine : “Je suis curieuse de voir les épreuves de surf à Tahiti.”
I am curious to see the surfing events in Tahiti.  

*Olympic Games| *the nest | *our team | *synchronised swimming | *the more adventurous

Olympic Glossary: Fun French Sporting Expressions

Want to sound like a pro discussing the Olympics with your French friends? From ‘envoyer une pizza*’ to ‘prendre un caramel*’ (not as pleasant as it sounds), this fun Olympic glossary will arm you with some weird and wonderful sporting expressions to try out at your next soirée.

*to hit a volleyball in a straight line that’s as flat as a pizza |* to hit the ground hard when tackled

How to Learn French - Another five-minute fix

In writing last month’s article on five-minute fixes, I realised two things:

1. There are plenty more where the first five came from, and

2. Fixing these seemingly small errors can really make a very positive difference in how others perceive your French.

So, let’s get going on another five to further hone your French in a way that is très efficace* !

We breeze right past them in English, yet for some reason we tend to hesitate when faced with an apostrophe in French. Not all of them of course…

For example, very few people skip a beat when they say j’ai*. You likely know that j’ai is a contraction of je (meaning ‘I’) and ai (meaning ‘have’), but I’d bet you don’t pause when you see the apostrophe, do you? You’re so used to saying j’ai that you say it as if it were one word, just as you’ve never dream of making a pitstop at the apostrophe in the English contraction ‘don’t’.

However, with less commonly used words, we find that some students baulk like a showjumper whose horse is afraid of water.

Have you ever had un doute* when it comes to these?:

aujourd’hui (o-zhoor-dwee)
jusqu’à (zhu-skuh)
hors d’œuvre (or-der-vre)
ce qu’il (se-kil)
ce qu’elle (se-kel)

Many have, so ne vous inquiétez pas*. You just need to train yourself to glide right on past the apostrophe, treating it as though it’s just one word. Don’t risk being thrown off, just gather your linguistic reins, squeeze your thighs against your steed and prepare yourself to sail over the word with all the grace and ease of an Olympic champion. Bon courage*!  

Things can start to snowball pronunciation-wise when we see both an apostrophe and an ‘h’ right next to one another. Think, for example, of the word j’habite*, which many of our beginners struggle to master.

However, now that you know to completely ignore any apostrophes you see, you’ve managed to get rid of one barrier at least.

Then when I tell you that in French all ‘h’s are silent, just like that, there goes the other one!

By ignoring both the apostrophe and the letter ‘h’, you’ve effectively rendered it a single word that looks like this:

jabite
(pronounced ‘zhuh-beet’)

Pas si difficile* after all, huh?

Other examples to try:

l’homme = lomme
(pronounced ‘lom’)

l’huile = luile
(pronounced ‘lweel’)

je m’habille = je mabille
(pronounced ‘zhe mubee’)

Having tackled the double whammy now, let’s return to simpler times: the letter ‘h’ by itself. Remember, wherever it may crop up, you have permission to ignore it completely. For example:

heureux
(pronounced eu-reu)

histoire
(pronounced iss-twar)

herbe
(pronounced airb)

What can trip us up à nouveau* is when we see an ‘h’ sitting cheek by jowl with a ‘t’, as in the word théâtre*, for example. So used are we to pronouncing ‘th’ the English way, it can seem counterintuitive to pronounce only the ‘t’, but this is exactly what you must do.

théâtre
(pronounced tay-ahtre)

mathématiques
(pronounced mat-ey-mat-eek)

Édith
(pronounced Ey-deet)

By the way, you may take some comfort in the fact that the French generally find formulating the English ‘th’ sound very difficult. We take it for granted, but try consciously making that lisping sound yourself (or indeed explaining to someone how to do it) and you’ll likely appreciate that no matter the language, there will always be challenges. Surely that’s part of the fun?

This one is relatively easy to fix: fille* rhymes with the English word ‘fee’. Alternatively, if pronouncing the word famille* (fum-ee) is second nature to you, then you may prefer to align fille with that word, since they’re from the same family (poor pun most definitely intended).

The fact that fils (the French word for ‘son’) rhymes with ‘police’ works for me, but if you’re looking for something different, try thinking of the French tennis player, Gaël Monfils.

If you can hear the commentator saying ‘mon-feece’, you’ve got the right idea. By the way, have you ever thought that his surname literally means ‘my son’? Moi non plus* until recently, but there you are.

Pronouncing the ‘s’ on the word ans* when saying your age is a classic error and it’s not confined to absolute beginners. Oftentimes, when students first learn to say their age, they’re so focused on saying j’ai and not je suis*, that the ‘s’ on ans just slips out. If it’s not picked up early on, it can become an unconscious habit, but if you’re reading this now and you realise this applies to you, ça suffit*. You can stop now.

We really hope you’ve found these quick fixes of benefit to you. There may well be a fresh crop next month. By the way, if you think of a quick fix that could be included in a future article, please feel free to let us know in the comments.

