Ultimate French Resources #5

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

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

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

WHAT:

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

POINT FORT*:

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

POINT FAIBLE*:

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

PS:

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

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

Ultimate French Resources #4

On the very odd occasion Word Reference fails me (see Ultimate French Resources #3), I turn to Linguee.com as a last resort.

Established in Cologne, Germany in 2008, Linguee is what is called an online bilingual concordance. That turns out to be a very fancy way of saying that the site trawls the web to find authentic documents that have been written in both French and English and places them side-by-side on the webpage. This is très pratique* when you want to see words used in their true context, not just in isolation as they often are in a dictionary.

WHAT:

A website of parallel texts, showing authentic, real-world uses of words along with how they’re translated in that particular context.

POINTS FORTS*:

It is the very best place to find new words or néologismes, as they are called in French.

The example of social distancing below is a good one. Though Word Reference has now caught up, when I wrote about it in last month’s newsletter, it did not yet have its own entry. It was only contained in the forum, where members of the public had asked about it. Linguee, on the other hand, had examples months ago, as they use web-crawlers to find examples of the phrase being used in real documents across the internet.

POINT FAIBLE*:

There are two main things to watch out for:

1) Linguee’s review process is less stringent than a traditional dictionary’s. A human-trained learning algorithm is used to assess the quality of the translations so don’t stake your life on their accuracy, though generally they are more than good enough for learners like us.

2) Many of the bilingual documents are sourced from EU protocol papers and other government documents, so the examples do not make for the most scintillating of reading, though I guess that very much depends on your intérêts*.

The top section of the website functions as a simple dictionary, but it’s further down that you get to le bon matos*.

Et voilà*! Seeing the phrase in context really helps you to see how it is used.

*very handy | *pros | *cons | *interests | *the good stuff | *And there you go!

Ultimate French Resources #3

The very first tab I open on my browser when I arrive at work each day is without fail Wordreference.com. It stays open all day and I would jump onto it at least ten times before I pack up my computer to go home. While not exactly a technophobe, I do tend to favour paper over a screen, but in the case of this fantastic online dictionary I have to admit that the digital version is simply supérieure*.

Unlike a hard copy dictionary, Word Reference is not constrained for space, and it therefore offers so much more than translations. Once you've typed in the word you're looking for and the 'direction' of the translation (English to français* or vice versa), you'll see the most obvious translations at the top (principales traductions). Next, you'll see some further translations (traductions supplémentaires), followed by compound forms (formes composées). Don't stop there though, for if you scroll all the way to the bottom of the entry, this is where things become really interesting: a forum where users can ask questions that have not been answered above. It's here you'll find some very recent developments in the language. For instance, in March when we all started talking about la distanciation sociale*, there were several people who had already asked what I wanted to know in the forum, though the translation had not made it into the top part of the entry. Let's hope that's a sign that this concept will one day become 'très 2020*'.

WHAT:

The best online dictionary we've found.

WHO:

From students in need of a simple translation, to those on the cutting edge of the language who want to be able to speak of the very latest concepts en français*. Also really great for great big nerds, like me, who just loving poring over French words.

POINTS FORTS*:

So up-to-date and comprehensive, it really is a credit to the developers. Also, for some of the more common words, you'll see a little speaker icon right at the top which allows you to access the pronunciation.

POINT FAIBLE*:

The quality of the advice given by the posters in the forum can vary. If you're able to, give preference to the senior members (Pie-Anne is a personal favourite - that woman 's knowledge of both French and English is époustouflant*).

*superior | *French | *social distancing | *very 2020 | *in French | *best bits | *weak points | *astounding

Ultimate French Resources #2

As a long-term French learner, you'll likely find there are certain resources you use once and immediately forget, others you use for a period of time and then put to the side, and still others to which you return time and again to answer your trickiest questions.

Much like the old adage about people entering your life for a reason, season or a lifetime, we could say the same about French references. In my life, Schaum's French Grammar has certainly earned its place as a 'lifetimer'.

WHAT:

A combined French grammar and exercise book.

WHO:

While the Schaum Outline Series covers topics as diverse as macroeconomics, topology and reinforced concrete design, if you're content to just stick to French for now, the French Grammar edition has clear explanations, illustrative examples and a large number of practice exercises.

POINTS FORTS*:

As above, it's the repetition that's the key. Hundreds and hundreds of exercises give you the chance to practise until you get it right. Also, while the explanations are simple and clear, they are very broad in their scope, so this is a book you'll hang onto for years as the ultimate reference.

POINT FAIBLE*:

Though there have been five updates since my trusty 2nd edition hit the shelves (and even mine was bought second-hand!), the interior pages have stayed much the same. So not an inspiring layout, but highly, highly effective.

*best bits | *weak point

Cahier de Vacances

We are excited to announce the publication of our very first Lingua Franca Cahier de Vacances*.

While for some, doing extra French practice will sound the exact opposite of being on holidays, for others (most likely the true Chouchous*), there is nothing quite like sitting down with a brand new workbook to practise your skills.