*very efficient | *I have | *a doubt | *don’t worry | *Good luck | *I live | *so hard | *anew | *theatre | *girl/daughter | *family | *Me neither | *years | *I am | *that’s enough

Meet the Team - Alexia

This month, nous vous présentons* another Lingua Franca prof*, Alexia Fleith. Hailing from Eastern France, Alexia moved to Brisbane in 2018 and joined us in le nid* in February last year. So, it’s been remiss of us not to introduce you properly. Désolée, les chouchous*!

Bref*, there’s no time like the present. Read on to learn all about our favourite Alsatian, including her pet peeve (which we’re sure many of you will share!).

*we introduce to you | *the nest | *Sorry, pets!| *Anyway

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 Advanced 1 level.

*The Little Story | *The Prequel

Malgré mon léger trac à rencontrer l’ancienne famille d'accueil d'Amina, mes inquiétudes étaient infondées. Robert et Beth étaient très charmants et accueillants. Robert, ancien professeur d'université, et Beth, enseignante d'anglais dans un lycée local, m'ont surpris : j'ai réussi à comprendre la plupart de leurs paroles. Mais répondre à leurs questions en temps réel était une autre histoire ! En classe, je m'en sortais avec des idées simples en anglais, mais là, c'était comme si mon cerveau bloquait dès que c'était mon tour, et j'étais gênée.

Heureusement, tout le monde était adorable et encourageant, surtout ma belle-sœur Amina, qui m'a assurée avoir vécu la même chose lors de son échange chez les Proctor il y a quelques années.

Michael, l'ancien frère d'accueil d'Amina, et sa nouvelle épouse Claire, se sont joints à nous pour dîner le premier soir de notre visite, et ils étaient aussi charmants qu'Amina l'avait promis. Bientôt, nous avons discuté de nos plans pour le reste de notre séjour.

"Donc, Amina, que devraient voir Hervé et Leïla pendant leur séjour ici ?" a demandé Robert. "Quels endroits préférais-tu à Bath lors de ta première visite ?"

"Au fond, Bath m'a semblé si belle. Paris est impressionnante, mais Bath a un charme typiquement anglais. Les jardins magnifiques, les petits pubs pittoresques et bien sûr les Thermes Romains sont chouettes," a répondu Amina, de plus en plus enthousiaste à mesure qu'elle se remémorait.

"Combien de temps restez-vous ici, Hervé ?" a demandé Michael.

Mon frère avait l'air perdu. "Pardon ? Je veux dire... Could you repeat that more slowly, please ?"

Amina a ri gentiment et a pris la main d'Hervé. "Mon mari est encore débutant en anglais. J'aimerais l'aider plus, mais avec les jumeaux, c'est compliqué ! Nous sommes à Bath pour seulement deux jours, Michael."

"Eh bien, profitez-en bien ! Je suis d'accord pour visiter les sites à Bath demain. Claire et moi serions ravis de vous faire découvrir."

"Ce serait super, merci, Michael," a dit Amina. "Hervé, tu viens avec nous ?"

"Oui, j'aimerais beaucoup," a répondu Hervé avec son fort accent français, et tout le monde a ri.

"Je pense que visiter Stonehenge serait une bonne idée pour le lendemain. Pas besoin de parler couramment anglais pour apprécier ce site mystérieux, Hervé, je te le promets," a ajouté Beth en souriant.

"Et toi, Leïla ?" a demandé Claire en souriant. "D'après Amina, tu aimerais vraiment pratiquer ton anglais autant que possible, n'est-ce pas ? Peut-être que Stonehenge n'est pas l'endroit idéal pour toi."

"Non, et de toute façon, j'ai promis de m'occuper des enfants un jour. Je suis contente de passer mon tour pour Stonehenge. Ce n'est pas le meilleur endroit pour les enfants, je pense."

"Tu as raison, Leïla. J'ai une idée ! Le jour où tu gardes les enfants, je pourrais venir pendant la sieste et nous pourrions prendre un vrai thé et discuter en anglais. Quelques heures de pratique intensive pourraient vraiment t'aider. Et j'aimerais beaucoup te connaître un peu mieux. Amina m'a beaucoup parlé de toi."

"Ce serait génial, Claire. C'est une bonne idée !" ai-je répondu alors que nous levions nos verres et nous tournions vers l'agneau rôti que Beth venait de placer sur la table.

Despite my slight nervousness at meeting Amina’s former host family, my apprehension was misplaced. Robert and Beth were extremely charming and very welcoming hosts. Robert was a retired university professor and Beth had taught English at a local high school so to my surprise, I was able to understand most of what they said to me. Formulating a response to what I had heard was a different matter, though, as I soon found out! While in class I was able to express simple ideas in English correctly, it was a totally different story when trying to respond in real time. It was as though my brain froze as soon as it was my turn, and I could feel the hesitation turn to embarrassment and then near-paralysis as the seconds ticked on.

Everyone was so sweet and encouraging, though, especially my lovely sister-in-law Amina who assured me she’d been through the same excruciating process when she did her exchange with the Proctors a few years before.

Michael, Amina’s former host brother, and his new wife Claire, joined us for dinner on the first night of our visit and they were as lovely as Amina had promised. Soon, talk turned to our plans for the rest of our stay.

“So, Amina, what do you think Hervé and Leïla should see while they’re here?” asked Robert. “What were your favourite parts of Bath when you first came here?”

“I just remember finding Bath so incredibly pretty. Paris is majestic and impressive but Bath has a charm that to me is typically English. All the beautiful gardens, the quaint little pubs and of course The Roman Baths are delightful,” Amina answered, her enthusiasm mounting with every memory.

“How long are you here for, Hervé?” asked Michael.

My brother looked confused. “Pardon? Je veux dire…I beg your pardon. Could you please repeat that more slowly?”

Amina laughed kindly and took Hervé’s hand reassuringly. “My darling husband is still a beginner at English. I’d like to help him more, but with the twins there just never seems to be the time! We’re here in Bath for just two days. Michael.”

“Well, you should make every second count, then! I agree it’s important to see the sights in Bath and I think you should do that tomorrow. Claire and I would be happy to show you all around.

“That would be great, thank you, Michael,” said Amina. “Hervé, would you like to do that with us?”

“Yes, I would like that very much,” Hervé answered, in his heavy French accent, and everyone laughed.

“And I think to Stone Henge would be a good idea for the day after. No need to be fluent in English to appreciate the eeriness of that site, Hervé, I can promise you,’ Beth said smiling.

“And how about you, Leïla?” asked Claire, smiling. “From what Amina has told me, you’d really like to practise your English as much as possible, wouldn’t you? I’m not sure Stone Henge would be the best use of your time here.

“No, and I’ve promised I’ll take care of all the children one day anyway, so I’m happy to sit the visit to Stone Henge out. I wouldn’t think it’s a great place for children anyway.”

“You’re right, Leïla. Hey, I have an idea? On the day that you’re babysitting, why don’t I come over and while the children are having a nap we can sit down and have a proper cup of tea and a chat in English? An hour or two of intensive practice would really improve your English. Plus, I’d love to get to know you a little better. Amina’s told me so much about you.”

“I would be delighted, Claire. That’s a plan!” I responded as we all clinked glasses and turned our attention to the roast lamb that Beth had just placed on the table.

How to Learn French - A five-minute fix

Sometimes when you’re learning a new skill you just need a few quick wins to keep your spirits up and encourage you to tenir le coup*.

There are all sorts of little errors that I hear over and over again when I’m teaching. Little errors that are really very simple to fix.

So common are they that I go through periods where I don’t even hear them anymore. Other times, I do hear one of these petites erreurs* while teaching, but it’s not the right time to correct the student sitting across the table from me and so I let it slide.

So, for the last week, and with this article in mind, I’ve been keeping my oreilles* wide open to see if I could pick up on the worst offenders. Not all students make all of these errors but it is interesting how often they do crop up and it’s across all levels.

Let’s be faithful to the title of the article and launch into our five-minute fix. Your French will be likely be markedly better by the time you get to the bottom of the page.

This crops up time and time again, particularly with students who taught themselves before coming to us. I totally understand why they make the mistake of pronouncing the ’s’: it distinguishes it from the singular form and it’s reassuring to hear the difference in pronunciation. However, it’s always wrong, unless your next word starts with a vowel or an ‘h’ and you’re (rightly) making the liaison, or elision. Remember, in this case, the ’s’ is pronounced more like a ‘z’ sound, likely to differentiate it from ils sont* and elles sont*.

While in English we say ‘a thousand’, in French, we don’t, no matter what follows it. Thus:

1000 : mille
1487: mille-quatre-cent-quatre-vingt-sept

Never: un mille.

I know, I know, it’s so tempting to pronounce this word for ‘woman’ or ‘wife’ as it reads, but please don’t. That is, for pronunciation purposes:

femme does not sound like ‘them’

femme sounds like ‘thumb’

Really!

I’m the first to admit that this word is a capricious little mite, as, depending on its meaning, it may or may not end in an é (acute accent or accent aigu). But, can we make a pact that when we see it does end with this little flourish, that that we make the effort to pronounce it? Merci*.

You’re off the hook here:

côte = coast / shore
côte = hill / slope
côte = rib

But all eyes (ears) are on you here:

côté = side
à côté = next to

If you’re anything like me, you’ve grown up hearing sauvignon blanc pronounced as ‘sovinyon blonk’. Let’s spare our French friends’ ears, shall we? The ‘c’ in blanc is always silent.

Et voilà* ! Just five minutes and you’re on your way to being a much more expert speaker of French. 

*stay the course | *little mistakes | *ears | *they are (masculine or mixed group) | *they are (female only group) | *Thank you | *And there you go

It's Been A While...