The first in a series of sixteen, so you'll soon be able to buy a companion workbook for each Lingua Franca text, from Absolute Beginner 1 to Advanced Revision. We started with the Beginner 1 title as it is an area where many of our students struggle - those pesky slightly irregular verbs. As many of you will know, if you don't learn them properly as a beginner, they will come back to haunt you as an intermediate learner (l'imparfait*, anyone?).

Fear not, though, there is more than just grammar that is covered:

• asking closed questions

• the close future

• un tas de* useful vocab.

• sentence builders

• throwback exercises and much more.
  
  Best of all, the inside front and back covers are home to the most delightful (and useful) grammar summaries to help you ace your holiday homework. Bon courage!*

*Holiday Workbook | *Teacher's Pets | *the imperfect | *a heap of | *Good luck!

Nasal vowels

The sounds that make French sound just...well...so French! Master these and you'll be well on your way to perfecting your French accent.

La Petite Boutique

If you haven't done so already, we'd encourage you to check out the newest addition to our "French with Benefits" programme: La Petite Boutique by Lingua Franca.

Why is it of benefit to your French? La Petite Boutique is where we stock our newest and most helpful workbooks as well as a bespoke range of French diaries, cheat sheets, stationery items and aide-mémoires*.

Très tendance* are the Challenge Series workbooks, designed to clean up your French by focusing or common pièges* such as pronouns and prepositions. Filling in these gaps helps your spoken French as well, since you’ll no longer stumble as you approach them and instead will breeze through them like a pro. Interestingly, though we designed these workbooks with our advanced students in mind, many upper beginner and intermediate students are snapping them up and are finding them really helpful to clarify the learning they’ve already done, as well as get a sneak peek into the future.

More of a real beginner? We haven’t forgotten about you either. Keep your eyes peeled for a beginner exercise book which covers the basics such as asking questions, present tense verbs, simple prepositions and really helpful vocabulary.

*memory joggers | *Very popular | *traps

Ultimate French Resources #1

At the start of my career tutoring French, I was a huge consumer of French grammar books. In fact, French language books of all kinds - I wanted them all. As befitting my personality (and that of many of our students, I hear), each book has two or three pages completed and the rest of the book is entirely blank. A true addict, once I'd realised a particular book was not going to magically make me speak French fluently, I discarded it and went looking for my next dose*. So the books piled up until I nearly ran out of new ones to buy. Sounding familiar?

Over the years, though, I've noticed there are a couple I return to time and again and along with a couple of websites, they have really become my French bibles.

In the next few newsletters, we'll cover my top five. Let's start with a fantastique* website: Lawless French.

WHAT:

A website for learners of all levels

WHO:

Laura K. Lawless, an American woman, fluent in French, based in Guadeloupe, who is also responsible for the French for Dummies book, which is actually very good.

POINTS FORTS*:

Very, very thorough, you can sign up for a weekly newsletter with helpful tips and for more advanced levels, her 'Subjunctivisor" will tell you whether your sentence requires the subjunctive or not. Very useful.

POINT FAIBLE*:

It's not a particularly beautiful site, but it is nonetheless very, very good.

*fix | *fantastic | *best bits | *weak point

How to type French accents

We are often asked by our Chouchous* how they can type French accents on their various devices. The wonderful website Thought Co has again come up with the goods, with a blow-by-blow account of how to do so, regardless of whether you are plutôt* Apple or Android. Here below, though, a quick guide to your options.

*Teacher's Pets | *more/rather

La cédille

Undoubtedly the cutest of the French accents, this little squiggle looks a lot like a number 5 without its lid and descends from the middle of the bottom of the letter 'c'. So what does it do? It changes a hard 'c' sound to a soft one.

French works very similarly to English when the letter 'c' is followed by a vowel.

The cedilla (or c cédille in French) changes a hard 'c' to a soft one. Even our most débutant* students will have seen this at work in 'ça va', which, if not for the accent, would sound like 'ka va'.

*beginner

L'accent circonflexe

Savez-vous que* the circumflex accent in French was originally a combination of the acute and grave accents? Neither did we until very recently and though its effect on pronunciation these days is fairly negligible, it can be a real help in working out the meaning of the word it appears in. Regardez* the video below for a fuller explanation.

*Did you know that... | *Watch

L'accent grave

Katrina explains the effect of the accent grave* on pronunciation. If you think of it making the sound of the letter 'e' in the English words 'bed' or 'egg' you'll be very close indeed.

*grave accent.

Masculin ou féminin

We know, we know! When we first start teaching you here at Lingua Franca, we break the bad news that every single noun in French is either masculine or feminine (that’s why some words start with le* and others with la* and others with l’*…but that’s another story…).

We also tell you just to accept that there is no rhyme or reason as to which category they fall into. Now though, with possibly a bit more time on your hands than d’habitude*, we feel it’s time to let you in on a couple of little secrets as to how you can make an educated guess.