It’s been a while, it’s been ages, it’s been an eternity... If you find yourself overusing “Ça fait longtemps”*, this handy article provides plenty of other options to spice up your conversation.

*It’s been a long time

Vale, Anouk et Françoise

Tristement*, this month marked the passing of two legendary French performers. First, hugely successful French pop star and fashionista Françoise Hardy at 80 after a long battle with cancer. Closely followed by New Wave cinema icon Anouk Aimée at 92 years old.

Releasing her first single at 18 in 1962, Hardy became a key player in the French yé-yé style – a response to rock ‘n’ roll (and British bands’ ubiquitous chant of “yeah.”). In 2023, she was named in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 200 greatest singers of all time – the only French artist to make the cut.

With striking looks and signature French cool style, Hardy became a muse to designers including Yves Saint Laurent and Paco Rabanne. However, in her later years, after decades of treatment for lymphatic cancer, she was perhaps best known as an advocate for euthanasia – illegal under (“inhuman”) French law. 

A darling of some of Europe’s most celebrated directors, including Italy’s Federico Fellini and France’s Claude Lelouch and Jacques Demy, celebrated actress Anouk Aimée rose to international acclaim in Fellini’s 1960 masterpiece, La Dolce Vita.

With a cool, sophisticated allure, the four-times-married Aimée had her biggest breakthrough when nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award in the 1966 Oscar-winning film, Un Homme et une Femme (A Man and a Woman).

Whether you’re un(e) admirateur/trice* or new to her work, ce film* is a must-watch (or rewatch) for any lover of French cinema.

*Sadly| *a fan | *this film

Chocolat Chaud

Is it just us, or does chocolate become even more enticing when it’s cold outside? While the Brisbane winter isn’t exactly glacial*, it’s the perfect time to warm up with a classic, French-style chocolat chaud* – and this video shows you how to prep one like a pro.

Stock up on the ingredients below, then follow the simple recipe and enjoy a piping hot mug.

*freezing | *hot chocolate

Métro-boulot-dodo

Ever feel like all you do is work, eat, sleep, repeat? Well, the frustration and ennui* many of us experience in adult life is shared, and the French have their own spin on the term.

Combining the words for subway and job/ hard work/ graft with the babytalk for sleep (dodo), métro-boulot-dodo* can be translated as commute, work, sleep.

Apparemment, c'est un sentiment universel!*

*weariness and boredom | *commute-work-sleep | *Apparently, it’s a universal feeling!

Meet the Team - Justine

You may have noticed quelques nouveaux visages* around le nid* over the past few months – and we think it’s high time we introduce you! So, without further ado, this month nous vous présentons* Justine Hemery.

Lured Down Under by l’amour* in 2022, Justine has been wooed by our beaches and laidback approach to life.

If you’re not fortunate enough to have Justine as ton prof*, you can learn more about her below.

*some new faces | *the nest | *we introduce to you | *love | *your teacher

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 Advanced 1 level.

*The Little Story | *The Prequel

Le lendemain, nous nous sommes levés tôt pour prendre le petit-déjeuner à l'hôtel avant de prendre le train pour aller à Bath.

Depuis notre dispute la veille, Hervé me traitait avec beaucoup de précautions, étant encore plus attentionné que d'habitude. Si j'avais eu le moindre doute sur le fait qu'Hervé avait parlé à Amina de notre discussion, un seul regard sur son visage de l'autre côté de la table du petit-déjeuner a répondu à ma question. Je l'ai surprise en train de me regarder avec un mélange de préoccupation et de compassion et elle aussi faisait attention à la façon dont elle me parlait. Toute la scène était assez inconfortable, je dois dire, et j'aurais aimé ne jamais avoir ouvert ma grande bouche à propos de mes soupçons concernant Jean-Louis et son comportement étrange récemment.

Pour détendre l'atmosphère, j'ai demandé à Amina : « Alors, tu es excitée de revoir ta famille d'accueil ? »

Le visage d'Amina s'est illuminé et elle a souri largement. « Oh oui, Leïla, j'ai vraiment hâte. Ils sont tellement adorables. Et bien sûr, ils vont t'adorer. Tu sais, j'ai vu Robert et Beth quand je suis venue pour le mariage de Michael il y a quelques mois et même à ce moment-là, je leur ai dit que nous viendrions peut-être en famille bientôt. Ils étaient tellement excités à l'idée de te rencontrer, surtout depuis qu'ils savent que tu fais des études d'anglais à l'université maintenant. »

« Oui, j'aurai enfin l'occasion de pratiquer mon anglais ! » j’ai dit en levant les yeux au ciel.

À ce moment-là, mon frère est intervenu : « Au contraire, ma chère sœur, tu as eu de nombreuses occasions depuis ton arrivée, tu n'en as juste pas profité ! Que dirais-tu de promettre de parler anglais et uniquement anglais dès que nous arriverons à Bath ? »

« Que dirais-tu de... » j’ai commencé sarcastiquement, puis j'ai décidé de m'arrêter. Je me suis rappelée qu'Hervé, en tant que grand frère, serait toujours protecteur envers moi et voudrait le meilleur pour moi. À vrai dire, il pouvait être un peu autoritaire parfois, mais vu ce que je lui avais dit hier, je ne pouvais vraiment pas être surprise qu'il s'inquiète pour moi.

J'ai pris une profonde inspiration et dit : « Oui, tu as raison, Hervé, c'est une très bonne idée. Je te promets que j'essaierai au moins. »

« Eh bien, la bonne nouvelle est que tu auras plus que Robert et Beth pour pratiquer. Michael sera là aussi, avec sa nouvelle femme. Tu l'adoreras : elle est intelligente, drôle et gentille, tout comme toi, » Amina a ajouté gentiment.

« Eh bien, j'ai hâte de rencontrer cette version anglaise de moi-même ! » j’ai dit, commençant à me sentir mieux.

« De plus, » Hervé a ajouté, « n'est-ce pas leur autre fils qui va aussi venir nous rendre visite, Amina ? Je crois que c'est ce que tu m'as dit. »

« Oh oui, tu as raison, j'avais oublié. Il - »

Amina fut coupée en plein milieu de sa phrase lorsqu'un des jumeaux réussit à renverser une délicate carafe de lait par terre.

« Oh là là, Mina. Qu'est-ce que tu as fait ? Tiens, non, ne pleure pas, Maman est là. Elle va nettoyer ça. »

« Je pense qu'il y a peut-être une expression à ce sujet en anglais, Amina, non ? »

« Je pense que tu as raison, Leïla, » a répondu Amina. « Tu as envie de faire un peu de baby-sitting quand nous serons à Bath ? »

« D'accord, » j’ai dit. « Je vous dois bien ça après tout. »

« Tu ne nous dois rien du tout, frangine, » dit Hervé affectueusement. « Nous sommes une famille après tout. »

« Tu as raison, » j’ai répondu en souriant. Ouf, les choses étaient redevenues normales entre nous. Quel soulagement.

The following day we got up early to have breakfast at the hotel before catching the train to go to Bath.

Since our argument the day before, Hervé had been treating me very carefully, being more even more thoughtful than usual. If I had had any doubt as to whether Hervé had told Amina about our discussion, one look at her face across the breakfast table answered my question. I caught her looking at me with a mixture of concern and compassion and she too was careful in the way she spoke to me. The whole scene was quite uncomfortable, I have to say, and I wished I’d never opened my big mouth about my suspicions regarding Jean-Louis and his strange behaviour recently.

In an effort to lighten the mood, I asked Amina: “So are you excited to be seeing your host family again?”

“Amina’s face lit up and she smiled widely. “Oh yes, Leïla, I really can’t wait. They are so lovely. And of course they will love you. You know I saw Robert and Beth when I came over for Michael’s wedding just a few months ago and even then I mentioned to them that we may be coming over as a family rather soon. They were so excited at the prospect of meeting you, especially since they know you’re doing English at university now.”

“Yes, I may finally have an opportunity to practise my English!” I said, rolling my eyes.

At this, my brother butted in: “Au contraire, my darling sister, you have had many opportunities since you arrived, you just haven’t taken many of them! How about from the moment we arrive in Bath, you make a promise to speak English and English only?”

“How about you….” I started sarcastically, then decided to stop myself. I reminded myself that Hervé, as my big brother, would always be protective of me and want the best for me. Truth be told, he could be a bit bossy at times, but given what I’d told him yesterday, I couldn’t really be surprised that he was worried about me.

I took a deep breath and said, “Yes, you’re right, Hervé, that’s a very good idea. I promise you I’ll at least try.”

“Well, the good news is that you’ll have more than just Robert and Beth to practise with. Michael’s going to be there, too, with his new wife. You’ll love her: she’s smart, funny and kind, just like you,” added Amina sweetly.

“Well I can’t wait to meet this English version of myself!” I said, starting to feel better.

“Plus,” added Hervé, “isn’t their other son coming to visit as well, Amina? I think that’s what you told me.”

“Oh yes, you’re right, I’d forgotten. He - ”

Amina was cut off mid-sentence as one of the twins managed to tip a delicate jug of milk on the floor.

“Oh là, là, Mina. What have you done? Here, no, don’t cry, Mummy’s here. She’s going to clean it up.”

“I think there might be a saying about that in English, Amina, isn’t there?”

“I think you’re right, Leïla,” answered Amina. “Feel like doing a bit of babysitting when we get to Bath?”

“You’re on,” I said. “I owe you both after all.”

“You don’t owe us anything at all, Sis,” said Hervé affectionately. “We’re family after all.”

"You’re right,” I answered smiling. Phew, things were back to normal between us. What a relief.

How to Learn French - When will I be fluent?

Our Chouchous* here at Lingua Franca are a fairly diverse  bunch but I’d guarantee almost every single one of them harbours this desire: to be fluent in French one day.