Bonus points for anyone who can identify the person in the background, going about her day at le nid*.

*the | *the | *the | *usual | *the nest

L'accent aigu

I absolutely love teaching about the acute accent (accent aigu in French). I find it really interesting.

Firstly, it's a sound we're relatively familiar with even before we come to learn French, since it appears in some very common words we've borrowed: café, risqué, touché, for example.

Secondly, there is a really neat trick I was taught by my French teacher which I now love to pass on. It goes like this: if ever you're faced with a French word that starts with an 'é' and you're having trouble deciphering it, try dropping the 'é' and replacing it with an 's' instead.

For example:

étranger = stranger
état = state
Écosse = Scotland

Pourquoi? Well, the history of language is a long and complicated one, but this is my simple (and by no means authoritative) take on it. Modern French is derived from Latin via Old French. Several other modern languages are also based on Latin, for example Italian, Spanish, Portugese and Romanian. These are often called western Romance languages. If we take an example of the evolution of the word 'study' from Latin to Old French to Modern French, you may start to see an interesting pattern.

Latin: studium
Old French: estude
Modern French: étude

Can you see how when the 's' dropped out of use in the transition between Old and Modern French, the acute accent makes an appearance? It seems English borrowed many words from Old French, and just removed the 'e' over time, leaving us, in this example at least, with 'stude' which is quite close to the Modern English word 'study'. Interestingly, Spanish also borrowed many words at this stage, and yet they chose to keep the 'es' (their word for study is 'estudio').

Practice Videos

Over the Christmas break, we set to work on a new range of videos designed to help French learners improve their spoken French. I'd say 95% percent of our students at one point or another will complain that although they are able to read and write quite well, they just cannot get the words out when it comes time to speak. Many of us can formulate perfect French sentences when we're in the shower or walking the dog, but under pressure all those words just seem to evaporate dans la nature*.

As clichéd as it may sound, the key is to practise, practise, practise to the point where you're boring yourself. This serves two ends: 1) the repetition will embed the sentence in your head and 2) you'll naturally lose some of your inhibitions by dint of having repeated the same thing so many times. So have a play around with our new videos. Play, pause and replay them as many times as you like, and just when you're starting to feel the ennui*, put yourself under a bit of pressure by letting them run straight through. If you fold under pressure? Just recommencez*...

*into thin air *boredom *start again 

And for those of you who are not quite absolute beginners, here is a slightly more difficult version:

And if you're feeling a bit more daring...

Et pour les experts...  

Le tréma

This past week at Lingua Franca we've been holding free trial lessons in the run-up to a new term. One day, we had a small group including an absolute beginner, an intermediate (but slightly rusty) speaker and someone who was really quite advanced. I decided to do a quick lesson on the French accents, as it is suitable for all levels and en plus* it's heaps of fun! I thought you might like it too, so this week we made a short video explaining my favourite accent of the five, le tréma*. Enjoy.

*plus *the trema (or the two dots you sometimes see above a vowel in French).

Peut mieux faire | can do better

Peut mieux faire | can do better  

ON AIME | WE LIKE

ON AIME | WE LIKE

AUDIBLE

The vast majority of our students have a real passion for reading. They are also, like everyone else, often time-poor. Notwithstanding, they have a real desire to improve their French, and often lament how difficult it is to understand the spoken word. Is there une solution*? Well, yes, it appears there may be.

Audible Inc. is a seller and producer of spoken audio entertainment, information, and educational programming. That is, they sell audio books, and it is no surprise to learn their parent company is Amazon.

Although there is nothing quite like sitting down with a really good book and whiling away the hours, it's also true that being able to listen to your favourite books while exercising, cooking, doing the gardening or even while stuck in traffic n'est pas mal du tout*.

There are nearly 6000 French texts available to download, from the French version of Harry Potter, to Le Petit Prince* and Jules Verne's Vingt Mille Lieues Sous les Mers*  as well as a huge range of French textbooks. 

The best bit? You can listen to your book at three-quarters of its natural speed. This is a fantastic option for French learners, especially if you have a hard copy of the book in your hands as you listen.

We're so excited by this app's possibilities that we've incorporated it into our new Club de Lecture*. We're starting off with Ensemble, C'est Tout, a book by Anna Gavalda which was made into a movie starring Audrey Tautou and Guillaume Canet. The idea is that we'll listen to a passage in class, check our comprehension, then read the passage in French (a hard copy of the book is included in the cost of the course) and finally translate it into English. Students who download the app can then re-listen to the passages at home, over and over again if necessary. We're confident this approach will vastly improve students' comprehension in a relatively short space of time as well as being really fun. If this sounds like your thing, fais-nous signe*.

*a solution | *is not bad at all | *The Little Prince | *Twenty Thousands Leagues Under the Sea | *Book Club | *let us know

CAN DO BETTER | PEUT MIEUX FAIRE

CAN DO BETTER | PEUT MIEUX FAIRE

QUICK TIPS FOR ALL LEVELS