It’s a noble goal, c’est sûr*, and one I still hold myself after all these years, but recently I’ve been thinking about what really means to be fluent and I might be en train de* amending my goal.

Most people would think that I am fluent, and I guess I am in many ways. But if your version of fluent means knowing every single word in French, then I am most decidedly not. I still discover new words in French regularly and it’s this petit plaisir* that got me thinking in the first place.

Until recently, it very much was my goal to one day speak French as easily and as fluently as I speak English, but I’ve realised recently this is simply not possible. I’m 52 and I have lived in Australia for 50 of those years. Even if I were to jump on a plane today and live to the ripe old age of 100 in France, my French would still never catch up to my English. It’d get close, that’s for sure, but all of that imprinting as a very young person in an anglophone environment would not be able to be overridden by mes années glorieuses* in France.

That realisation troubled me at first until a second one hit me: if I was truly fluent in French, I’d have no reason to learn it any more, and what would my life look like in that case?  Much poorer, I have to admit. French has been the passion of my life and I can’t imagine my vie* without it. It brings me so much: challenge, exchange, wonder, frustration, joy, connection. Why would I wish that away?

I’ve spoken before about how I was always in a rush to learn French, to get ‘there’, as I thought of it. Any yes, ‘there’ was fully fluent. I know a lot of students wish for the same thing, and while I want them to achieve their goals, I think it might be helpful if we all reframed our aims a bit.

How about we think about achieving proficiency instead of fluency? Linguistically, the difference between these two is actually a bit of a minefield, but on a less academic level, proficiency means being able to get things done, and that sounds appealing to me.

There are different levels of proficiency (and fluency, too, by the way) but in an effort to help you recognise the wins as they come to you, let’s consider some concrete proficiency milestones.

Could you introduce yourself at an AA meeting?

Let’s set our expectations nice and low for our first milestone in order to (hopefully) get a quick run on the board.

The traditional AA introduction in a meeting (in the movies at least) is “Hello, I’m so-and-so and I’m an alcoholic”.

Can you insert your name and an adjective of your choice instead?

“Bonjour, je m’appelle Katrina et je suis australienne*.”

Okay, you’re not going to set the world on fire with that sentence but it’s a start! You’ve got a foot on the ladder.

Could you introduce yourself at a party?

We’re just talking the basics here, not getting involved in a philosophical debate about the merits of Simone de Beauvoir’s later works. Do you think you could have a very short conversation with a French person about yourself: where you’re from, what you do, why you’re here at this fabulous party? Oui*? Félicitations*, you’ve just become a social papillon* in French!

Could you get around France for a couple of weeks without causing an international incident?

Do you think you’d be able to order a taxi, book into a hotel, perhaps hire a car and order in a restaurant without falling foul of the law? Some people call this traveller’s French, which makes it sound a lot easier than it actually is. Being able to pull this off requires a level of proficiency that doesn’t usually come from a quick read of your guidebook on the plane on the way over. Confidently navigating these situations demands not only linguistic skill, but some cultural savvy as well, and this usually only comes after you’ve been at your French for a while. So if you’re able to do this, chapeau* ! You’ve just moved up another rung on the language learning ladder.

Could you have an argument in French?

This is the rung that brought me undone when I was living in Paris. I won’t go into the gory details, but it involved the Musée d’Orsay, my tendency to procrastinate and some missing headphones. For the record, it also involved a gross miscarriage of justice*, but let’s move on.

Not being able to defend myself articulately in French when I felt I was being wronged was a low point in my French learning. I knew that if I broke into English, my French interlocutrice* would have ‘won’, so I continued on in my strangled and mangled French until it became clear to me that my only choice was to walk away. So I did, and managed to keep it together until I got home, but the minute my apartment door clicked shut, I burst into tears of frustration and humiliation. I can still feel it as it write this. Not the best day for my French, je t’assure*.

A former student of mine had the exact opposite experience though, when her car hire fell through on her first day in France. She found herself on the phone, arguing with the Hertz representative and was absolutely gobsmacked when all the words she wanted to say came streaming out of her mouth in the right order and with the perfect level of indignation. It was that day that she realised she’d reached a level of fluency she’d been aiming for.  She now lives part-time in France and I can only imagine how incroyable* her French is these days. How about we take Karen’s experience as inspiration over mine?

Could you make and maintain a friendship with a French person?

Finally, the true hallmark of proficiency, making a French friend. What better way to exercise your French muscles but with deep conversations, shared experiences, and maybe even some inside jokes (tout en français*)?

As you know, I don’t consider myself perfectly fluent in French, but I have reached this level of proficiency in the last few years and it feels like the most incredible reward ever for all the hard work I’ve put in. 

Don’t get me wrong, for the most part learning French has been an utter joy for me, but there have definitely been times (many, many times) where I’ve felt like I was stagnating, or worse, going backwards, and it was akin to hard labour. But from where I am now, and with the relationships I have with French people, I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. Ten times over.

So, let’s be careful what we wish for. Being totally fluent in French would be wonderful, it’s hard to deny, but where would we be without the thrill of the pursuit? Bon courage, les Chouchous*! I know you can do it, just go one rung at a time.


 

*Teacher’s Pets | *That’s for sure | *in the process of | *little pleasure | *life | *my glorious years | *Hello, my name is Katrina and I’m Australian | *Yes | *Congratulations | *butterfly | *Congratulations | *justice | *fellow speaker | *I assure you | *incredible | *all in French | *Good luck, Teacher’s Pets

La Petite Histoire

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

La Petite Histoire is currently only available to our students, however La Préquelle is for everyone’s enjoyment. Below, another instalment of this new series, Chapter 3 of the Advanced 1 level.

*The Little Story | *The Prequel

« Ça va, frangine ? » a demandé Hervé avec un air inquiet.

J’ai regardé à ma gauche, désireuse d'éviter la question. Je ne pouvais pas m'empêcher de sourire en regardant Amina et les trois enfants complètement absorbés alors qu'ils regardaient une ligne de canetons suivre leur mère vers le lac. Comme c'est mignon, j’ai pensé.

« Leïla, je t'ai demandé si ça va. Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ? Tu as l'air si distraite tout ce voyage. »

« Oh Hervé, pas ça encore, s'il te plaît ! Je t'ai dit, je pense juste que j'essaie de faire trop de choses. Tu as de la chance, tu as Amina. Je veux dire, c’est un rêve. Si aimante et patiente, et vous deux travaillez en équipe. N'oublie pas que j'ai la complication supplémentaire de mes études en plus d'un mari accro à son travail. »

« Leïla, quand on a parlé au pub, avant que tu partes à Oxford, je t'ai dit que j'étais là pour toi et je le suis. Tu n'as pas été toi-même tout ce voyage et bien que nous soyons officiellement ici pour qu'Amina rende visite à sa famille d'accueil et pour que tu améliores ton anglais, je dois te dire que nous pensons tous les deux que tu pourrais vraiment bénéficier d'un changement d'air. Nous avons remarqué... »

À ce moment-là, j'ai coupé brusquement mon frère. « Oh, je vois, donc vous avez parlé de moi dans mon dos. Merci beaucoup. »

« Oh Leïla, je commence à perdre patience avec toi. Je te jure, j'essaie d'être un ami pour toi aussi bien qu'un frère, mais tu me rends la tâche très difficile. »

« Eh bien, qu'avez-vous exactement remarqué, Hervé ? Qu'est-ce qui est si différent chez moi récemment ? »

« Frangine, si nous allons parler ouvertement, ce n'est pas seulement récemment, je suis désolé de le dire. Cela fait un moment que tu es différente. »

« Qu'est-ce que tu veux dire par différente ? » j’ai demandé, sur la défensive.

« Regarde, il me semble qu'à partir du moment où tu as épousé Jean-Louis, tu n'es plus tout à fait la Leïla que nous avons toujours connue et aimée. »

« Quoi, tu ne m'aimes plus, c'est ça que tu dis ? »

« Non, pas du tout, bien sûr que non. Mon dieu, Leïla, nous sommes une famille, bien sûr que je t'aime et Amina aussi. C'est juste que nous avons l'impression de perdre un peu de l'ancienne Leïla jour après jour », il a avoué doucement.

« Et qui est cette ancienne Leïla, Hervé ? Comment est-elle ? Il semble que j'aimerais la rencontrer ! » Je sentais la colère monter en moi, mais plus que tout, ses paroles avaient touché quelque chose au fond de moi que je soupçonnais depuis un moment.

« Insouciante, vive, confiante, légère ! Leïla, crois-moi, je sais que le mariage et les enfants ajoutent un certain niveau de stress à la vie de n'importe qui, mais avec cela devraient venir la joie, la satisfaction et un certain sentiment de calme. » Hervé me regardais d’un air implorant. J’ai baissé les yeux sur mes chaussures, les yeux remplis de larmes.

« Eh bien, c'est un peu difficile d'être calme quand tu penses que ton mari a une liaison, tu ne trouves pas, frérot ? » Et sur ces mots, je m'éloignai en faisant semblant de m'intéresser aux canards.

“Are you okay, sis?” asked Hervé with a look of concern.

I looked to my left, keen to avoid the question. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched Amina and the three children completely engrossed as they watched a line of ducklings waddling after their mother towards the lake. How cute, I thought.

“Leïla, I asked you if you’re okay. What is up with you? You’ve been so distracted this whole trip.”

“Oh Hervé, not this again, please! I told you, I think I’m just trying to do too much. You’re lucky, you’ve got Amina. I mean, she’s a dream. So loving and patient and the two of you work as a team. Don’t forget I’ve got the added complication of my studies as well as a husband who is addicted to his work.”

“Leïla, when we spoke at the pub, before you went to Oxford, I told you I’m here for you and I am. You haven’t been yourself this trip and although we’re officially here for Amina to visit her host family and for you to improve your English, I have to tell you that we both thought you could really benefit from a change of scenery. We’ve noticed…”

At this point, I cut my brother off abruptly. “Oh I see, so you’ve been talking about me behind my back. Thanks a lot.”

“Oh Leïla, I am starting to lose patience with you. I swear, I’m trying to be a friend to you as well as a brother, but you’re making it very difficult for me to do that.”

“Well, what exactly have you noticed, Hervé? What’s so different about me recently?”

“Sis, if we’re going to speak openly, it’s not just recently I’m sorry to say. It’s been quite a while now that you’ve been different.”

“What do you mean different?” I asked, defensively.

“Look, it seems to me that ever since you married Jean-Louis, you’re not quite the same Leïla we always known and loved.”

“What, so you don’t love me anymore, is that what you’re saying?”

“No, not at all, of course not. My god, Leïla, we’re family, of course I love you and Amina does, too. It’s just that we feel we’re losing a bit of the old Leïla day by day,” he admitted quietly.

“And who is this old Leïla, Hervé? What’s she like? It sounds like I’d like to meet her!” I could feel myself getting angry, but more than anything, his words had hit something deep inside of me I’d been suspecting a while.

“Carefree, spirited, confident, light! Leïla, believe me, I know marriage and children add a certain level of stress to anyone’s life, but along with that should come joy and satisfaction and a certain sense of calm.” Hervé looked at me pleadingly. I looked down at my shoes, my eyes filling with tears.

“Well, it’s a bit hard to be calm when you think your husband’s having an affair, don’t you think, bro?” And with that, I stormed off to pretend to be interested in the ducks.

Word Power: Bouche

If you want to expand your French vocab and pepper your conversation with some fun expressions, bouche*, meaning mouth, is another mot très utile* to add to your repertoire.

The following is just a little *mise en bouche (visit WordReference for a bumper list!) – but we’re sure you’ll find an expression or two that will tickle your fancy.

*mouth | *very useful word | *taster

C'est Pas Versailles Ici...

Looking for an inventive way to tell your kids to turn off les lumières* (and stop racking up your energy bill)? Look no further than the French and give les enfants* a disdainful, “C’est pas Versailles ici”. This tongue-in-cheek saying is a go-to among parents – and one of our favourites from this list of everyday French expressions.

Do you have a favourite French saying? Tell us in the comments below.

*the lights | *the children

SWOON: Les Seychelles

Popular among honeymooners and adventure seekers, Les Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean that dazzles with its pristine white-sand beaches, lush *forêts vertes and diverse marine life while enticing Francophiles with its historical connection to France. 

In 1756, the French formally claimed the islands, naming them after Jean Moreau de Séchelles, the Minister of Finance under King Louis XV. Despite British control in the 19th century and eventual independence in 1976, the gallic influence is still evident today in the culture, Seychellois Creole language, and architecture. 

*Le tourisme is the mainstay of the local economy, with attractions like the Vallée de Mai with its coco de mer palms and Aldabra Atoll’s giant tortoises drawing nature lovers from far-flung corners. 

Whether you want to snorkel, dive, hike or relax, this picture-postcard destination won’t disappoint. 

*green forests | *tourism

Classic French Films: La Règle du jeu

Now the nights are cool, is there any better activity than settling in with a French film (and, *peut-être, *un verre de vin)? We think not – and we have a classic recommendation well worth hunting down. Directed by cinema icon Jean Renoir (son of the Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste), the 1939 film "La Règle du jeu" (The Rules of the Game) is a cornerstone of French cinema that once courted significant controversy. 

Starring Marcel Dalio, Nora Gregor, Paulette Dubost, and Renoir *lui-même, this satirical masterpiece delves into the complex social dynamics of the French upper class just before World War II, as the rich meet up at a French chateau with their help in tow. 

According to a BFI synopsis, "It's an upstairs-downstairs world where servants and masters become enmeshed in a tangle of desire, a jumble of motivations in which, in the film’s famous phrase, 'Everyone has their reasons'. At the film’s centre is the amiable Octave (played by Renoir), whose best intentions lead to tragedy."

You can watch *la bande-annonce, with English subtitles, here :

Upon its release, "La Règle du jeu" faced significant backlash for skewering the French aristocracy and bourgeoisie, leading to its ban by the French government in October 1939. The ban and censorship lasted until the mid-1950s (a heavily edited, unpopular version was released during the ban) when the film started to gain recognition as a cinematic tour de force. 

Today, "La Règle du jeu" tops every list of best French films, hailed for its intricate narrative, technical innovation and camera work, and timeless critique of human behaviour. 

*Le film is unfortunately unavailable for streaming in Australia. However, more advanced students might like to watch it with French subtitles on YouTube. Or, you can purchase a DVD with English subtitles on eBay. 

*perhaps | *a glass of wine | *himself | *the preview | *the film